Mandarin is a language that is growing globally. It’s already one of the world’s most spoken languages, with more than 1.14 billion…
Mandarin is a language that is growing globally. It’s already one of the world’s most spoken languages, with more than 1.14 billion…
Have you heard of Yoyo Chinese, a popular online platform for learning Mandarin? Established in 2012 by native Chinese speaker and expert…
The Li River (漓江 Líjiāng), situated in Guangxi Province, is one of the most spectacular destinations in China. Spanning roughly 80 kilometers…
Located in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou is a world-renowned travel destination, harboring several of China's most impressive history museums and world heritage sites.…
The Bund—Shanghai’s prominent waterfront promenade—is a must-see for travelers to China’s most dynamic metropolis. Visiting the Bund is an unforgettable experience that…
Called the Venice of the East due to its historic canals, Wuzhen Water Town (乌镇 Wūzhèn) is an amazing Chinese travel destination…
My dad is a doctor and this year, he’s 60 years old. He doesn’t like drinking water, but he loves drinking tea.…
My family has a three-year-old dog named Rice. In the afternoon on Monday, August 6, 2018, my mom and I caught sight…
Every day when I take the bus to school, I always see Mr. Liu. Mr. Liu is my bus driver. This year,…
After a long flight, I finally arrived at the airport. As I began searching for my Chinese homestay family, I felt tired…
It was a Friday night and Wang Jia Li was feeling uncomfortable and anxious. She had recently moved to Beijing for work…
The first time I ever saw my neighbor, Little Xia, was on a hot summer day. Although the hallway of our apartment…
“Where are you going?” These were the first words the taxi driver said. I wasn’t sure what to say.
One day while having breakfast with my host family in China, I noticed that my little host brother was watching me closely.…
There are 56 ethnic groups in China. Aside from the Han, all of the other 55 officially recognized groups are considered ethnic…
The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.…
Ever since ancient times, Chinese culture has emphasized the importance of social conventions. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind proper…
The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is a traditional Chinese holiday called Double Seven Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine’s…
As society continues to evolve, China’s wedding conventions have also undergone significant changes. Wedding customs aren’t as complicated as...
Shenyang (沈阳 Shěnyáng), formerly known as Mukden, is a city located in northeastern China’s Liaoning Province (辽宁省 Liáoníng Shěng). This bustling Chinese…
Shanghai (上海 Shànghǎi) and Beijing (北京 Běijīng) are the two biggest cities in China, and as such, they’re highly connected. Whether you’re…
China is vast. In fact, it’s off-the-scale massive, and its diversity is really second to none. Choosing this country as your next…
The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is now being felt around the world. The pandemic has taken over the news cycle,…
Guilin Opera is a beloved artform celebrated in southern China. In fact, it is one of country’s ten major opera styles. Utilizing…
Like so many Chinese traditions, Chinese lanterns have a long history dating back thousands of years. Over the centuries, lanterns have become…
An important aspect of Chinese culture is the Chinese zodiac, which refers to a traditional 12-year astrological calendar based on lunar phases.…
Guilin is a sightseer’s dream, a photographer’s oasis, a nature enthusiast’s playground, and for the language learner’s of the world—Guilin is an…
China’s Yellow Mountain, also called Huangshan, is located in Anhui Province, about 500 km (300 mi) southwest of Shanghai. The name “Yellow…
Many students of Mandarin Chinese are surprised to learn that before delving into the mysteries of Chinese characters (汉字 hànzì), they must…
When living in China or contemplating a visit to the country, it’s important to keep in mind that there are many places…
Considered by many to be one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, Xi’an is a fascinating travel destination. Xi’an is the capital…
China’s National Day, called 国庆节 (Guóqìngjié) in Chinese, is celebrated with great fanfare every year on October 1 as a public holiday.…
Harbin is the northernmost major city in mainland China. The eighth-most populous city in the country as a whole, its metropolitan area…
Located off the coast of China, Hainan is a fascinating province to visit. It boasts balmy weather, beautiful beaches, and outstanding tropical…
Sometimes, Chinese dragons seem to be everywhere. We see these symbols in sports, on clothing, in books, and in movies. Some people…
The Chinese language is often considered one of the world's most difficult languages to learn, but this sentiment is a major oversimplification.…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2021, the Chinese Year of the Ox. Holidays are categorized as Chinese…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2022. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and Other Chinese Holidays…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2023. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and Other Chinese Holidays…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2024. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and Other Chinese Holidays…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2025. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and Other Chinese Holidays…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2026. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and Other Chinese Holidays…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2027. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and Other Chinese Holidays…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2028. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and Other Chinese Holidays…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2029. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and Other Chinese Holidays…
The following charts provide the official schedules for Chinese holidays in 2030. Holidays are categorized as Chinese Public Holidays and Other Chinese Holidays…
Christmas has arrived in China and we are ready to celebrate! Although not as widely celebrated as traditional Chinese holidays, December 25th…
Have you heard of Yoyo Chinese, a popular online platform for learning Mandarin? Established in 2012 by native Chinese speaker and expert…
Who doesn't like talking to a great listener? It's a pleasure to speak with someone who pays attention to every word and…
WeChat Official Accounts are worth your while. We’ve come up with a list of our favorite WeChat official accounts and provided a…
For those who are passionate about adventure, education, or traveling, teaching abroad offers the opportunity of a lifetime. Not only does it…
Reading and writing Chinese characters is often considered the most ambitious challenge that language students face in order to achieve fluency. Indeed,…
1. Great public transportation of Guilin Near and far Guilin is connected with buses, 面包车, domestic and international flights, conventional & bullet…
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…
Are you considering visiting China or looking for ways to connect with Mandarin-speaking friends? Whatever your reasons for learning basic Chinese words…
Skritter is a fresh, inventive way to master Chinese characters. If you’re not a current user, take the following steps to get…
If you have traveled to the Middle Kingdom or shared a meal with a Chinese family, you’ll know just how important chili…
Have you heard of Chinese shadow plays, an art considered by many to be the world’s first ever form of puppetry? Traditionally…
As if spending a semester abroad in China wasn't reason enough, we felt compelled to list 12 reasons (among countless) why you…
Trevor James, a.k.a. “The Food Ranger”, is hands down the most popular food vlogger and YouTuber to be producing content in China…
Jessica Beinecke, better known as Bái Jié (白洁) by her viewers, is an American educator, videographer, and internet personality best known for…
The Middle Kingdom is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for international students, and it’s easy to see why. The…
CLI’s Study Abroad Program allows participants to learn and improve their Mandarin while living in the picturesque city of Guilin. Living and…
Guilin offers an endlessly flowing river of opportunities to students studying abroad. Each individual student who studies with CLI is unique and…
Welcome All Roosters January 28th marks the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar in 2017. New Year’s Day in China marks…
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 addition to winning the USA Memory Championship, CLI Online student, Alex Mullen just set a new World Record in Speed Cards…
We had the privilege of sitting down with Ben Hedges, founder of Learn Chinese Now, and discussing a variety of topics including…
Shh! Don't share your goals. Derek Sivers, former CLI student, provides a compelling argument as to why we should keep our…
Join Dayong, a CLI team member since 2009, as he learns about Master Huang's journey into tàijíquán. While watching the video, follow…
At the Chinese Language Institute we understand and hold a deep respect for the process of gaining fluency in Mandarin. Learning Chinese…
Guilin is beautiful! Her rivers, lakes, and mountains are only a portion of that beauty — it's also her people and their…
What can we glean from looking through the eyes of someone else's world travel? In the case of Peter Stewart, perhaps it's…
Learning Mandarin is a journey in which a student's evolution continually occurs across a spectrum of skills — e.g. listening, speaking, reading,…
CLI has churned through hundreds of videos by ChineseClass101.com to compile this list of 25 videos covering must-know Mandarin vocabulary. We've extracted…
Learn Chinese Now has been posting excellent Mandarin language learning videos to YouTube for over three years. We've compiled our 10 favorite…
Not only was Jack Ma, 马云 Mǎ Yún, rejected from Harvard when he first applied, the university rejected his nine subsequent application…
We've gathered 5 TEDx Talks that cover a variety of techniques you can apply to your own language learning journey. Browse through…
"I have seldom been taught the most important thing of all: how to learn a language." - Olle Linge Not "What to…
Confucius has had and continues to have a huge influence on Chinese culture, especially when it comes to ideas about education and…
If your goal is to memorize lots of new information (think: Chinese characters), consider utilizing a spaced repetition system. Studies show that…
“People who have international experience or identify with more than one nationality are better problem solvers and display more creativity, our research…
Halloween in Guilin, China from Chinese Language Institute on Vimeo. Happy Halloween from CLI! 万圣节快乐！
What is 猜码 (cāimǎ)? The joyous shouts of 猜码 (cāimǎ, literally meaning "guess number") can be heard rumbling through barbecue joints, restaurants,…
If you're looking to improve your Mandarin skills while increasing your knowledge of U.S.-China relations, we highly recommend exploring the resources offered…
“Five,” she yells as her right hand opens, left hand closes, and I close both of mine. Ugh, she wins again. “No…
As a student of any language knows, practice is the most important key to retention. By finding fun and interesting ways to…
Who built the Great Wall of China? Are the rumors of people being buried in the wall true? Can you see the…
Chinese Hanzi, or characters, are often considered the most daunting component of the Chinese language. However, many students of Chinese also feel…
Yesterday CNN featured an article on Guilin’s Princes’ City. You can also read more about 王城 (Wáng Chéng), the “Princes’ City”, in…
Video game fans across the world are anxiously anticipating the release of Shenmue 3 (release date TBA), an open-world RPG that will…
Photography by Jeff Fried
The names of Chinese cities often reflect physical features of the place they're in. Beijing 北京 means "Northern Capital"; Hong Kong (Xianggang)…
"... the beauty of being surrounded by the foreign, is that it slaps you awake. You can't take anything for granted. Travel…
Each year, CLI partners with high schools and universities around the world to create one-of-a-kind, fully customizable study experiences in China. On…
Let's meander together through a long abandoned and wildly overgrown Chinese fishing village called Shengsi (嵊泗). Shengsi is located near the mouth…
Simply put, Peter Stewart's photography is astonishing. His images, taken throughout China's Guangxi Province, are vivid yet surreal. As a fine art…
To start this week’s post, let’s engage for a moment in a thought experiment. First, imagine losing all ability to communicate with…
Guilin is steeped in thousands of years of rich Chinese history and tradition. One of the best known historical sites in Guilin…
Name: Summer 刘春平 Hometown: Guilin, Guangxi, China 广西桂林 Job title: Student Activities Manager 学生活动主管 We are happy to introduce Summer, CLI's Student Activities…
Michael Steverson is an American born documentary and travel photographer living in Liuzhou, China. His work portrays the people and cultures of…
Many people don’t realize that the U.S. and China were close allies during World War II – and that Guilin played a…
There are lots of good places to eat in Guilin, but the place I have been to the most is the Lanzhou…
We're already halfway through our first month of 2015, and Chinese New Year is just around the corner in February. Above are…
Last week, CLI said goodbye to a very special group: our fall semester Study Abroad students from SUNY New Paltz. CLI hosted…
On Friday, CLI hosted its annual Homestay Potluck Dinner to celebrate our homestay families. Each person brought one dish -- and with…
I have studied Mandarin every summer for 4 weeks for the last 7 years. As a high school student I had a…
包饺子！ CLI recently hosted a dumpling making party in the CLI kitchen! Dumpling making is often a social activity in China, with…
Name: Susan 潘姿 Hometown: Yizhou, Guangxi, China 广西宜州 Job title: Study Abroad Manager 留学项目经理 We are happy to introduce Susan Pan, CLI's Study…
Remember those endless hours you spent agonizing over Spanish or French grammar in high school? Or all those late nights studying Chinese…
Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia recently made a weeklong trip to China, spending time in Beijing, Xi'an, and Chengdu.…
Students, teachers, and other festive members of the CLI community celebrated the holiday season this week with a hotpot feast fit for…
After being adopted from China at the age of eight and moving to America with my new family, I forgot all of…
CLI takes great delight in gathering the community together for a celebration – especially if good food is involved. Although not traditionally…
This week’s CLI Perspectives is brought to you by Avi Patchava, one of CLI’s summer Immersion Program students. Avi completed six weeks…
Have you ever wondered where your clothes were made? You've probably noticed the tags on your clothing often say "Made in China".…
When I was in high school, I studied more than enough years of Spanish to be at a level of slight fluency.…
This week, CLI Perspectives brings you a post by Abby Hays. Abby is a recent graduate from Virginia Tech and is now…
This week, CLI Perspectives brings you a post from Benjamin Horn. Ben, a student from the University of Pennsylvania, tells an epic…
This week we wrap up The University of North Florida's contributions to CLI Perspectives. Alex Wright, Morgan Irvin & Ryan Leirvik share…
This week the University of North Florida's contributions to CLI Perspectives continues again. Michele Pierson, Trey Brooks and Patricia Willis share their…
University of North Florida's contribution to CLI Perspectives continues. This week Allison Gordon and Katherine DeJong share some of their favorite moments…
The second installment in this month’s, University of North Florida themed, CLI Perspectives is courtesy of Maria Khalaf and Robyn Haywood. Aside from…
One of CLI’s many joys is welcoming groups of university and high school students to China. This summer, students and faculty from…
CLI continues to strive to be a beacon, or in our case a glowing Chinese lantern, for Chinese language and culture. This…
Stuart Ratcliff is no stranger to Asia. After traveling in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Nepal, Stuart decided teaching English in Beijing would…
Bryan Herbert, CLI Immersion student, first came to China through James Madison University on a three month study tour. However, after the…
This week’s CLI Perspectives is brought to us by Chris Nguyen. Chris has always loved travelling, but doesn’t like the feeling of…
Mark Robinson, founder and president of HandicappedPets.com and the inventor of the Walkin' Wheels adjustable dog wheelchair, was initially motivated to learn Chinese…
The lunar calendar is coming to an end, meaning it is time to celebrate one of China’s most traditional holidays. Chinese New…
There may not be snow in Guilin, but winter is still winter and with the changing seasons come new opportunities to experience…
Trees inside living rooms, lights draped on houses, jolly old men in red suits ringing bells outside department stores, and cars pouring…
More great news from the Chinese Language Institute! Another major publication recently featured an article about CLI -- this time it’s the…
Nati Tamir, former Ambassador of Israel to Australia, New Zealand, and Finland, has been to many places around the world, but not…
CLI students spent this past Sunday on a cultural tour of the Guilin countryside. We may have started a little early for…
As the saying goes, "it's the little things in life" that are the most important, and CLI Study Abroad student Kelsey Cute…
Alex Gavis had never planned on learning Mandarin. In fact, she started heading down the French language road. But after taking a…
This week CLI is bustling with the start of a new school year. Everywhere one looks there are new faces, new smiles, and a…
Mikko Helimo shares his language journey in CLI Perspectives number nine. Mikko was first bitten by the Chinese language bug while studying…
In its 2012 China travel guide, Frommer's made the following endorsement of CLI: "If you would like to extend your time in…
The eighth installment of CLI Perspectives is written by Immersion Program student Jason Rogers. Jason shares his story of trekking the Guilin countryside on bicycle.…
CLI’s most recent contributor to the CLI Perspectives series is Jason Campbell. Jason Campbell, CLI Immersion Program student, came to China in…
The physical space where we live, work and study has a profound impact on our progress as individuals and as a greater…
Matt Kao, CLI Immersion Program student, wrote this week’s CLI Perspective. Before coming to CLI, Matt had previously been introduced to the…
Last week, CLI adventured into Guilin’s countryside for an evening of swimming and dining. The beauty of studying Chinese in China is…
CLI celebrated the red, white, and blue with its second full house of the summer season, welcoming students from a variety of…
This weeks’s CLI Perspectives story is brought to you by Elia Sommerlad, a true citizen of the world, having lived in Africa,…
Last week, CLI was delighted to roll out the red carpet for two college-level study tour groups hailing from four different universities.…
This week's CLI Perspectives blog entry is written by CLI Immersion Program student Cory Donovan. Cory moved to China in January 2012…
The weather is heating up in Guilin with summer just around the corner, so today we take a look back at cooler…
An adventurous group of CLI students and teachers found themselves in paradise this weekend – a fool’s paradise. 愚自乐园, or Yuzi Paradise,…
With Chinese Immersion Program student Mikko having just shared the beauty of Guilin with his visiting parents, CLI was delighted to welcome…
Is learning Chinese difficult? What kind of experience will I have in China if I can’t speak Chinese yet? What does authentic…
Is learning Chinese difficult? What kind of experience will I have in China if I can't speak Chinese yet? What does authentic…
After more than two years of educational consulting and nine months as CLI's Educational Director, in September I bid a heartfelt farewell…
In the age of global communication, learning Chinese online is easier and more convenient than ever before. An estimated 40 million people…
CLI is proud to unveil our new 5-story Mandarin learning center, completed just in time for the Chinese Spring Festival! Featuring twelve…
CLI is proud to announce that it was recently featured in the Washington Post! The article includes interviews with CLI's founders, Robert…
Whenever you inform a Chinese person that you're planning on living, teaching, or studying in Guilin, they will almost always respond with…
Each semester, CLI leads our students on a whirlwind tour of Yangshuo (阳朔), a countryside town fabled for its otherworldly mountain landscape…
This past weekend CLI led our fall students to Guangxi's famous Longsheng rice terraces (龙脊梯田) for two days of exploring Yao and…
The Chinese Language Institute team is pleased to announce a new partnership! CLI has officially joined forces with Lynchburg College and Spring…
During the annual Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, friends and family gather to celebrate the fall harvest and anticipate the arrival of the autumn…
This past month CLI guided its fall semester and short-term students to a nearby Guilin plastics factory. There, we surveyed the day-to-day…
This past weekend CLI led our summer session students to Yangshuo (阳朔) for two days of bike riding through Guangxi's karst landscape,…
CLI’s blog is a forum for team members, students, China experts and Guilin’s international residents to share their experiences in and thoughts…
