Hu Pan Ju Teahouse

Hu Pan Ju (Lakeside Residence) is the most beautifully positioned teahouse in Hangzhou: a pavilion of wooden walkways built out over West Lake, where tea arrives as the boats drift past and the willows frame every window.

The signature is Longjing from the hills above, brewed in glass so you can watch the leaves unfold, with plates of sunflower seeds and osmanthus cake. Locals arrive at dawn for the first pots; sunset bookings are the ones to fight for. It is the definitive Hangzhou tea experience, and it has been perfecting it for decades.