[2025 Hangzhou Attraction] Travel Guide for China Tea Museum - Shuangfeng Branch (Updated Mar)

Hangzhou in the coming days will be filled with countless moments of spring's warmth and clear skies. Here's a recommended one-day flower viewing route, combining hiking along the north shore of West Lake with a boat tour on the south shore. Sharing it on your Moments will get you bombarded with questions! Save this detailed guide now~ ✅【West Lake Flower Viewing Route】 Maniao Temple ➠ Quyuan Fenghe ➠ Maojiabu ➠ China National Tea Museum (Shuangfeng Branch) ➠ Wugui Pond Hand-Rowed Boat Route (Majiawan Wharf ➠ Wugui Pond ➠ Yuhu Bay ➠ Huagang Park ➠ Majiawan Wharf) ➠ Taiziwan Park 🌸【Detailed Introduction】 1⃣ Maniao Temple A hidden gem of ancient-style gardens by West Lake. Enjoy the cherry blossoms from the second floor of the teahouse through the carved windows, immersing yourself in exquisite Chinese aesthetics. 2⃣ Quyuan Fenghe A classic cherry blossom viewing spot in Hangzhou. Row a boat under the cherry blossoms and experience the unique romantic charm of Hangzhou. 3⃣ Maojiabu Here, the *Orychophragmus violaceus* bloom even more brilliantly than the cherry blossoms, creating an unmissable sea of purple by West Lake. 4⃣ China National Tea Museum (Shuangfeng Branch) Under the cherry trees, with stone bridges, flowing water, and thatched cottages, it's as if scenes from an anime have come to life. 5⃣ Wugui Pond Hand-Rowed Boat Route Board a boat at Majiawan Wharf and spend an hour and a half exploring the aquatic version of *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz* on West Lake. During this season, the shores are also filled with cherry blossoms, crabapple blossoms, and *Orychophragmus violaceus*, creating an almost surreal beauty. 6⃣ Taiziwan Park The top attraction of springtime Hangzhou, with 400,000 tulips blooming simultaneously, resembling a real-life Monet's Garden.

The snow willows at the China National Tea Museum are in full bloom! It's the perfect time to visit. Stroll along the museum's paths, and you'll hear the gentle murmur of flowing water. Take a closer look, and wow! Both sides of the stream are covered in snow willows. The snow willow's branches are long and slender, softly drooping, and covered in tiny flowers. These flowers are pure white, with five petals surrounding pale yellow stamens, small and charming. From a distance, they look like a layer of fresh snow, misty and beautiful. When the wind blows, the branches sway, and the little flowers rustle, creating a delightful harmony with the sound of the stream. China National Tea Museum Go to the Shuangfeng branch, don't go to the wrong place, as there are two tea museums. The stream is so clear you can see the bottom, and the reflection of the snow willows shimmers on the surface, creating a moving painting. The snow willows thrive by the stream, nourished by its waters. The combination is stunning! Every photo is a masterpiece. I could spend the whole day here. Everyone, come quickly!

Although Hangzhou is a food desert 😂 But‼️ Xin Rong Ji + Ziyu Hall at Xihu State Guesthouse, these two Chinese restaurants are worth a special visit‼️ (I strongly recommend you to blacklist "Lou Wai Lou" by the West Lake 😂 Don't go there‼️ It's full of tourists‼️) Day 1: West Lake Culture + Xin Rong Ji Feast Morning: West Lake Secret Tour 🚣‍♀️ - 7:00 Take a taxi to "Hangzhou Botanical Garden" to start your morning tour (fewer people, more flowers) - Walk to Guo's Villa (the most elegant garden by the West Lake, CNY 10 for admission) → Maojiabu (wild plank road) - 9:30 Take a hand-rowed boat on the "Shangxiang Ancient Road Waterway" (CNY 300/boat, the reeds and egrets are super healing) Lunch: Ziyu Hall at Xihu State Guesthouse 😋 - Black Pearl 2-star Hangzhou cuisine, with a first-line lake view - Must-try: West Lake Vinegar Fish (made with crucian carp instead of grass carp!), Tiger Spring Matsutake Rice, Bayberry Drunken Shrimp - Tip: Book a window seat by phone 3 days in advance, and ask for "vinegar fish topping served separately" to keep it crispy Afternoon: Cultural Tour 🍵 - China National Tea Museum (Shuangfeng Pavilion) for free tea tasting and tea frying - Ride along Longjing Road (avoid the commercialized Longjing Village, and take photos of the terraces in Charen Village) Dinner: Xin Rong Ji Xixi Branch 🥢 - Additional recommendations: Pomfret Rice Cake with Brown Sugar, Octopus with Pickled Vegetables (seasonal dish) - Hidden benefit: Amber walnuts + homemade almond cookies are given after the meal, which can be packed as gifts Night Tour: Baoshi Mountain - Enjoy the night view of the West Lake from the platform in front of Baoshi Tower (more stunning than the view from Leifeng Tower) Day 2: Lingyin Temple + Xixi Wetland Morning: Lingyin Temple Tour - 6:00 Take a taxi to "Fahua Temple Southwest Gate" for a reverse tour - Route: Fahua Temple → Beigao Peak Cableway Downhill → Lingyin Temple → Yongfu Temple - Surprise: Yongfu Temple "Cibei Coffee" offers "random" blind coffee selection Lunch: Vegetarian on Tianzhu Road - Zhizhu Vegetarian Noodles (handmade noodles with mushrooms + pine pollen rice cake) - Or "Her City Has Him" creative Hangzhou cuisine (spicy chicken with vegetarian roast goose from Faxi Temple) Afternoon: Xixi Free Tour - Navigate to "Wujiawan Entrance of Xixi Wetland" for free entry - Route: Jingyuan Ancient Visit → Qingping Shantang → Hezhu Street (CNY 3 oil cake is a must-try) - Special experience: Helium balloon overlooking the wetland (CNY 180 for adults, 100% photo rate on sunny days) Dinner: Private Kitchen by the Canal 😍 - Drunken West Lake · Zhenyan (Longjing Shrimp with River Shrimp) or Mangzhong (CNY 15 Pian'er Chuan beats internet-famous restaurants) Day 3: Grand Canal + Return Morning: Grand Canal Tour - Xiangji Temple (copper temple) → Dadou Road Historical Block (visit local designer shops) - Watch cargo ships pass through the lock by Gongchen Bridge (most frequent at 9:00/14:00) Lunch: Time-honored Restaurant - Ziyu Hall for the second time or Fangjia Kitchen (large intestine pot + stinky tofu prawn pot) - Souvenir: Jiaou Tiancheng Rock Sugar Osmanthus Lotus Root Powder (free tasting on site) Afternoon: Return ✈️🚅 - For flights before 18:00, you can choose "Jiuxi Yanshu" for a light hike (super cool to step on the stream in summer) - For late flights, we recommend "City Balcony" to watch the Qianjiang New City Light Show (every Tuesday/Friday/Saturday at 19:30) Advanced Tips 1. Xixi Paid Area Alternative: Jiangcun Slow Life Block has a free "Jinxi Gong Xixi" amphibious performance every Saturday (you can also watch clips in the free area) 2. Ziyu Hall Money-saving Tip: Lunch set menu is CNY 300+ per person including service charge, 1/3 cheaper than dinner 💰 3. Xihu State Guesthouse Hidden Spot: "Dingjiashan" in the guesthouse offers a panoramic view of the West Lake, no reservation required for guests 4. Lingyin Temple Tip: The Buddhist items in the temple are cheaper than those in the shops outside, CNY 46 for 18 seeds with no purchase limit Accommodation Upgrade Plan 🏨 Stay upstairs in Ziyu Hall, book Building 8 of Xihu State Guesthouse, and enjoy the West Lake view Money-saving Combo → Stay at Qili Hotel by the Grand Canal (with free canal cruise ticket) + take a taxi to Ziyu Hall 🚘

“A warm heart is like boiling water, tea cannot match wine; a subtle charm is like a cloud, wine cannot match tea.” Tea and wine have profoundly shaped the Chinese way of life, aesthetic taste, and social etiquette. There are many legends about winemaking, such as the monkey winemaking legend, the Yellow Emperor winemaking legend, the Jin Dynasty Yi Di winemaking legend, and the Du Kang winemaking legend. Chinese winemaking has gone through the technical stages of naturally fermented fruit wine, brewed grain wine, and distilled wine. The "Beishan Wine Classic" is a theoretical and technical monograph on winemaking written by Zhu Hong in the Song Dynasty. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, rice wine was brewed in large quantities, and China invented the unique method of compound fermentation with yeast. The Han Dynasty used the feeding method, and the Song Dynasty developed it into a method where yeast and rice were put into the vat simultaneously. Distilled wine appeared in China as late as the Yuan Dynasty, and distilled wine was revered as legal wine during the Yuan Dynasty, with grape brandy being the most precious. The Yuan people called distilled wine "Arak." Drinking vessels were mostly ear cups, cups, stands, and trays. The Han Dynasty mainly used zun to hold wine, and tubular wine pourers appeared in the mid-Tang Dynasty. Common wine storage vessels were long-necked bottles, called "jing bottles" by the Song people (called "mei bottles" after the Ming Dynasty). The Fairness Cup, also known as the "Warning Cup," is a prop used for drinking games to add fun. It does not leak when the water is shallow, but leaks completely when full, reflecting the ancient Chinese concept of "fairness" in objects. The custom of drinking "hejin wine" originated in the pre-Qin period. In the Song Dynasty, newlyweds used two wine cups when drinking "hejin wine," so it was also called "cross-cupped wine." After drinking half, the couple would exchange cups and drink the rest, then place the cups one upright and one upside down under the bed, symbolizing a harmonious marriage. The Zhou people used wine to worship heaven, earth, and ancestors, and to offer sacrifices to the four seasons and directions. The custom of offering tea as a sacrifice can be traced back to Emperor Xiao Ze of the Southern Dynasties. Wine is called the "chief of a hundred medicines," and the silk book "Fifty-Two Disease Prescriptions" unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb records forty wine therapy prescriptions. The Yushan Elegant Gathering hosted by Gu Ying was the largest, longest, and most attended elegant gathering of the Yuan Dynasty. During the gathering, literati recited poems, appreciated music, and admired antiques, often accompanied by drinking and tea-tasting activities.

Step into the China National Tea Museum and enjoy a feast of tea culture! Tea is the national drink, Hangzhou is the tea capital, backed by Jiqing Mountain, facing Wulao Peak, adjacent to the new West Lake in the east, and surrounded by tea gardens. Looking around, the white walls, black tiles, green trees, and the continuous green tea gardens form a picturesque scene—this is the Shuangfeng Pavilion area of the China National Tea Museum. The China National Tea Museum is located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and includes two parts: the Shuangfeng Pavilion area and the Longjing Pavilion area, with a total building area of about 13,000 square meters and an exhibition hall area of 4,875 square meters. The two pavilion areas are connected by the ancient "Qianlong Imperial Road" and the beautiful "Eight Views of Longjing," leading visitors on a unique tea culture journey. Entering the two pavilion areas, several groups of well-arranged buildings come into view, with flower corridors, winding paths, rockeries, ponds, and waterside pavilions, all showcasing the charm of Jiangnan gardens. The China National Tea Museum was completed and opened in 1991 and currently has more than 5,000 collections, including tea sets, tea books, tea processing tools, tea samples, tea paintings, and tea stele rubbings. "As the only national first-class museum in China themed around tea and tea culture, the China National Tea Museum not only focuses on the collection, research, and display of tea artifacts but also emphasizes the preservation and inheritance of tea knowledge and tea culture, striving to create a unique exhibition brand." The Shuangfeng Pavilion area of the China National Tea Museum is an "open-air museum without walls," consisting of five exhibition spaces: tea history, tea essence, tea affairs, tea sets, and tea customs, interpreting tea culture from different angles. The permanent exhibition in the Shuangfeng Pavilion area is the "Chinese Tea Culture Exhibition," which won the "Top Ten National Exhibition Awards" in 2003. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, as the trend of drinking tea in Europe became popular, tea became an important commodity in ocean trade. In the display case of the Green Gold Exhibition, there is a tea sample with a history of nearly 300 years, telling the story of Chinese tea crossing the ocean. This tea sample is very precious; it was salvaged from the Swedish ship Götheborg, which carried nearly 370 tons of tea. The China National Tea Museum is fortunate to have preserved two samples.

How come nobody told me 'China Tea Museum: Shuangfeng Pavilion' is so beautiful!!! I've been in Hangzhou for several years, but every time there are new discoveries, there are really too many beautiful spots. The Tea Museum is fantastic, not only do I get to see beautiful scenery but also gain knowledge about tea. I must add it to my list of treasure check-in spots. Address: China Tea Museum Shuangfeng Pavilion (Note: A is not the Longjing Pavilion) Time: 9:00-16:30, closed on Tuesdays Transportation: Get off the bus at 'Shuangfeng Station' and walk for about five minutes Key point: The snow willows and cherry blossoms are both in full bloom, hurry up