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Chinese Learning Blog
HSK prep, visas, Chinese culture, study and travel guides to plan your Chinese learning.
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visa
Visa About to Expire? Extension and Renewal Guide
Extending or renewing a visa inside China - conditions, documents and where to go.
visa
China Tourist Visa (L Visa): Complete Application Guide
Documents, process, fees and common refusal reasons - all in one guide.
visa
144-Hour Transit Visa-Free: Tour China on a Layover
Travellers from 53 countries can stay visa-free for 144 hours (6 days) when transiting China - the rules and city list explained.
idiom
Mending the Fold after Losing the Sheep: Better Late Than Never
Is it too late to fix the pen only after the sheep are gone? The idiom says: not at all.
idiom
Carving a Mark on the Boat: The Man Who Marked the Boat to Find His Sword
He dropped his sword into the river - and carved a mark on the boat to find it. The joke is 2,000 years old.
idiom
Waiting by the Tree Stump: The Farmer Who Wanted Something for Nothing
Where does "waiting by the tree stump for a rabbit" come from, and what does it teach us?
famous
Tu Youyou: How One Artemisia Plant Changed the World
A malaria cure found in a 2,000-year-old recipe - and China's first Nobel laureate in medicine.
famous
Lu Xun: A Literary Giant Who Fought with His Pen
"Fierce-browed I defy a thousand pointing fingers; head bowed I serve the children" - the father of modern Chinese literature.
famous
Su Shi: A Man Who Turned Suffering into Poetry
Exiled three times, he wrote "through mist and rain I live my life at ease" - the most beloved literatus in China.
culture
Shadow Puppetry: A Thousand-Year Play of Light and Shadow
A white cloth, an oil lamp, and a puppeteer's hands performing every joy and sorrow.
culture
Chinese Paper Cutting: A World of Auspicious Symbols in Scissors
A sheet of red paper and a pair of scissors - cutting out dragons, phoenixes and abundance.
culture
Mid-Autumn Festival: Longing Sent Across a Thousand Miles of Moonlight
Moon-watching, mooncakes and the story of Chang'e - China's most romantic festival.