Class Schedule
On the first day of class, we offer a student orientation designed to ease your transition into the local culture. During the orientation, we discuss many important subjects, such as what you can expect in your home stay, safety precautions, and how to use local transportation. We also discuss topics related to the school, including the services provided by the school and your daily schedule. The orientation supplements the orientation packet you will receive when you arrive
Typical Schedule
:: 9:00-10:30 Lessons
:: 10:30-10:45 Break
:: 10:45-12:15 Lessons
:: 12:15-13:00 Lunch time
:: 13:00 -14:30 Spoken Chinese
:: 14:45-17:00 Chinese TV program & Chinese film appreciation (Advanced booking required)
Additional classes (optional)
:: An introduction to Chinese Painting:
Chinese Painting, which begun in the late Chou dynasty, flourished during the Han. Tombs were still the primary focus for artists and architects, and the most popular subjects of paintings were the afterlife and legends of ancient heroes. In these paintings is evident the attempt, not found in earlier Chinese art, to depict space and distance. During the Han period the first landscape elements appear in painting; at this early stage, however, they are restricted to small trees or mountains. Historical texts from this era indicate that large portraits of the emperors adorned the palace and that murals were often painted in the royal residences. Unfortunately, all traces of this artwork have been lost.
Chinese Painting, with its many different schools and styles is truely fascinating, if you would like to know more about Chinese Painting Theory, Chinese Landscape Painting, Art of Chinese Figure Painting, Art of Chinese Flower and Bird Paintings, Great Masters and Painting Genres, we offer a Chinese painting course.
:: An introduction to Tai Chi:
Tai Chi is a gentle art of health and well-being for people of all ages and health conditions. The slow, graceful movements of Tai Chi increase strength and flexibility and improve balance and circulation. The Taoist style of Tai Chi emphasizes greater stretching and turning in each of the movements in order to gain these and other benefits more effectively.
Following the principles of Taoist 'internal alchemy', the goal of Tai Chi is to return the body and mind to its original pure and healthy state. Emphasis is put on being kind, generous and helpful to others and releasing one's own stress and worries. Tai Chi has been described as a form of 'meditation in motion' where the continuity of its movements, combined with the devotion of one's undivided attention, heal and revitalize both the body and mind.
The physical component of Tai Chi consists of the basic principles known as the 'Foundations', and 108 movements, which constitute the 'Set'. Some of the principles reflected in the movements are summarized by the following key words: relaxation, balance, lining up the body, correcting angles, 'squaring' the hips, controlling the step and the transfer of weight, turning constantly in spirals, 'opening' and 'closing', centering the trunk, and stretching and relaxing the spine. The movements are gentle, continuous and circular. Practice of the Set is to be done with a relaxed state of mind.
The prime spiritual aspect of Tai Chi is the adoption of a spirit of self-sacrifice, generosity and the elimination of self-centeredness. Taoist Tai Chi is meant to be taught and practiced in a spirit of compassion and service to others.
Activities & Excursions
Every week there are planned excursions to different tourist attractions and cultural places of interest around the area. For each excursion there is a tour guide who gives a thorough explanation of the site and a presentation to the students. Teachers give students an introduction to the site they will be visiting before the trip.
Daily activities could include: workshops in local music, food,Chinese calligraphy, Chinese painting, martial arts, qigong, taiji, and other subjects related to Chinese culture or society.
At the weekend many students can arrange to take optional excursions to local cities or local places of interest. Some of the most popular weekend trips include: The Badaling Section of The Great Wall, The Ming Tombs, Zheng Yang Gate (watch tower), Lu Gou Bridge (Marco Polo Bridge), LiuLiChang Cultural Street, Tian'anmen Square, Liyuan Theatre (Beijing Opera, known as "China's State Opera"), The Alter of the Sun, the Summer Palace.
One day excursion - Great Wall and Ming Tombs
The Great Wall extends for thousands of miles across China, the nearest section to Beijing being at Badaling. The wall stretches between watchtowers and is wide enough for five horsemen. Badaling Great Wall is open daily (0900-1630) and admission is approx. RMB25.
The Ming Tombs are reached by the Spirit Way, which is guarded by huge statues of animals and men. Thirteen of the Ming emperors were buried around the valley but only one of the underground burial chambers - at the Ding Ling tomb - is open to the public. The tombs are open daily and admission is approx. RMB20.
Half day excursion - tour of Hutongs
These are ancient areas of housing where small single-storey dwellings arranged around courtyards form a maze of narrow streets. The ideal way to see the hutongs is by bicycle or on foot. Taking along an English-speaking guide will ensure an opportunity to talk to the locals and maybe even see their homes.
One day excursion - fragrant hills
Located more than 20km (12 miles) to the northwest of Beijing and best reached by taxi, the Fragrant Hills are thickly wooded with pine trees and were popular with the emperors as a hunting ground. Pagodas, temples and pavilions can be found dotted around the park, which is open daily. The summit of the highest peak can be reached by a chair lift.
One day excursion - summer palace
The Summer Palace in the northwestern suburbs, was used by the royal court as a retreat to escape from the heat of the city. The former imperial residences are located on the shores of Kunming Lake, which contains small islands, ornamental bridges and a marble boat that was once a teahouse.
One day excursion - Beijing Zoo
Beijing Zoo, situated to the west of Beijing Exhibition Center, was known for a short time after the founding of the People's Republic as the Western Suburbs Park (Xijiao Gongyuan). The grounds combine cultivated flower gardens with stretches of natural scenery, including dense groves of trees, stretches of grassland, a small stream, lotus pools and small hills dotted with pavilions and halls.
In the 18th century, the zoo was known as the Sanbeizi Gardens, supposedly named after the third son of Emperor Kangxi, Prince Cheng Yin. Another explanation is that Sanbeizi refereed to the Qing courtier Fu Kang' an and the Gardens the site of his villa. In fact, as early as the Ming Dynasty, an imperial mansion called the Garden of Happiness and Friendship constructed for Prince Kang stood here, and during the Qing, part of the Sanbeizi Gardens called the Garden of Continuity (Jiyuan) became the private property of an official in the Bureau of Palace Affairs.
The zoo has developed rapidly and by 1987 it covered an area of over 40,000 square meters. Bears, elephants, pandas, lions, tigers, songbirds, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, antelopes and giraffes were brought in the late 1950s, and a gorilla cage, leaf-monkey cage and aquarium house, was opened, containing specimens of over 100 species of reptiles from all over the world, including crocodiles and pythons.
At present, the zoo houses over 7,000 creatures of 600 different species, including the giant panda, red-crowned crane and Pere David's deer-all unique to China-as well as the African giraffe, rhinoceros, chimpanzee and antelope; American continent; wild ox from Europe; and elephant and gibbon from India.
Booking this vacation is easy and we accept most major credit cards. We require a deposit of $300 and a completed booking form. After checking availability we normally confirm a booking within 24 hours.
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