Last week, CLI was delighted to roll out the red carpet for two college-level study tour groups hailing from four different universities. With a completely full house – and overflow into some beautiful Guilin apartments – the dynamism of the ever lively CLI community has been pushed to new heights. The air is buzzing with voices, thoughts, questions, and an energy to learn and discover that comes only with studying abroad in China.

So far, CLI’s Chinese classes have paid off, with students having already used their Mandarin to visit the nearby city of Yangshuo; to find their way to the top of Chuan Mountain; to explore Guilin’s bustling downtown and myriad of restaurants (some of the best places to practice speaking Chinese!); to chat with Chinese youth at Sunny International School; and, yes, even to purchase some comfort food at the local Western supermarket.

With plenty of time left in this study tour, CLI is looking forward to more sights to see, good food to eat, and Chinese to learn! 加油 !

A group of new friends smiling for a photo outdoors

Making new friends in China

Five people posing on a boat on the Li River with karst peaks behind them
Posing with Guilin's famed Li River
A man in a woven fisherman's hat carrying a bamboo pole with two cormorants by the river in Yangshuo
Peter considers a career as a Yangshuo fisherman
Large group of Chinese and American students posing together on a plaza in downtown Guilin
Chinese and American student cultural exchange in downtown Guilin
Students playing basketball on an outdoor court in front of a school building
Basketball: a language that transcends borders!
Students talking across their desks in a classroom at Guangxi Normal University
An educational exchange at Guangxi Normal University

Want to learn Chinese in China? CLI students study one-on-one with their own teachers in Guilin. See the Immersion Program, or start with a free 30-minute online lesson.