Anji County is in Zhejiang Province, approximately three hours driving west from Shanghai. The county seat, Dipu, is a clean, bustling small urban center surrounded by bamboo-covered mountains. Anji is China's first Ecological County and has been recognized by the United Nations as a model for environmental stewardship. Visitors can expect to be immersed in Chinese life and culture while having access to familiar comforts. You may be familiar with Anji County from the bamboo forest scenes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The core of the program is extended visits to Anji's public kindergartens — schools where children ages 3 to 6 engage daily in self-determined play with large, open-ended materials, then reflect on their experiences through drawing and group discussion. You'll visit schools ranging from large urban programs to small rural village kindergartens, observe children and teachers in practice, and have time for dialogue with local educators and fellow participants. Between school visits, you'll experience Anji's bamboo forests, cultural sites, and extraordinary local food.

Participants stay in individual single rooms at a four-star hotel in central Dipu. Rooms are equipped with western toilets, wireless internet, and standard amenities. If you have accessibility needs or other requirements, please let us know so we can ensure a comfortable and inclusive stay for all participants.

We accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets for all meals. Breakfasts include both western and Chinese options. Lunches and dinners feature authentic local cuisine made with local ingredients. During visits to rural villages, food is locally grown, organic, and prepared with recipes passed down for centuries. Expect some extraordinary meal experiences.

English interpretation is provided throughout the entire program — during school visits, meals, presentations, and all group activities. Outside of scheduled programming, you're unlikely to encounter English speakers — but China is safe and Dipu is easy to explore on your own.

The program fee includes five nights of lodging, all meals, ground transportation between Shanghai airports and Anji, daily transportation within Anji County, English interpretation and guide services, and an official invitation letter for your visa application.

The fee does not include airfare to and from Shanghai, visa fees, travel insurance, transportation to and from your home airport, or personal expenses.

Read the information on our Study Tour main page and then continue on to the registration page. After you review the payment schedule, cancellation policy, and entry requirements, a deposit of $500 secures your spot. Once registered, we'll provide details on the next steps — from visa preparation to travel arrangements.

After your deposit is received, we will email you about the program schedule and making travel arrangements. You will provide us with your passport information so we can prepare your official invitation letter from our hosts in Anji County.

Depending on your country of citizenship, you may or may not need a visa to enter China. As part of your registration, we will provide an official invitation letter from our hosts in Anji County to support your application. We recommend applying for a type F visa (non-commercial/exchange visit). Visa requirements and processing times vary by country — check the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre or your local Chinese Embassy or Consulate for current requirements.

Yes — we encourage participants to explore all that China has to offer. On the final day of the program, we provide return transportation to Shanghai airports. We do not provide travel booking or tour organization services.