Exiting Longjing Village and continuing southward, you will arrive at Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies.
Nine Creeks winds its way for 7 kilometers from Longjing down to the Qiantang River. The waters of Nine Creeks originate from Yangmei Ridge, merging along the way with streams from Qingwan, Hongfa, Fangjia, Foshi, Baizhang, Tangjia, Xiaokang, Yunqi, and Zhutou—hence the name “Nine Creeks.” As the stream flows through green mountains and verdant valleys, it gathers countless smaller tributaries, earning it the full name “Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies.” In ancient times, people often used the number “nine” to signify a large quantity. In reality, this mountain stream winds through forests and around foothills, merging with an uncountable number of rivulets. “Eighteen Gullies” originally referred to the countless mountain springs and gullies in the Longjing area, which serve as the source of this stream. Therefore, “Eighteen Gullies” was also used by ancients as a multiple of “nine” to describe the abundance of mountain springs and gullies, rather than indicating exactly eighteen gullies.
The first half of the trail consists mostly of stone paths like these, which can actually be somewhat uncomfortable to walk on; it is recommended to wear shoes with stiffer soles~~
Tea plantations line the entire route, offering stunning scenery and fresh air.
You’ll also come across little pavilions like this one along the way~~~~
About halfway through, you’ll reach Misty Trees at Nine Creeks, one of the New Ten Scenes of West Lake. The second half of the trail becomes relatively flat~~~ However, man-made structures gradually become more frequent further along, and there are even several open-air barbecue areas~~~~
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