Mountainous Anxi County (安溪, Ānxī) is home to the famous Tiě Guānyīn (铁观音, Iron Buddha) tea, an oolong variety known for its thick fragrance and floral sweetness. Fifty-odd tea varieties from China, Taiwan and Japan are cultivated in this visitor-friendly, 11-acre tea farm. Free tours take in a small museum and processing plant, but it’s equally pleasant wandering the temples and gardens.
Quanzhou’s long-distance bus station has frequent buses to Anxi (¥19, one hour), 66km northwest. Ānxī Cháyè Dàguānyuán is 3km north of the Ānxī bus station and motorbikes will take you there for ¥10.