Hongzhou's China Pages

Earlier we wrote about the life of Confucius and his legacy in Shandong province, tied with the opportunity we are offering to study in Jinan University. If you're planning to stay in Jinan, about an hour south of the city by High Speed Rail sits a small city, largely obscure to the outside world. Its name is Qufu 曲阜 (“Crooked Hill"), sounds unextraordinary right? Although small and seemingly low profile outside of China, the area is in fact of a large historical significance. It was the home town of Confucius himself, the place where his teachings began and also, his final resting place. With a short trip to Qufu, visitors have the opportunity to discover and retrace the life of China's most famous sage, as well as that of his descendants. It is a trip worth getting into to absorb the vibe of local spirit and learning. Getting there Getting to Qufu is straightforward. The city has a high speed railway station situated on the Beijing-Shanghai high speed line,

Chinese is one of the world's most iconic languages. In it is embedded a culture, a beauty and a existential history. Its symbolism and calligraphy has made it not just a matter of everyday speech, but an iconography in its own right and a representation of Asian culture. As a result, learning Chinese becomes a fun, rewarding and exciting challenge. Of course, it is not without its challenges either. Mandarin is in contrast to many non-Asian languages, unique and requires a great deal of effort to learn. Some students of it may complain that it is difficult, simply because of the entire new system which needs to be learned in doing so.  However, here at Hongzhou learning we want to encourage rather than put people off learning Chinese. We want to share the message that although it may seem time consuming and challenging at first, once you get into the rhythm of learning Mandarin and adopt useful strategies, this language is no longer is difficult or imposing as it looks.

Celebrating Christmas Sometimes to outsiders, there are some misconceptions about spending Christmas in China. Because of the country's government and politics, it is often believed that Christmas is banned, restricted or oppressed. Whilst it is true that China is officially an atheist state which advocates socialism, nevertheless the religious beliefs of citizens are tolerated and given respect within the boundaries of the law. One may go through a mall at Christmas time and see all kinds of Christmas trees, decorations and popular songs. Without a doubt, the cultural presence of the holiday exists within the country, even if it is not grounded in China's traditions.  This cultural interest in Christmas has been encouraged by the increasingly consumerist nature of the holiday in the west, which has become less about religion and more about gifts, shopping and good food. To many Chinese people, this is both fun and exciting, even if they have little to no belief in

Hongzhou Learning is offering an amazing opportunity for international students to receive a scholarship in Jinan University, Shandong province. Successful candidates can receive a 50% discount on tuition and accommodation fees in studying a wide range of disciplines. But, in considering this institution, one might wonder just what is the significance of the area its in? And how does it tie into China's wider history and culture? Shandong province has a huge significance. It was once the home of Confucius, the most famous Chinese thinker and philosopher of all time. Confucius' theories of society, family and life have had a longstanding influence on shaping not just China, but all of the countries around it. As you study in Jinan, you have the opportunity to be inspired by his legacy that through your work, you can make a lasting impression on the world. Just who was Confucius? Confucius lived around the time of the 6th century BC, it was a time of upheaval, uncertainty an

To live in China is an incredible experience. For a single nation, there is almost a world of people, places and culture to discover. Every day can be an adventure. However, like everywhere in the world, that does not mean there are not some things to be careful of. A small minority of people with bad intentions may seek to take advantage of unsuspecting foreigners who do not know the country very well. Although violent and petty crime is in fact rare, attempts to scam and cheat people out of their money is more common. If you want to be able to make the most of your China experience, then you need to be aware of what these scams are and the common pitfalls people fall into. Below, we list and set them out: 1. The Tea ceremony Scam Imagine you're walking through a busy area very popular with tourists, such as Wangfujing in Beijing or Nanjing road in Shanghai. Suddenly, you are stopped by what is often an attractive young lady whom speaks surprisingly good English. Des

My experience in China 2017-10-19   Winnie   OverseasStudentsUnion The year was 2013; I was bound for Beijing, to study as undergraduate student in International Economics and trade., searched thoroughly on the internet about my host-city and university- Beijing Institute of Technology, one of the best language and teaching universities in China. Within a week after my arrival, orientation was over and classes had begun starting with a one-whole year of Chinese language course. My major is International Economy and Trade. This is where the fittest survives. Chinese has been well acknowledged as one of the most difficult languages on planet earth for non-natives and here I was trying to make sense out of what most would describe as hieroglyphics. Burning the mid-night candle trying to study a language as difficult as Chinese Living as a foreigner in Beijing makes for many great experiences. But not all is just great all the time. Behind all the good stuff hides some not