Anji

Anji is Zhejiang Province's most beautiful rural escape — a county of bamboo forests, tea plantations, mountain streams, and traditional villages that feels a world away from the frenetic pace of nearby Shanghai (just 2.5 hours by high-speed train). It is best known for two things: its extraordinary bamboo forests (the bamboo sea scenes in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon were filmed here) and its white tea, considered among the rarest and most prized in China.

The landscape is defined by bamboo — Anji is one of China's primary bamboo-producing regions, with forests covering much of the county. Walking or cycling through the bamboo groves, where the light filters through tall green columns and the sound is all rustling leaves and birdsong, is one of the most genuinely peaceful experiences in eastern China. The China Bamboo Museum in Anji town is the world's only museum dedicated entirely to bamboo — unexpectedly fascinating.

Anji white tea (安吉白茶, Ānjí báichá) is not technically a white tea but a variety of green tea made from an albino mutation of the tea plant that produces pale yellow-green leaves in spring. It has a delicate, sweet flavour quite unlike any other Chinese tea and commands premium prices. Tea picking season in April is the best time to visit tea plantations and participate in the harvest.

From Shanghai: high-speed train to Anji South Station (2.5 hours, then taxi or local bus to town centre). From Hangzhou: 1 hour by high-speed train or bus. No direct international connections — Anji is best visited as a day trip or weekend extension from Shanghai or Hangzhou.

Rural guesthouses (民宿, mínsù) in the bamboo forest villages offer the most atmospheric accommodation. Booking platforms like Meituan or Tujia list hundreds of options. The villages of Tianhuangping, Xinhu, and Piling have particularly well-regarded guesthouses.

Anji is best explored by private car or hired vehicle — public transport within the county is limited. Many visitors hire a driver for the day from Anji town. Cycling is possible on flatter routes. The Bamboo Forest Scenic Area and China Bamboo Museum are both accessible from Anji town.