I thought those photos of rows upon rows of green plants in an exotic setting were only reserved for rice fields in Southeast Asia or vineyards in Europe or Northern California. Then I went to Hangzhou. Little did I know, tea plantations look similar with rows of greenery, just a little shorter and bushier. I've been to vineyards in various places in the US, but never rice fields, and never a place as beautiful and relaxing as this.
Hangzhou Tea
Driving through the winding roads of lush, garden-like greenery set the scene.
Hangzhou Tree Scenery
As someone who doesn't really drink tea, I still enjoyed learning about how the tea was grown, how the leaves are hand-picked, and certain hot water pouring techniques.
Hand picking tea baskets
Tea plantation China
Tea Demonstration Hangzhou China
Tea is very much a part of Chinese culture and learning more about it helps you understand more about China.
Green Tea
Hangzhou Tea leaf
After the demonstration we walked around and took photos of the surroundings.
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We stopped into their store to get some tea, but the salespeople were very pushy. We found that common in many stores in China though, perhaps it was because the gift shop was a "tourist" shop or maybe it's just the culture of shopping. I didn't do enough shopping in China to really understand this, though.
Overall, it was an interesting experience and something I'd definitely recommend to people visiting Hangzhou.
Location: Longjing Imperial Tea Garden
GOING TO CHINA SOON?
Book a place to stay - my all-time favorite booking website is the well-known Booking.com - I’ve used it for years all over the world.
It is the easiest way to search and find the best hotels (hostels too!), especially based on reviews. I always check the reviews on Booking, even if it’s a name-brand hotel. You never know!