Yimeng Rural Style Park

Yimeng Rural Style Park

Yimeng Rural Style Park is a nationally renowned agricultural eco-tourism demonstration area. Located five kilometers south of the county town, the scenic area spans 18 square kilometers. With its beautiful ecological environment, picturesque natural scenery, and quaint cultural landscapes, it is known as the "Little Jiangnan."

The nine tributaries of the Zhu Stream within the park converge like nine dragons, their shimmering waters nurturing this lush green land. Seven hectares of chestnut orchards, tea gardens, bamboo groves, peach orchards, apricot orchards, and apple orchards drape the area in vibrant greenery, teeming with vitality. Stepping into the park feels like entering a world of green, an ocean of flowers, a kingdom of chestnuts, and the homeland of tea.

After decades of hard work, the local people have transformed this typical Shandong hilly landscape into a new paradise fragrant with tea and fruit, adorned with emerald bamboo and silver streams. Every hill is covered in green—whether tea bushes, chestnut trees, or bamboo—climbing up the slopes; every river is filled with clear mountain streams, their waters glistening and waterfalls cascading. Towering ancient trees, shaded groves, winding paths through serene woods, and ribbons of streams encircling the hills create a tranquil charm. Strolling along the riverbanks offers the charm of a water town, while hiking the hills brings the joy of open vistas. Listen to birds chirping in the woods, watch mulberry and tea cultivation by the fields, breathe in the fresh, fragrant air—it’s the perfect destination for leisure and vacation.

Calling this place the "Kingdom of Chestnuts" is truly well-deserved. Along the rivers and across the hills, chestnut trees stretch as far as the eye can see, covering the mountains and valleys. Among the 30,000 mu (about 2,000 hectares) of chestnut trees, over 1,200 trees are more than 300 years old. These ancient chestnuts remain lush and fruitful, blooming in spring and bearing fruit in autumn, set against distant misty mountains, emerald bamboo forests, small bridges, and murmuring streams—immersing visitors in pure delight. Towering above the rest is the "Chestnut King," a thousand-year-old giant with a majestic and vigorous presence, piercing the sky. Its trunk, over four meters in circumference and more than ten meters tall, is thick and powerful, exuding dominance. Six massive branches spiral outward as if ready to take flight. Every autumn, it bears an abundant crop. The texture and vigor of the "Chestnut King" radiate a regal aura, leaving a profound impression.

Thirteen ancient chestnut trees standing along the Zhu Stream resemble thirteen armored warriors. Planted during the Ming Dynasty, legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong traveled to Jiangnan, he was caught in a sudden storm and sought shelter under these trees. Seeing the thirteen trees form a dense, shady grove, the emperor was delighted and, in recognition of their protection, bestowed upon them the title "Thirteen Protectors."

The park features a wide variety of chestnut trees in diverse shapes. One tree, in particular, stands out—its branches twist and turn, as if coiled like twisted dough, brimming with restrained energy and strength. This 500-year-old chestnut tree reportedly caught Emperor Qianlong’s attention during his southern tour when he admired its robust and peculiar growth, heavy with fruit. He climbed the tree, enjoyed the chestnuts, and remarked, “These chestnuts are unusually large and sweet—surely they are dragon chestnuts?” His words proved prophetic. The following year, the entire tree transformed, its branches twisting and spiraling as if a dragon coiling to leap, radiating an inspiring upward energy. Known as the "Tree That Hopes for Its Offspring to Become Dragons," it is considered a rare treasure among chestnuts.

Yimeng Rural Style Park not only boasts interconnected chestnut and bamboo groves but also vast tea plantations. In spring, a riot of blossoms paints the landscape in vibrant hues. Tea-picking maidens gracefully move through the emerald waves of tea bushes, elegant and charming. In autumn, fragrant tea flowers bloom, and the air is filled with their aroma as harvesters work joyfully in the fields. High-quality tea varieties introduced from the south thrive here thanks to the pollution-free environment and fertile soil. The park produces over 500,000 kilograms annually of premium, mid-range, and low-grade "Yimeng Jade Sprout" tea. With its "tightly rolled leaves, vibrant green color, lasting fragrance, bright liquor, and tender, even leaf bottoms," Yimeng Jade Sprout tea is highly popular and has won multiple national awards, being exported both domestically and internationally. Cheng Qikun, former director of the Tea Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, praised it as, "In the south, there is Hangzhou Longjing; in the north, there is Yimeng Jade Sprout." Mr. Matsushita Tomo, president of the Japan Tea Association, also lauded it as "natural and unspoiled, a renowned Yimeng Jade Sprout tea."

The rich Yimeng tea culture, the warm Yimeng rural customs, and the premium Yimeng Jade Sprout tea form the core cultural essence and major tourist highlights of the "Fragrant Tea Garden" and "Yimeng Rural Style Park."

In the "Fragrant Tea Garden," beside the statue of the Tea Sage Lu Yu and shaded by verdant bamboo, a classical teahouse sits where elegant tea ceremony performers showcase traditional tea art. In the fragrant seasons of birdsong and blossoms, you can savor the refreshing spring tea; even in the cold depths of winter, you can enjoy freshly brewed, fragrant greenhouse green tea. Watch the fascinating unfurling, standing, and expanding of Yimeng Jade Sprout tea leaves, experience the entire tea roasting process firsthand, select your favorite varieties of green tea and local agricultural products, and immerse yourself in the classic, refined ambiance of tea culture.

Party and state leaders—including -, -, -, and -—have visited the park, tasted the tea, and spoken highly of Yimeng Jade Sprout tea.

Yimeng Rural Style Park is like a warm painting of a Jiangnan spring in green, inviting visitors to come and fully enjoy the enchanting fragrance of nature.