Dahongpao Mother Trees Trail, Wuyishan

The Dahongpao Mother Trees Trail is a short, gentle walk in the Jiulongke gorge of Wuyishan Scenic Area, Wuyishan City, Nanping, in northern Fujian province, China. It leads to the famous cliff-side tea bushes regarded as the original source of Da Hong Pao, one of the best-known Wuyi rock oolong teas. Trailhead access is through the scenic area: visitors enter with a passport or ID at the main gate, take the scenic area bus toward the Jiulongke or Dahongpao stop, and walk from there. Private parking is available at the gate area, but it is not permitted at the gorge itself. The trail is about 3 km as a round trip and takes around 1.5 hours, with roughly 100 m of elevation gain, which makes it easy and suitable for first-time hikers. The surface is a mix of paved path, flagstone and stone steps with railings, and the gorge floor is largely shaded by trees and steep rock walls, which keeps it cool even in warm months. Exposure is minimal. Key landmarks along the way include tea terraces planted in rock crevices, the narrow gorge of Jiulongke with its walls of red Danxia stone, small streams and waterfalls, and the viewing platform facing the mother tea bushes, which grow in a niche high on the cliff. Visitors view the trees from a distance, since harvesting from them was ended in 2006 and approaching them is not allowed. The natural turn-around point is the viewing platform, after which the same path leads back to the bus stop. Water is available from small shops near the bus stop and tea houses along the route, but there are no refuge huts; shelters and rest pavilions give protection from showers. The walk can be done in any season, with misty spring mornings and clear autumn days being the most atmospheric. Tea tasting sessions in nearby Wuyishan town help place the trees in context for those interested in the region's tea culture.