Last week I went on a wonderful trip with Tracy and Michael again – tour guides extradanaires!
This trip we went to Dong Shan village on the southern shores of Lake TaiHu. This was again about a 2 hour bus ride outside of Shangahi. Dong Shan is not only a thriving fishing community, but is home of Bi Luo Chun tea bushes which are considered to be China’s best.
First we wandered through the fishing village speaking with a local fisherman – Mr. Zhu and then had a wonderful lunch cooked by he and his wife.
Here’s a list of what we ate:
Silver fish and egg
White fish
Nangua (southern squash)
Chinese toon with tofu
Taro
Wild chrysanthemum leaves
Goji leaves
Pork and bamboo shoot
Spicy green beans
Dehydrated tofu with water celery
After lunch we hiked in DongShan to take in the view of Lake TaiHu and learned about harvesting the exclusive tea leaves. At the base of the mountain we visited a unique stone and brick cottage which is the home of retired physics Professor Zhang and his wife Ling Ling. After a tour of his home, we enjoyed a private demonstration of tea production in his built-in roasters and learned about of BiLuoChun’s unique qualities.
My new favorite quote from the day is: “having mindful awareness” which seemed appropriate while drinking the amazing tea.
Local fisherman who’s family hosted us for lunch
Close up of the Professor’s fabulous green tea.
Tasting the tea and having a rice cake snack.
Ths fishing village
Ling Ling cooking the tea.
Part of the Professor’s beautiful home.
Another view of the fishing village.