The Nine Creeks are fairly close to the Longjing Tea Village that we visited. The Nine Creeks are rated as one of the Ten New Scenes of West Lake in Hangzhou which has a few names in Chinese – 九溪烟树 (jiu xi yan shu) meaning Nine Creeks by Misty Trees or 九溪十八涧 (jiu xi shi ba jian) meaning Nine Creeks & Eighteen Streams. We walked about 1 hour from the Longjin Tea Village as transportation wasn’t readily accessible (unless you hire a cab for the day).
You can choose to walk or take the bus going downhill from the tea village; it’s about 1 or 2 bus stops away. Turn into this lane after you see the signboard that says “Yang Mei Hill” (杨梅岭).
Since Hangzhou is a place loved by emperors, the traces of emperors are everywhere. In Hangzhou, you find out about the food they ate and even the path they walked! This ancient path is among the traveled by Emperor Qianlong !
Once you have turned into Yang Mei Ling, the walk is a leisure walk through a small village with tea houses along the way.
The residential area eventually disappears, replaced by a cooling forest. I enjoyed the lovely walk among the trees and fresh air.
There are some tea plantations which I didn’t really expect along this quiet lane.
You will know when you are almost reaching the nine creeks as the sound of water will become more and more audible. I get excited by water sound from afar – the sound urges me to walk faster and discover the water source!
Little streams are flowing in from different directions, some are merging together, while others maintain a lonely path.
The nine creeks seem to be a popular place for pre wedding photography as there were two couples there.
I love this little wooden bridge – looks like a great place to hang out, hanging your legs over the water and enjoying a nice afternoon picnic with some snacks.
Ooooh! A small waterfall in hiding!
The nine creeks is a charming attraction less visited. I walked on a long winding lane through a minimally inhabited village and through a forest to get there – so it made me felt like I discovered a gem. Undisturbed in tranquil nature, Nine Creeks is worth a visit.
More Info on Nine Creeks.
Address: Jiuxi Road, Hanngzhou
Entrance Fee: Free
Getting there: 1. Take a cab.
2. Buses K4, 27, 308, 504 will take you to Jiuxi Stop, but you need to walk another 30 minutes to get to the creeks. Beware there will be some non-licensed drivers offering you to take you there.
3. If you are visiting Longjin Tea Village where the well is, you can walk to Jiuxi via Yang Mei Hill. about 45 minutes – 1 hour walk.
