Government officials are revealed to be the main buyers of an expensive type of Longjing (Dragon Well) tea, which hit a record presale price of 360,000 yuan (US$57,024) per kilogram this year, higher than that of gold.

Officials consider pre-Qingming Longjing tea, one of China's best green teas from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, as an ideal gift and thus boost the price, China National Radio reported yesterday.

Most of the buyers are officials from universities, governments and the military, an industry insider said, adding that they often asked sellers to issue invoices in the name of accommodation, dining and conference fees.

Longjing tea harvested prior to the Qingming Festival, usually on April 3, 4 or 5, is more expensive than other types of Longjing tea because it is produced from the very tender first spring shoots. It requires skilled workers to pick every leaf by hand.

Zhu Baichang, a dealer who sold the tea at the record price in the presale, said this year's pre-Qingming Longjing tea would cost at 80,000 yuan per kilogram on the market, an increase of 10,000 yuan from last year.

"The 360,000 yuan per kilogram for the pre-Qingming tea was just a single case for presale promotion and we will donate the money to a local art group for deaf people," Zhu said. However, he said that the market price was still too much for "normal" people to afford.

People usually spend hundreds of yuan on a kilogram of normal Longjing tea, Zhu said. The more expensive tea was bought by officials as gifts, the radio report said.

Previous examples of officials' lavish spending that have angered the public include receptions, oversea trips, luxury cars and liquor.

Moutai, which is served at official banquets, used to sell for 500 to 600 yuan three or four years ago. Now it costs around 2,000 yuan.

In a proposal to ban Moutai in government dining, national political adviser Lin Jialai said that publicly funded government receptions were the major driving force behind the price.

The Qingming Festival, or tomb-sweeping day, is a traditional Chinese festival where people go to family graves to sweep the tombs and honor their ancestors.

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