West of West Lake, Hangzhou is full of unique and diverse facets! Here you'll find hidden gems you never knew existed!
Preface
"The mist waves are gentle and the tea mountains are green, and the world is free outside the West Lake"
If you come to Hangzhou and only know about the beautiful West Lake, then I'm afraid you don't know Hangzhou yet. ▼
Did you know Hangzhou is the birthplace of the "Nine-Bend Red Plum"? Can you name the lake that was as famous as West Lake during the Song Dynasty? Have you ever seen Hangzhou's version of "Monument Valley" or the idyllic Shangchengdai Village?
West Lake District has long attracted visitors with its diverse tourism offerings and high-quality resources! West of West Lake, its slower pace of life and tranquil, beautiful, niche attractions offer countless surprises. The fresh and elegant beauty of the Song Dynasty and the diverse charm of Hangzhou all bloom quietly here!
Photo @Shen Yiming
Just this May, the Xihu District Culture, Broadcasting, Tourism and Sports Bureau, together with China-TravelNote, planned a new themed travel IP event based on Xihu District's tea culture and Zhijiang's unique tourist landscape resources, while integrating elements such as "Song Dynasty Rhythm" and "Asian Games".
"Free and Easy Outside West Lake"
This time, we'll journey beyond West Lake and explore deeper into its rippling emerald waters. Focusing on tea culture and river cruises, we've designed five innovative themed tours, aiming to uncover the hidden wonders west of West Lake and discover a uniquely picturesque Jiangnan.
HANGZHOU Small Craftsmen of the Southern Song Dynasty
Decoding Song Dynasty Culture and Watching the Qiantang Ceremony
There has never been a dynasty like the Southern Song Dynasty, which was the first period in the history of the world's great maritime trade and the second period of a hundred schools of thought in Chinese history, comparable to the "Western Renaissance".
This was also a legendary era, with emphasis on imperial examination education, the promotion of rituals, music and culture, a developed commodity economy, prosperous overseas trade, numerous scientific and technological innovations, and a flourishing cultural thought.
This time we will watch the ceremony in Qiantang and take a new look at the Southern Song Dynasty, which was once extremely prosperous and where the people lived in peace and prosperity, from a new perspective.
In just 5 hours, you can return to the prosperous dynasty of more than 800 years ago and have a cross-time and space communication!
Southern Song Dynasty Culture Research
Go behind the scenes of professional stage plays, experience the exquisite and elegant Southern Song culture up close, watch short films about Song Dynasty culture, and learn traditional daily etiquette.
The beauty of "Huaxia" is still continuing. The clothing of the Song Dynasty has its own style of elegance and tranquility, with fine stitches and exquisite colors. It is a pearl in the development of clothing history.
This time, we will visit the exhibition of classic traditional costumes and gain a deeper understanding of Zhu Xi's family rituals and the deep-collared clothing system.
From daily wear to aristocratic dresses, they are all 1:1 hand-replicas. Put on the exquisite attire and you will be taken back to that legendary dynasty in a second!
We will also learn about Song Dynasty clothing, practice origami, and restore the craftsmanship of traditional clothing flat cutting. We may accidentally acquire new skills!
Discover the beauty of construction
The Song History Courtyard here has an architectural history of more than two hundred years, and its distinctive and ancient style can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. Standing here, we seem to be immersed in the humanistic and aesthetic space of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Take a leisurely stroll to appreciate the beauty of the ancient and elegant courtyard, interpret the different Southern Song Dynasty from a new perspective, and explore the details and stories behind the traditional architecture.
HANGZHOU I am a small tea farmer
Explore the secrets of nature in the tea garden
"Beautiful village scenery, leisurely tea paintings express" You don't have to go to the secluded mountains, you can feel the clear and ethereal world of tea in the leisurely Longwu Tea Town.
Enjoy the spring scenery and pick spring tea
Go to the tea garden to explore the secrets of nature, listen to the sound of the wind and the whispers of birds. Here, playing with your heart is the best way to learn.
We'll also visit the Art Village and listen to local tea connoisseurs share stories about tea. Longjing tea, already established in the Northern Song Dynasty, gained popularity during the Yuan Dynasty, when West Lake Longjing tea gained fame. Known for its distinctive green color, rich fragrance, sweet flavor, and beautiful appearance, it earned the nickname "Queen of Green Tea."
The Yuan Dynasty poet Yu Ji also wrote a poem praising West Lake Longjing, "Cooking and frying the golden buds, don't take them after Grain Rain; two or three of them, swallow three times and can't bear to rinse them."
In the tea mountains full of spring, we use tea as a medium to listen to the sounds of nature, immerse ourselves in the fragrant sea of tea, carry bamboo baskets, sing songs, pick tea, and feel the world of each bud and leaf, each tea!
DIY Green Tea Steamed Buns
The picked tea leaves need to be air-dried to remove excess moisture from the leaves, which is called "spreading the green leaves". Stir-fry the tea leaves, rub them, and dry them in the sun to experience the original hand-fried tea making process.
Above picture @photo.net
Tea leaves, mugwort, and flour… an unintentional experiment resulted in a viral steamed bun. Roll up your sleeves, wash your hands, and follow Grandma to learn how to make handmade green tea steamed buns, and experience the fusion of tea and food!
China has had the traditional custom of "serving tea to guests, using tea as a symbol of respect" since ancient times. We learn the rules of making tea, experience the traditional etiquette of serving tea, make a cup of tea by ourselves, and offer it to our parents, so that filial piety can be conveyed in a cup of tea!
HANGZHOU explores nature in the tea garden
Unlocking the past and present of "Hangzhou Yihong"
Longwu/Shangchengdai Village
200 years ago, it followed the ancestors of northern Fujian across mountains and rivers, establishing its roots in Lingshan, Hangzhou. It and West Lake Longjing tea, a pair of "twin sisters" growing on the shores of West Lake, originate from the same green leaves. It shot to fame at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in the late 19th century, earning it worldwide acclaim.
You may think it is niche, but it is as famous as Keemun black tea and Zhengshan Xiaozhong. Even Wu Jue Nong, the "Contemporary Tea Saint", could not help but admire it, and Li Shutong, a talented scholar of his generation, also left poems for it that have been passed down to this day.
Picture @Photo.net
Its inherent "red plum charm" has been admired for centuries, from the Republic of China to the present day, earning it the title of "Internet celebrity of the century." Once upon a time, men who drank it were required to wear suits and ties, and women were required to wear cheongsams, simply to live up to its elegant and captivating name, Jiuqu Hongmei.
Picture @Photo.net
Knowing and tasting tea
This time, we followed our guide into the Cimu Tea Garden, experiencing how these green leaves rejuvenate their "first life" in the hands of tea farmers. From a single leaf to a cup of black tea, we meticulously recounted the past and present of Jiuquhongmei.
Picture @Photo.net
Withering, rolling, fermentation, drying, through four major processes and eight techniques, and repeated "refinement", the Nine-bend Red Plum can become so fragrant and charming.
How can you not taste it, having waited so long? The amber-glazed color so famous in poetry, the "plum blossom fragrance" that gives it the name "red plum", lingers on your lips and teeth, leaving you captivated.
Jiuqu Tea Dyeing
You'd never guess that a single tea leaf could make plain silk glow. Tea is both a beverage and a precious dye. Follow the experts and experience how to make tea liquid "dance" brilliantly on plain white silk.
Use the tea from the Nine-Bend Red Plum Blossom, a pure natural dye, to dye fabrics with the most beautiful colors. Experience the beauty of traditional dyeing and tea in a natural and fun way, and leave a special memory of this trip!
HANGZHOU Tea Plantation and Art Commune Tour
From a thousand-acre tea garden to an art space
Longweiba Reservoir/Shangchengdai Village/Xiangshan Art Commune
Every time I take a photo, it’s like a deep conversation with myself. Maybe we can’t catch time, but we can freeze the good times in photos.
When you travel alone, you're burdened with a heavy camera, but your photos only capture the scenery, not you. When you're with your boyfriend or bestie, you're stuck using a tripod and running around taking photos. Have you ever dreamed of having someone to help you document everything that happens on your trip?
Tea Garden Photoshoot
This time, your dream is coming true! Don your beautiful clothes, travel light, and after a meticulous make-up artist, enjoy the fun and photo opportunities. Forests, tea fields, reservoirs... every moment along the way will be captured in timeless images!
Longweiba Reservoir is a new internet celebrity destination. The blue-green reservoir is like walking into Hayao Miyazaki's fairy tale world. The forests, hills, ponds and early summer sunshine make it easy to take a group of beautiful forest photos.
Feel the intertwined time in Shangchengdai Village, with your hair tied up in a bun, wearing pearl hairpins and elegant Hanfu, and dancing lightly among the tea fields. In the mountain pavilion, you can drink tea and rest. Every frown and smile is like walking in a painting.
Xiangshan Art Commune
Fresh white buildings, retro scenery, and a clean, "Sky City"-like atmosphere make Xiangshan Art Commune a place where you can experience the collision of New Jiangnan architecture and spatial aesthetics.
Picture @Little Red Book-Yuan Feixia
The patchwork of three-dimensional spaces and the minimalist black and white lines create a real-life Monument Valley and a treasure trove of photo opportunities. Simply dress freshly and the photographer will gift you with a dozen stunning photos.
Picture @xiaohongshu-cheese_
HANGZHOU Fields in Hangzhou
2-Day Leisure Tour of the Poetic and Picturesque Tongjian Lake
Tongjian Lake/Yunqi Town/Yichuang Town
One step to the city, one step to the fields. Without leaving Hangzhou, you can find a secluded mountain area and go to Longwu Tea Town, which is surrounded by mountains and is known as the "Ten Thousand Dan Tea Town".
Walking through the green mountains and clear waters of the tea fields, you can often experience unique and beautiful scenery. Deep in the tea garden, donning a bamboo hat and carrying a bamboo basket, you can pick a basket of Longjing tea to take home.
Come across the internet-famous mobile coffee truck at Guangming Temple Reservoir, enjoy the breeze while taking a break, and have a cup of hot coffee. Find the same camera position as on Xiaohongshu and have a date with the upcoming summer!
Art fields in the city
Go to the "Little Iceland", an art and creative town that was once the "scar of the earth" but has now been reborn like a phoenix.
Picture @Xiaohongshu-Get to know Hangzhou
This former Zhuantang Shuangliu Cement Factory has been revitalized by art and creativity, giving the old factory buildings new life. The interesting murals and the old factory buildings create a unique landscape with each passing season.
Picture @Xiaohongshu-Get to know Hangzhou
The fields and the monsoon flower sea, the little train, the cabins, the Nordic tents, the hills in the distance, the fields at your feet, and the aesthetic furnishings in front of you form a poetic pastoral painting. Against the backdrop of the sunset, we begin our wild luxury dinner.
After a successful day, drive to the hotel. During the day, you'll enjoy lush forests, rolling tea plantations, and Jiangnan agricultural landscapes. At night, admire the romantic starry sky, fulfilling your every fantasy of a picturesque countryside.
The Wildness of Tongjian Lake
Tongjian Lake, formerly known as "Shihu" in the Song Dynasty, was once as famous as West Lake. Today, it is a great place for people in Hangzhou to seek wild fun on weekends.
In the morning, slowly open your eyes to the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects, stroll through the fields, and have a delicious breakfast. For those of you who have lived in the city for a long time, it has been a long time since you experienced your childhood favorite activity of fishing for crayfish.
After a battle of wits and courage with the crayfish, you can make the ingredients you caught with your own hands into delicious and fragrant delicacies, and start the "drinker" mode. This meal will definitely be delicious!
In the afternoon, we went to explore a cool cave with a temperature of 17°C. There were green trees outside the cave and the scenery inside the cave was ever-changing. The natural karst cave is an excellent place to escape the summer heat and cool down.
After exiting the cave, head to the Tongjian Lake flower sea, fly your own kite, blow bubbles and take beautiful photos. This is the life you long for!
Conclusion
People often ask, besides West Lake, what else is worth visiting in Hangzhou? Actually, west of West Lake, there are many hidden gems you may not know about. This time, let us introduce you to a "different" Hangzhou!
