Program Reviews

I did my internship at Hutong School from march 2012 until may 2012. I had a really good time in shanghai! Hutong School offered a great service. Here is a list:

- Pick up at the airport
- Great service
- Very friendly staff
- Fun activities (cultural and relaxing/evening activities)
- Nice apartments
- Good Chinese lessons

Hutong School is a great experience for foreigners who are looking for a foothold in China. They take care of you from the start, picking you up from the airport, giving you quick tour, and setting you up with a cell phone and metro pass. These kinds of things are very valuable for helping you get over the culture shock you'll inevitably experience when arriving in China.

Classes are small and teachers are dedicated to helping you learn as much as possible. Office staff is very friendly and accommodating to all requests.

Hutong School might be a little bit expensive compared to other options, but I felt it was money well-spent. I wish I could have stayed longer!

My internship at Hutong School was, in a word: "excellent". They have a pretty good hassle-free program. You could say I got the most complete treatment, since I also got the opportunity to work with them as my internship. The working environment was really pleasant, which made me enjoy my time even more. Regarding the difficulties, I would say this will depend more on you and your "open-mindedness", Hutong School will help you out with the difficult stuff (housing and getting around) but its up to you to keep up with the little stuff (ordering meals and communicating). But if you are going overseas, you should be willing to confront these difficulties, so it's really not a big deal.
By the way, LEARN SOME CHINESE WHILE IN CHINA. Seriously, it will help you a lot and it's always nice to learn something new (and as always, Hutong School can help with that and they do it quite good! ;) ). HAVE A SAFE TRIP AND DON'T FORGET TO HAVE TONS OF FUN!

I ended up doing an internship in Beijing totally randomly. I didn't know a thing about China, or the working conditions there, or even how to say Hi in Chinese. Well, Hutong School destroyed all my fears, crashed the doubts you can have when moving in another country, and welcomed me as part of a big family.

I LOVED the apartment provided, the proximity of everything. The teachers are amazing and friendly, and the school staff is always there to help you. I am 100% satisfied with Hutong School. I would recommend Hutong School without hesitation.

Actually i was not satisfied at all with the "service" and the "housing". It took weeks to get what i asked for. The service personal was absolutly overburdened and our apartment was a disaster. I think if you go there in off-season (not between June and Oktober) it could be quite nice.

Overall, my experience with Hutong School was amazing. The apartment was more than adequate right in central Beijing, the teachers were all super enthusiastic, flexible, and supportive. The staff were willing to go the extra mile to help students with any issues they may have. I know people had very different experiences with their internships, some were very happy whereas others did not feel challenged. My personal experience was a great one, working for an environmental and community awareness NGO. I gained experience I would not have had otherwise and got a good idea of what it is like working in Beijing. I have recommended this program to many people interested in working in China, and will continue to do so. Thank you Hutong School!

I wanted first to stay 1 month and once I was there, I decided to stay more! The staff always help you : I broke my computer the first day i arrived and they brought me to the store to fix it.
There are only 2 to 6 students in each class, the teachers are really good, they always encourage you to talk so you can learn very fast! It's surprising!
The staff arrange your schedulde in the way you need and it's always possible to change your class or to switch to private lessons.
And you can meet a lot of people from everywhere thanks to the welcome party, and all the activities they organise each month.
So welcome to hutong school, you will really enjoy to learn chinese in their way!!

I've studied at Hutong School twice. Once for three months and once for a year. And I think that tells enough.. The first time was a great experience, but way too short, so I came back. The staff is great, helpful and nice to everybody. It's really convenient that HS offers apartments, so you don't have to worry about paying your electric bill of your internetconnection. I mean, that's already a hassle in your own country, let alone in China! Believe me, everybody is scared or nervous when they arrive at BJ airport for the first time. So it's really good that a HS employee is there to pick you up and show you around. The welcome parties are great to meet new people and of course your first friends are your classmates. You see them every day in class but most likely also fo lunch and dinner (going to a restaurant is so cheap that you can do that twice every day!) and for partying afterwards.
What I also really like about the school is their flexibility. My workinghours changed a lot but we could always figure out a way so that I could continue my clases. My time in BJ has been the best time of my life so far! If you wanna talk to me about the school of my experiences, send me a message on facebook. Wieteke Erkens

ambiance super sympa, cours très très adaptés, pas de fausse note: tout le monde nous encourage et j'encourage tout le monde à venoir étudier "à la Hutong"! merci à tout le staff !

Had - after many foreign study and work experiences abroad (Spain, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Sweden, Germany) - again the time of my life. Great time off from work and even better preparation for my new job, Sales & Marketing Manager China (& India) for a huge German industrial firm. You dive into the depths of Chinese culture, get taught Chinese language and thinking from scratch by knowledgeable, friendly teachers and have the opportunity to participate in interesting and fun excursions. Available housing is between perfectly fine and fantastic. And honestly after many business trips through China, Beijing is the place to be to experience China.
I've been recommending HTS to anybody who wanted to hear me and so I will in the future.