Learn Chinese in China
CLI empowers students to learn Chinese and connect with China.
The Chinese Language Institute, based in scenic Guilin, China, delivers immersive Chinese language programs at the CLI Center, expert-led travel seminars throughout China, and print and online learning resources for students worldwide.
“I appreciate CLI’s size, flexibility, and ability to accommodate students. Because it is a small community, it is easy to build relationships with the teachers and staff. I truly felt at home in Guilin.”
Chinese Language and Culture Programs
CLI at a Glance
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Community in Guilin团队介绍
Meet the CLI Team
Abby Huang 黄郁萍
A native of Nanning, Guangxi's capital city, Abby first discovered her passion for international Chinese language education in 2006 as a Hanban (汉办) teacher in Thailand. After teaching international students at Guangxi Normal University, she joined CLI in 2015 and has grown alongside the organization over the past decade. Since 2022, Abby has served as CLI School Director.
Anna Liang 梁琨漫
Anna grew up in the coastal city of Beihai, Guangxi, and made her way to Guilin to study at Guilin University of Electronic Technology. She joined CLI in 2016, and what began as a teaching role has since evolved into leading the organization's academic program. As Academic Director, Anna oversees scheduling, faculty meetings, and teacher development.
Mira Vance 冯曼漫
Mira is originally from Western Massachusetts and is a 2019 CLI alum. She graduated from Middlebury College and completed her M.A. in China Studies: Law and Society at Peking University in 2025. As Admissions Manager, she supports you through the entire experience, from your first questions and enrollment through your departure from Guilin.
Dayong 大勇
Dayong joined the team in the summer of 2009 and is CLI’s longest-serving Chinese teacher. He is from Harbin (哈尔滨), capital city of China’s chilly northeastern province of Heilongjiang (黑龙江). When asked to produce a bio for the CLI homepage, Dayong said, “At CLI, I’ve learned that the world is a big place, and every single person in it can be your teacher in some way.” Now in 2026, he remains one of CLI's most active Chinese teachers.
Anias Stambolis-D’Agostino 昕梅
After a summer in the coastal city of Qingdao, Anias vowed to return to the Middle Kingdom to improve her language skills and deepen her understanding of contemporary Chinese society. She moved to Guilin in 2016 and joined the team as Program Manager in 2017. As of this writing in 2026, Anias resides in Tainan, Taiwan, where she directs CLI’s custom programs for schools and universities. Anias is fluent in Chinese.
Summer Liu 刘春平
After earning her MA in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, Summer began her career at China’s prestigious Hanban (汉办), the parent organization of the Confucius Institute, and taught Chinese at Thailand’s Ministry of Education. Fortunately for CLI, Summer’s next move was to return to her hometown of Guilin and join the CLI team as Student Activities Manager, where she organizes the out-of-class components of CLI’s language learning system.
Susan Pan 潘姿
Susan is originally from Yizhou, Guangxi, and joined the CLI team in spring 2014. She holds a BA in Business English from Guangxi Normal University, and from 2016 to 2017 she was a Visiting Language Instructor at the University of Mary Washington in the United States. Today she helps students already in Guilin with their visas, is CLI’s liaison with Guangxi Normal University, and is students’ main contact in an emergency.
Esther Lin 林雨菲
Esther is from Guilin, Guangxi, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature from the Xingjian College of Science and Liberal Arts at Guangxi University. She joined the CLI team in October 2024. As Student Affairs Manager, she gets to know what each student needs and helps them make the most of their studies and daily life at CLI. She loves traveling, calligraphy, and handicrafts.
Nancy 莫培娟
Nancy is from Yangshuo, Guangxi, and has been teaching Chinese since 2010. She holds a BA from Guangxi Normal University. Nancy also coordinates CLI’s homestays, matching students with host families in Guilin. Her advice to every student: take what you learn in the classroom and practice it with Chinese speakers outside of class.
Jin Deng 邓佳欣
After graduating from Guangxi Normal University with a degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, Jin spent two years teaching Chinese in Thailand through the Hanban (汉办) program. She joined CLI as a Chinese instructor in 2018. Since 2020, she has focused on online education, and as Head of Online Teaching she develops and coordinates CLI’s online Chinese programs.
Lumi 刘芳芳
Lumi is from Guilin and holds a degree in Chinese Language and Literature from Nanning Normal University. She started out as a tour guide in Henan Province in 2006, came home to Guilin in 2008, and went on to hold management roles at an international travel agency, a boutique guesthouse and tea shop, and JD Home Services. She joined CLI in 2026 and looks after student accommodation and campus housekeeping, keeping CLI’s campus comfortable, clean, and welcoming. In her free time, she enjoys reading and drinking tea.
Tristan Lv 吕勇
Tristan is from Guilin, Guangxi, and holds a BA in English from the Guilin Institute of Tourism. After four years as a tour guide, he worked as a manager at an international hotel in Hangzhou, then came home to work as a hotel general manager. He became CLI’s Property Manager in 2012 and has been making students’ time in Guilin comfortable ever since. In 2026, he transitioned from Property Manager to CLI Center Upkeep Manager. A true soccer fanatic, Tristan often organizes weekend pickup games with CLI students and Chinese locals.
Stories, Guides & Updates
From student life in Guilin to practical guides for learning Chinese, explore what's new at CLI.
Community
Harvest Season at the Longji Rice Terraces
On the first two Saturdays of the fall semester, students hiked the Longji rice terraces, then cycled the Yangshuo countryside and floated the Li River on bamboo rafts.
Campus Update
CLI Upgrades Student Living Facilities for the Year of the Horse
CLI enters 2026 with rebuilt student bathrooms, new keycard-entry doors, and upgraded air conditioning across its residence floors in Guilin.
Travel Guide
Getting to Guilin: Flights, Trains and Fares
The main routes to Guilin from your part of the world, cheapest first, with fares and travel times. Pickup from the airport or train station is included in tuition.
“Most Beautiful Under Heaven”桂林山水甲天下
Welcome to Guilin
Nestled along the banks of the Li River, speckled with tens of thousands of karst peaks, and bustling with the arts, customs, and songs of southern China’s thriving ethnic minority groups, Guilin is a destination like no other.
The people, serene landscape, ease of transportation — the list goes on. Yet at CLI, we tend to view Guilin through the lens of language learning. This is where Guilin really shines: as a place to learn Chinese.
Student Resources
Explore more resources to prepare for your journey to China.
Why Learn Chinese in China with CLI?
At CLI, Chinese does not end when class ends. Focused instruction, everyday life in Guilin, and repeated opportunities to speak help turn what you study into language you can actually use.
One month in Guilin was more productive than an entire year of coursework in a normal college class.
— Allie R., CLI Student
Few people in Guilin speak English, so you use Chinese all day.
The phrase you learn in class comes up again at lunch, or in a taxi on the way home. When a conversation does not go as planned, bring it back to class and your teachers will help you work through it.
Living in China alone won't make you fluent, so we built our Immersion Program around one-on-one classes that give you structure and steady feedback. Everyday life in Guilin gives you plenty of reasons to use what you learn.
Want a closer look at how immersion helps? Explore the benefits of learning Chinese in China.
Questions about
coming to Guilin?
Ask us anything, even what to pack. We reply within two weekdays, and often sooner.
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