The walnut is a kind of snack loved by many Chinese people for its nice taste and rich nutrition. It is also said to help relieve stress. Compared to certain other nuts, walnuts (especially in their raw form) contain the highest level of antioxidants. Many Chinese parents buy walnuts for children, because they think it’s good for brain development.

Lin'an, a county in Hangzhou, is famous for its walnuts. Its mild climate makes Lin'an a nice place for growing bamboo and walnuts. It's also called the "county of walnuts and bamboo". After the walnuts ripen in September, thousands of visitors will come to Lin'an to pick them.

This year, the walnut season comes later than usual, because of the changing weather patterns. The government renewed the roads to Lin'an, making it easier for cars to drive to attract more tourists.

Picking walnuts requires a very unique technique. Chinese farmers call this process "hit the walnut". People have to climb up to the tree and hit the leaves and boughs, and the walnuts will come off like raindrops. People under the tree carry a basket and catch the walnuts as the fall from the tree, trying to prevent those little round nuts from hitting their heads.

If you go

Lin'an Tuankou walnut country tour garden

Lin'an-Changhua-Tuankou town-Fengqin village (between Tianmu mountain and Qiandao lake)

Tel:13957198166, 0571-63616188

山核桃農家樂園

Yinkeng village

inside Zhexi grand canyon

銀坑村 浙西大峽谷內