Canyons × Tea Mountains | A Guide to Northern and Southern China

🌊[Shanxi Baquan Gorge: The Winding Water Canyon] When the wind in the Taihang Mountains inflated my jacket like a balloon, I finally understood why the locals call Baquan Gorge "Earth's Wound." Taking the only canyon sightseeing elevator in the country, I descended 208 meters. The red cliffs outside the glass looked like a mille-feuille sliced open by a giant axe, and wild peach blossoms emerging from the crevices trembled in the April wind like pink waves. The highlight is the high gorge and tranquil lake section! Sitting in a painting boat, cruising through the emerald-green waterway, the cliffs on both sides suddenly turned 90° inwards. Just as the bow seemed about to hit the mountain, the waterway mysteriously twisted to the right, forming an S-shape—this is the "Heart of Baquan" photo spot! I recommend bringing a wide-angle lens. At 2 p.m., the sunlight penetrates the 13 waterfalls, forming a rainbow that lands precisely on the deck of the boat. Hikers must challenge the "City in the Sky" loop: a suspended plank road + the Jade Emperor zip line + the North Heaven Gate cave. When I used my drone to take an aerial view of the canyon from the 380-meter transparent glass viewing platform, the tour boats looked as small as sesame seeds, and the turquoise waterway naturally formed a ❤️ shape. Stay overnight in the town of Shibanyan at the mouth of the canyon, and after tasting the fragrant peach blossom noodles (Taihang Mountain wild vegetables mixed with oat noodles), look up to see the Big Dipper hanging right in the "A Thread of Sky" crack. 🏔️[Nanshiyang Grand Canyon: Beijing's Little Colorado] Who would have thought that Mentougou District in Beijing hides a miniature version of the American West canyons? When I stepped into Nanshiyang Grand Canyon in my hiking boots, the ochre-red rock formations burned under the sunlight, and the jagged rocks resembled ancient mythical beasts frozen in time. This place is a geology textbook come to life: Danxia landforms, glacial striations, and potholes in the riverbed appear one after another along the 8-kilometer plank road. The most impressive section is the "Sky Ladder"! After climbing the 60° inclined layered rocks on all fours, I suddenly saw a line of azure sky between two knife-sharp mountains—this is the "Stone Gate Open to Heaven" formed by geological movement. Remember to turn left at the Stargazing Platform stele. The hidden Sea of Clouds plank road will lead you to encounter herds of blue sheep. The gravel they kick up when jumping echoes like chimes in the canyon. I recommend doing it in reverse: take the shuttle bus to Fanchen Valley at the innermost part and hike back upstream. The Black Dragon Pool at the end of Fanchen Valley made my jaw drop—a natural pool surrounded by black basalt rock, with a water temperature of only 16°C in midsummer! On the way back, take a break at Kingfisher Creek and soak a watermelon in the stream for half an hour. When you cut it open, even ladybugs will come to grab a bite. 🍵[Hangzhou Tea Soul Trek | 3 Divine Routes] 🌱Route 1: Longjing Village - Sanfencha - Meijiawu When the aroma of tea frying mixed with the scent of osmanthus filled my nostrils, I knew I had come to the right place! At 7 a.m., I squatted in the Longjing Village tea fields, watching the tea farmers' nimble fingers "grab, shake, and place" the tea leaves during the kill-green process. Climbing along the Qianlong Ancient Road to Sanfencha, the entire core production area of West Lake Longjing tea came into view. A few century-old ginkgo trees suddenly appeared among the dark green tea fields, as if someone had knocked over a palette. 🍃Route 2: Longwu Tea Village - Guangming Temple Reservoir This place holds the ultimate secret of Hangzhou tea lovers! Ride a shared bike through the vast tea fields, and suddenly turn into the bamboo forest at Guangming Temple Reservoir to discover a Song Dynasty tea-making experience center. I put on a Ru skirt and learned the "Seven-Step Tea Making Method." The snowy foam produced by the tea whisk was even smoother than Starbucks' Cloud Macchiato. In the evening, go to the reservoir dam to watch the sunset. The dark tea mountains reflected in the mirror-like water made me feel like I had stepped into the set of "A Dream of Splendor." 💦Route 3: Manjuelong - Bathhouse - Guiren Pavilion - Hupao Spring A fantastic journey starting from the internet-famous bathhouse (the real-life boiler room from "Spirited Away")! At No. 75 Manjuelong, I drank Jiuqu Hongmei tea brewed with Hupao Spring water. Following the stone steps up to Guiren Pavilion, the duet of West Lake and Qiantang River suddenly unfolded before my eyes. Remember to bring an empty bottle when going downhill. Every day, elderly people line up with buckets at Hupao Park's "Third Best Spring in the World." Splashing a handful of spring water on your face is more refreshing than any luxury facial mist. ✨[Travel Tips] 1⃣ Transportation Links: Beijing (Nanshiyang) - Taiyuan (Baquan Gorge) - Hangzhou are triangularly distributed. High-speed rail + car rental is the most flexible option. 2⃣ Golden Photography Times: Baquan Gorge in the morning for mist-shrouded canyons, Nanshiyang in the evening for sunset on the rock formations, and Longjing Village on rainy days for misty tea fields. 3⃣ Must-Eat List: Changzhi donkey meat pancakes (with Jingjie sauce), Mentougou fire pot tofu, and Hangzhou tea-flavored shrimp. 4⃣ Secret Accommodations: Stay in a cliffside guesthouse at Baquan Gorge (Piaoyunshanju), choose a tent hotel in Fanchen Valley at Nanshiyang, and highly recommend Longwu Tea Mountain House in Hangzhou (each room has a private tea table). 5⃣ Safety Warning: Crampons are needed at Baquan Gorge in April, be careful on the gravel sections of Nanshiyang during the rainy season, and beware of tea-picking bees in the Hangzhou tea mountains. As I wiped the sweat from my forehead by Hupao Spring, I suddenly realized that these three destinations hold the secret code of Chinese landscape aesthetics—Baquan Gorge represents "danger and grandeur," Nanshiyang represents "strangeness and magnificence," and the Hangzhou tea mountains represent "purity and elegance." Perhaps everyone who walks among these landscapes can find their own sense of excitement and peace in the folds of the rocks, the tender tips of tea buds, and the gurgling of spring water.