Zhejiang is the name of a beautiful and richly endowed province which, bordering Shanghai, lies in the southern sector of the Yangtze River Delta, a golden area in the southeastern coastal region of China. Zhejiang University is located in Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province and itself a tourist resort noted for its beautiful West Lake and the surrounding scenic spots and places of historic interest. In addition to being the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), Hangzhou has always been known for its natural beauty richly captured by poets of different dynasties. Modern Hangzhou is also ideally located, two hours by train south of China’s biggest metropolis, Shanghai. At the same time, Hangzhou continues to distinguish itself with a long historic and cultural heritage, its tradition in education, its legendary natural and cultivated beauty, its proximity to numerous scenic and historic sites located within and without Zhejiang Province, and, of course, its unique cuisine. Hangzhou is also a "sister city" of Boston. For American students, Hangzhou is an ideal place to start their experience in China: manageable, intimate, and yet very close to a big city like Shanghai.

In 1998, a new Zhejiang University was established on the basis of the amalgamation of the four former individual universities, namely Zhejiang University, Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University, and Zhejiang Medical University, which were all located in Hangzhou. The four universities have grown out of the same ancestry, the Qiushi (with the literal meaning of "seeking truth" in Chinese) Academy, which was founded a century ago as one of the earliest modern institutions of higher learning in China. The Tufts-in-China program is located on Yuquan campus, the campus of the old Zhejiang University before the recent amalgamation. Yuquan campus sits at the foot of a mountain within the West Lake area. Students take classes in the newly-built International Education College and have ample opportunities to get to know Chinese students and students from about thirty other countries.

There is a saying in Chinese: "In heaven there is paradise; on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou" (referring to two southern cities in China). The combination of the city of Hangzhou and the renowned Zhejiang University makes Tufts in China a unique program for students of Chinese language and culture.