Hangzhou (5 days)

cDescription

The Scholar's Paradise & Tech Frontier.

Once described by Marco Polo as the "finest and most splendid city in the world," Hangzhou remains the spiritual home of Chinese aesthetics and intellectual life. This course explores the duality of Hangzhou: the serene, mist-covered West Lake that inspired centuries of poets, and the high-tech campuses defining the future of global commerce. Live like a local "Hangzhou-er" as you trek through tea plantations and engage with the city's thriving tech community.

Course Highlights

• Song Dynasty Origins. Begin at Liangzhu, a UNESCO site that predates the Great Wall, and visit the National Archives of Publications and Culture to see how China preserves its soul.
• The Way of Tea. Immerse yourself in the Longjing tea gardens. Learn the ritual of Dragon Well tea from local farmers and understand why tea is the bedrock of Chinese social life.
• Zen & Architecture. Hike the hills west of West Lake and visit Jingshan Temple to study Song-style Zen Buddhism and its lasting influence on East Asian culture.
• Silicon Valley of the East. Step into the Alibaba campus for a rare look at China’s technological Big Bang, understanding how ancient values coexist with modern innovation.

Weekly Itinerary