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.

Most participants will need a visa to enter China. An official invitation letter will be provided to support your application. Detailed visa guidance and support will be provided to interested participants.

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.

Start by submitting the interest form on our Study Tour page. After review, we'll follow up by email.

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.

English interpretation is provided throughout the entire program — during school visits, meals, presentations, and all group activities. China is extremely safe. Participants enjoy exploring Dipu during breaks in the schedule.