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Institutional Class Prospectus | MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS FUND  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS FUND
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

Long-term capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of this Fund.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example of fund expenses, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 86% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 86.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading EXAMPLE OF FUND EXPENSES
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategy
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal market conditions, the Matthews Asia Innovators Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in the common and preferred stocks of companies located in Asia that Matthews believes are innovators in their products, services, processes, business models, management, use of technology, or approach to creating, expanding or servicing their markets. Asia consists of all countries and markets in Asia, including developed, emerging, and frontier countries and markets in the Asian region. A company or other issuer is considered to be “located” in a country or a region, and a security or instrument is deemed to be an Asian (or specific country) security or instrument, if it has substantial ties to that country or region. Matthews currently makes that determination based primarily on one or more of the following criteria: (A) with respect to a company or issuer, whether (i) it is organized under the laws of that country or any country in that region; (ii) it derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed, or has at least 50% of its assets located, within that country or region; (iii) it has the primary trading markets for its securities in that country or region; (iv) it has its principal place of business in or is otherwise headquartered in that country or region; or (v) it is a governmental entity or an agency, instrumentality or a political subdivision of that country or any country in that region; and (B) with respect to an instrument or issue, whether (i) its issuer is headquartered or organized in that country or region; (ii) it is issued to finance a project with significant assets or operations in that country or region; (iii) it is principally secured or backed by assets located in that country or region; (iv) it is a component of or its issuer is included in a recognized securities index for the country or region; or (v) it is denominated in the currency of an Asian country and addresses at least one of the other above criteria. The term “located” and the associated criteria listed above have been defined in such a way that Matthews has latitude in determining whether an issuer should be included within a region or country. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts, including American, European and Global Depositary Receipts.


It is important to note that there are no universally agreed upon objective standards for assessing innovators. Innovative companies can be both old and new companies. Innovative companies can exist in any industries, old and new, and in any countries, emerging or developed. Companies perceived as innovators in one country or one industry might not be perceived as innovators in another country or another industry. For these reasons, the term innovators may be aspirational and tend to be stated broadly and applied flexibly.


The Fund seeks to invest in companies capable of sustainable growth based on the fundamental characteristics of those companies, including balance sheet information; number of employees; size and stability of cash flow; management’s depth, adaptability and integrity; product lines; marketing strategies; corporate governance; and financial health. The Fund may invest in companies of any size, including smaller size companies. Matthews measures a company’s size with respect to fundamental criteria such as, but not limited to, market capitalization, book value, revenues, profits, cash flow, dividends paid and number of employees. The implementation of the principal investment strategies of the Fund may result in a significant portion of the Fund’s assets being invested from time to time in one or more sectors, but the Fund may invest in companies in any sector.


The Fund has a fundamental policy to invest at least 25% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in the common and preferred stocks of companies that derive more than 50% of their revenues from the sale of products or services in science- and technology-related industries and services, which Matthews considers to be the following, among others: telecommunications, telecommunications equipment, computers, semiconductors, semiconductor capital equipment, networking, Internet and online service companies, media, office automation, server hardware producers, software companies (e.g., design, consumer and industrial), biotechnology and medical device technology companies, pharmaceuticals and companies involved in the distribution and servicing of these products.

Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks of Investment
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

There is no guarantee that your investment in the Fund will increase in value. The value of your investment in the Fund could go down, meaning you could lose money. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:


Political, Social and Economic Risks of Investing in Asia: The value of the Fund’s assets may be adversely affected by political, economic, social and religious instability; inadequate investor protection; changes in laws or regulations of countries within the Asian region (including countries in which the Fund invests, as well as the broader region); international relations with other nations; natural disasters; corruption and military activity. The economies of many Asian countries differ from the economies of more developed countries in many respects, such as rate of growth, inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, financial system stability, the national balance of payments position and sensitivity to changes in global trade.


Currency Risk: When the Fund conducts securities transactions in a foreign currency, there is the risk of the value of the foreign currency increasing or decreasing against the value of the U.S. dollar. The value of an investment denominated in a foreign currency will decline in U.S. dollar terms if that currency weakens against the U.S. dollar. While the Fund is permitted to hedge currency risks, Matthews does not anticipate doing so at this time. Additionally, Asian countries may utilize formal or informal currency-exchange controls or “capital controls.” Capital controls may impose restrictions on the Fund’s ability to repatriate investments or income. Such controls may also affect the value of the Fund’s holdings.


Risks Associated with Emerging and Frontier Markets: Many Asian countries are considered emerging or frontier markets (newer or less developed emerging markets are also sometimes referred to as frontier markets). Such markets are often less stable politically and economically than developed markets such as the United States, and investing in these markets involves different and greater risks. There may be less publicly available information about companies in many Asian countries, and the stock exchanges and brokerage industries in many Asian countries typically do not have the level of government oversight as do those in the United States. Securities markets of many Asian countries are also substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than securities markets in the United States.


Risks Associated with Investing in Innovative Companies: The standards for assessing innovative companies tend to have many subjective characteristics, can be difficult to analyze, and frequently involve a balancing of a company’s business plans, objectives, actual conduct and other factors. The definition of innovators can vary over different periods and can evolve over time. They may also be difficult to apply consistently across regions, countries, industries or sectors.


Growth Stock Risk: Growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they are more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential. Growth stocks may go in and out of favor over time and may perform differently than the market as a whole.


Science and Technology Companies Risk: As a fund that invests in science and technology companies, the Fund is subject to the risks associated with these industries. This makes the Fund more vulnerable to the price changes of securities issuers in science- and technology-related industries and to factors that affect these industries, relative to a broadly diversified fund. Certain science- and technology-related companies may face special risks because their products or services may not prove to be commercially successful. Many science and technology companies have limited operating histories and experience in managing adverse market conditions, and are also strongly affected by worldwide scientific or technological developments and global demand cycles. As a result, their products may rapidly become obsolete, which could cause a dramatic decrease in the value of their stock. Such companies are also often subject to governmental regulation and may therefore be adversely affected by changes in governmental policies. The possible loss or impairment of intellectual property rights may also negatively impact science and technology companies.


Concentration Risk: By focusing on a group of industries, the Fund carries much greater risks of adverse developments and price movements in such industries than a fund that invests in a wider variety of industries. Because the Fund concentrates in a group of industries, there is also the risk that the Fund will perform poorly during a slump in demand for securities of companies in such industries.


Depositary Receipts Risk: Although depositary receipts have risks similar to the securities that they represent, they may also involve higher expenses and may trade at a discount (or premium) to the underlying security. In addition, depositary receipts may not pass through voting and other shareholder rights, and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.


Volatility Risk: The smaller size and lower levels of liquidity in emerging markets, as well as other factors, may result in changes in the prices of Asian securities that are more volatile than those of companies in more developed regions. This volatility can cause the price of the Fund’s shares to go up or down dramatically. Because of this volatility, this Fund is better suited for long-term investors (typically five years or longer).


Financial Services Sector Risk: The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the financial services sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation and can be significantly affected by the availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, price competition and other sector-specific factors.


Risks Associated with Smaller Companies: Smaller companies may offer substantial opportunities for capital growth; they also involve substantial risks, and investments in smaller companies may be considered speculative. Such companies often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in lesser volume than more widely held securities and the securities of smaller companies generally are subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than more widely held or larger, more established companies or the market indices in general.


Risks Associated with Medium-Size Companies: Medium-size companies may be subject to a number of risks not associated with larger, more established companies, potentially making their stock prices more volatile and increasing the risk of loss.


Risks Associated with China and Hong Kong: The Chinese government exercises significant control over China’s economy through its industrial policies, monetary policy, management of currency exchange rates, and management of the payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations. Changes in these policies could adversely impact affected industries or companies in China. China’s economy, particularly its export-oriented industries, may be adversely impacted by trade or political disputes with China’s major trading partners, including the U.S. In addition, as its consumer class continues to grow, China’s domestically oriented industries may be especially sensitive to changes in government policy and investment cycles. If China were to exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected and have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investments.

Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney The value of your investment in the Fund could go down, meaning you could lose money.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Past Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The bar chart below shows the Fund’s performance for each full calendar year since its inception and how it has varied from year to year, reflective of the Fund’s volatility and some indication of risk. Also shown are the best and worst quarters for this time period. The table below shows the Fund’s performance over certain periods of time, along with performance of its benchmark index. The information presented below is past performance, before and after taxes, and is not a prediction of future results. Both the bar chart and performance table assume reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, please visit matthewsasia.com or call 800.789.ASIA (2742).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart below shows the Fund’s performance for each full calendar year since its inception and how it has varied from year to year, reflective of the Fund’s volatility and some indication of risk.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone 800.789.ASIA (2742)
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress matthewsasia.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The information presented below is past performance, before and after taxes, and is not a prediction of future results.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading ANNUAL RETURNS FOR YEARS ENDED 12/31
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Best Quarter

 

Q4 2015

 

15.39%

 

Worst Quarter

 

Q3 2015

 

-16.68%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2015
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 15.39%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2015
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (16.68%)
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Caption rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018
Institutional Class Prospectus | MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS FUND | MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (14.12%)
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.32%
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 4.16%
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Apr. 30, 2013
Institutional Class Prospectus | MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS FUND | Institutional Class Shares  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Account Fee on Redemptions (for wire redemptions only) rr_MaximumAccountFee $ 9
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.66%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets
Administration and Shareholder Servicing Fees rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.14%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.36%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.02%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 104
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 325
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 563
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,248
Annual Return 2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014 9.54%
Annual Return 2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 4.63%
Annual Return 2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 (8.92%)
Annual Return 2017 rr_AnnualReturn2017 53.18%
Annual Return 2018 rr_AnnualReturn2018 (18.40%)
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (18.40%)
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 5.46%
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 9.01%
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Apr. 30, 2013
Institutional Class Prospectus | MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS FUND | Institutional Class Shares | After Taxes on Distributions  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (18.95%) [1]
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.68% [1]
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 7.39% [1]
Institutional Class Prospectus | MATTHEWS ASIA INNOVATORS FUND | Institutional Class Shares | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (10.52%) [1]
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.17% [1]
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 7.09% [1]
[1] After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.