Activities

With many bridges to cross under, waterways lined with willow trees and pavilions, and pagodas perched at the top of hill in the distance, a boat ride on the West Lake reminds you of Venice, Italy, yet with distinct oriental aesthetics. 

Tai Chi, a pride of Chinese people, was originally developed as a martial art, but is best known as an exercise for health and meditation. Come and give it a go.

Hangzhou is known for the lightly fragrant Dragon Well Tea. Tea houses with exquisite styles and deco are everwhere. Join us for a visit to one of these tea houses and you will totally enjoy the experience.

Make sure you come to our movie night. We show some of the best Chinese movies at the school and our teacher is around for explanation and discussion.

Hangzhou celebrates Firework Festival in October. MANDA brings its students to the bank of Qiantang River each year to view the spectacular light demonstration.

The museum in Hangzhou recaptures the 5000-year old Chinese history in silk-cocoon raising and silk production. It is the only one of its kind in China, with demonstrations of silk producing process.

Yue Opera is a type of Chinese opera whose infuence and popularity is only second to Peking Opera. There are many opportunities in Hangzhou of viewing the performance in the theatre or on the street. 

A visit to the city's Soul's Retreat Temple will open to you a rich trove of Buddhist literature and relics. The temple is among the famous Buddhist temples in China.

Wuzhen, near Hangzhou, is one of six ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River and is less developed, meaning that if you want to get a feel of what the original water town is, Wuzhen is the place to be in.

Thousand-Island Lake is as the same as Xin'anjiang reservoir, it is the artificial lake after the Xin'an river hydroelectric power station completes . When Xin'anjiang reservoir's water level is about 108 meters ,there are 1078 islands on the lake.

Suzhou, Hangzhou's neighboring city, is famed for its classical gardens, which were listed as World Heritage in 1997. UNESCO says the gardens "reflect the metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture."

The street He Fang Street is one of the most famous and historic in the city. You can admire the antique buildings lined along the sides of the street while shopping from a wide range of local goods.

A mere one-hour drive from Hangzhou is the world's largest bamboo forest surrounded by mountains in Anji county. Have you watched Ang Lee's film "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"? Some of its martial art scenes were shot in this bamboo forest.

The museum is a show window about the development of tea production in China, and exhibits the most comprehensive collection of modern and ancient tea utensils in China. Tea performances are available in the museum.