Tracy Lesh, tour guide in and around Shanghai

Tracy Lesh is an interested expat who has become semi-fluent in Mandarin, has studied China's tea culture and leads tours and classes for visitors and residents.

Call or email Tracy directly for inquiries and rates:

• USA: 1 866 321 9088
• China: (+86) 159 0090 3998
• email: tracy.lesh@gmail.com
• online booking: shanghaiteatreks.com

Tracy accepts cash only. Inquire directly for rates.

Tracy has studied Chinese tea culture under a tea master, and offers classes on tasting and brewing Chinese tea. She leads tours to Hangzhou and other areas outside Shanghai to see where tea grows and how it is cultivated and processed. She also leads Shanghai city tours while educating her guests on its culture, history, and architecture.

I recently joined a group that Tracy was leading out to a tea village in Hangzhou. She's a freelance guide, but you would think she studied tourism and has been doing this for years. Tracy is very professional and knowledgeable but most importantly, she is extremely enthusiastic about Chinese culture.

Visiting a Longjing tea village outside Hangzhou.

Visiting a Pu'er tea plantation in Yunnan Province.

(from Tracy Lesh)

Tracy is an American who has been living in China for four years. Initially, she lived in the southern province of Guangdong where she taught English and studied Cantonese. She subsequently moved to Shanghai, switched her language focus to Mandarin, and took advantage of the city's foreign-friendly environment to pursue her interest in Chinese culture. After several years of studying the local culture, she was eager to share her knowledge, and began offering classes and tours to both foreign expats and visitors. She is well-versed on Shanghai's most popular tourist attractions, but feels passionate about introducing off-the-beaten-path locales to those who have seen the usual points of interest. As she is moderately fluent in Mandarin, she enjoys conversing with locals, and shares their stories with her guests. In this way, her guests overcome common misconceptions about the Chinese culture, and learn that China's citizens share the same hopes and dreams as the rest of the world.

Her daughter recently graduated from Shanghai American School and is studying at the University of South Florida. In her spare time, Tracy enjoys traveling with her husband, volunteering for Shanghai Sunrise, and exploring new terrain in the city's ever-expanding subway system.