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December 4, 2013

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Hidden village offers tranquility, delicious cuisine

By Wu Huixin | December 4, 2013, Wednesday | Print Edition

If you ask Hangzhou locals where Yangmeiling Village is, they might hesitate, because most natives know the place but cannot point out its exact location.

The village is located to the southwest of West Lake, hidden in the lush vegetation and hills. Tourists sometimes enter the peaceful village by accident while hiking at Longjing or Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies.

In fact, the water that supplies the famous nearby scenic spot Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies springs from Yangmeiling. Residents built houses and villas at the foot of the hill, formed the village.

Homes in Yangmeiling are typical of the classic Zhejiang folk houses, characterized by white walls, brick roofs, carved windows and wooden handrails.

Yangmeiling means “waxberry hill” in Chinese, which implies the origin of the name. According to historic documents, in ancient times Yangmeiling abounded with waxberries, especially a local variety named jinpo waxberry.

However, that waxberry variety was lost along with history. Residents began to plant and sell tea. Today, Yangmeiling is a favorite of tea lovers.

Unlike other villages around West Lake, Yangmeiling is tranquil and peaceful with fewer visitors and vehicles. There is only one road through the village, Qianlong Road, named after Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), who ruled from 1735 to 1796 and was said to have stopped by the village. The road is narrow and paved with coarse stone slabs.

Today, only 160 households inhabit Yangmeiling. Most of the residents take advantage of the favorable environment to run family guest houses, eateries, and tea houses, so don’t worry about the food and accommodation when you go.

Shanghai Daily provides you with a good overview of what’s available in Yangmeiling. Spend one day lingering over cups of tea amid the beautiful landscape. It’s a good chance to forget your troubles.

The village is surrounded by hills and trees, and Yangmeiling is rich in wild herbs such as shepherd’s purse. Natives often climb the hills to pick edible herbs.

In order to preserve the herbs, locals often dry them, then steam and dry them over and over to add flavor to dishes, becoming a common ingredient in Yangmeiling cuisine.

In early winter, the tea trees bloom. Residents pick off the flowers, boil them and mix them with seasonings. It is a common local appetizer.

As the source of Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies, Yangmeiling has several streams that feature clean water, lots of spiral shells and tiny fish. Residents often catch the fish and cook them immediately.

The chickens and ducks in the village are free-range. They are fed on natural fodder, without any processed feed, meaning the meat tastes more savory and tender than poultry raised inside cages. 

Locals favor dried and preserved food, including fish and poultry.

The meat is wrapped in layers of salt, sauces and seasonings, and then hung under eaves to be dried in the sun.

While osmanthus season, people pick its flowers and dry them for later use. The osmanthus cake is a local specialty, made of glutinous rice and topped with dried osmanthus.     

Yangmeiling locals maintain the tradition of making rice wine, which is often served in family feasts. The rice wine usually is sweet and fragrant, with a low alcohol content, tasting refreshing and aromatic.

The last must-order in Yangmeiling is green tea. The village boasts an area of 26.6 hectares of tea, being one of the primary growing zones of famous Longjing tea.

You can get to the village by taking Bus No. Y3 at the Huanglong Bus Center and getting off at Yangmeiling stop.

Where to eat:

All of the above food is served in these restaurants:

 

• Guiyuan Manor

Address: 123 Qianlong Rd

Tel: (0571) 8799-5288

 

• Shan Gao Tou

Address: 132 Qianlong Rd

Tel: (0571) 8796-4017

 

• Hang Cha Fang

Address: No. 83, Yangmeiling

Tel: (0571) 8799-9533

 

• Fengyi Teahouse

Address: No. 13, Jiulongyuan

Tel: 138-6746-4299

 

Hangzhou


 

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