iCXC - International Culture Exchange

Program Reviews

Jana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Aupair in china

My experience as an au pair has been amazing. I’ll never forget how fun and enriching it has been to live with a Chinese family for more than eight months. Both the agency and the family have been incredibly kind and supportive, always making sure I felt comfortable and listened to. Time really does fly when you’re having a good time, and this experience has passed in the blink of an eye. I’ll always cherish the memories I’ve made here, and I look forward to coming back one day to reunite with the family and the friends I met along the way.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Use your free time wisely and explore other cities whenever you can. It’s a great way to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and get a more complete picture of life in China.
Pros
  • meet new people
  • try new foods
  • understand the culture
Cons
  • need more free time
  • more cultural classes
Nolan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My experience with ICXC

I really enjoyed my stay here thanks to ICXC. The program was very good, and the agency helped me a lot! I really enjoyed being part of this program, living this incredible experience, discovering China, and meeting amazing people. I lived here in Shenzhen for three months with a family to teach English to the kids and learn about China. This was very fun, very warm, and very interesting 😆. If I have the chance to do it again, I will do it with ICXC for sure, because I had a lot of help with everything and had a wonderful stay.

Pros
  • Lot of help
  • Discover a new culture
  • Lot of fun
Anastasia
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Growth opportunity

A great way to explore China and being immersed in to the culture and habits.

At least six months is the way to fully understand the soul of this country.

It will not always perfect but if you find your own way to explore and live it at the fullest. Be ready to learn a new way to live and making new friends, they will be your saviours during hard times, sharing experiences with each others will be useful to encourage each other and walk all together during this journey.

China has many great things to offer and you will never left alone and never bored once.

Erica
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

6 months in Foshan

Hi, I'm Erica and I spent six months as an au pair in Foshan, Guangdong. It was an intense six months filled with fun, culture shock, and adaptability. The agency was very professional, finding me a host family within a few days and helping me with the visa and paperwork process. The family was fantastic; the parents were very outgoing and friendly, and the children were quite calm. I also had the opportunity to participate in their company's activities. Overall, I found it a very formative experience that allowed me to develop a strong adaptability.

What was your funniest moment?
When I went to the family's company to film tik toks for douyin, was a strange but fun experience
Pros
  • Cultural exchange
Angelina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

China

I really appreciate my experience in China and the time spend with the different families with whom I work. I could try different food, be able to learn a new language that I thinking it will impossible to learn by myself, learn a new culture and to share my own culture, make new friends.

And working with the children helped myself as well, we could learn and improve ourselves with each other.

All the families with whom I worked was from different part of China, one from Shenzhen, the other from Harbin and the last one from Taiyuan but they live to Shenzhen now, I could learn different style of food and travel a lot in China.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice for the future travelers is if you like to traveling, to learn a new language, to be able to adapt yourself with a new culture and to be cohabiting with the family with whom you will be during the time of the program don't hesitate to come.
Pros
  • Be able to traveling and discover China
  • Share my culture with the family and vice versa
  • Get out with the agency
Eva
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My experience as an Au Pair!

Being an Au pair in China absolutely changed my life for the better in so many ways. It allowed me to grow in the personal and professional spheres of my life. As a Mexican, it opened my expectations to see China just as it is, an amazing, exciting, interesting, and very beautiful place to live.

The crew in the Au Pair program was very nice and helpful at all times. Also, I was very lucky to have an amazing and charming host family. I learned a lot from the host parents and from the host kids.

What was your funniest moment?
Meeting other Au Pairs.
Marvin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Discover Yourself in new Ways!

I started off with a 6-month Program in Shenzhen. Got in contact with ICXC through my private network and quickly talked to an employee in China, who spoke fluent English. Back then, I already studied some Chinese, but it wasn't necessary to know any Chinese.

After a few days, I had an interview with a host family. Mom, Dad, Older Sister, and the young boy I was supposed to take care of and teach English.

Arriving at the airport, an employee of the agency personally picked me up and brought me to the host family's home. In the home, I had my own room (with a balcony) and the toilet etc., was up to western standards. In the mornings, I would accompany the boy to school, then have some time for myself, and later would pick him up again. The kid had a lot of after-school classes, so I would often find myself in the car with the father and the kid just talking random things in English. The boy was 7 years old, by the way.

Every week I had 1,5 days off, which mostly meant meeting up with the other au pairs in Chinese classes, hanging out, exploring, etc. Every month, there is a whole weekend off, where you could go out to party or go on small travels.

When my 6-month program finished, I started an internship at the agency, which was an awesome experience. To this day, I really cherish all the memories with the au pairs, my colleagues, and the family. It wasn't always easy, and of course, there is some sort of culture shock, but I would definitely do it again!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
There was a lot! But probably brain. It was cooked in a hotpot. Or some other intestines. The family didn't force me to eat anything but they always encouraged to try some things!
Pros
  • Deep Dive in a different Culture
  • Have fun with other au pairs
  • Discover yourself in a new way
Cons
  • Chinese Families are really different
  • Not a lot of vegetarian/vegan food
  • The Heat!
Bethel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Chinese experience

Becoming an au pair has been one of the most meaningful and rewarding chapters of my life. When I first decided to take this journey, I was both excited and nervous, as it meant stepping out of my comfort zone and moving to a completely different country. However, from the very beginning, I realized that it was one of the best decisions I could have ever made.

Living with a host family allowed me to truly immerse myself in a new culture, not just as a visitor, but as someone who belonged. I had the chance to experience daily life in another part of the world, from traditions and celebrations to the small routines that make up family life. This kind of cultural exchange is something no textbook or classroom can ever teach, and I feel grateful to have been welcomed with so much kindness and warmth.

One of the highlights of my au pair experience was, of course, spending time with the children. Every day was an opportunity to learn something new about them, to share laughter, and to create beautiful memories together. Whether it was helping with homework, playing in the park, or reading bedtime stories, I learned that caring for children requires patience, creativity, and a lot of love. The bond we built was genuine, and I know it will stay with me forever.

On a personal level, being an au pair helped me grow in ways I had not expected. I became more independent, adaptable, and confident in myself. Living abroad challenged me to improve my language skills, communicate across cultures, and find solutions in unfamiliar situations. These are life skills that I will carry with me wherever I go, and they have prepared me for future opportunities both personally and professionally.

Another wonderful part of this journey was the chance to meet other au pairs and people from around the world. Sharing experiences, traveling together, and supporting each other created a community that made the adventure even richer. I learned that even though we all came from different backgrounds, we shared the same curiosity, courage, and enthusiasm for discovering the world.

Looking back, I realize that being an au pair was not only about taking care of children; it was about cultural exchange, personal growth, and creating lifelong connections. My host family will always have a special place in my heart, and the lessons I learned during this time continue to inspire me every day.

For anyone considering becoming an au pair, I would absolutely encourage it. It is an adventure full of learning, joy, and unforgettable experiences. You don’t just gain a second family—you also discover new strengths within yourself. I will always treasure the memories of this experience, and I am grateful for how it has shaped me into the person I am today.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Enjoy everything, the family, the culture, the country and the language
Cons
  • Cultural shock
Ivanna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best agency

I moved to Beijing in 2024 for 6 months, and it was the best experience ever. I’m thankful for all the help that I’ve received.

I’m still talking with my ex-host family, they are great 🤍 this agency makes all the experience amazing.

It also helps a lot with the reimbursement of the flights, and they also help with the extension of the visa.
Thanks to this program, I met people from a lot of countries, and I also met my best friends there.

I hope you enjoy this program as much as I did.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Don’t be afraid of the language, you’ll always find a way to communicate with the people in China.
Chinese people encourage you to learn the language, even if you can just say 你好 they’ll be proud of you haha
Pros
  • Learning new language
  • It helps with your CV
  • Meet people around the world
Cons
  • Far from your family
Harumi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best way to learn about China

I was an au pair from 2016 to 2018, for 1 year and 7 months. I had the opportunity to be part of a Chinese family, learn about the culture and language.

I truly believe that this program is something one has to experience, is eye-opening, it makes you step out of your comfort zone, and you get to see more about one of the greatest cultures in the world.

ICXC was a great company; they helped me a lot, and I have so many good memories with them. I do recommend going with them for this experience.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would stay longer, I would be more focused on learning the language
Pros
  • Support system
  • immersion in culture
  • Move friends from all around the world
Cons
  • Limited time for myself
  • A bit of a culture shock (beginning)