This year, let’s have the most fun Mid-Autumn Festival in the most carefree Xihu District!
Why Xihu District?
The scenery here is breathtaking! It is an interesting place and full of new things to do!
How is the experience?
Safe! Plenty of things to do! No Crowds!
Here, the sun shines all over streams and rivers and the wind blows, creating the billowing golden wheat fields.
In Hangzhou, the Mid-Autumn Festival seems to be naturally associated with osmanthus.
If you want to find a quiet place to appreciate osmanthus, then Xihu District (西湖区) is an ideal place to do so.
Mountain
Ruyi Peak 如意尖
The First Place to See the Moon in Hangzhou
Ruyi Peak, also known as Zhuyu Peak (茱萸尖), is the highest peak in Xihu District, so it’s safe to say that it is the first place to see the moon rise~
Xishan Tourist Path 西山游步道
Tea Garden · Mountain Hiking
There are three “Xi’s” in Hangzhou, West Lake (Xihu Lake; 西湖), Xixi National Wetland Park (西溪湿地公园) and Xishan Mountain (西山).
Compared with the widely-known West Lake and Xixi, Hangzhou Xishan Mountain National Forest Park is much more tranquil. The entrance of the forest park is right here in the Outer Tongwu Village (外桐坞村).
Hangzhou Xishan National Forest Park features an area of undulating mountains.
Here, mountain springs converge and form the only natural waterfall in Hangzhou.
Here, trees thrive, making it the park with the most trees in Hangzhou. Here, the special geography gives it the only karst cave group in Hangzhou.
Here, the highest peak offers people a panoramic view of Hangzhou’s prosperity.
Osmanthus
The most touching thing in the autumn of Hangzhou is that trees dripping with yellow and orange osmanthus decorate the parks, and the intoxicating fragrance of osmanthus permeates every lane and street. Take a deep breath and you’ll feel refreshed instantly.
For the past couple of days, the light fragrance of osmanthus has already spread quietly in the city. However, it’s the osmanthus from Xihu District that people love most.
Osmanthus Food
Missing the Longwu Town’s Osmanthus Tea Snacks
Talking about osmanthus viewing, the one place that you shouldn’t miss is Longwu (龙坞). There, not only can you indulge yourself in the beautiful views and pleasant fragrance of osmanthus, but also can you have some osmanthus snacks.
The osmanthus trees greet you from the distance, and while you are approaching, the pleasant fragrance hugs you, reaching your heart and soul.
When the wind blows, a golden osmanthus rain falls, with petals falling in people’s hair, on people’s sleeves and on the ground, creating a scene of flowers blooming all over the ground.
Of course, one can’t do without an osmanthus banquet where freshly-picked osmanthus are used to make osmanthus cakes, which are either seasoned with washed and dried osmanthus flowers, or decorated with them. They are both delicious and good-looking.
Make a cup of tea, pick a place with beautiful osmanthus views, savor the long-desired osmanthus snacks ... this perhaps is the life that people yearn for.
Upon leaving, you can take along with you a jug of osmanthus wine. While the fragrance lingers in your mouth and between your teeth, don’t forget the good time that you have had in Longwu this September.
Osmanthus Jiuqu
Lingshan-style Special Osmanthus Fragrance
The Longjing osmanthus tea in Longwu Town is impressive, while the Jiuqu Hongmei (九曲红梅) black tea in Lingshan is also unique. Jiuqu Hongmei appears black and glossy, and tastes strong. It can be said to be a “gem” among black teas.
This season is perfect for tea and flowers!
Every year, it’s the scented sweetness of osmanthus that quietly tells us that autumn has arrived in Hangzhou. Lingshan Characteristic Town is rich in osmanthus. Every year in August, pearl-like flowers and beautiful trees are seen everywhere; the fragrance spread wide and far, reaching people’s hearts.
In order to keep the pleasant fragrance, people in Lingshan Characteristic Town have formed the custom of making and savoring Jiuqu osmanthus tea.
Every year when the osmanthus bloom, tea farmers will scent Jiuqu Hongmei tea with freshly-picked osmanthus. The Jiuqu osmanthus tea blends the fragrances of tea and osmanthus into one harmonious whole.
In your leisure time, you can have a cup of Jiuqu osmanthus black tea. It seems that the tea that integrates the essence of the flower and the tea leaves, spring and autumn not only can produce saliva, slake thirst, disperse cold and warm stomach, but also can moisten the autumn dryness in people’s hearts and help to preserve a good happy time.
Garden
Qingzhiwu (青芝坞), the place with a name full of strong Jiangnan flavor, is located at the northern side of Yugu Road (玉古路), in between Yuquan Campus of Zhejiang University and Hangzhou Botanical Garden.
Through the village passes Lingfeng Peak water. The entrance/exit of “Exploring Plum Blossom in Lingfeng (灵峰探梅)” is right there.
In Hangzhou, Qingzhiwu is a small place, but it’s this small place that is praised as “the Backyard Garden of West Lake”.
Coming here in autumn, not only can you enjoy osmanthus, but also can you taste a lot of unexpected delicacies.
The place rests between the popular West Lake and Yuquan Campus of Zhejiang University, and the off-the-beaten-track Xishan Mountain and the Botanical Garden. The unique geographical location creates the distinctive quality of Qingzhiwu, “Qingzhiwu”-style idleness and routine.