China National Tea Museum (Shuangfeng)

Opened in April 1991 amid the Longjing tea plantations southwest of Hangzhou, this is China's only state-run museum devoted entirely to tea. Six exhibition halls trace the leaf from ancient origins through cultivation regions, varieties, utensils, customs and the art of preparation. Holdings include one of the country's largest collections of historic tea ware, with Ming-era Yixing clay pots and Song-dynasty grinding stones. Visitors walk between halls through working terraces where the famed Longjing green tea is hand-picked each spring. Pavilions host live tea ceremonies and tastings, letting you sample freshly fired Dragon Well leaves at the source.