An Ideal Learning Environment
Guilin’s balance of vibrant, modern city and surrounding countryside creates the ideal setting to pursue Chinese fluency, and folks at CLI and in Guilin are very willing to chat! Guilin features gyms, yoga studios, department stores, universities, countless restaurants, upbeat nightlife, excellent public transportation networks, an international airport, three bullet train stations, and much more.
Guilin maintains China’s rich traditional culture while enjoying all the comforts brought on by China's rapid modernization.
Guilin vs. China’s Largest Cities
By way of their own study abroad experiences in Beijing, Shanghai and Guilin, CLI's founders experienced firsthand the crucial advantages a smaller city like Guilin enjoys compared to its megacity alternatives. Guilin's friendly environment and active population make learning Chinese a pleasure.
Guilin is an ideal Mandarin learning environment because:
- Relatively few expats live in Guilin, and few locals speak English, which provides students plenty of language learning opportunities.
- Guilin locals are friendly and curious and frequently seek to engage with international students.
- In Guilin students are exposed to both China's northern and southern Mandarin accents, which gives learners a sharper ear and more well-rounded command of the Chinese language.
- Guilin provides an incredibly optimal balance of cost and quality of living; see our cost of living section in CLI's FAQs for additional insight.
- Guilin’s famous natural environment is protected via a variety of mechanisms, making the air and water much cleaner than other parts of China.
“Most Beautiful Under Heaven”
The proverb 桂林山水甲天下 (Guìlín shānshuǐ jiǎtiānxià) proclaims that “Guilin’s scenery is the most beautiful under heaven,” and rightly so. Surrounded by picturesque limestone mountains, the bustling city is comfortably located along China’s famous Li River in the gorgeous province of Guangxi. Guilin’s natural landscape has proven so charming throughout history that it is even celebrated on the back of China’s twenty-yuan bill.
Guìlín 桂林 literally means “Forest of Osmanthus” due its large number of osmanthus trees. Their sweet fragrance graces Guilin each autumn, only adding to this wonderful city's mystique and allure.
Your Gateway to China
Your home at CLI will present you with endless opportunities to discover China. A breathtaking natural landscape offers a hiker’s paradise, an array of restaurants and bars provide an exciting social scene, and CLI’s language and culture experience provide students countless platforms to engage locals in Chinese conversations. Guilin is a remarkable place to devote yourself to not just studying Chinese, but actually learning Chinese.
Location of Guilin within China
Guilin is located in Guangxi Province and is a one-hour flight northwest of Hong Kong, a two hour flight southwest of Shanghai, and a three-hour flight south of Beijing.
Floating Down the Li River
