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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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customs
Cantonese Morning Tea: One Pot, Two Dim Sum, Good Life
Har gow, siu mai and chicken feet with pu-erh - how Guangdong turned breakfast into a way of life.
customs
The Kang: Sleeping on a Heated Bed in Northern China
Eating, chatting and celebrating New Year on the kang - the social heart of a northern Chinese winter.
travel
Solo Travel in China: Safety, Stays and Making Friends
Is China safe for solo travellers? Hostel or homestay? And how do you actually meet Chinese people?
travel
Money-Saving Travel in China: Seasons, Sales and Discounts
When flights are cheapest, who gets discounts, and how to make scenic spots cheaper.
travel
Booking Hotels in China: Platforms, Room Types and Pitfalls
Which platforms foreigners should use in China, what to check in the fine print, and how to avoid the classic traps.
travel
Travelling China by High-Speed Rail: Complete Ticket and Riding Guide
From booking on 12306 and collecting tickets with a passport to transferring inside stations - everything foreigners need for high-speed rail in China.
routes
Xining-Qinghai Lake-Dunhuang: 8-Day Northwest Grand Loop
Lakes, salt flats, desert, the Mogao Caves and Singing Sand Dunes - the most epic road trip in China.
routes
Chongqing and the Three Gorges: 5-Day Mountain City and Canyon Route
A surreal mountain city, numbing hotpot and the thousand-mile river of poetry - the most cinematic route of all.
routes
Qingdao-Yantai-Weihai: 6-Day Shandong Peninsula Coast Route
Beer, red roofs, blue sea and European-era architecture - the loveliest coast road in the north.
routes
Haikou-Sanya: 7-Day Hainan Island Resort Circuit
Sun, beaches, duty-free shopping and tropical rainforest - the only international resort island in China.
routes
Chengdu-Daocheng Yading: 8-Day Western Sichuan Highland Adventure
Snow peaks, grasslands, Tibetan villages and the last pure land on the blue planet - a photographer dream route.
exam
HSKK Speaking Test: Prep and Exam-Day Guide
How the three levels work, how recording-based scoring works, and exam-day tactics.