Chinese people like the red color a lot. China used to be called the “red country” in the past. Even now Chinese people like to refer themselves as “chi zi”, meaning the “red descendent”. Traditionally, red represents the motherland and authority. Official uniforms of the Tang Dynasty were red. In the Qing Dynasty, different shades […]
Chinese think that tea drinking is a very sophisticated pastime. In Chinese classical novels, if someone drinks tea out of a big cup to quench his thirst, the action is called “drink”, like a cow drinking water. Scholars would use fine cups to drink tea and the word to use is “savor”. Tea drinking starts […]
In Chinese, people like to call Beijing a political city; Shanghai is viewed as a city of fashions; Guangdong is the center of the economy; Chengdu is a happy-go-lucky city. Chengdu is a major city in Sichuan Province. The temperature is mild and the land is very productive; in fact so fertile that even a […]
When offered a gift, a Chinese person will usually say “No, no, I can’t take it.” Even after he takes it, he does not always open it. It is because Chinese people often use precious or expensive items as gifts. During the Mid Autumn Festival, people will buy well-packaged, high quality moon cakes for gifts […]
Wu Hua Ba Men is a frequently-used Chinese idiom. It stands for variety and changeability. The literal meaning of “Wu hua” is five flowers and eight doors for “ba men”. Actually, Wu Hua Ba Men used to refer the various trades. Of “wu hua”, “jin hua” referred to tea girls; “mu mian hua”, traditional Chinese […]
When Chinese people go shopping, they often say “mai dongxi”, which literally means “to buy east and west”, but nobody would say “mai nanbei”(buy south and north). In China, the five elements are metal, wood, water, fire and earth, which are combined with five directions: east, west, south, north and the center. The east belongs […]
Some Chinese people like to keep a bowl of gold fish in their office. They think this can bring good luck in dealing with office politics and in their career. That is what we call Feng Shui or geomancy. Feng Shui is not a kind of superstition as many people think. It is a juxtaposition […]
If a Chinese child saw this question, he would laugh, because everybody knows “xiao xue” is Chinese for the primary school. But the “xiao xue” here refers to some other thing. It was the traditional Chinese philosophy in feudal times. It included “wenzi xue” (the study of ancient forms of written characters), “xungu xue”(the study […]
Facial makeups are a special art in Chinese operas which distinctly show the appearances of different roles as well as their dispositions and moral qualities by means of artistic exaggeration combined with truthful portrayal and symbolism. Facial makeups also serve to express praise or condemnation toward the characters. In Beijing Opera, facial makeups are limited […]
Traditional Chinese medical diagnostics includes 2 parts: the method of diagnosis and the determination of treatment based on the differentiation of symptoms and signs. The method of diagnosis is composed of inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry and palpation. Inspection is the method to see the patient’s expressions, complexion, physique, posture, tongue and the fur on […]
The visa application was really straightforward, because Keats School helps us a lot with that. Keats has a big emphasis on conversational practice, so we learn a lot of vocabulary and daily life plans which is very convenient for us to go around town and speak with Chinese people which is the whole point of learning Chinese in China.
I decided to learn Chinese in Kunming because I like smaller cities and I like the climate here. We had four hours a day study here and my dear teacher taught me very much and never lost her patience with me. It was a really wonderful experience to be here and I recommend Keats school and the teachers here to everyone who likes to learn Chinese in China.
My first semester that I studied at another school, and the pressure there was pretty high, the classroom hour was long, and the homework was pretty tedious. Since I came to Keats, I found I have a lot more opportunities to speak in the classroom. My classmates all are fluent and love speaking and participating in the class. We have great classroom dynamic.
I can’t tell you how much I liked it. The thing I liked about the teachers and the teaching method is that there is so much flexibility. The other thing I liked about the teaching is the combination of classic textbook learning and going outside. I loved it! I like getting to know other students. Everybody shared the same goal and that’s making their Chinese better. Kunming is a big city, but it is very safe to live here. Another thing I liked about Keats is the idea that people here help you. I can’t recommend it enough. I think it was a valuable experience. Looking forward to coming back!
The place is very cool. I am with a great group of people in my class, so coming to classes is very enjoyable. It is fun, we have a lot of discussions, games, activities. Our teachers are also very good, very supportive. Learning Chinese is intimidating at the start because you have so many questions. But I would advise coming to Keats because the atmosphere for learning is great. It is very relaxing. I would recommend the school.
So during my first week at Keats, I didn’t dare to speak any Chinese words. I found out that my Chinese level quickly improved since then. Although I have many options to study in China, for example, some other schools have homestay, I found I could immerse myself and fully focus on learning Chinese by staying at Keats.
Kunming’s scenery is very beautiful. It is the best place to study Chinese in China. My favorite learning method at Keats School is one-on-one because it is suitable for everyone. My teacher is very good, very caring, and lovely. My life when learning Chinese in Kunming is very good and the weather is very good. The air is very good. It is good for the elderly’s body.
My name is Sarah Fish. I am 81. I knew very little Chinese when I arrived. How was I going to survive 2 weeks of intensive Chinese course? I have to laugh when I think of that now. What a positive experience this has been! I really wish we could be here a little longer. The teachers are extremely encouraging, evaluating first how much someone knows, and then starting from there.