饺子 (jiǎo zi) On the Eve of the Spring Festival, Chinese people eat an important kind of food—dumplings “饺子”. Initially, they were called “交子” rather than “饺子”. In ancient times, the character “交” was like a person’s two shanks, one crossed over the other. Later, the character was used to refer to any two things […]
福(fú) Another important part of celebrating the Spring Festival is putting up Spring Festival couplets. These red Spring Festival couplets, on which words are written, are pasted on doors and walls. The Chinese character most commonly found on these couplets is “福(fú)”. Furthermore, it is pasted upside-down. The oracle bone script for “福” looks like […]
Greetings during the Spring Festival: 拜年(bài nián) The day after Chinese New Year’s Eve is called “大年初一 dà nián chū yī ”—the 1st day of the 1st lunar month. This is the 1st day of the Chinese New Year. On this day, people get out of bed early to wish their seniors and neighbors a […]
Bian Que, also named Qin Yueren from Renqiu in Hebei Province, was the most ancient of the physician from the historical period (c. 500 BC). He was reputed to be an excellent diagnostician, excelling in pulse taking and acupuncture therapy. He is ascribed the authorship of “Bian Que Neijing” (“Internal Classic of Bian Que”). Han […]
Over the past few years, it has become more and more common for women in the service industries, such as, restaurant hostess, grocery store clerks and waitress to tell their customers, “Don’t call me Miss”. In China, during the 1950s and 1970s, those workers were mostly called “comrade—同志tóng zhì”, which implied everyone had the same […]
Chinese people are very interested in the age of others because, it is related to the different traditional formalities that apply according to age. Chinese customs use age as a basis for defining the relationship between people. When people of different age meet they can follow the custom of deciding how to interact with each […]
When you contact with a Chinese, if it comes to marriage and questions about children, these sorts of inquiries are mainly used for getting to know people better. For Chinese people, being able to talk about one’s family, or martial situation, is a sign of closeness and mutual acceptance between two people. When friends meet […]
In an ordinary Chinese kitchen, you can often see ancient utensils: a mortar and pestle used as a garlic crusher, iron wire shelves used for baking bread, and wooden rolling pins. Chinese kitchen utensils emphasize the idea of “one tool, many uses.” For example, chopsticks can be used for eating and also in place of […]
Lijiang is located in China’s Yunnan Province and has become a favorite tourist spot over the past few years. Lijiang is described as a place where you can see running water from any street corner and babbling brooks from every doorway. Running water is always visible when walking along any of the streets. The water […]
Even today, the Nakhi people in Lijiang are still a matrilineal society where the women are the head of their household. During the wedding ceremony, it is traditional for the bride to demonstrate she is capable of providing her husband by carrying him around in a circle several times. The women are responsible for the […]
This is my second time coming. Last year, I also came for about 12 weeks. This time I came for 13 weeks of a summer program in China. The reason why I particularly want to come to this school was because of the one-on-one classes. I was able to increase my level and learn Chinese more quickly than in group classes. If I have a chance again to come next year, I certainly will.
I found Keats School and I am so glad that I did. When you learn Chinese in China at Keats, you are fully being taken care of. My teacher is really great and we become lovely friends.
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.
It is very convenient to come to Kunming from Thailand. I really like my Chinese class and my Chinese improved a lot in a few months. There are many benefits of learning Chinese. The best thing I like about Keats is that it is in Kunming, a city with eternal spring. There is so much to see in Kunming and you will love this city after you come.
I really had a wonderful experience at the school. The teachers are very very friendly. In my class, we practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing. We play games and other fun activities. We have trips around town. The staff at Keats is phenomenal. My teacher is one of the best teachers I have ever had in my educational experience. She comes in with a smile every day.
They really care about what our interests are, what questions we have, what requirements we have. Then they adjust our Chinese language program content according to the situations. One teacher and one student, so it is easy to keep your focus for the 6 hours of immersion Mandarin lessons. It is very convenient to study, live and eat in one building.
Kunming is a fantastic city. The weather here is great. The school is excellent. The instructors are very helpful, very friendly. I strongly recommend that anybody who is looking for a Chinese language school in China come here to study. Kunming and Keats school are much better than any other place.
I really enjoy this place because we have private Mandarin lessons. I took the 6-hour program, 4 hours in the morning, 2 in the afternoon. Even though it is quite a lot, the teaching is complimentary. This is very helpful because I could review what I did before and learn new things. My 2 teachers are fantastic. We live in the school, so it is convenient. It is interesting to me to meet people from all over the world.