Home / Learning Blog
Chinese Learning Blog
HSK prep, visas, Chinese culture, study and travel guides to plan your Chinese learning.
All
visa
faq
entry
immigration
exam
idiom
famous
culture
history
foreigners
routes
travel
customs
attractions
special
entry
Transit Guide: Visa-Free Transit and Baggage Transfer
How to use 144-hour visa-free transit, and whether your bags must be re-checked.
special
Chinese Silk: The Eastern Code in a Bolt of Fabric
From silkworms to the Silk Road - how silk changed the world.
special
Chinese Porcelain: From Jingdezhen to the World Table
The country gave its name to the ware - why blue-and-white, famille-rose and Ru kilns are priceless.
special
Peking Opera: Eastern Theatre in Song, Speech, Dance and Combat
Face paint, role types and vocal arts - how to appreciate China quintessential theatre.
customs
The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals: Your Sign and Its Culture
Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig - what does your sign decide?
customs
Chinese Wedding Customs: From Proposal to Banquet
Bride price, auspicious dates, red packets and tea ceremony - the full flow of a Chinese wedding.
customs
Chinese Temple Fairs: Spring Festival, Moved onto the Street
Sugar figurines, lion dances and fair food - the liveliest folk carnival of the Spring Festival season.
customs
Beijing Hutong: Everyday Life in Courtyard Neighbourhoods
Strolling, chess, doorstep carvings and pigeon whistles - reading Beijing through its hutongs.
attractions
Pingyao Ancient City: A Living Ming-Qing County Town
City walls, banking houses, escort agencies and old homes - the most complete ancient city in China.
attractions
Mount Emei: The Buddhist Holy Mountain of the Golden Summit
Golden Summit, cloud seas, monkeys and the Samantabhadra statue - one of China four Buddhist holy mountains.
attractions
Mount Tai: The First of the Five Great Mountains
Where emperors performed sacrifices and sunrises rule - why Mount Tai is honoured as the first mountain under heaven.
attractions
The Summer Palace: The Last Imperial Garden of China
Kunming Lake, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and the painted Long Corridor - the pinnacle of imperial gardens.
