The iconic Dragon Well from Hangzhou, Zhejiang. It speaks for itself—but here’s the story behind the leaf anyway:

Her journey began in the misty hills of Hangzhou, where the early Spring rains kissed the earth and cool mountain air kept everything soft and still. She was a bright, tender leaf, growing slowly on the outskirts of town with her friends, soaking up the quiet life. Days were peaceful, spent swaying in the breeze and sipping in the fog — a perfect life for a leaf not yet burdened by destiny.

But change came fast. Right before the Qing Ming holiday, when the elders said the energy of the season was strongest, she was chosen. Hand-plucked at her prime, she was swept away from her mountaintop home and brought down to a strange village filled with the scent of heat and iron. That’s where she met the wok.

The first sear stopped her in her tracks — the pan-firing halted her growth in an instant, locking in all the tenderness she’d carried since Spring. Her shape flattened under the pressure, pressed again and again until she bore the iconic look of a seasoned Dragon Well: slim, smooth, and slightly curved like a blade. She wasn’t just a leaf anymore. She was a legacy.

In her new form, she blossomed. A warm nuttiness rose from her soul — roasted chestnut, deep and cozy. A sweetness came first, gentle and kind. But each steep brought out something more: a quiet complexity, a graceful bitterness, and a finish that lingered just long enough to make you wonder what else she was hiding.

Once chosen by emperors and favored in summer for her cool, refreshing energy, her story still flows through every steep. She isn’t flashy, but she’s unforgettable — the kind of character who doesn’t shout to be noticed, but ends up your favourite anyway.