Infusing the gentleness of summer into the breeze of Jiaguan Ancient Town

On the day I took my annual leave, I set my navigation destination to "Jiaguan Town" and joyfully entered immersive vacation mode.

🌞 The daily life of the ancient town kissed awake by morning light
At 6 a.m., the faint sunlight filtering through the B&B's gauze curtains gently roused me.
Pushing open the wooden door, I was greeted by the mingled scents of tea and morning dew.
This Tongqu Jiaguanli B&B sits halfway up the tea fields, where grandmothers with bamboo baskets were already heading up the mountain paths to pick tea leaves.
A ten-minute stroll along the stone-paved path leads to the ancient town. The three bridges over Baimo River were still shrouded in mist as an uncle carrying vegetable baskets crossed Qingyuan Bridge, while the cheerful banter of locals along the roadside sounded like an old folk song.

🍀 Hidden culinary delights in the alleyways
In Jiaguan, your nose is better than GPS for finding good food.
Following the aroma of cured meat led me to Zouji Restaurant, where glistening slices of perfectly marbled pork smoked over firewood carried a fruity wood fragrance with every bite.
Before leaving, I specially asked for takeaway boxes to enjoy with dark tea as a midnight snack back at the B&B!
The Liu Family's meat-stuffed glutinous rice balls, available only on market days, were pure serendipity! After queuing for half an hour behind local aunties, the savory filling bursting through the chewy wrapper sent me blowing on scalding-hot juices - yet I couldn't stop eating.
The B&B manager later told me their breakfast Zheng's steamed buns are another Jiaguan specialty, explaining why they sell out daily.

🏜 Living in a breathing mountain retreat
Tongqu Jiaguanli B&B delivered constant surprises.
Its rammed-earth walls exuded rustic charm, with sunlight casting lattice patterns through wooden windows - every angle was wallpaper-worthy.
My private terrace hot spring room faced the tea fields, with the stone bath refilled daily. Soaking under the starry sky, listening to tea leaves rustling in the wind, was pure bliss. ⛲

The solid wood furniture carried its own fragrance, and the gardenia-scented lotion showed their thoughtful attention to detail.

On my last afternoon, I lingered by Tiantai Mountain's streams.
When sudden sunshower sent me scrambling for cover, a corn-roasting auntie lifted her tricycle's canopy and invited me in. The golden corn carried charcoal aroma as she shared mountain legends - when the rain stopped, a rainbow arched across the sky.

Detouring to the B&B's back mountain before departure, I picked wild daisies to arrange in a water bottle.🌸

Time here felt suspended, soaking all urban tension away in ancient town's hot springs.
Now, every whiff of tea leaves in my bag makes me yearn to return to Jiaguan's unhurried rhythm.