Chinese Courses in China - Schools and Courses in China

Learn & Study Chinese in China and you won't experience a different country - you will experience a different world. Study Chinese in China and explore the never-ending wonders of this magical land with remarkable people, traditions, culture and language.

Join our Chinese schools in China and explore from shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the desert landscapes of Xinjiang, China is a land of cultural and geographic diversity.

China is the cultural treasure-house of East Asia : its social riches and 5000 years of tumultuous history place it, without doubt, among the world's greatest study destinations. The Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square, Xian's Terracotta Army: the very names resound with history and legend.

China's paradoxes are many: Shanghai's skyscrapers contrast with Beijing's historical treasures, while in rural provinces, mechanisation is slow. China's history is one that is characterised by the breakdown of a dynasty and the succession of a weak ruler that would fragment the country into smaller kingdoms until finally reunited.

The history and politics of this mesmerizing country are of great significance but often of more allure is the immense beauty of the natural landscape. And what a landscape it is -the land of the Yangtze River, the Silk Route and the bamboo forests of the panda, China justifiably holds 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites within its borders. Chinese food ranks among the world's great cuisines. From acrobatics to martial arts, calligraphy to Chinese opera, the vibrant, distinctive culture of this great land is everywhere to be seen.

Study & learn Chinese in China and you'll be rewarded with memories to be treasured for a lifetime.

China is a country that cannot be found in one place or in one single moment. This remarkably vast country has a thousand faces, ready and willing to be shown to you.

Chinese History

The first civilizations in China arose in the Yangtze and Yellow river valleys at about the same time as Mesopotamia, China and India developed their first civilizations.

For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences. Paper and gunpowder, for example, are Chinese inventions and Chinese developments in astronomy, medicine and other fields were extensive.

China was also a leader in exploration, traveling the world and trading extensively with other nations. By the 5th-6th centuries, long voyages, across various oceans, were usual. However, China also remained inward looking, the "middle kingdom". Around 1425, China turned inward to an unusual extent.

In the 16th century, for example, Western traders were met with a hostile reception when they arrived in China. The emperor of the time only allowed trade at Canton and introduced a series of restrictions. The first Western base was Portugal's colony Macau, near Canton.

By the 19th century, various Western powers had established themselves in parts of China and trade was well maintained. Westerners were inclined to see China as a corrupt and immoral nation, and the Chinese saw Western nations as greedy and contemptible. Several wars were fought in China during that century.

Two Opium Wars between China against Western powers developed and China quickly lost both of them.

After the first Opium War, Britain retained Hong Kong, and five "treaty ports" — Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Shanghai and Ningbo — were opened to Western trade.

After the second Opium War, inland cities such as Nanjing and Wuhan were opened to trade.

The Tai Ping Rebellion was led by a lunatic claiming to be Christ's younger brother. This became one of the bloodiest wars ever fought; only in World War II were more people killed. Then in 1895, China lost the Sino-Japanese war and ceded Taiwan to Japan.

The 20th century brought revolution to China. In 1911 Sun Yat Sen, a nationalist, doctor, democrat and socialist became president after overthrowing the emperor.

After the 1895 war, Japan continued its imperial expansion in East Asia, invaded Manchuria in 1931 and conquered much of China by the late 30s. China had other problems, such as civil unrest and major famines as well. The Communists under Mao Zedong and the Kuomintang (the party Sun Yat Sen founded) under Chiang Kai Shek often fought each other when they might better have been fighting Japanese. In order to preserve their local power, various warlords and bandits fought whomever they felt like.

Civil war broke out following World War II. This war killed more Chinese than had been killed while resisting Japan. By 1949, the Communists had won and the Kuomintang armies, government and many supporters fled to Taiwan, which had been returned to Chinese control in 1945.

The Communist government set up strict control over daily life; the Party held authority over everything. They also indulged in various experiments such as the Great Leap Forward, intended to industrialise China quickly, and the Cultural Revolution, aimed at changing everything by discipline and attention to Mao Zedong Thought. These both failed at a disastrous cost.

Mao Zedong died in 1976 and Hua Guofeng was appointed his successor. A series of failed economic policies weakened Hua's position in the Party leadership and enabled Deng Xiaoping's rise. After 1978, Deng gradually introduced market-oriented reforms and decentralized economic decision making, and output quadrupled by 2000. Economic controls continue to be relaxed while political control remains tight. Just the same, as China prepares for entry into the World Trade Organization, more and more reforms bring China closer to the west in terms of public policy. The most recent landmark shift away from hardcore communism has been the official reinstitution of private property by October 2007.

The current president Hu Jintao has promised to rein in China's economic growth and channel investment and prosperity into China's hinterlands, which have been largely left behind in the economic boom since 1978. Much of this policy has involved tax relief to the peasantry and infrastructure development to encourage investment in underdeveloped areas.

Study Chinese - China Geography

China ranges from mostly plateaus and mountains in the west to lower lands in the east. Principal rivers flow from west to east, including the Yangtze (central), the Huang He (Yellow river, north central), and the Amur (northeast), and sometimes toward the south (including the Pearl River, Mekong River, and Brahmaputra), with most Chinese rivers emptying into the Pacific Ocean.

In the east, along the shores of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea there are extensive and densely populated alluvial plains. On the edges of the Inner Mongolian plateau in the north, grasslands can be seen. South China is occupied by low mountain ranges and hills. In the central-east, you can find the deltas of China's two major rivers, the Huang He and Yangtze River. A vast majority of China's arable lands lie along these rivers. Other major rivers include the Pearl River, Mekong, Brahmaputra and Amur. Yunnan Province is considered a part of the Greater Mekong Sub region, which also includes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

In the west, the north has a great alluvial plain, and the south has a vast calcareous tableland traversed by hill ranges of moderate elevation, and the Himalayas, containing Earth's highest point, Mount Everest. The northwest also has high plateaus with more arid desert landscapes such as the Takla-Makan and the Gobi Desert, which has been expanding. During many dynasties, the southwestern border of China has been the high mountains and deep valleys of Yunnan, which separate modern China from Burma, Laos and Vietnam.

Learn Chinese - China Economy

China's economy during the last quarter century has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy. Reforms started in the late 1970s with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a diversified banking system, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment.

China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist or piecemeal fashion. The process continues with key moves in 2005 including the sale of equity in China's largest state banks to foreign investors and refinements in foreign exchange and bond markets. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2005 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income and 150 million Chinese fall below international poverty lines.

Economic development has generally been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and there are large disparities in per capita income between regions. The government has struggled to: (a) sustain adequate job growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) contain environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. From 100 to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. One demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world.

Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with more than 100 million users at the end of 2005. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable expansion in world trade and has been an important factor in the growth of urban jobs.

In July 2005, China revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to exchange rate systems that reference a basket of currencies. Reports of shortages of electric power in the summer of 2005 in southern China receded by September-October and did not have a substantial impact on China's economy. More power generating capacity is scheduled to come on line in 2006 as large-scale investments are completed. Thirteen years in construction at a cost of $24 billion, the immense Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River will be essentially completed in 2006 and will revolutionize electrification and flood control in the area.

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2005 approved the draft 11th Five-Year Plan and the National People's Congress is expected to give final approval in March 2006. The plan calls for a 20% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP by 2010 and an estimated 45% increase in GDP by 2010. The plan states that conserving resources and protecting the environment are basic goals, but it lacks details on the policies and reforms necessary to achieve these goals.

Chinese Food

Food in China varies widely from region to region. While visiting, break away from your inhibitions and try a bit of everything. Chinese gourmands place emphasis of freshness so your meal will most likely be cooked as soon as you order it. Searing hot woks over coal or gas fires usually make even street food safe to eat. Do be wary of rip-offs though; it is not uncommon to order a dish (particularly at lowbrow restaurants) and receive a portion that is obviously much smaller than that ordered by a local sitting next to you. However, if you can avoid such blatant hubris, eating in China can be a great gastronomical experience. Be warned that some dishes are prepared from endangered species and animals that are not eaten in the west (such as dog).

• Cantonese/ Guangzhou / Hong Kong : this is the style of cooking that most visitors are already familiar with to some extent. It is not too spicy, with an emphasis on freshly cooked ingredients and seafood. Dim Sum (small snacks usually eaten for lunch/breakfast) is a favorite.
• Sichuan : characteristically hot and spicy, though not all the dishes are made with chilies; this may arguable be the finest cuisine available in the PRC.
• Hunan : Hunan Cuisine, occasionally referred to on menus as Xiang cuisine, is actually the cuisine of the Xiangjiang region, Dongting Lake and western Hunan Province. Hunan food can actually be "spicier" in the Western sense.
• Guizhou : Guizhou cuisine combines elements of both Sichuan and Xiang cuisine. It makes use of spicy, peppery and sour flavors.
• Beijing : home-style noodles and baozi (bread buns), peking duck, and cabbage dishes, great pickles. Not fancy but can be extremely good and fulfilling.
• Zhejiang : Zhejiang cuisine includes the foods of Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing. A delicately seasoned, light-tasting mix of seafood and vegetables often served in soup. Sometimes lightly sweetened or sometimes sweet and sour, Zhejiang dishes frequently involve cooked meats and vegetables in combination.
• Fujian : Fujian cuisine takes most of its ingredients from coastal and estuarial waterways. One particularly famous Fujian dish is known as "Buddha Jumps over a Wall". The story is that this seafood dish smelled so good a monk forgot his vegetarian vows and leapt over the wall to have some.

China - Climate

The climate of China varies greatly. The northern zone (containing Beijing ) has summer daytime temperatures of more than 30 degrees Celsius and winters of Arctic severity. The central zone (containing Shanghai ) has a temperate continental climate with very hot summers and cold winters. The southern zone (containing Guangzhou ) has a subtropical climate with very hot summers and mild winters.

Due to a prolonged drought and poor agricultural practices, dust storms have become usual in the spring in China. Dust has blown to southern China and Taiwan, and has even reached the West Coast of the United States.

Learn Chinese in China - Advice

At our Chinese schools and courses in China our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.

The Chinese school and course you choose in China is going to be the core of your Chinese study, so make sure you choose a Chinese language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our Chinese courses at our Chinese schools in China, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice Chinese in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.

You must work at your new Chinese language skills every day. Ideally, you should study Chinese an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice Chinese every single day.

If you attend one of our Chinese courses in China and you learn Chinese everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the Chinese language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the Chinese language.

Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.

Phrase Book

These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn Chinese and they are convenient and cheap.

Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the Chinese language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. English to Chinese AND Chinese to English. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms - the phrases particular to the language which you are studying - as well as phrases that are commonly used in the Chinese language, but may be difficult to translate.

Flashcards

A simple Chinese language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.

Talk to yourself

It may be obvious, but the best way to learn Chinese in China is to speak Chinese in China ! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice Chinese by thinking Chinese. Throughout the day, think of the Chinese words for everything you pass - objects in your house, things you pass when you are travelling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic Chinese phrases like - ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.

Practice with friends

Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak Chinese, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or'see you later' in Chinese will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!

Listen to music

Listen to Chinese music. You'll hear the Chinese language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in Chinese might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in Chinese and many different languages.