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TESOL Shanghai (Hangzhou) | TESOL China
Hangzhou, just 180 kilometers from Shanghai, is the capital of Zhejiang province. The home of our TESOL course in eastern China is also one of the most modern and prosperous cities in the country. Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, is located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River, southwest of Shanghai. Hangzhou has a subtropical monsoon type climate with four quite distinct seasons. However, it is neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter making it comfortable all year round – an excellent location for your TESOL course.
One of the seven capitals of ancient China, Hangzhou is an ancient cultural city and a well-known tourist city. It is most famous for the beautiful scenery of the West Lake. With an area of 6,047 square miles inhabited by a population of 5.2 million, it comprises of six urban districts and seven suburban counties. The Fuchun and Xin'an rivers and Thousand Island Lake are national scenic areas. In the 13th century, Marco Polo praised Hangzhou as the most beautiful city in the world. Hangzhou is also famous for its silk and tea products.
The West Lake (Xi Hu) is well-known for its beautiful natural scenery, and is truly worthy of the accolades showered upon it. The lake is split by two causeways which one can walk or cycle along and there are numerous well tended parks. Boats can be hired either to sail on the lake or to visit some of the islands.
Other attractions during your TESOL course include Fei Lai Feng, legendary caves that have hundreds of Buddhist stone statues dating from the 10th to the 14th centuries, numerous museums, and Hangzhou Paradise Park, a water park about a half hour drive from the center of Hangzhou.
For shoppers, Hangzhou is one of China's most important weekend getaways for Shanghai's wealthy. Hangzhou retailers cater for this in style, with department stores stocking latest from Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton and more. Lots of other shops and reasonably priced markets too. The nightmarket is definitely the place for trinkets and holiday presents, but be prepared to bargain down to 20-50% of opening price. Bargain with a smile and a joke; you'll go much further!
For night owls, the Hangzhou nightlife is an active one and you will be able to get a good taste of the local culture by venturing out at night to the bars and clubs and mingling with the people who live in the area. The nightlife tends to be more populated with the younger Hangzhou crowd, but there are plenty of people of most ages out throughout the night. A good place for starting out is Hong Feng Jiu Ba, a place which offers something comparable to a western happy hour. From there, travellers who want to go bar hopping should check out Nanshan Road which is where a good portion of the local bars are situated.
Whilst you may want to experience all the tastes and variety that Chinese restaurants have to offer, delicious meals are provided by our host school free of charge; three meals from Monday to Friday, as well as lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday.
Should you want to visit Shanghai during or after your TESOL course, there are numerous ways to travel there from Hangzhou. For example you could experience the high-speed express train between Shanghai and Hangzhou, It only takes 80 minutes and costs about 10USD.
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