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LEARN CHINESE IN DALI
Make Your Holiday Unique and Amazing

Intensive One-on-one Chinese Course

You can choose to study Chinese in China for 4 hours per day (20 hours/week) or 6 hours per day (30 hours/week). If you want to study Mandarin in China, the intensive one-on-one Chinese course is the fastest way to improve your Chinese.

We use unique teaching methods developed by Keats. Your Chinese teacher(s) will prepare your lessons according to your level of Chinese and your learning goals to ensure that you learn the most Chinese in the shortest possible time.

Accommodation is included.

Why Learn Chinese in Dali?

As one of the famous tourist destinations in Yunnan Province, Dali is rich in historical and natural relics. By having an immersive Chinese class here, you can enjoy both studying and sightseeing simultaneously.

It is also one of the primary residences of the Bai Ethnic Group. Its history stretches back to the kingdom of Nanzhao (8th century).

The old walled city from the Ming dynasty contains traditional homes and towers from the Bai ethnic minority.

Dali is a great place to explore traditional Chinese culture and minority culture while learning Chinese in China.

How to Get to Dali?

Different types of transportation in China can be chosen when traveling to Dali to learn Chinese.

Dali City is located in western Yunnan, approximately 160 miles northwest of the provincial capital of Kunming.

You can take a flight to arrive in Kunming first and then take the high-speed train from Kunming to Dali, which takes around 2 hours. The train ticket is around RMB 150 yuan. 

The scenery along the way is stunningly beautiful. You cannot miss it if you are a mountain lover.

Places to Visit in Dali - Three Pagodas

Located in the Chongsheng Temple, the Three Pagodas in Dali have more than 1800 years of history. As its name implies, the Three Pagodas are three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle. It’s said that nine kings of the Dali Kingdom chose to be a Chongsheng monastery in the temple. The Three Pagodas are a symbol of the history of Dali and a record of the development of Buddhism in the area. When visiting the Three Pagodas, you can see the beauty of Erhai lake.

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Places to Visit in Dali - Erhai Lake

After taking intensive one-on-one Chinese classes, you may want to put yourself into a natural environment to relax your body and mind.

Erhai Lake is the largest highland lake next to Dianchi (Kunming) and China’s seven biggest freshwater lakes. Its name 洱海 means ‘sea shaped like an ear’ in Chinese, implying that the lake is ear-shaped and as large as a sea. There are some small islands worth exploring along Erhai Lake. Learning Chinese in Dali offers an excellent opportunity to walk or jog along the lake bank early in the morning or evening.

Places to Visit in Dali - Xizhou Village

Dali Xizhou Ancient Town is located in the northern part of Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Hundreds of residential buildings built by the Bai minority with their architectural characteristics are standing here and waiting for you to visit. People often visit the houses of the Yan family and the Yang family. Wandering on the streets of Xizhou is like walking into a residential building museum. Along the streets, the tie-dye stands layout, the bougainvillea popping out of the wall, the fragrance of Xizhou pan-fried cake, the children chasing and playing on the street corner… all of these ordinary details integrated as a breath of history and culture rushes towards you when walking through the town.

Places to Visit in Dali - Shaxi Ancient Town

Dali Shaxi Ancient Town is located in Jianchuan County. It is the only surviving ancient bazaar on the ancient Yunnan-Tibet Ancient Tea-Horse Road, which is essential for transporting and trading medicinal tea materials, silk fabrics, and salt. In ancient times, trading by horse driving was an adventurous business. Away from the harsh snow-capped mountains, valleys, and rapids, Si Deng Street of Shaxi town was like a “paradise” to those hard-working caravans. With the improvement of the modern highway network and the development of transportation, Shaxi town gradually declined due to its distance from the main traffic lines. Although poverty and backwardness hindered the development of Shaxi, it allowed the ancient stage and shops with a history of about 600 years to be preserved and eventually became valuable cultural heritage.

Places to Visit in Dali - Dali Ancient Town

Do you like walking on the ancient town street, especially after several hours of Chinese language study at Keats School? Then you can go to visit the Dali Ancient Town.

The ancient town of Dali is located at the foot of the beautiful Cangshan Mountain. It was once the capital city of the ancient Nanzhao Kingdom and the Dali Kingdom. This is a beautiful place for people who want to enjoy a slow-paced life. With the sunshine glowing and the comfortable temperature, you can relax down here. It is enjoyable to stroll around the local shops in the ancient town and visit the ancient buildings. During the lunar month of March and April, there will be many festivals celebrated in Dali. The famous “March Street” is the most lively one among them.

Things To Do in Dali - Biking Around the Erhai Lake

Biking around Erhai Lake is the most relaxing way to appreciate its scenery. Erhai Lake is translated as 洱海 ěr hǎi in Chinese and is the seven largest freshwater lake in China, with an area of 265.5 square kilometers. Though it is a lake, local Bai group people prefer calling it the sea, for they have rare opportunities to know what a natural sea looks like, so they naturally take this giant lake as the sea. Erhai Lake is just a pool of clear blue water with tranquility and an essential part of the local ecological circle. By biking around the lake, you can experience both natural and cultural touring sites along the way.

Things To Do in Dali - Explore the Minority Bai Tie-Dyeing

You can try to make the Tie-dyeing handicraft here when learning Chinese in Dali, China.

Tie-dyeing is an ancient textile dyeing technique in China from the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture retains this traditional technique, and the tie-dyeing industry of the Zhoucheng Bai group is the most famous. Tie-dyeing generally takes white cotton cloth or cotton-linen blended cloth as raw materials, and the dye is mainly blue indigo plant. The critical technology of Bai Tie-dyeing is the twisting technique and dyeing technique. The Bai minority group has a variety of tie-dye that boasts both aesthetic value and practical functions. The Bai Tie-dyeing is featured evenly distributed patterns and an auspicious theme.

Cuisine in Dali - Spicy and Sour Fish Soup 酸汤鱼

What to order in a Chinese restaurant when studying Mandarin in Dali?

Shuanglang is the birthplace of the famous Dali Spicy and Sour Fish Soup. There have been human activities since ancient times. They inhabited Erhai Lake and preyed on fish in Erhai Lake. So fish meat became the primary source of their daily foods. After thousands of years of evolution and accumulation, fishermen add papaya, chili, tofu, yam, and other ingredients when cooking fresh fish, gradually forming this traditional Dali delicacy. As the name indicates, this famous Spicy and Sour Fish soup tastes both spicy and sour with a refreshing flavor.

Cuisine in Dali – Weizhou Sticky rice noodles 巍州扒肉饵丝

People in southern China like to eat rice, and Dali is not an exception. Therefore, the staple food of Dali is mainly rice or rice products, such as sticky rice noodles and sticky rice cake. One of the most famous local dishes is the Weizhou sticky rice noodles. This dish uses fresh, top-quality pork meat. The pork meat will be slow-cooked for a long time until the meat gets soft and fall apart tenderly. This dish is rich and delicious but not greasy at all.

Cuisine in Dali – Milk Cheese Fan 乳扇

The milk cheese fan is a sort of cheese food popular in the northwestern Yunnan province. As the name indicates, it is made of milk. The milk cheese fan is cream-colored and shaped like a folding fan, so the locals named it the Milk Cheese Fan. You can eat it raw or cook it by frying or roasting it. It can also be cooked with Yunnan ham as a formal dish. Milk Cheese Fan can also be chopped up and added to the boiled tea drink to serve as the sweet tea, the second course of the famous Dali Three Courses Tea.

Besides the Pickled Fruits, there are another 10 dishes you must try when learning Chinese in Yunnan.

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Aliza testimonial for keats chinese school

Aliza | USA

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

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.

Kirsten testimonial for keats chinese school

Kristen | Canada

Small Group Chinese Class

I have really enjoyed the Chinese course in China at Keats and meeting the teachers here and the students. We have a lot of fun in class. It is a really great school to learn with good teaching methods and a really good textbook, examples and games, and everything.

Sarah testimonial for keats chinese school

Sarah | USA

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

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.

Sylvia tetimonial for keats chinese school

Sylvia | USA

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

One thing I really liked was that I was able to work with my teacher to make an individual plan of study. Another really nice thing is that you live at the school, you feel completely safe.  You always have a group of people who are willing to do things with you on the weekends or in the evenings. They are serving you all the 3 meals a day, the food was excellent.

Matteo testimonial for keats chinese school

Matteo | Italy

Small Group Chinese Class

I really enjoy studying Chinese in Kunming at Keats. The teachers are great and my classmates are awesome. It is an unforgettable experience for me. I also got the chance to travel to other places in Yunnan. Those places are amazing and you definitely need to visit these places when you study Chinese in China at Keats.

Mike | Australia

Small Group Chinese Class

I think Kunming is a great city, the weather is really good. I really like Keats school and found it is very organized. The teachers here are very good. They have a coffee shop and new classrooms, a new lounge area here now, so you can chill out with your friends and practice your spoken Chinese with natives. If you’re considering coming to Keats to study, I would really recommend it. It’s the best place to learn Mandarin and I think it will be a great experience for you.

 

Judith | USA

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

Listening and speaking in the classroom every day has improved my communication skills. After three weeks, my new words and sentences became more and more natural and fluent. Now I am used to thinking in Chinese, and I understand better what other people say, to be able to have real conversations with other people.

嶋田京子 | Japan

Intensive One-on-One Chinese Classes

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.

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