Manjuelong Osmanthus Rain

Manjuelong Osmanthus Rain

Manjuelong Osmanthus Rain

Manjuelong Osmanthus Rain in Hangzhou is one of the New Ten Scenes of West Lake. It is located to the southwest of the lake, in a natural village nestled between South Peak and White Crane Peak. In the fourth year of the Tianfu era of the Later Jin Dynasty during the Five Dynasties period, a temple called “Yuanxing Monastery” was built here, later renamed “Manjuelong Osmanthus Rain,” with the place becoming known through the temple. In the valley between Shuiyue Cave and Shiwu Cave, the trees are dense, and in spring, yellow flowers bloom vibrantly, while autumn brings a full tree of red fruits, creating a delightful scene. Especially since the Ming Dynasty, Manjuelong has been famous for its osmanthus production. Along the mountain paths, there are over 7,000 osmanthus trees of various varieties, including golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, and red osmanthus. Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fragrance overflows the valley, perfuming the air for miles. The autumn dew condenses, and the flowers fall with the drops, so that walking through the osmanthus groves feels like bathing in a fragrant rain — visitors are intoxicated even without drinking. Hence the name “Manjuelong Osmanthus Rain.”

In this world of golden osmanthus, locals use the fragrant blossoms to make delicious treats such as osmanthus chestnut soup and osmanthus sugar, which are sweet and popular among visitors. Ancient poets praised the beautiful scenery here: a poem reads, “West Lake in August is perfect for a leisurely outing — where does that subtle fragrance lead the nose to such serenity? Golden osmanthus blooms all around Manjuelong, as the autumn wind scatters it across the hills.”

For an autumn excursion on West Lake, enjoy the osmanthus by day and the moon by night. The best place to admire the osmanthus is Manjuelong in the southern hills. Osmanthus is the city flower of Hangzhou. The cultivation of osmanthus around West Lake flourished since the Tang Dynasty. Early poems about West Lake often featured osmanthus, typically those planted at temples in the northern hills such as Lingyin and Tianzhu. However, the tradition of enjoying osmanthus in Manjuelong during autumn only became prominent after the Ming Dynasty. Manjuelong, also called Manjiawong, is a valley at the southern foot of South Peak. During the Wuyue period, there were many small Buddhist temples here, including one called Yuanxing Monastery, which was later renamed Manjue Monastery. The place took its name from the temple, and the flowers were likely planted by monks and gradually flourished into a grand spectacle.