Hangzhou to Shanghai (June 10th)

On Friday we traveled to a local tea farm where we learned of the 1000+ year history of drinking tea in China that was pioneered by Lu Yu. At the tea farm I learned that the finest green tea in all of China is processed by hand, and even lips, which is only sold to the Chinese government for officials and their guests to consume. The tea leaves are picked off of the tea plant by the lips of virgin girls in March. These leaves are then dried in bags which are places between the breasts of the young girls. This type of tea, which is called Emperor Tea is produced by families in the Southern part of China and is never exported from the country. This tea has a number of health benefits as it contains a lot of antioxidants and is also manufactured into capsules which can help reduce cholesterol. Many people drink green tea to detoxify their bodies and the drink should be consumed after each meal. Shanghai was our final destination this afternoon. What a city of contrasts from modern areas to older parts of the city.