Frequently Asked Questions
Below we have provided a long list of answers to frequently asked questions about China and Omeida, to reassure you that we meet all your needs.
Courses and admission
Yes, we are licensed and fully-recognized by the government. Omeida Language College (our mother school) was approved by Guangxi provincial Education Department to recruit foreign students to study Chinese language and culture, and we are qualified to assist our students apply for longer term student (X2) visa and change it to study residence permit in China.
We welcome students between the age of 5 to 85 years old to study Chinese with us. Students younger than 16 years of age are encouraged to be accompanied by parent(s) except when joining the summer camps. We place our students in a small class with students at the same or similar Chinese levels, however, we will also consider the student’s age. If there is not a suitable group for very young kids or senior students to join, we are always able to provide tailored courses for students who have specific requirements.
No you don’t! You can begin any of our classes at ANY level of experience.
We will place you in a class or create one just for you that fits your particular experience level.
Our most popular course is the small group Comprehensive Chinese Course. You can choose between the Intensive Course to study full day, or the Standard Course to take half day lessons and leave more free time to explore Yangshuo or practice what you learned out of classroom. During your free time, you are more than welcome to join our Chinese cultural lessons e.g. regular Taichi or calligraphy class, or have an experience of Chinese cooking, Chinese painting, Chinese musical instrument, or rock-climbing. Please contact our course consultant. Our professional team will make a full arrangement for you.
Another popular course we offer is our Private or Group Online Course. You can study in the comfort of your own home whenever it suits you. This course is perfect for those who are working full-time, are studying for their HSK exams or those who want to start/continue their Chinese learning journey during the pandemic.
Our HSK Preparation Course is designed to help students who have the plan to take the Chinese Proficiency Test immediately or shortly on completion the course.
Our Summer Camp is loved by kids and teens aged between 6 and 16 who immerse themselves in the Chinese language and cultural environment.
The Part-time Course provides lessons once or twice a week, which is perfect for local expats who have stayed/or would like to stay in China for longer time, who want to learn some Chinese to help understand Chinese people and culture better.
If none of the above courses suit your demands, we are able to provide you a Private Course with 1-on-1 lessons as per your requirements, so that you will enjoy learning the topics you are interested in at your own speed.
Our Chinese Language classes are small and intimate with no more than 2-4 students in one classroom. During summer there are a maximum of 6 students in one same class.
Our courses and programs start on any Monday of the year. If you take a Private Course, then the course starting date is even more flexible. Please note that lessons will not take place during Christmas Day (December 25th) and Chinese New Year (including Chinese New Year’s Eve and first day of Chinese Lunar calendar). However, when these holidays fall on weekdays, these lessons will be replaced with various cultural activities where all students are very welcome to participate. Here are the dates for holidays from 2023 to 2025:
| 2023 | Jan. 21 Saturday | Jan. 22 Sunday | Dec. 25 Monday |
| 2024 | Feb. 9 Friday | Feb. 10 Saturday | Dec. 25 Wednesday |
| 2025 | Jan. 28 Tuesday | Jan. 29 Wednesday | Dec. 25 Thursday |
| 2022 | Dec. 25 Monday |
The application procedures are simple and easy to follow:
1. Click the Apply button > choose the course and package > fill in the form with your personal and contact info > submit the application form online.
2. Pay USD200 deposit to book accommodation and secure your class (must be paid before arrival and please kindly note the deposit is not refundable).
Payment Information: You can pay your course fees via PayPal, wire transfer, or Western Union transfer before your arrival. Otherwise, you can pay in cash or credit card upon arriving in Yangshuo.
3. Finalize your arrival transportation and send us your travel itinerary.
Keep in mind, we provide accommodation for you from the Sunday before your first class.
If you need a pick-up service from Guilin airport or the train station, please let us know in advance, please note transportation fee is your liability.
4. Obtain your visa
If you do not have a current visa we are able to offer visa application documents and assist with getting a student (X) visa.
You will need to send us a copy of your passport and travel itinerary so that we can issue visa application documents accordingly. Please note if original documents are needed the mailing fee is expected to be paid by students.
5. Come to Yangshuo!
Keep in mind, our weekend office hours are from 9:00am – 12:00pm and 1:30pm – 5:00pm.
Please arrange your travel arrangements so that you arrive in Yangshuo before 4pm.
For arrival later than 4pm but before 8pm, our staff on duty at school will be able to wait at school and help with checking in the room, a 50RMB service fee will be charged. If your plans don’t permit you to arrive in time, then we can help you find a hotel for the first night.
No, the 200USD deposit is not refundable.
However, we will keep the study place for you for the future so if at any time you are able to come for study, the deposit you paid will remain valid. Just let us know once you have made plans to come, preferably give us at least 2 weeks advance notice.
It is okay if you attend our courses/program with a visa you have already gained, for example, tourist (L) visa, business (M or F) visa or residence permit. We are also able to offer visa application documents to assist our long term students with getting a student (X) visa or study residence permit.
If you are not a complete beginner, then shortly before start of the course, we will arrange a brief placement test, usually on Skype, to evaluate your exact level. Then you will be placed in an appropriate class according to your language level. Following table will give you an idea of how the levels are determined and how much time in average a student need to achieve next level from current level.
| Levels | Time Frame | Content | Achievements | Vocabulary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 0-1 | 4 weeks | 1. Pinyin and Chinese pronunciation rules 2. Necessary topics for traveling or living in China | Students who finish this period of study can use Pinyin and engage in simple dialogues with Chinese people. | 0-200 |
| Level 1-2 | 8 weeks | 1. Comprehensive course will include most of Chinese’s basic sentence structures and grammar structures on speaking, listening and reading. 2. Written lessons will include writing Chinese radicals and some simple Chinese characters, as well as proper stroke order. | Students who finish this period of study will be able to communicate simply and directly on daily topics which they are familiar with. They will also be able to achieve HSK level 2. | 500 |
| Level 2-3 | 15 Weeks | 1. A greater understanding of Chinese sentence structures and grammar 2. Different expressions | Students who finish this period of study will reach a level of basic communication regarding tasks in daily life, study, and work. Students traveling in China will be able to handle most communication tasks they encounter. They will also be able to achieve HSK level 3. | 800 |
| Level 3-4 | 25 Weeks | 1. Begin learning words and phrases regarding Chinese culture. 2. Begin learning Chinese idioms 3. A basic understanding of Chinese history | Students who finish this period of study will be able to discuss a wide range of topics with native speakers. They will also be able to achieve HSK level 4. | 1500 |
| Level 4-5 | 45 Weeks | 1. A deeper understanding of Chinese history, including famous Chinese events and famous Chinese people 2. A deeper understanding of Chinese idioms and Chinese customs | Students who finish this period of study will be able to read Chinese newspapers and magazines, appreciate Chinese films and television, write and deliver full speeches, and communicate with Chinese people at a normal speed. They will also be able to achieve HSK level 5. | 2500 |
| Level 5-6 | 80 Weeks | 1. Chinese policies and economy 2. Lessons on ancient Chinese poetry and classical Chinese masterpieces 3. Chinese literature | Students who finish this period of study will achieve a native speaker’s level of listening and reading comprehension and will be able to express themselves fluently in written and oral Chinese. They will also be able to achieve HSK level 6. | 5000 |
Notes: The above class hours are not cumulative. This schedule is only a guideline, actual results may be achieved before or after the given dates.
| 08.00 to 08.45 | Breakfast on own accord, near school | |
| 09.25 to 12.00 | Intensive: Chinese lessons / Standard: Chinese lessons or free time | |
| 12.00 to 12.30 | Lunch in school | |
| 12.30 to 13.45 | Break time | |
| 14.00 to 16.35 | Intensive: Chinese lessons / Standard: Chinese lessons or free time | |
| 17.00 to 18.00 | Language partner / Wednesday nights: Cultural night | |
| 18.00 to 19.00 | Dinner at school | |
| 19.00 to 21.00 | Thursday nights: Social activity, e.g. BBQ Other times you can use the student lounge to do self study or watch movies. |
Intensive course students will take all six Chinese lessons every day. The Intensive course is for students who have relatively shorter time but would like to learn as much as possible.
A Standard course student will take three Chinese lessons every day (either in the morning or afternoon). The Standard course gives you more free time to experience more Chinese culture, meet and greet with Chinese people, practice what you have learned, or just explore the beautiful nature in Yangshuo.
Most of our Standard Chinese course students choose to make use of the other half day to join our regular Taichi or Calligraphy course, or learn Chinese cooking, try Chinese painting, experience Chinese tea ceremony, Chinese musical instruments, rock-climbing or other outdoor activities organized by Omeida.
If you are interested, please feel free to talk with our course consultant.
Our teachers are all certified language teachers with a minimum of the following qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, Prior Chinese language teaching experience. We hire teachers not only on their academic merit or professional experience alone but also depending on their character. A great teacher is warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring.
In the class, our teachers always encourage all students to use Chinese as much as they can to talk with teachers and classmates. Only for beginners’ class, if necessary, teachers will use a bit of English to explain grammar and sentence structure to help students to get a better understanding.
Outside class, all our teachers and staff are more than happy to create a Chinese only environment for individual students. While for activities that students at all different levels join in together, we will use some English to help beginner students. These activities (including cultural lessons) are optional and free.
To learn Chinese successfully, it’s extremely helpful to interact with as many as Chinese people as possible and to understand Chinese culture. Here at Omeida, we spare no effort in creating an immersion environment. We aim to provide you opportunities to meet and make friends with native Chinese students and learn as much Chinese culture as possible.
Yes, we provide a free tutoring option for students outside of class called the language partner program. This program places Chinese language students into pairs with our native-Chinese students from the English language school, for daily one-hour sessions (or whatever you and your language partner decide upon). During these organized sessions, students will help each other improve in the language that they are studying.
If the language partner program feels insufficient, then we’d be happy to organize a specialized class for you that guarantees one-on-one lessons at the times that you choose. Please contact us for the price for one-on-one specialized course.
No, the paid lessons are not refundable.
But we can retain the remaining lessons for you for up to one year from the day you apply for retaining of the lessons. Within one year, if you are able to come back to take the lessons, we will make relevant arrangements for you.
Weather and Environment
Yangshuo is a town near Guilin city, which is in South of China.
Autumn (September to November) is the best time to come to Yangshuo, the weather is moderate, dry and comfortable.
Spring (around March to May) can be humid and rainy.
Summer (June to August) temperatures average at 30°C and reach highs of around 38°C. Showers are quite common in summer afternoons, which brings fresh air and cools down the heat.
Winter (December to February) can be very cold due to the humidity, but it rarely snows since the temperature is always above 0 at an average of 5-10°C.
A jacket is enough for Spring and Autumn, when the average temperature is about 20°C. In Summer, T-shirts and pants are good. We suggest you bring a couple of your warmest clothes to Yangshuo if you come in Winter. Or it is very convenient to buy all sorts of clothes in local shops or online when you are in Yangshuo.
Yangshuo has a population of about 300,000 people living in the area of 1,428km². It’s a pretty small town. “West Street” is the center of the town, where there are many cafes/bars/Western and Chinese restaurants, which is just 20 minute walk from the school. In the opposite direction, 5 minute walk from Omeida, you will find yourself in the beautiful countryside. Our location perfectly combines the convenient modern life and amazing natural beauty.
Yangshuo is the paradise of outdoor activities. The typical Yangshuo bucket list is long and ever-growing. You will never get fed up with your life here. Activities out of class including biking, hiking, rock-climbing, sightseeing, bamboo rafting, caving, barbecuing, sporting, making friends and practicing your Chinese with local people.
If you want to experience more Chinese culture, we are more than happy to arrange for you cultural lessons like Taichi, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese painting, Chinese cooking, etc. Just let our course consultant know what you are interested in.
The local residents in Yangshuo all speak Mandarin. Though there is a native Yangshuo dialect, the town has enough tourist traffic that everyone is perfectly used to conversing in Mandarin. Outside of our campus, there shouldn’t be any local language limitations that prevent you from practicing your Chinese.
Travel and Arrival
The closest airport to Yangshuo is Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL) which is about 1.5 hours by taxi to Omeida. If there is not a direct flight from your city to Guilin airport, you may fly to one of China’s larger cities like Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai or Beijing. From these locations, there are daily flights to Guilin. If requested, we are able to arrange a taxi to pick you up from Guilin airport. The cost is 280RMB/taxi one way.
Within China, there are high speed trains which connect many cities with Guilin or Yangshuo. The closest train station to Yangshuo town is Yangshuo Train Station which is actually in Xingping, a smaller ancient town about 45 mins by taxi to Yangshuo town. In Guilin there are 3 train stations: Guilin Station, Guilin North Station and Guilin West Station. Guilin Station is the closest and the only one convenient for getting on a bus to Yangshuo (about 1.5 hours by taxi, a bit longer on the bus). No matter which train station you will arrive at, we are more than happy to arrange a taxi to pick you up. Just let us know if you need the pick up service.
Please also kindly note the taxi we arrange won’t go on the highway. If you would prefer to take the highway to Yangshuo, please let us know in advance and we will add the toll fee in the quotation.
Our address in Chinese is 桂林市阳朔县龙岳路1巷78号，欧美达中文书院. It’s easy to get a taxi or motorbike taxi in Yangshuo town or Yangshuo bus station. You can show the driver our address. If any further help is needed, please feel free to call our office number: +86 773 8812233.
If you need us to arrange a taxi to pick you up from your hotel in Yangshuo or from the countryside to school, please just let us know your location and the time you need our driver to meet you.
If you do the all-inclusive package and live at the school, the room is available from Sunday before the start of your course. Please try to arrive at the school before 4pm, so we have time to show you around and help you to check in your dorm room.
For later arrival, between 4-8pm, our weekend staff on duty can wait at the school and assist you with checking in. A 50RMB service fee will be charged.
If you will arrive at school later than 8pm, we are able to book a room in nearby hotel at discounted price of 100RMB.
Please keep us informed of your arrival date and time once finalized.
Usually it’s no problem out of peak time (July/August). Just let us know as early as possible so we can reserve the room for you in advance. The cost varies: it is 40RMB/night/person for a shared room, 60RMB/night for a private dorm room, or 100RMB/night for a luxury private room.
Accommodation
We have 4 student dorm buildings, all are 2-10 minutes walk from school.
The accommodation provided in the all-inclusive package is a twin bedroom shared with a native Chinese student.
Rooms include:
- air conditioning and heating
- ensuite bathroom with sink, shower, toilet, and water heater
- internet access
- twin beds with sheets and pillow
- desk and chair
- access to use washing machine
not included: toiletries, toilet paper, etc.
To encourage saving energy, we charge 1RMB/kwH to use electricity in your room. The fee is divided with your roommate.
Private dorm rooms are available with all of the previously mentioned amenities for an additional 100RMB/week.
Or Luxury private rooms are available at an additional 250RMB/week on top of a shared room.
Yes, if another room of the same type you booked is available, it’s free of charge to change.
If you want to change your roommate, you will need to move to another shared room, we won’t ask your roommate to move in the case you only request to change your roommate.
If you want to upgrade to a private room and a room is available, we will usually prepare a room and let you move in on a Sunday.
In the student dormitory, there is no kitchen area and students are not allowed to cook in their room.
However, private rooms are available in our foreign teachers’ apartment. Usually three people share an apartment with a public living room and kitchen area. You can also use the refrigerator in the apartment. However, rooms in that building are usually very limited and if you really need to cook by yourself, please book the course and the room with us as early as possible.
Yes, it’s not hard to rent a house near the school, but most of the options have similar facilities as the school’s dormitory, i.e. a single room without kitchen area. Besides, the rooms that you can rent outside often have a private bathroom but no western toilet.
Many landlords tend to sign longer house rental contract, usually longer than 6 months or one year. Normally the electricity, water and internet are not included.
If you really want to rent a house outside of the school, we are able to arrange a language partner to help you to find one after your arrival.
Food and Water
Yes. The school’s canteen serves lunch and dinner on weekdays, mainly classic Chinese dishes. The dishes are different from meal to meal. During each meal 6-7 students share a table of food together, even though some dishes includes meat (e.g. pork, fish, chicken and duck) there are all kinds of vegetarian dishes. Many vegetarian students eat at the school.
Yes, just cancel with us at least one day in advance, so we can cancel it with the canteen and refund you the meal fee.
Please make sure to let us know prior to your arrival any allergies or health conditions so we can best accommodate your needs. Through good communication and paying careful attention to the food ordered/bought, it will be possible for students with food allergies to avoid problems.
Immediately after arrival, we will teach beginner students with allergies the basic Chinese vocabularies and sentences needed if you need to order/buy food on your own. We will also help write a warning with everything you are allergic to on a card, so you can easily take it along with you and show it to people any time needed.
You can drink water directly from the dispenser or the water boiler at the school and in each of our student dormitories. We don’t recommend you drink tap water, but it’s safe to brush your teeth or wash fruits with tap water.
Bottled water is readily available from nearby shops and everywhere in the town.
Health, Safety and Insurance
Yes, Yangshuo remains a relatively small town that is pretty well protected and is safe for tourists. Local people are very friendly with foreigners. It’s quite common that young girls walk in the streets even late into the evenings. Many foreign people choose to live for a long time (or even permanently!) in Yangshuo. Like any place in the world, some tourists have their wallet/phone or bike stolen, however in comparison to many tourist destinations or big cities in China, Yangshuo is a much safer town to live.
The routine vaccinations you took in your own country are fare enough if you want to travel to China. Some students choose to take certain vaccination before come to China but it’s not very necessary. But we still suggest you follow your doctor’s advice concerning pre-departure health checks and vaccinations.
We strongly recommend you buy travel and health insurance for your stay in China. For students who study for less than 6 months, the normal travel and health insurance from your own country is fine. For students staying longer than 6 months, in addition to the insurance mentioned above, we can also help buy medical insurance offered by a Chinese insurance company, if requested.
We provide 24/7 support for our students in emergency situations.
For minor diseases like cold or stomachache, our staff or your language partner who can speak English will accompany you to nearby clinic to see a doctor or go to nearby pharmacy to buy medicines.
In Yangshuo there is a People’s Hospital where it’s possible to do basic health check or tests if necessary. If the medicines bought are not working, or if suggested by the clinic doctor, we will arrange English-speaking staff or language partner to accompany you to the hospital.
Always feel free to contact us if you need any help.
If you just buy normal medicines from a pharmacy or are prescribed medicines by a doctor, usually it is not possible to get compensation even if you bought insurance.
The receipts issued by Yangshuo People’s Hospital might be acceptable by your insurance company. But we can’t guarantee that 100%.
If unfortunately, your sickness worsens, we will help you transfer to the People’s Hospital in Guilin, where there is a Foreign Patients Department with more advanced medical facilities and an English speaking service. That hospital also works directly with many overseas insurance companies. If you connect your insurance company with Guilin People’s Hospital, then they will provide treatment first and your insurance company can pay them directly afterwards.
No, we strongly suggest you don’t go swimming in the river, even if you believe you are an excellent swimmer. Even small rivers can be very dangerous, as usually the water is very clean and flows slowly, but actually it is much deeper than it looks. There are also large fronds of seaweed underwater which can entangle people from below. Every year there are drowning tragedies which bring huge sadness to the victim’s family.
Payment and Money
We accept full payment of your remaining fee before the start of your course/program or latest within the first week after your arrival, preferably when we do the enrollment on the first day you come for class.
You may choose to use Paypal, wire transfer or Western Union to make the payment. Or after your arrival, we also take Chinese cash RMB, credit card, Apple Pay, Alipay or WeChat wallet payment.
We don’t take foreign cash as payment. Please note if paying by a non-standard method, there will be commission fee charged by the bank or payment agent. This varies from 1-10%.
The closest Bank of China where you can change money is a 5-minute walk from Omeida. It closes on Sundays and public holidays, but ATMs are available 24/7 to withdraw cash using foreign credit cards. Sometimes debit cards will not work with these ATMs.
Our all-inclusive package covers most of what you need to spend money. If you choose a simple life in Yangshuo, you will only need money for breakfast on the weekdays and food on the weekends. It’s easy to spend less than 10RMB on breakfast. There are so many options for meals, and the prices vary from less than 2USD to 30USD a meal. You may spend a minimum of 100USD/month for food.
Depending on your lifestyle, entertainment and social life, spending will average around 300USD ~ 500USD a month. On this budget, you will have a very comfortable life in Yangshuo.