LONGWU VILLAGE
At the end of March, the harvest of the famous Dragon Well or Longjing tea began once again. We didn’t take part in the tea harvest this year, but we couldn’t miss our usual hike through the lush green hills of Longjing and Meijiawu. There was already a rush of activity; busy hands were plucking the freshly sprouted leaves and buds and gathering them into baskets.
Even after two years, I still can’t get enough of the sight; I love watching the colorful spots flashing here and there amid all the green and the faces hidden behind their hats. Another major tea-producing area in the Hangzhou region is located near the village of Longwu, about 15 km from the city center.
Thanks to the lack of tourist crowds, the village is much more orderly, quieter, and more peaceful than its well-known “sister” village. The small stream running through the village and the row of artificial flowers give the village a particularly charming atmosphere.
Not far from the village of Longwu, we took a little trip back in time as we explored the “park” known as the White Dragon Pool. A restaurant that looked like a haunted house, a playground, which could have been the setting for a documentary about Chernobyl, and railings rusted to the very last corner were balanced by a picturesque stream, waterfalls, caves, a suspension bridge, a zip line, two geese, a few ducks, dragons, and small pools, all of which compensate for the area’s poor condition. With its playground, hiking trails shaded by trees, and natural features could be an ideal family outing spot. The advantage of its state is that few people come here, so our hike was surrounded by peace and quiet.
A few kilometers from the old village, a new center has been built, themed around tea culture. Shops offering all kinds of tea, as well as tools and sets for tea ceremony.. Half of the complex is still empty... for now. When we wandered into one of the small shops, we found ourselves right in the middle of a tea tasting event. A young woman, dressed in traditional clothing, presented the tea ceremonie, and then served it to potential customers. It was an interesting event to close our half-day tour.
April, 2019
