Anji Grand Bamboo Sea
安吉大竹海
The filming location of the bamboo-top fight scenes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. A vast bamboo sea spreads across Anji, China’s “Bamboo Hometown.” Climb the Bamboo-Viewing Tower to watch the bamboo waves, and combine your visit with Tianhuangping, Cloud Grassland and rafting.
Anji Grand Bamboo Sea is in Tianhuangping Town, Anji County, Huzhou. It lies about 40 km from Moganshan and 60 km from Hangzhou. It is the core scenic area of Anji, China’s “Bamboo Hometown.” Tens of thousands of mu of moso bamboo stretch out like a sea. In Ang Lee’s 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi’s famous duel on the bamboo tops was filmed here. Later films, including The Banquet and Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind, were also shot here.
The scenic route follows stone steps and boardwalks through the bamboo. Highlights include the Bamboo-Viewing Tower, where you can look out over the rolling bamboo sea; Five Maidens Spring; a marker sign and bamboo houses deep in the forest that mark the filming site of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; a museum-style display of bamboo culture; and amusements such as bamboo-forest slides and grass sliding. In spring (April–May), new bamboo shoots and leaves are at their greenest. On rainy or foggy days, clouds drifting among the bamboo tops are the most cinematic. In summer, the temperature inside the bamboo forest is 3–5°C lower than outside.
A visit takes about 2–3 hours. Climbing the Bamboo-Viewing Tower requires about 600 steps. Tickets cost about RMB 60.
Nearby combinations: Tianhuangping Pumped Storage Power Station, a world-class project from whose top you can see the upper reservoir and the bamboo sea. Cloud Grassland offers skiing and alpine meadows, reached by cable car. Anji Bamboo Garden showcases bamboo varieties and bamboo culture. Canglong Hundred Waterfalls and Anji rafting are available in summer.
Getting there: Take a high-speed train to Anji Station, or a coach from Hangzhou or Shanghai to Anji, then take a bus or taxi for about 30 minutes. Driving is the most convenient option; it takes about 1 hour from Moganshan.
Notes: Inside the bamboo forest, there are many mosquitoes and the paths are slippery, so wear long trousers and non-slip shoes. Crowds are heavy on public holidays and during Crouching Tiger commemorative events. Nearby farmhouse restaurants serve bamboo-shoot feasts, including spring bamboo shoots and braised pork with dried bamboo shoots.
Opening hours
08:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Yucun Village
- Jiangnan Tianchi
- Canglong Waterfalls
- Yunshang Grassland
- Moganshan Scenic Area
- Naked Stables
- Naked Castle
- Yucun Village (Moganshan Town)