Step Back in Time at Lu Yu Spring Park
A gentle breeze, subtle tea fragrance, step through the gate to a classic Jiangnan garden. Stroll by the lake, rest in a pavilion, dress up in Hanfu, and begin this extraordinary journey through time…
Encountering Lu Yu Spring Park
When speaking of Jingshan in Hangzhou, one cannot overlook its famous Jingshan Tea. The tea and the mountain share equal renown. First cultivated in the Tang Dynasty, its fame attracted Lu Yu, the Sage of Tea, who journeyed here. Legend has it that Lu Yu built a cottage and lived in seclusion, drawing spring water to brew tea and composing the timeless Classic of Tea. The spring water he used is Lu Yu Spring, now the site of Lu Yu Spring Park. Escaping the holiday crowds, we traveled back to ancient times here, strolling the garden and deeply savoring tea culture.
Follow a tea master to learn Tang Dynasty tea brewing from Lu Yu's Classic of Tea.
Pour water in seven steps and experience the joy of Song Dynasty whisked tea.
Play traditional garden games and taste the charm of ancient pastimes.
Step into the antique garden and stumble upon a time-travel encounter.
Dress in Hanfu and create a graceful ancient-style photo album.
As night falls and lanterns glow, the garden comes alive with a different kind of magic.
With dancers in beautiful costumes and melodies in ancient style, we entered Lu Yu Spring Park. The park was bustling, filled everywhere with girls in Hanfu, all strolling together as if embarking on a day-long journey into the past, like a dream of ancient times.
Entering through the gate of a Chinese-style pavilion, the ancient décor and the enchanting dance of Hanfu-clad girls filled us with excitement.
Our first exploration revealed surprises around every corner. Girls in the pavilion were playing traditional instruments—this pavilion is also a popular photo spot.
And there’s the equally popular roly-poly girl.
The park offers a variety of traditional games. Simply buy a “travel pass” to join in. Queuing with other visitors in Hanfu, we felt transported back in time. Pitch-pot, a staple in historical dramas, was especially fun when we tried it here for the first time.
Trying on a forehead flower—though my bangs always cover my forehead—it was delightful to see a blossom bloom on my brow, elegant and lovely.
Walking through the corridors, under hanging red lanterns, riddles were already waiting. If you’re good at riddles, come test your wits!
After completing all the challenges and getting a cute Lu Yu Spring stamp, you can exchange for a small gift—so much fun.
Lu Yu Spring Park is full of photo-worthy spots. How could you miss this journey through time? Quickly change into Hanfu, take elegant little steps, and fully enjoy the “ancient time-travel trip” in the garden, fulfilling a time-travel dream.
If you don’t have Hanfu, don’t worry. The park offers Hanfu rental and ancient-style styling, giving a great opportunity to those who’ve always wanted to try. Like me, I came specially to enjoy the styling service. I chose a pinkish hue I adore; the chest-high ruqun skirt highlighted a lively charm, and the updo with a dragonfly accessory looked vivid—my whole being sparkled!
The first photo stop is, of course, the popular little pavilion. With bamboo curtains, it becomes a perfect spot to relax and enjoy the view after the music performance. Even a casual snapshot here captures a framed ancient-style portrait.
Apart from the pavilion, the park consists of two main buildings and a looped corridor, several playful bridges, and a large tranquil lake split by a path in the middle. The sun is still hot this season, and without wind, the lingering summer warmth remains.
The winding corridor is our favorite spot. Sitting briefly, chatting away the afternoon—most of our time was spent here. The garden view outside the corridor made the best backdrop for beautiful photos.
The second-floor balcony of Hongjian Tower, with an ancient-style parasol, turned out to be another great photo spot. Sipping tea in such an atmosphere must be equally delightful!
Jingshan, where Lu Yu Spring Park is located, boasts green hills and clear waters, surrounded by lovely tea plantations that complement the tea culture of the park.
As you wander, you'll find countless scenes worth capturing. The park’s design is thoughtful—even a window along a corridor can frame a painterly view.
In addition to costume rental, the display area near the entrance has more exquisite ancient-style items to browse.
Earlier we mentioned Lu Yu secluded himself here due to the excellent water quality for tea, and that water comes from this very spring. Lu Yu Spring, commonly called “Lu Family Well,” is named after the Tang tea sage who lived here and studied tea. It’s honored as the “Third Spring Under Heaven.” The ancient well, over 1,200 years old, is accompanied by towering old camphor trees.
The spring has two openings, one large and one small. The larger well is rectangular. To the north, flat stones are laid; to the south, the bottom is lined with stones forming a well shape, with water 0.5 meters deep, slightly below the stone level. Water from the large well was used for washing, while water from the small well was used for brewing tea.
“Lu Yu Spring” lies within an archway on one side of the park. Dense greenery gives it a mysterious air, and it is, of course, the source of the park’s name.
When the visitors depart and the setting sun casts its slanting light, the small Lu Yu Spring garden becomes a serene photo haven, not inferior to grand parks but with an added touch of depth.
Lu Yu, a Tang Dynasty tea scholar, wrote the world’s first monograph on tea, ushering in an era of tea. He is revered as “Tea Immortal,” “Sage of Tea,” and honored as “Tea God.” A statue of Lu Yu stands at the heart of the park. China has a long tradition of ritual, so before learning tea culture, we recited the “Ode to Tea Three-Character Classic” to pay respects to the “Tea God.”
Hongjian Tower not only houses a few antique tea rooms but, most importantly, serves as a museum of tea culture. This modest space enlightens visitors on tea from various historical angles.
The museum begins with Lu Yu and Lu Yu Spring, introducing his life and travels. It explains how, to write the Classic of Tea, Lu Yu journeyed through many tea-producing regions to gather material, finally completing the masterpiece here.
He retreated here twice, calling himself “Sangzhuweng”, and finished the Classic of Tea by the spring. The spirit of the book deeply infused the tea and Zen culture of Jingshan, later spreading to Japan and the world.
The “tea ceremony” of Jingshan Temple, based on the Classic of Tea, evolved into a “tea banquet,” with specific rituals: offering tea, smelling its fragrance, observing its color, tasting, discussing tea, and conversing. This culture also originated in Jingshan.
The second-floor exhibition focuses on tea leaves and famous varieties from different regions. A closer look reminded us of the many fine teas we’ve encountered.
Lu Yu’s Classic of Tea is divided into ten chapters: “Origin,” “Tools,” “Production,” “Utensils,” “Boiling,” “Drinking,” “Historical Records,” “Regions,” “Simplifications,” and “Illustrations.” From it, we learn how Tang people understood tea’s origins and history, and how to plant, pick, process, brew, and drink tea. Lu Yu also devised a set of tea utensils and rituals to present the cultural and aesthetic aspects of tea drinking, later giving rise to various “tea ceremonies.”
On the first floor of Hongjian Tower, there’s a themed product line and tea room called “Tea Brewed by Lu Yu”—we tried it and can confirm it’s delicious!
Tang Dynasty Tea Brewing: A Unique Tea Art
Chinese tea history follows the adage “Tang boiled, Song whisked, Ming steeped.” These are the elegant affairs of tea. At Lu Yu Spring Park, learning about tea is a wonderful experience, and the tea rooms dedicated to tea are full of ancient charm that we adored. Let’s first learn Tang-style tea boiling!
Near the entrance, a lady in ancient dress was brewing tea for guests. We could sample it to beat the heat.
The lecture tea room was steeped in ancient elegance. With only a few participants, each with their own table, we learned the art of boiled tea. Our class was in the afternoon, but we eavesdropped in the morning too.
The entire room has floor-to-ceiling wooden windows, outside which a miniature landscape mirrors the interior—as if inside an ancient building.
Before the lecture began, the refined act of tea tasting was the perfect photo op, with props and atmosphere all in place.
The Tang boiling method we learn today is a simplified version of Lu Yu’s method recorded in the Classic of Tea.
The instructors’ explanations were anything but simplified. They brought recently reconstructed “24 tea utensils” and Lu Yu’s boiling technique, guiding us into the joys of Tang-style tea.
The utensils used were replicas of tea implements unearthed at Famen Temple: a wind stove, tea cauldron, tea roller... The tea master introduced each one.
Our own tea brewing was relatively simpler: starting from roasting the tea cake, to boiling the tea to three levels, nurturing its essence, and adding seasonings like rock sugar, orange peel, red dates, and crushed walnuts to taste, then drinking it hot. The most crucial step is adding salt when boiling the water—the most distinctive part of Tang tea!
Experiencing the Joy of Song Dynasty Whisked Tea
Jingshan whisked tea stems from the Jingshan tea banquet. The Song Dynasty popularized the whisking method: tea was ground into powder, placed in a bowl, water added, and whisked vigorously into a frothy mixture before drinking. Japanese matcha originates from Song-dynasty whisked tea.
The Song whisked tea technique class was held in the tea room on the second floor of Hongjian Tower. Arriving early, we fell for the cozy, adorable setup. The furniture, in wood tones, exuded Tang charm, and the calligraphy “Zen and Tea as One” on the wall added a meditative air. Sitting there, our hearts gradually calmed.
The tools set simply on the table were the stars of the day’s lesson!
A cute young lady in Hanfu was our instructor, her exquisite skill and detailed explanations capturing our full attention.
Song whisking commonly uses the “Seven-Tang Water Whisking Method” created by Emperor Huizong, emphasizing the water pouring and the strength and technique of whisking with a bamboo whisk to blend tea and water seamlessly. The tools and movements looked familiar—yes, the Japanese matcha method was transmitted from China.
A child joined us in learning whisking, with a lady in ancient dress assisting, as the technique requires considerable strength, and the child’s strength fell a little short.
When the milky white tea broth was ready, we drew patterns on its surface. Thanks to the thick foam, the patterns held steady without deforming.
A Mid-Autumn Night Stroll, Full of Flavor
As the sky darkened, the garden lanterns began to glow. It was Mid-Autumn night, and the evening stroll was a uniquely inventive experience—especially in ancient style. I had always envied the lantern festivals in historical dramas, and now it was right before my eyes.
The growing darkness did nothing to diminish the classical beauty of Lu Yu Spring Park; the lake mirrored everything even more calmly. Time stood still as we relaxed in the lakeside pavilion, waiting for the garden party to begin!
The popular pavilion lived up to its reputation—even a casual night shot was mesmerizing.
The highlight of the Mid-Autumn garden party was making your own lantern. As novices, we earnestly studied the secrets of lantern crafting in the tipsy night air!
The ladies in ancient dress were all game, turning into handicraft experts, exploring various lantern shapes.
We unanimously agreed that one lady, with the most Tang aura, reminiscent of Yang Yuhuan, led everyone in lantern making.
Through collective effort, the first batch of lanterns began to take shape—success was near!
After making the lanterns, the main event was setting them adrift with wishes. Lighting the lanterns, making heartfelt wishes, and carefully placing them on the water to drift quietly away...
The night was always wonderful, with a tipsy ambience. The lively garden stroll, riddle-guessing, lantern-making, and wish-sending—this is perhaps how a traditional Chinese ancient-style Mid-Autumn should be.
Lu Yu Spring Park Address: No. 7, Shuangxi Zhuhai Road, Jingshan Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou (near Shuangxi Drifting). By car: Take Hangchang (Yichang) Expressway to Jingshan exit, then drive along Pengchang Line to Zhuhai Road. By bus: Take the “Hangzhou Yuhang Culture and Tourism Line 2” to “Shuangxi Drifting” stop.
The park has no entrance fee, but as an immersive experience park, ancient costume and tea culture activities require extra charges. Reference prices (during National Day holiday): Hanfu rental: 99 yuan; Hanfu + styling: 399 yuan; Tang Dynasty tea boiling: 99 yuan; Song Dynasty tea whisking: 68 yuan; Round fan making: 20 yuan; Travel pass (five-word riddle, pitch-pot, forehead flower): 20 yuan
