Spring Day Hike on the Small Loop Trail in Longwu Tea Village

Navigate to Guangmingsi Reservoir to begin your hike. You can park your car in the marked white spaces nearby or along the empty roadside. Just note that during holidays, this area becomes a one-way street, so be careful not to drive in the wrong direction. Guangmingsi Reservoir is located within Longwu Tea Town, a national 4A-level scenic area, adjacent to the Zhijiang Tourist Resort. The nearby Shangchengdang Village covers 2.4 square kilometers with about 345 households, many running homestays and teahouses. On your way to the reservoir, you’ll see various stalls, barbecue restaurants, and shops offering traditional tea brewing. Further up, you can reach West Mountain Forest Park with its large teapot sculpture.

Easy Hiking Route:
Starting from Hejianní Market, stroll along the path lined with vendors until you reach Guangmingsi Reservoir. Follow the wooden fence around the reservoir to the right until you see a gravel path leading uphill. Climb this path to reach the tea mountain viewing pavilion. After a short rest, you can descend via the paved pathway, taking a different route back to Hejianní Market. The entire loop is about 3km and mostly easy walking, except for the somewhat steep uphill portion. The pavilion gets quite breezy, offering a refreshing respite.

On the surrounding tea mountains during spring, you’ll spot many local women carrying bamboo baskets as they pick tea leaves. The terraced tea gardens grow high-quality Longjing tea. Both the market vendors and nearby farmers sell freshly roasted Longjing tea, though prices vary widely, so be discerning. The air in the tea gardens is exceptionally fresh, carrying the subtle natural fragrance of tea leaves. The reservoir’s water mirrors the clouds above, offering a sense of freedom and healing rarely found during workdays. If you don’t exercise regularly, bringing a hiking pole might make the walk easier. Wear athletic shoes and bring sun protection gear like UV-blocking clothes, sunglasses, or sunscreen, as the tea gardens offer little shade and the weather is warming up.