Blog Archives

Longjing Tea Farm

5/31/2019

Chinese tea experts laugh about the green tea we get in the U.S. They say that our tea bags contain the scraps and refuse swept off the floor in the tea packaging plants. I'm not so sure about that, but I know that the Grade A and B teas that I taste at Longjing Tea Farm in Hangzhou are the most delicious green teas that I have ever tasted.

Whenever I visit Hangzhou with travelers, we take an hour or two to spend at the tea farm, learning about the picking, drying and packaging process. More importantly, the local people educate us on the health benefits of green tea. Of course, we westerners understand that green tea is good for us, but for many Chinese, green tea really is the "apple a day."

The water in China is not potable. Not even the local people drink it. They are not all buying bottled water; they are boiling their water. Since green tea is good for their health, many Chinese people can be seen toting around a bottle or thermos of green tea, oftentimes lukewarm. This is their "Camelback," but it's filled with tea, not water.

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Hangzhou in the Summer

5/24/2019

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Most people who are not slaves to an academic calendar agree that traveling in the heat of summer sucks. But there are some benefits. In gardens across China, the flowers are magnificent. The colors this time of year are not visible in the cooler months of spring or fall. Is it worth it? Yes.

On West Lake in Hangzhou, we get a rare glimpse at the opened lotus flower. I could sit and photograph the lotus for hours. This seems like hyperbole, but anyone who enjoys photography will understand the truth to that statement. Hangzhou also offers beautiful sunshine, West Lake and breezy boat rides in the summer months.

Regardless of the time of year, Hangzhou is peaceful and serene. It has been frequented as a source of inspiration by poets, musicians and artists for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Join me on a trip to China. If your schedule allows you to travel in the fall and spring, most agree that the weather is best then. However, time of year is not a factor for me. I go for the beauty, the people and the perspective...this is not season-dependent. If you join me in the summer, it will be worth every bead of sweat! I promise.

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Garlic Bulbs

5/17/2019

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One of the impromptu stops we made on a student trip to China in 2014 was a garlic farm. As we were driving along in Yunnan Province near Dali, I spotted a group of farmers and, as I often do, asked our driver to stop.

I urged all of the students to disembark and learn about digging garlic bulbs. The farmers were quite surprised that we were interested in learning and helping, but soon got over their wariness and welcomed our assistance.

We were not there long, but as always, my take-away was about the people more than the experience (although digging garlic bulbs was cool). As I sat with my camera, shooting photos of the students and the farmers, I listened to their conversations and their laughter. I felt the warm friendliness of this community and was, once again, reminded of how lovely life would be if it were just a bit simpler.

Spontaneous stops to meet local community members is not unique to one or two trips. I try to be spontaneous on all trips. Sometimes this is frustrating for travelers because it means I cannot give an exact overview of our day's itinerary. However, I think everyone with whom I've traveled agrees that this is what makes the trips different, memorable, inspiring and impactful. We all need that in our lives. Join me.

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Song Mountain

5/10/2019

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Last week I wrote about Taishan, the eastern mountain of the Five Sacred Mountains. I have also spent some time on Songshan (Mount Song), the central of those mountains. Songshan is on the grounds of the Shaolin Temple and monastery. As such, I think I have walked the beautiful pathway around the side of Songshan four or five times.

Unlike Taishan which has well paved stairs to the summit, Songshan's path is a little bit treacherous. I opt for the cable car and then a long hike along the cliffside. There are actually two cable cars. The one that gives the best views and provides the cliffside walk is the Sanhuangzhai cable car. I have never made it farther than about 30 minutes walk out and 30 minutes back. However, I understand if you have some time, you can walk about 1.5 hours to a suspension bridge, across the bridge and walk another 30 minutes to Sanhuangzhi monastery (which you view from afar as you walk along the cliffside) and then after the monastery, about 30 minutes down to an exit. That is my plan for the next trip to Song Mountain, in 2020.

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Mount Tai

5/3/2019

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Before ascending the approximately 7,200 stairs to the summit of Mount Tai

After our long climb, we look exhausted as well as exhilarated!

A few years back, I led a group of 27 Americans, ranging in age from 12 to 82 on a trip to China's sacred mountains. One of those mountains is Taishan (Mount Tai) in the small city of Tai'an in Shandong Province. Taishan is known as the eastern mountain of the Five Sacred Mountains in China.

Religious worship at Taishan goes back thousands of years. It is a sacred Taoist mountain that was visited by emperors who came to pray for, and make sacrifices for, a good harvest. Like Hangzhou and Suzhou, Taishan is a place where poets, writers, artists and musicians come for inspiration.

Although there is a cable car to take visitors up to, and down from, the summit, pilgrims and strong travelers make the hike up the 7,200 stairs. Most of our group took the stairs. I was constantly humbled as elderly pilgrims and men carrying dozens of bottles of beer passed me.

We spent the night on the mountain which was a very cool experience. We woke for sunrise. Regardless of the weather, the sunrise is pretty spectacular on Taishan because the summit is above the cloud line. Even if the sun is invisible, the clouds below are magnificent.

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Longjing Tea Farm

Hangzhou in the Summer

Garlic Bulbs

Song Mountain

Mount Tai

Lauren Drazen

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