TEFL Courses in Shanghai (Hangzhou), China

Hangzhou, the home of the TEFL International course in eastern China, is only 180 kilometers from Shanghai. It is also the capital of Zhejiang province, and one of the most modern and prosperous cities in China. The city, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, is located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River, south west of Shanghai. Hangzhou has a subtropical monsoon type climate with four quite distinct seasons. Fortunately, it's comfortable all year round, being neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter.

Hangzhou is certainly an ancient cultural city, and is one of the seven capitals of ancient China. It deserves its place as a well-known tourist city, with such attractions as the beautiful scenery of the famous 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. As far back as the 13th century, Marco Polo regarded Hangzhou as the most beautiful city in the world.

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 are ideal for walking or cycling along, and there are many well tended parks. Boats can be hired either to sail on the lake or to visit some of the islands.

Other attractions during your TEFL 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. Although Hangzhou is very famous for its silk and tea products, its retail outlets are world class, with department stores stocking the latest from Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton and more. You will find a variety of other shops and reasonably priced markets too. The nightmarket is certainly the place for trinkets and holiday presents, but be prepared to bargain down to 20-50% of the opening price. Barter with a smile and a joke; you'll be surprised at the results!

Whilst you may want to experience all the variety of fare 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.

If you enjoy going out after dark, 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. Although the nightlife tends to be more populated with the younger Hangzhou crowd, 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, those who want to go bar hopping should check out Nanshan Road, which is where a good number of the local bars are situated.

Should you want to take a trip to Shanghai during or after your TEFL course, there are numerous ways to get there from Hangzhou. For example you could experience the high-speed express train between Hangzhou and Shanghai. It only takes 80 minutes and costs about 10USD.