Most Chinese characters look complicated to the outside observer, but not all characters are created equal. There are two main Chinese...
The CLI Team
How Many Characters are There in Chinese?
We know there are quite a few Chinese characters (汉字, Hànzì), but how many, exactly? The answer depends on perspective. Are we...
With So Many Characters in the Chinese Language, How Do People Type?
Given that the Chinese language (汉语, hànyǔ) contains over 3,000 Chinese characters in daily use, you might wonder how Chinese...
How Many Chinese Characters Do I Actually Need to Know?
If you are studying Chinese or planning to and wondering how many characters you need to learn, here are some numbers that will give...
Every Country and Territory Name in Chinese
As a student of the Chinese language, country names are incredibly useful to know. Chatting about world travels and the geopolitical...
The Li River: One of Earth’s Most Beautiful Wonders
The Li River (漓江 Líjiāng), situated in Guangxi Province, is one of the most spectacular destinations in China. Spanning roughly 80...
A Brief Guide to the Seven Major Chinese Holidays
Holidays are an essential part of Chinese culture. Most are festive, and all involve family. The vast majority of Chinese holidays stem...
Chinese Vocabulary For Coronavirus
The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is now being felt around the world. The pandemic has taken over the news cycle, shut down...
The Guilin Opera: A Storied Chinese Tradition
Guilin Opera is a beloved artform celebrated in southern China. In fact, it is one of country’s ten major opera styles. Utilizing Guilin...
Chinese Lanterns: Their History and Modern Uses
Like so many Chinese traditions, Chinese lanterns have a long history dating back thousands of years. Over the centuries, lanterns have...
What is the Chinese Zodiac?
An important aspect of Chinese culture is the Chinese zodiac, a 12-year astrological cycle in which a zodiac animal is assigned to each...
Beautiful Photos from Guilin
Guilin is a sightseer’s dream, a photographer’s oasis, a nature enthusiast’s playground, and for the language learner’s of the...
Yellow Mountain Travel Guide: What to Know Before You Go
China’s Yellow Mountain, also called Huangshan, is located in Anhui Province, about 500 km (300 mi) southwest of Shanghai. The name...
What is Pinyin?
The Chinese language has an incredibly long history—dating back roughly 5,000 years. In fact, archaeologists have uncovered written...
An Introduction to China’s National Day Holiday
China’s National Day, called 国庆节 (guó qìng jié) in Chinese, is celebrated with great fanfare every year on October 1 as a...
Xi’an Travel Guide: An Insider’s Look at Xi’an, China
Considered by many to be one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, Xi’an is a fascinating travel destination. Xi’an is the...
Nanjing Travel Guide: Welcome to the Southern Capital
When living in China or contemplating a visit to the country, it’s important to keep in mind that there are many places waiting to be...
Harbin Travel Guide: China’s Winter Wonderland
Harbin is the northernmost major city in mainland China. The eighth-most populous city in the country as a whole, its metropolitan area...
Hainan Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know When Visiting Hainan
Located off the coast of China, Hainan is a fascinating province to visit. It boasts balmy weather, beautiful beaches, and outstanding...
Chinese Dragons: Their Types, History, and Significance
Sometimes, Chinese dragons seem to be everywhere. We see these symbols in sports, on clothing, in books, and in movies. Some people even...
The 2020 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2020. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The 2021 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2021. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
Is Chinese Hard to Learn?
The Chinese language is often considered one of the world’s most difficult languages to learn, but this sentiment is a major...
The 2022 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2022. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The 2023 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2023. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The 2024 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2024. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The 2025 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2025. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The 2026 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2026. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The 2027 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2027. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The 2028 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2028. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The 2029 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2029. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The 2030 Chinese Holidays Calendar
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2030. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and...
The History and Modern Practice of Christmas in China
Christmas has arrived in China and we’re ready to celebrate! Despite not being as popular as traditional Chinese holidays like...
The 100 Most Common Chinese Characters
Have you ever wondered what the most common Chinese characters are? In a language of approximately 50,000 individual characters, mastering...
How to Improve Your Chinese Listening Comprehension
Who doesn’t like talking to a great listener? It’s a pleasure to speak with someone who pays attention to every word and...
Top 10 WeChat Accounts To Follow
WeChat Official Accounts are worth your while. We’ve come up with a list of our favorite WeChat official accounts and provided a brief...
Why Teach in China?
For those who are passionate about adventure, education, or traveling, teaching abroad offers the opportunity of a lifetime. Not only does...
The Anatomy of Chinese Characters
Reading and writing Chinese characters is often considered the most ambitious challenge that language students face in order to achieve...
10 Reasons to Study Mandarin in Guilin
1. Great public transportation of Guilin Near and far Guilin is connected with buses, 面包车, domestic and international flights,...
Improve Your Pronunciation with Chinese Tongue Twisters
Learning Chinese tongue twisters (绕口令, ràokǒulìng) makes for great language practice. Learning tongue twisters with native Chinese speakers in real-life situations makes it even better. In...
An Official Review of Yoyo Chinese (2020)
Have you heard of Yoyo Chinese, a popular online platform for learning Mandarin? Established in 2012 by native Chinese speaker and expert...
Learn Basic Chinese Words
Are you considering visiting China or looking for ways to connect with Mandarin-speaking friends? Whatever your reasons for learning basic...
What is Skritter?
Skritter is a fresh, inventive way to master Chinese characters. If you’re not a current user, take the following steps to get hooked up...
What is the Chinese Currency Called?
The Renminbi (人民币, rénmínbì) is the official currency of the People’s Republic of China. Often referred to simply as RMB, this currency was introduced by the Chinese Communist Party in...
China Loves Chili Peppers
If you have traveled to the Middle Kingdom or shared a meal with a Chinese family, you’ll know just how important chili peppers are in...
Chinese Traditional Shadow Plays
Have you heard of Chinese shadow plays, an art considered by many to be the world’s first ever form of puppetry? Traditionally constructed out of natural materials like animal skins and mineral...
Why study abroad in Guilin?
As if spending a semester abroad in China wasn’t reason enough, we felt compelled to list 12 reasons (among countless) why you...
The Most Popular Foodie in China
Trevor James, a.k.a. “The Food Ranger”, is hands down the most popular food vlogger and YouTuber to be producing content in China on...
Top 10 Slang Mandarin Phrases by Crazy Fresh Chinese
Jessica Beinecke, better known as Bái Jié (白洁) by her viewers, is an American educator, videographer, and internet personality best...
5 Reasons Everyone Should Study Abroad in China
The Middle Kingdom is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for international students, and it’s easy to see why. The...
Photographs of Guilin’s Beauty
The beauty of Guilin, China is undeniable. Freelance photographer and Instagram’r, Anna Kwa, does an excellent job highlighting the...
5 Tips for Studying Abroad in Guilin, China
Tips to help you get the most out of your time in this beautiful city CLI’s Study Abroad Program allows participants to learn and improve their Mandarin while living in the picturesque city of...
What to Experience While Studying Abroad
Guilin offers an endlessly flowing river of opportunities to students studying abroad. Each individual student who studies with CLI is unique and is seeking an experience to call their own....
Things to know about the year of the Rooster
The numbers 5, 7, and 8 are considered especially lucky for those born in the year of the Rooster while gold and yellow are considered...
The New York Times Goes to Guilin
At CLI we’ve always known that Guilin is beautiful and we’ve been on a mission to share the beauty since our founding in 2009. So it...
CLI Online Student Wins USA Memory Championship
In addition to winning the USA Memory Championship, CLI Online student, Alex Mullen just set a new World Record in Speed Cards (memorizing the order of one shuffled deck of 52 playing cards as fast...
Ben Hedges Interview: Part 1
We had the privilege of sitting down with Ben Hedges, founder of Learn Chinese Now, and discussing a variety of topics including his personal journey into the Mandarin language. Ben shared such...
Former CLI Student Gives TED Speech
Shh! Don’t share your goals. Derek Sivers, former CLI student, provides a compelling argument as to why we should keep our goals quiet and the science behind this unconventional thought. Learn...
Chinese Taiji
Join Dayong, a CLI team member since 2009, as he learns about Master Huang’s journey into tàijíquán. While watching the video,...
Jack Ma Speaks with Charlie Rose
Not only was Jack Ma, 马云 Mǎ Yún, rejected from Harvard when he first applied, the university rejected his nine subsequent...
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