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This photo shows a tea plantation at Mount Mogan in Deqing county, Zhejiang, China. The scenery shows numerous evergreen coniferous trees, and mist-obscured mountains in the distance. Photo © Jakub Hałun (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0.

#zhejiang #tea plantation #mount mogan #deqing #china

Mogan Mountain, South China

After a quick trip to the rice ball shop for breakfast, we drove off to Mogan Mountain, which was a bit over 3 hours away and to the southwest, inland.

MORE PHOTOS HERE

MOGANSHAN NATIONAL PARK

Mount Mogan is part of Moganshan National Park. I wanted to check out a national park while in China and to see bamboo forests, so this was a great destination that required just enough driving to feel like road trip. The drive was quiet, smooth, and uneventful. Once we got into the mountain region and approached the winding roads in the preserve, the weather cooled down and felt much more refreshing, a change from the warmer weather in Shanghai.

We stopped inside the park and went for a couple short hikes, where we could enjoy the shade of the tall bamboo and drink in the quiet. We were also privy to some breathtaking views of the forest. After seeing so many documentaries on national parks in other countries, I’d been waiting for these sights, and they did not disappoint.

On one of the hiking trails we also found a small pagoda with a glass floor, allowing us to look down the mountain. It was a bit scary for my taste, but the view and the contour of the mountains surrounding us reminded me that I was definitely exploring a beautiful, different region of the world.

After a couple short hikes, we drove to a different area of the park to see the houses where certain famous politicians had lived, such as Chairman Mao and Chiang Kai-Shek. On one of these hikes inside, we came across a privately owned home situated on the face of a mountain, with an expansive view of the park. We snapped some photos discreetly, as the owner, who was home, didn’t seem to mind, and quietly hiked back to the main trail.

The houses where Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-Shek stayed were converted into museums so they were much more crowded than the hikes we were on previously, where we saw very few people.

On our scenic drive we also came across some free-range chickens, owned by locals who lived in the nearby town. I couldn’t help capturing some photos of the chickens scampering among the bamboo, something I don’t ever get to see in the Silicon Valley.

LOST VILLA HOTEL

After our late lunch, we drove through the town until we arrived at our hotel for the evening. We were only to stay one night here, as the boutique hotel was small and the rooms filled up fast in the summer and fall. There were several boutique hotels in the area, and Mogan Mountain has become a very popular tourist destination for Chinese and foreign tourists alike for its peaceful environment. Rebecca recommended we stay at Lost Villa, a family-owned boutique hotel that was recently constructed in the last few years, that she had visited a year prior with her family while on vacation. The hotel is set up with a restaurant and bar at the bottom of the property with several stand-alone houses farther up the footpath. These houses have about 4 bedrooms to a house and are great for groups of friends or family traveling together as they can cook and relax in the same household. As there were four of us, we booked 2 rooms for the night and shared the house with other guests.

We checked into the hotel and were driven up the property to our house for the night. We booked two rooms on the upper floor so we could enjoy the view of the forest nearby and have extra privacy. The common living area was downstairs and featured vaulted ceilings, full Mahjong set, which we later utilized that night, and an air hockey table, which we completely ignored. It was a great place to unwind and relax after the long drive. The building next door revealed the dining room and full kitchen, and was only a couple steps away from the rest of the house.

I especially loved the architecture of this hotel and the interior design. The house was recently remodeled from older construction built decades ago, and the architect tastefully preserved certain aspects of the older architecture, such as the tall wooden truss beams, while adding in modern touches, such as the steel framed windows facing the forest. The interior decorations were also modern, yet were not too Western or too Chinese, but were instead a good mix of eclectic furnishings. I loved the mix of natural wood in the old beams with the decidedly new bamboo tea tray and unfinished wood furniture, coupled with the simple color palette of grey and white in the sofa and bedsheets. Everything came together beautifully, yet complemented the tranquility of the forest without adding distraction or unnecessary details. The hotel married together two distinct styles and philosophies seamlessly with the surroundings, and the atmosphere was simultaneously luxuriously boutique yet homey enough for you to want to stay a while -- perfect for a weekend getaway. This was by far my favorite hotel of the entire trip!

After checking into the hotel and setting down our things, we explored the property and came across the hotel cafe. The barista was very nice and kindly allowed me to take a few photos of her with the hotel dog, Shanqian, a hyper puppy who eagerly followed around hotel patrons. The cafe itself was dimly lit, allowing the natural light to come through the windows, creating a great spot for quiet conversation or introspection, perfect for enjoying tea or coffee.

We were also able to peek inside another house on the property, which was being tidied up or the next round of guests. This house had a bigger yard and a large soaking tub, but my favorite feature of all was the large bookshelf and original staircase in the living area.

We went on one last hike before reluctantly embarking on the next leg of the trip. This hike took us up a nearby hill to a small lookout at the top of a creek. It was peaceful (save the mosquitos, always a bother) and green. My kind of place.

FOOD

Lunch

After hiking through the park, we were famished and so drove out of the park and into the town nearby for lunch. We found a small, locally run restaurant featuring locally grown vegetables, all cooked simply. We ate outside on the patio and enjoyed the bamboo, tofu, and other dishes we ordered.

Dinner at Lost Villa

Dinner was hotly anticipated, not least because of the free range chicken soup which Rebecca and her mom, Ryan’s aunt, raved about. I was most eager for this soup, which is made from a special breed of Chinese chicken that is raised completely outdoors, free to roam and forage. We pre-ordered an entire cauldron of the stuff and the four of us completely devoured it. No regrets.

In addition to the chicken soup, the hotel menu featured other locally grown vegetables prepared by the local cook. Everything proved delicious, satisfying to the stomach and the soul. The food style was home style, yet more refined, and that meal was a big highlight of the entire trip to China.

BEST EGGS EVER.

Breakfast at Lost Villa

We had breakfast at the hotel before setting off to Hangzhou a bit before noon. The breakfast menu is set for each individual and is served upstairs in the restaurant area. The selection was decent, but as everything is served simultaneously as each patron arrives, some of the items on our plates were cold. This was a little disappointing, but we were still relishing dinner from the night before and didn’t mind at all.

Then, off to Hangzhou!

We glimpsed some tea farms on our drive out from the region, which whet my appetite for Hangzhou, home of the famous Dragon Well tea.