Shuikou Tea Culture Tourism Scenic Area

　　Known as the "Best Livable Demonstration Township in Zhejiang" and the "First Most Beautiful Township in Zhejiang," the Shuikou Tea Culture Tourism Scenic Area is a Jiangnan tea culture destination that boasts splendid natural landscapes, profound Zen tea culture, and an authentic local charm. The Tea Sage Lu Yu wrote China’s first great masterpiece on tea culture, The Classic of Tea, here in Shuikou. The Zisun tea was offered as tribute to five dynasties for a total of 1,125 years, and the thousand-year-old Shousheng Temple enjoys a reputation on par with Hangzhou’s Lingyin Temple.

　　Rural tourism themed around farm stays and distinctive homestays forms the rich and unique tapestry of Shuikou’s travel offerings. With its simple country atmosphere, hospitable locals, and a focus on activities such as "eating farm food, staying in farmhouses, doing farm work, and enjoying farm life," the area attracts visitors from Shanghai, Jiangsu, and other regions. It enjoys high recognition and influence both within the province and across the Yangtze River Delta. The number of inbound tourists from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Europe, and America has also been gradually increasing, with the Shuikou Tea Culture Scenic Area receiving over 2.5 million visitors in 2014.

　　As the scenic area’s infrastructure continues to improve and its capacity to accommodate tourists significantly increases, its beautiful ecological environment has attracted high-end homestays and leisure tourism projects such as the Flower Town Zen Tea Boutique Hotel, Kaiyuan Holiday Resort, Tiannuo, and the Agricultural Culture Park to settle in Shuikou. In addition, the area’s specialty product shopping centers, mountain leisure greenways, tea garden cottages, and the Shuikou “Eight Great Dishes” cuisine collectively form a complete set of the six essential tourism elements — "eat, stay, travel, sightsee, shop, and entertain" — within the Shuikou Tea Culture Scenic Area.