Location
  • China
    • Guilin
Length
1 to 48 weeks
Language
Chinese

Program Details

Language Level
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Immersion Level
Intensive Standard
Certifications
HSK (Mandarin Chinese)
Class Size
Small Class (1-7)
Weekly Classroom Hours
3
Housing
Apartment Hostel
Age Min.
13

Pricing

Starting Price
500
Price Details
All-inclusive package provides students with visa assistance, accommodation, meals, textbooks, weekly social night, and cultural lessons. Alternatively, students can choose to pay for tuition only.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Classes Some Meals Wifi
What's Included (Extra)

Language Partner

What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa
May 08, 2023
Dec 21, 2023
11 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

From the rustic town of Yangshuo we provide a variety of Chinese courses to choose from; with the possibility to start on any Monday, we offer the freedom and flexibility for you to reach your individual Chinese language goals. Our most popular program is the Comprehensive Course which teaches the fundamental aspects of Chinese language. If you want more free time to experience Chinese culture or just explore the beautiful nature in Yangshuo, you can choose the Standard course (15 classes/week). And if you have a short time but want to learn as much as possible, the Intensive Course (30 classes/week) is made for you!
Students can also choose a Specialized Private Course which provides flexibility for those who wish to direct their focus on a particular area of study (business, art, etc.).

With our small class sizes, we can cater for individual students’ needs and our relationship with the English College means that students are constantly interacting with native Chinese speakers.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Learn and Improve Your Chinese through our interactive, engaging and hands-on lessons.
  • Explore China’s Rich Culture through activities such as Culture classes, Tai Chi classes, cooking classes, etc.
  • Experience Life as a Local Student in China by interacting with the locals and our native Chinese-speaking teachers and Language Partners during the program.
  • Live Comfortably in a private or shared room at our designated dorms around the school’s premises.
  • Meet and connect with people from all around the world. We create a warm and welcoming space where you can connect, share interests, passions, goals, etc.

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.94 Rating
based on 66 reviews
  • 5 rating 93.94%
  • 4 rating 6.06%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.8
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.4
  • Housing 4.85
  • Safety 4.95
  • Instruction 4.8
  • Support 5
  • Fun 4.8
  • Housing 3.9
  • Value 4.9
Showing 25 - 32 of 66 reviews
Default avatar
Steen J.
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A great place to kickstart your chinese learning!

I studied at Omeida for 3 weeks in the summer of 2015 and I was so happy to study there. From day one a large group of students welcomed me to the school and invited me to dinner with them. I was so welcome from day one. Apart from this big group of good friends the school staff is good at arranging weekend-trips which help give the school a really nice environment for learning and at the same time have a fun time while you are in Yangshuo. This great social environment was a great boost to the also really good classes at the school. I had 60 hours of lessons over a period of 3 weeks (2 weeks normal and 1 week intensive). The teachers were very engaged in their job and often spend several hours until late at night preparing. I started from no chinese skills at all and in three weeks I am now able to handle the most basic things while I travel around China. If you have more time I would though strongly recommend that you do more classes than I have done or at least try to squeeze in more intensive classes, since these give really great results. I was really happy to have 2 weeks of free afternoons to see Yangshuo though.
In conclusion Omeida is a really good place to start your Chinese learning and if you go there you can be certain that the staff and the other students will welcome you with open arms, and that you will have a great time.

What would you improve about this program?
I would have liked to have more events that were focused on bringing the students from morning and afternoon classes together. I felt like there were many of the afternoon students, which it took a while to get to know.
In my stay there was a really good group of students that were welcoming to all new - Make sure to work on keeping a group like this going, I felt so welcome when I arrived!
43 people found this review helpful.
Response from Omeida Chinese Academy

Steen, thanks a lot for your review, we really appreciate your words. We are very happy that you had a great time here in Omeida. All the staff and students miss you already! Come back!

Yes, you are right, in order to improve Chinese even more, we definitely recommend to choose an intensive course. Or its always possible to combine few weeks of standard course and then few weeks of intensive Chinese learning. Omeida is very flexible!

And of course, we strive to maintain the homely atmosphere at Omeida, where everyone knows each other and is sharing ideas, dreams and hopes. We are so happy that we have this friendly group who support each other and really welcoming.

Lots of love,

Omeida

Default avatar
Stephen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Environment to Learn Chinese Language and Culture

I'm a PhD student joining a lab with mostly Chinese native speakers, so I thought I should learn Mandarin and earn the opportunity to practice more with my labmates later.

The teaching was superb, and the language partner program provided excellent infrastructure to continue learning outside the classroom and really get a fully immersive experience.

What really made my time in Yangshuo special, however, was the laid-back atmosphere of the school, the friendliness of the staff and other students, and the surrounding natural beauty. I've never before had a time in my life that was so carefree, where my "job" was just to talk and listen and learn. The staff were all really focused on student happiness, and often organized weekend outings. The teachers and staff were more than just their job titles, and without exception became friends with every student, eager to share more of Chinese language and culture both inside and outside the classroom.

If you come here, you will learn, which was my goal -- but you will probably come away with a bit more than just that.

What would you improve about this program?
There are some things like the canteen food which could be improved, but given the price and the fact that meals can be canceled and refunded quite flexibly, I don't think this is a huge issue.

The biggest issue, in my opinion, is that the teachers and staff aren't paid enough. As a result, the turnover rate for teachers tends to be fairly high, with teachers leaving, returning, and new teachers coming in fairly regularly. I could be wrong, but I don't think very many of the teachers have been around for more than a year or two. Although there are lots of costs besides teacher salaries that go toward running a school, the proportion of tuition that goes toward teacher and staff salaries is still surprisingly low (Chinese are very open about salaries and I did some arithmetic).

There could be lots of other costs that I don't know about however, and the aforementioned may just be a sad necessity required to keep the cost of tuition relatively low compared to other places.
47 people found this review helpful.
Response from Omeida Chinese Academy

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us, Stephen! We are very proud of the achievement you made during your 8 weeks of Chinese study at Omeida. We also loved your leaving note you wrote; it is hanging on our board in the student lounge at the moment.

It makes us a little bit sad, that you might have gotten the impression that Omeida does not treat their staff and teachers well. It is not only very important for us to make students feel happy and fully satisfied with their studies and time in Yangshuo, but also we strive to make our staff and teachers work experience in Omeida as best as possible. Without our dedicated staff, Omeida would not be what it is today. We fully value and appreciate their efforts to make Omeida a more beautiful place. Therefore I would like to share some facts with you to clarify the situation:

- As in majority of companies around the world, there is a probation period with lower salary in Omeida as well, after that the salary increases accordingly. There is also a full package of benefits that comes apart from the salary including annual bonus, various discounts, staff trips and free accommodation.

--During summer time we will hire some temporary experienced and professional teachers to meet the demands of increased students. This is one of the reasons you saw the some teachers leaving.

-- Many of our teachers work on long-term contract such as Wency, Zhuge, Cindy, Anya etc. Some Chinese teachers (teaching English in our English college) have been working here for nearly 10 years such as Leilei, Erin, Maisie, Joe, Jake, Stone, Jack Wang and even our cleaning staff Auntie Liu and Auntie Zhang. Without stable and reliable staff, we could not expect nice and positive feedback from our students, not to say our students’ number grows year by year.

--Our management team is working hard to make Omeida a bigger brand with more students, based on which we can improve the working environment and provide more competitive payment to our staff. We value every single employer and appreciate their hard working to make Omeida a home for both our students and staff.

We really appreciate your honesty. Hope you can return in the future and study with Omeida again. We wish you to keep making a great progress in Chinese language and culture learning!

Default avatar
Phil
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An amazing experience! A must for anyone learning Chinese

Everything you could ever want from a Chinese school is right here. Studying during the day, socialising with the English students in the afternoon and going out to eat delicious food in the evening.
The teaching standards were of extremely high quality and I felt that everyday my Chinese was improving an incredible amount.

What would you improve about this program?
If there was any suggestions I would make, it would be to spend a little more time testing students first to make sure they are in the correct class for their level. A number of times students were added whose Chinese Level was either to low or too good and this disrupted the class. Another suggestion would be for the rooms to be better cleaned and there was some dust under the bed and on the ride table.
48 people found this review helpful.
Response from Omeida Chinese Academy

Hey Phil, thanks a lot for your review and for suggestions. We always strive to improve our service and facilities, therefore feedback is greatly appreciated.
It is awesome to hear that your Chinese level improved a lot and that you had a great time here with us, at Omeida.

We will definitely take into account your suggestions regarding Chinese level testing of new students. As well as will let our room service know that they might have missed some dust under the bed and on the table, so next time it would not happen again.

We wish you happy moments! and of course, keep learning Chinese!

Default avatar
Luna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Awesome school!Awesome people!Awesome Yangshuo!

I completely fell in love with the magical surrounding area of Yangshuo and the homely atmosphere of Omeida Chinese Academy. Everyone in the Academy is always smiling, very positive and ready to help you with any question you might have. And of course teachers are very friendly and professional.
The area of Yangshuo is so picturesque, rivers flowing, limestone mountains are all around you. You can cycle around, go rock climbing, visit little typical Chinese villages, eat local food, practice Tai Chi, yoga. Seriously the options are endless.

You only live once, don't even doubt and come to Omeida and Yangshuo straight away! I am sure you will have a time of your life!

45 people found this review helpful.
Response from Omeida Chinese Academy

Awww, thank you so much Luna for your review! We are very happy to hear that you are one of the many people who fall in love with Yangshuo, its surroundings and our school.

We strive to make a positive difference in lives of our students. Your positive words make our job meaningful!

Default avatar
Tammy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A place to fall in love with!

Yangshuo is a wonderfull place to learn Chinese and there are so many activities you can do during your free time, like renting a bike, hiking, rock climbing, swimming, clubbing and so on.
Omeida is a great school with nice people and very good teachers. They support you in every situation around your daily life in Yangshuo. Regulary social activities planned by the staff give you the chance to explore Yangshuos surrounding or learning Chinese games, dances or kalligraphy.
The integrated English academy for Chinese people gives you the chance to stay in contact with Chinese people, so that you can practise your Chinese intensivly.
I can totally recommend Omeida, if you like learning Chinese with open minded people, during social activities, sports, life close to the nature and if you like to have a close contact to local Chinese.

49 people found this review helpful.
Response from Omeida Chinese Academy

Dear Tammy,

Thank you so so much for you review!
Omeida fell in love with you too, we miss you very much here...
It was really great to spend these few weeks with you, going climbing, cycling, playing scrabble hahaha!

Please come back as promised!!!

Default avatar
Omi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Thanks Omeida team

The Omeida team is composed of a group of chinese teachers all very efficient and helpful. We had fun together (ride bycicle, go swimming, have meal, speak chinese and cook French dishes!). Each person brought me different experience and I learn from each of them about their culture. They are all devoted and passionated to their teaching. It was a pleasure to be part of their student.
Regarding the environment it's a great place if you like nature and sport or want to enjoy life far from big cities. Yangshuo is full of places to visit and things to do. I will remember for a long time my trip in Omeida.
Omi

What would you improve about this program?
More intensive program and a better organisation for student's level.
46 people found this review helpful.
Response from Omeida Chinese Academy

Dear Omi,

It was OUR pleasure to have you as part of our Omeida family. We thoroughly enjoyed your presence and not forget to mention delicious French dishes.

Come back to Omeida! Our team misses you already!

Default avatar
Ellen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best time ever

After studying four weeks in Beijing, I came to Yangshuo. Beijing was too expensive and the school I went to, was too focused on money. I by accident found Omeida on the Internet and I immediately liked it. After a few emails back and forth I decided to book and fly to South china. I must say after the big city you need a bit of audjusting, but the school made feel very welcome. I got a welcome pack for free, including towel, cloth hangers and all sorts of maps. In Beijing they would have made you pay a 100 euros. First impression was already very good. I had a brilliant teacher Cindy and I notice my Chinese improve quickly. I booked an all inclusive package which ment housing and food twice a day. The food in the school canteen was not bad, but sometimes you would rather eat out and that was no problem. If you cancel a day before you get your money back. Every time I had a question, whether about Chinese SIM card, school activities or anything else all the staff would help immediately. After one month (too short) I felt part of the omeida family. The difference with Beijing is that the school here focusses on your experience and making it an unforgettable one, instead of focussing on money. I would say omeida you are doing in the right way, because I love to share my experiences with others and I cannot wait to come back!

Yangshuo it self is quite touristic, however you only need 5-10 min to cycle out of the crowd and you can see beautiful landscape, small villages, rivers, karst mountains, you can climb, you can hike, you can swim, you can eat! And be very satisfied with living in South china.

What would you improve about this program?
I was lucky to have an amazing language partner, we got a long as great friends, however I can imagine when you sign up for the language partner program you need some more guidance on how to set up the hour. To make sure it's an efficient hour instead of talking about the weather.
44 people found this review helpful.
Response from Omeida Chinese Academy

Ellen! Thank you SO much for your awesome review. It means a lot to us that you had a best time ever.

Here at Omeida we have a mission that each and every student would have a super happy experience in Yangshuo; would feel comfortable and at ease and of course would improve their Chinese language skills to a very high level.

Your positive feedback means a lot to us. Thank you!

Default avatar
Dave
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

It was WONDERFUL time in my life

2015.02.01. I came to Omeida to improve my chinese language. And my teachers Becky and Cindy were very professional . Other Omeida staff also were excellent , very helpful (Anya, Twelve, Daisy, Wanda, Ieva, Abby, Kelly) . Yangshuo is also wonderful place, local people so friendly. When I was in OMEIDA, I really had wonderful life, enjoyed life's GOOD!
If I have some opportunities, I would be stay with OMEIDA in YANGSHUO. And I happily reccomend the OMEIDA to anyone who is like to improve their chinese level and chinese culture, enjoying Chinese life with foreign people and students.

What would you improve about this program?
In Omeida almost all the students come from EU,US or AUS. And a few people from Russia. But about Central Asia just only two or three people. I would like to say, in future, let's know about OMEIDA not only EU or US, and let's know another students whose mother tongue is not English language. Because, if in Omeida have a lot of students from another country, can communicate to each other another languages and culture.

I wish, in future, Omeida's students day by day getting more!
43 people found this review helpful.
Response from Omeida Chinese Academy

Dave, thank you so much for such a WONDERFUL review. We are so happy to hear that you had a wonderful time of your life here in Yangshuo. It means a lot to us as we always want to make our students stay as best and happy as possible.
We wish you all the best of luck and really hope to see you again in China!

Our team is sending hi and hugs to you!

Questions & Answers