Escape Shanghai: a weekend away in Anji with Dragon Adventures
Shanghai-based tour company Dragon Adventures offers group trips and team building excursions all across China and places as far afield as the Philippines and Vietnam.
Part of the city of Huzhou, Anji sits 65km away from the province’s largest city, Hangzhou. Home to more than 40 different species of bamboo, the county houses China’s largest bamboo nursery and is famed for its ecological-friendly industries and agriculture.
Having departed on coaches from Shanghai filled with people from all over the world, we arrive in Anji late on Friday to Jiu Longxia Hotel Resort for a party by the pool. The tour is mostly made up of 20- to 30-somethings, with one spritely 47-year-old dragging up the average and turning heads with his unorthodox, if not rhythmic, dance moves.
After tucking into breakfast, we start our Saturday with a group hike up the winding roads of the mountains that take us up through the forest to scenic pools and waterfalls. Dotted alongside the roads are numerous vendors keen to sell the local brew that Anji is known for, Anji bai cha or Anji white tea – which despite its name is actually a type of green tea only grown in the local area.
Once you’ve gone up, you’ve got to go down again. The return down the mountain lets us appreciate the stunning views of the valley and work up enough of a sweat for a much-deserved dip in the pool and lunch from the Dragon Express burger van. A scheduled rafting trip being cancelled turns out to be a blessing in disguise, resulting in an afternoon-turned-evening of festivities, including some fiercely contested beer pong, fireworks and an endless supply of frozen margaritas.
Unlike some more stringent tours, we have plenty of freedom to do our own thing. While guides are on site to organise excursions and the like, there’s no strict routine to follow. On Sunday morning, a few of us forgo the planned trip to the lake and instead take ourselves for a self-guided hike up to the nearby river for views over the valley and beyond.
A Dragon Adventure is a strong travel choice for the laissez-faire traveller who wants a relaxed getaway from Shanghai, and doesn’t mind the odd change of plan.
Dragon Adventures’ next weekend getaway to Anji runs Friday 15 to Sunday 17. 688RMB; 588RMB (early-bird). Follow DragonAdventures on WeChat to book.