Program Reviews

I am a “mature” woman who in my later years have been able to take up a long desires wish to learn Mandarin. Omeida in Yangshou was the perfect fit, as I also had long wanted to see the fantastic landscape of the area.
I already had some basic knowledge of characters and I was put in a class (one on one for two weeks and a classmate for the remainder two weeks) where my listening and speaking skills were intensely worked on. Exactly what I needed! Compared to before my visit my listening and speaking skills are much improved.
I also have an interest in the skill of writing/painting the characters, so I did a course learning the intricacies of producing the right strokes to make characters. My teacher had great patience and gave me a very good insight into different styles of writing characters.
My husband also came with me to Omeida. He was a beginner in Mandarin and had an enjoyable one on one class with his teacher in the afternoons. The mornings he spent in a lovely village a short bike ride away learning Tai Chi with a Tai Chi Master.
The school also organises a lot of extracurricular and social activities which immediately gives you an introduction to people and culture.
I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who has an interest in Chinese language, culture and food. Although we are vegan we had no problems with getting lovely food. The fact that the school also provide lunch and dinner makes life simpler.

Omeida is one of the few full immersion programs in Mainland China that intertwines those wanting to learn English and students wanting to learn Mandarin. My classes were private one on one from 9:25am to 4:35pm with breaks during the class time and a good lunch break where we could eat delicious local food provided by the program. After class, other Mandarin students and myself would mix with the English learners where we'd practice our skills in real settings, cementing what we learned in class.

It has been said that 'the best fruit is to be found fresh from the tree', and where better to learn to communicate in Chinese than in China itself? And there are few more conducive places to learn, and live, in China than in Yangshuo. The rest of the world is easily forgotten when nestled within its misty peaks. But you will never forget Yangshuo.

Rank beginner or competent speaker, no matter your level, Omeida will chart a course that suits your particular needs
Omeida is a professional organisation with competent teachers and great support staff. A language partner program offers mutual benefit to learners of Chinese, and English. They organise weekly activities with lots of variety so there's something for everyone. It's entirely up to you as to your level of involvement. There's no pressure. As anywhere else things can get busy here. But there is an unhurried and harmonious quality to Yangshuo that's difficult to define, a quality compatible with living a good life.

Learning and experiencing a lot here in Yangshuo as I return for the second time to this lovely school in this lovely place. I would recommend this to anyone interested in China, Chinese culture or learning Chinese. The town is small and has a,local feel with everything you need and easy to get to on train or by aeroplane.
The school is very friendly and helpful with great activities and resources for learning and experiencing the country. And of course the teachers are really good. You'll learn a lot.

I live in work in Guilin and I often go to Yangshuo. So, Yangshuo is an ideal place for me to study Chinese. I spent three weeks in Yangshuo during the winter holiday and welcomed the year of the rabbit while studying at Omeida. Overall, I had a great experience! I found the staff to be very welcoming and hospitable. They were very attentive to my needs, not only as a student, but as a guest. In general, everyone was very friendly and personable which fosters a very comfortable environment. More importantly, is the language learning environment at Omeida where you have the opportunity to immediately put to practice what you have learned. As an English teacher in China who has studied on and off for many years, I think I learned the most Chinese within this three-week time period that I have ever learned anywhere else. The two teachers who instructed me were engaging, extremely helpful and highly experienced. I've been teaching for over 10 years, and I was impressed with some of the approaches and methods they used in my classes. Apart from the actual Chinese classes, there were a variety of cultural activities offered as well as just exploring Yangshuo with staff members and students. I went out to dinner on a few occasions with Nissa, who I originally met in Yangshuo and introduced me to Omeida. Also, the school treated us to a very nice dinner at a local restaurant on the eve of the Chinese New Year as well as New Year's Day. This was a very kind gesture! I could go on at length about the positive experiences I had while studying at Omeida, but suffice it say that I had a great experience, and I was a little sad to leave. However, I plan to continue with online classes and return to Yangshuo to study in person as soon as I can.

Omeida's courses are totally flexible. You can start any Monday and spend anything from a week to ten years at the school, choose between a standard course (only morning or afternoon classes) and an intensive one (both), and pick up your Mandarin journey at exactly your level, even if that means a class of one. My teacher was attuned to my needs, professional and fun, following her lesson plan or indulging me in free conversation as the mood dictated. I only experienced one teacher, but swapped stories with fellow students and never heard anything but praise for the other half-dozen Mandarin teachers.

Because they operate an English academy as well, Omeida staff can usually match you a language partner, whom you will meet after class, as frequently and for as long as suits you both. This is an opportunity not only to learn more Mandarin for free, but also to befriend someone you'd never have crossed paths with in the normal course of your life, and learn about their story, hopes and dreams. Most likely your language partner will introduce you to other English-language students, and you'll soon be part of a bigger social group, with opportunities for cultural exchange every evening (if you have time -- students are expected to do their homework.)

Omeida provide accommodation, lunch, weekly cultural events (learn májiàng, Chinese painting) and weekend outings to local villages and scenic spots. There is a lounge-cafe where students mingle before and after class, also you can buy the best coffee in Yangshuo. In addition the staff support students in many ways, helping with transport and bureaucracy, or just making conversation in whichever language you feel like in the moment. From the instant you arrive you're part of the family. Many of the foreigners studying at Omeida were multiple return customers; I'll be one myself.

Good teachers and warm community

Beautiful landscape in Guilin. It was a bit cool when I was there in January. yangshou was a bit quite as it was Chinese new year’s. Apparently in the summer the school can get very busy. Teachers where of high quality and quite dedicated. Cost of apartment and for the classes was quite reasonable.

Administration was very kind and would set up 1 culture day a week and on week would arrange set a weekend trip to going to a local food market.

Omeida is a Chinese school who is knows what it is and are very well meaning

I originally booked four weeks and stayed for seven weeks in the end - I loved the atmosphere and found the teaching methods very interesting and engaging! Also the culturral program was interesting! the first week i did chinese class and yoga, the second one class and calligraphy and chinese painting, then two weeks of intensive chinese studying and the rest standard classes in the morning, to also be able to enjoy beautiful Yangshuo to the fullest! every saturday different trips were being organized and the atmosphere inside school was always welcoming and nice. can highly recommend!

The staff is fantastic, always kind and helpful. The language partner program is a great way to improve your Chinese and exchange with Chinese students learning English. There are many things to do around the area and the staff is always ready to help with the organization. The teachers are obviously passionate about their job. I also loved the cultural classes. There is a very relaxed and very nice atmosphere in the school. The accommodation is very close to the school. It has been a fantastic experience!!!

I spent 1 week studying in Yangshuo with Omeida. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and were picked up at the train station and brought to the accommodation. The accommodation was conveniently located a 2 minute walk from the school. The staff was so friendly and made us feel at home. The teachers made the lessons interesting and I learned a lot. The staff was also very helpful organizing rock climbing for us and I highly recommend trying this in your free time. I wish we could have spent more time at Omeida!