Albeit cold in the mornings and evenings, the daytimes are still warm enough to enjoy one of the city’s golden seasons; and with the sweet scent of Osmanthus leading you about town it’s easy to see why so many people fall in love with autumn in the osmanthus rain.

Sweet Osmanthus Rain at Manjuelong Village

In the Children’s Park and Sweet Osmanthus Rain at Manjuelong Village 20% of the osmanthus, including Golden Osmanthus, Sliver Osmanthus and Orange Osmanthus, have already put forth their blossom. The yearly leisure fest of osmanthus will open this Saturday and will last until October 16. Nearly 4,000 osmanthus trees are planted in the Manjuelong Village and the first buds to wave their magic blossom have already begun. The second wave of blossom might begin around the National Day holidays. Please note that after refurbishment the teahouses will now be open to the public this weekend.

Hangzhou Botanical Garden

The Osmanthus & Crape Myrtle Garden, established in 1958, has a collection of golden osmanthus, sliver osmanthus, orange osmanthus and four-season osmanthus. Here there are more than 2,000 plants of over 20 species of osmanthus and there is a special plant called the King of Orange Osmanthus which, at 1.05 meters in diameter, is over 10 meters tall.

Right now is the season for the early blossom and the main flowering plants to be seen are the hard-left orange osmanthus which has a blossom rate of 20% and which will only last until this weekend. The middle wave of blossom will bloom around the National Day, “if the temperatures could stay at 25 degrees before the National Day and with a fit companion of rain, the osmanthus buds will open then”, Chen Xiaoling, the senior engineer in the Hangzhou Botanical Garden told us.

Wansong Academy

The osmanthus in Wansong Academy adds some literary in its sweet scent. In the shadow of the trees, surrounded by the aroma of osmanthus, it is a great pleasure to gather with some friends, to read a few pages or even just to be seated doing nothing at all.


Zilai Cave, on the hillside of Yuhuang Mountain, is also surrounded by osmanthus trees and here you can also appreciate a view of the Eight Diagrams Field. However, the majority of osmanthus trees on Yuhuang Mountain have not yet come into full bloom but it is expected that they will fully blossom around the National Day holiday.

China National Tea Museum – Longjing Branch

The Chigui Pavilion, also named most fragrant pavilion, is situated in Longjing Branch of China National Tea Museum and is most famous for the scent that evaporates from the clusters of osmanthus around it. Shu Yan, one of the staff in China National Tea Museum, told us “the osmanthus has not yet bloomed in the hills but maybe three or five days later, the osmanthus in China National Tea Museum will bloom.”

In fact, around the West Lake, the osmanthus in the Orioles Singing in the Willows Park has also already begun to show its true colors as has the osmanthus in the back of Gushan Garden, Yue Fei Mausoleum, alongside the Su Causeway, in the Hupao Park, Pagoda of Six Harmonies and the park of Bamboo-lined Path at Yunqi. Soon the city will be full of the sweet scent of osmanthus.

For more autumnal fun in Hangzhou, please visit the special coverage "Autumnal Fun in Hangzhou".