Cultural Experiences · Hangzhou
Choose a few hours of food, craft or herbal traditions.
Explore Hangzhou's historic Qinghefang quarter with a costumed host. Each three-hour route follows one theme, with tastings, demonstrations and things to make along the way.
Visit an apothecary museum and workshop to see how herbs are identified, weighed and wrapped. The route introduces the history of herbal preparation and includes a cultural demonstration of pulse-taking.
There is a tea break with sugar painting and a traditional optical show, followed by time to fill a fragrant herbal sachet to take home. This route does not provide medical consultation or treatment.
Begin with a tea demonstration, tasting and small pastries. Try pounding ma ci, a soft glutinous rice cake, with wooden tools, make a sugar painting and learn about traditional sauce making.
A traditional optical show provides a pause before a lotus-root starch dessert to finish. Let us know about dietary requirements before booking so the tastings can be checked.
Explore wood carving and a small wooden puzzle, see stone carving and stop at visible Southern Song foundations beneath the street. Make a traditional round fan and a sugar painting, then visit a leather workshop to see its tools and hand-finishing.
The route also includes tea and a traditional optical show. Specific workshops and activities are confirmed for your date.
Meet your host for an introduction to the quarter and your chosen theme. The route then moves between streets, workshops and short activities, with time for tea and a final tasting or making session.
Individual stops and their order can change with opening hours, crowd levels and maker availability. We send your selected route and its inclusions before payment.
Follow medicine from museum shelves to the practical knowledge of herbs, scent and everyday practice.
Meet your costumed host and begin with a light introduction to daily life in the old quarter.
Explore an apothecary museum through tools, ingredients and the traditions that shaped local medicine.
See how herbs are recognised, weighed and wrapped, with a cultural introduction to pulse-taking and herbal preparation.
Look through a picture-viewing box and listen to a short local tune.
Take a tea break, then draw an edible picture with warm sugar.
Choose aromatic ingredients and fill a small sachet to take away.
The medicine and pulse-reading elements introduce cultural practice. They do not provide medical diagnosis or treatment.
Taste the old quarter through tea, texture and small foods made in front of you.
Watch a Chinese tea demonstration and taste selected teas.
Sample small local pastries chosen to accompany the tea.
Use the wooden tools to pound glutinous rice, then taste the soft rice cake you helped make.
Turn warm sugar into an edible picture to enjoy or take away.
See the basic craft behind the sauces used in everyday Chinese cooking.
Look through a picture-viewing box and listen to a short local tune.
Taste a smooth lotus-root starch dessert associated with Hangzhou.
Please share allergies and dietary requirements in advance. Final tastings are confirmed for your booking.
Move from carved surfaces to objects made by hand, with the old quarter itself forming part of the route.
Look closely at carved detail and work through a small wooden puzzle.
Discover how hard stone is shaped into fine decorative work.
Pause at visible Southern Song foundations and place the day's craft in a deeper layer of Hangzhou history.
Create a small fan using materials and decorative techniques prepared for the session.
Draw with warm sugar and keep the finished edible piece.
Taste tea, look through a picture-viewing box and hear a short local tune.
See the tools, materials and hand-finishing behind small leather goods.
Sessions are subject to partner availability. Tell us which route and time you prefer, and we'll check the date, language arrangements and meeting point.
Views of Qinghefang's streets, courtyards and shopfronts, photographed in Hangzhou.
The price is US$298 per person for one three-hour route. Your total is confirmed before payment.
Each route lasts three hours. Ask about combining two and we can check the timing and quote for your group.
Yes. The route is for your own party with a costumed host. The streets, shops and venues may also be visited by other people.
Tell us your language needs when you enquire. We confirm hosting and any interpretation arrangements for the selected session before booking.
Let us know before booking. The route includes old streets and visits to individual venues, so we check access and dietary arrangements for the activities you've chosen.
Send your preferred route, date, session and number of guests. We'll reply personally within one business day and check the arrangements.