Learn (Mandarin) Chinese in China

When one in five people on the planet is Chinese, can one really say there such a thing as one Chinese culture? Surely the country is just too vast for a single culture? But there are some things that you will find across all of China. Great food is one thing; a warm welcome another.

Shanghai is a huge expanse which you could spend a whole lifetime exploring. If you arrive by plane, you’ll get a pretty good feel for where China is going during your sub-8-minute 30km journey from the airport by maglev train (top speed 430km/h). In contrast, the Old City still has a knot of ancient wooden buildings which offer a glimpse into China’s past and possibly the best selection of Art Deco buildings in the world; relics from the pre-communist years. Power centre Beijing has an enticing mix of the imperial and the imperious.

Outside of the cities, China is as diverse as you would expect of such a huge nation. Explore the serene mountains of Tibet, try milk beer or Mare’s milk wine in Mongolia, stumble upon a “new” city of 10 million inhabitants that is barely on the maps yet. You are only limited by your imagination!

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