Quanzhou Tea Tasting ‖ "The tea fragrance is subtle and the tea soup is clear and bright"
🍵Quanzhou Tea Tasting Tour: Unlock the Code of Southern Fujian Tea Culture🔑
🌟Travel time: March and April
🌈Weather Overview: - The temperature is between 10°C and 20°C, and the weather is changeable. It is recommended to bring a slightly thicker coat to match the base layer, and a scarf, which is especially useful when going to the beach. There may be rain in mid-March or around Qingming Festival, so it is recommended to bring rain gear.
📍Itinerary planning:
Day 1- Morning: After arriving in Quanzhou, head to West Street to feel the charm of the ancient street, stroll along the street, enjoy the unique view of the East and West Towers facing each other, and taste Aunt Zhuang’s taro cakes and other special snacks. - Noon: Have lunch at a restaurant near West Street. We recommend Grandma Hou's Roasted Pork Zongzi (Zhonglou Branch), which is rich in ingredients and delicious.
- Afternoon: Visit Kaiyuan Temple, appreciate the tranquility and solemnity of the thousand-year-old temple, admire the Main Hall, Ganlu Ordination Platform and other buildings, and feel the strong Buddhist cultural atmosphere.
- Evening: Go to the ancient teahouse, sip tea and listen to Nanyin, and immerse yourself in Quanzhou's tea culture. The ancient teahouse has a neat architecture and three courtyards. Here you can not only drink tea, but also watch Nanyin and opera performances.
Day 2- Morning: Go to Qingyuan Mountain to enjoy the natural scenery, visit the giant stone statues of Laojun Rock from the Song Dynasty, and feel the charm of nature and historical heritage.
- Noon: Have lunch near Qingyuan Mountain and taste Quanzhou specialties such as vinegar meat, braised noodles, etc.
- Afternoon: Go to Chunshan Lingyan National Art Museum and enjoy a leisurely tea tasting time. This place is hidden at the foot of Qingyuan Mountain. It is themed on Song and Yuan culture and has a quiet environment. The tea rooms are all independent boxes, allowing you to avoid the hustle and bustle and enjoy the tranquility.
- Evening: Go to Xiapu Village, experience the Zanhuawei, feel the unique folk customs, and have dinner nearby to taste seafood and other local specialties.
Day 3- Morning: Go to Dabaofeng Tea Estate to enjoy the scenery of the alpine tea garden, participate in the tea picking and tea making process, and experience the fun of tea culture.
Noon: Have dinner at the manor or nearby and taste farm dishes.
Afternoon: Go to the teahouse to continue tasting tea and learn about the intangible cultural heritage of tea. The Xiehui Teahouse is a complex teahouse that integrates multiple elements such as intangible cultural heritage tea space, conference room, outdoor leisure, etc., which can meet different needs such as family outings and friends gatherings.
🍵Tea tasting experience:
Tea selection: Quanzhou is famous for its oolong tea, such as Tieguanyin, Narcissus, Cinnamon, etc. In the teahouse, the staff will introduce you to the characteristics of different teas, and you can choose according to your taste preferences.
Tea set selection: Traditional Minnan Kung Fu tea often uses purple clay teapots and white porcelain covered bowls. The purple clay teapot can absorb the fragrance of tea, making the tea taste mellower; the white porcelain covered bowl makes it easy to observe the color of the tea soup and the expansion of the tea leaves.
Making tea: After warming the cups and utensils, put appropriate amount of tea leaves into the tea set and brew with boiling water. The first brew usually involves quickly washing the tea leaves to remove impurities and surface odors, and then controlling the brewing time based on the characteristics of the tea leaves.
Tea tasting: first smell the tea, feeling its different aromas such as quiet, rich, and elegant; then look at the tea soup. High-quality tea soup is clear and bright, with a golden or orange color; finally, take small sips, let the tea soup spread in your mouth, and feel its mellow, fresh, and sweet taste.
🏨Accommodation recommendation: Near West Street or Nanjun Lane: convenient transportation and many delicious foods and attractions nearby. Hotels near tourist attractions: convenient for sightseeing.
🚌Transportation: Public transportation: Quanzhou has very convenient transportation, and most of the scenic spots can be reached by basic buses. Shared electric vehicles: It is also one of the convenient ways to travel in Quanzhou. - Self-driving: The roads in the old city are narrow, so self-driving is not recommended in the city to avoid traffic jams and parking difficulties.
📝Notes: Respect local tea culture and customs, observe order in the teahouse, and don't make loud noises. When drinking tea, follow the tea brewing etiquette, such as using tea tongs to pick up and put tea leaves, and do not touch them directly with your hands. When purchasing tea, pay attention to identifying the quality. You can consult and compare more to avoid buying inferior tea.
📸Photography and check-in: West Street: The ancient street is full of charm and suitable for taking humanistic photos. Kaiyuan Temple: The East and West Towers are the symbol of Quanzhou, and the architecture inside the temple is also very spectacular and worth photographing. Qingyuan Mountain: The natural scenery and cultural relics complement each other, making it a paradise for photography enthusiasts. Xiapu Village: The unique hairpin flower village folk customs are a great background for taking photos. Come to Quanzhou and start a journey filled with the fragrance of tea! 🍃🍵