Program Reviews

The guides were really helpful and kind and there English was really good! The hygiene in the hostels weren't that good but the beds and the other stuff in the hostels were okay. The company visits where very interesting but I think that when you aren't interested in entrepreneurship that the company visits can be boring! The workshop can be interesting as well when you're interested in business analytics but I already got a course off business analytics at my school so already knew all the theory. So the theory was sometimes boring for me but that is pure personal. But the R language is very interesting. The trips to all the places are really interesting!

I really liked our guides! Thay very enthousiastic and energetic, they give a positive vibe to the group.
Ktv was extremely fun and i dont understand why we dont have this in Belgium. The cultural visits were educational .
The company visits were very interesting and inspiring.
I find the workshop less fun and i can't understand everytjing what the teacher was saying altough it is prepared very well, just a personal thing.

China was a wonderful experience. The major cultural differences with Belgium were really interesting and brought a lot of new insights. Both all the workshops as the company visits taught me a lot about the Chinese business approach and inspired me to come back to China and start my own company here. Even though we spent quite some time in companies and in workshops we had plenty of time to enjoy China itself as a tourist. We also had a great and fun guide. Everything together it was a great trip!

I was so scared when I booked my trip to come to China and learn Chinese. I almost didn't go.
But when I arrived everyone was so nice to me and immediately helped me find my way around in China. I learned a lot of Chinese but I should maybe have studied a bit more homework (sorry laoshi) since in the end I didn't pass the test I wanted to. The school was amazing and my teacher was the best I ever had! If I could have stayed longer I would have, but I am definitely coming back.

I had taken Chinese lessons on and off several times over the course of probably 4 years and each time I was very disappointed with the results and I couldn't figure out why regardless of my efforts, my language proficiency never improved. I honestly thought Chinese was a language that I would never grasp. On a whim I decided that I would give it one last try and if I was going to do it I would fully immerse myself. I looked online for Chinese language schools and I saw the name Hutong school and after reading many reviews and giving the proposition serious thought, I decided to submit and application. After I submitted the form I was contacted by Astrid, who I would like to personally commend. I was constantly barraging her with questions and concerns at all times and she never was anything but extremely pleasant and incredibly helpful the entire way though. She is also very personally invested in making sure the students are having fun and adjusting well, and she makes sure to invite you to all the school outings and parties so you always fee included. If it hadn't been for her reassurance I probably wouldn't have gone through with the program. Moreover, as soon as I started classes I could tell it was different from lessons I had in the past, the teachers are phenomenal, and do an incredible job to make sure you completely understand the basics and then move on slowly building off of that. They aren't reading out of a phrase book like so many schools. They will make sure you understand everything they teach and you will be creating your own sentences and conversing in Chinese much sooner than you think. I was so impressed; before my original classes were over I signed a contract for an additional several months of lessons because I never expected to learn as much as I did in such a short time. Also I would like to add that the accommodations were better than expected. I truly can't recommend the school or Astrid for assistance if you take classes in Shanghai enough!

My first time to China was with Hutong school to help me learn Chinese and learn about Chinese culture. I was really nervous and did not know what to expect. It was my first trip to China.
I am so happy that the Hutong school helped me with everything. I could live in the apartment with other students, and I met a lot of people in my class and during the events after class. I only had one month but I learned a lot of Chinese and I am very happy to say that it will not be my last time visiting China and learning Chinese.

The summer camp trip to Beijing was so fun and worth the money. We learned so much about Chinese culture and our language skills increased indefinitely. The teachers were amazing, kind, and patient and would help when ever needed. They spoke English if we really struggled but for the most part spoke Chinese and it helped my listening and speaking of Chinese alot! It was so fun that i decided two weeks wasn't enough time to study in Beijing so next summer I'm coming back to Beijing for two months to study again. Also everyone is super friendly and nice, you make so many friends from around the world.

The Hutong school was a great experience! This program fully immerses you into Chinese culture and teaches so much about the language. The program consists of 4 hours of Chinese language studying in the morning and the rest of the day for seeing Beijing and the sights. Everyday you have a packed schedule, so be ready to walk! One of my criticisms could be the living conditions as we had to live in a hostel, with no wifi and private bathroom. So be ready to share a bathroom with some strangers. Overall it was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn Chinese and have fun!

Hutong School claim to assist you with the Visa process, however I found this to be false. After 3 attempts applying to the London Embassy with the documents Hutong School provided, I was ‘advised’ to make false bookings on booking.com and tell the embassy that I was staying there, in hindsight I should have just booked a hotel rather than staying in accommodation that the school provided.

Upon arrival at Shanghai I was left at the airport for 20 minutes on my own with no contact from Hutong, after a few attempts I finally got through to the school and was told they were on their way.

The school describes the accommodation as ‘modern, clean and very comfortable’, and ‘in every apartment we house 3 to 4 students’. It can be argued that not one aspect of this is true. Throughout my month stay I was housed with only 1 other student, who was twice my age and was doing an internship whereas I was doing the Mandarin lessons. Due to the nature of the internships I rarely saw him as he left very early and returned very late. So in essence I lived on my own which is not something I would have signed up for had I known beforehand. To call the accommodation modern and clean is an overstatement, upon arrival the flat was filthy, especially in the kitchen. The only cooking facilities were a half-broken microwave and a hob. The photos online are of one select flat in Shanghai, my flat was nothing like this. I made the school aware of my concerns, however I was told that my flat was ‘normal’ for Shanghai, and there was nothing they could do to move me to a different flat. I went to a friend’s flat from Hutong a couple of times and theirs was like the photos, so I suppose it’s potluck whether you live in the accommodation described. Had I known the actual living conditions and who I was (or wasn’t) living with, I would have definitely just booked a hotel, considering the school accommodation is actually more expensive than a hotel in Shanghai.

The 4 hour Mandarin lessons however, were actually very good. I only had 2 other students in my class throughout the month along with 2 different teachers meaning that the four hours didn’t seem as long as I thought. In my lessons it was a variety of learning from the textbook you buy from Hutong along with everyday words and phrases used in China. For example by the end of the month I could easily order food from a restaurant and direct a taxi. I was lucky enough to meet some people doing internships in Shanghai around my age so I spent most weekends and evenings with them, however there wasn’t really a great emphasis to integrate new students as a lot of people had already been there for a considerable amount of time.

Hutong School's Summer Camp program is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture while improving your Chinese skills. I took part in the program in August 2016, and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in learning about Chinese culture, and Chinese language. The course has a good mixture of high quality language tutoring, and exciting cultural trips and activities, for young people, and makes for a great introduction into Hutong School's community. I was made to feel safe, comfortable and welcome even before I arrived in China, as I was guided through the process of visa application and travel arrangements with helpful and frequent communication with members of Hutong School's team, and I had 24/7 support throughout my stay in China. I made many new friends during my stay in Beijing, and I plan to visit Hutong School again, for a loner period of time in the near future. I urge anyone interested to apply for this program; it was an excellent experience!