CLI: Chinese Immersion Program in Guilin, China

CLI: Chinese Immersion Program in Guilin, China

Location
  • China
    • Guilin
Length
2 to 52 weeks
Language
Chinese
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, Payment plans

Program Details

Language Level
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Immersion Level
Intensive
Class Size
Private Lessons Small Class (1-7)
Weekly Classroom Hours
20
Housing
Apartment Host Family

Pricing

Price Details
Included in Tuition:
20 Weekly Hours of One-on-One Chinese
Housing Accommodations
Airport Pick-up and Drop-off
24-Hour Emergency Assistance in China
Weekly Activities

Price is for 2 weeks with the Private Room option at CLI. You can check other options, dates and prices in our website.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Classes
Mar 21, 2026
Jun 21, 2026
12 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Immerse yourself in Chinese language and culture with CLI. Located in the picturesque city of Guilin and affiliated with Guangxi Normal University (GXNU), CLI provides the premier intensive Mandarin program in China.

The fastest way to reach Mandarin language proficiency is through immersion. CLI's environment provides 20 weekly hours of one-on-one instruction with three unique instructors. This allows consistent interaction, real-time feedback, and accelerated learning.

Current university students can be co-enrolled at GXNU and earn college credit!

In addition to language courses, CLI offers weekly activities and monthly travel excursions, including cooking classes, game nights, tours of Guilin and much more. CLI warmly welcomes you to learn Mandarin Chinese in China.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This program offers highly personalized one-on-one Mandarin lessons with patient, skilled teachers in a supportive community.

Program Highlights

  • One-on-One Language Instruction
  • Extracurricular Activities & Travel Excursions
  • Rich Cultural Experience in Guilin
  • Transferable College Credits
  • Free Airport Pickup and Drop-Off

Program Reviews

4.96 Rating
based on 115 reviews
  • 5 rating 95.65%
  • 4 rating 4.35%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Instruction 5
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.8
  • Housing 4.7
  • Value 4.8
Showing 17 - 24 of 115 reviews
Cameron
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My CLI experience

Honestly one of the best experiences you can have. Not only was the teaching fun, inclusive and interesting but the lunches provided and surrounding areas were splendid. Whether you are staying for 3 months like I did or shorter, you are bound to have an enjoyable time with the students and teachers. The accommodation in the school was very good with cleaning happening once a week, staff were very helpful and made the experience that much more enjoyable. If you are interested in learning Mandarin this is absolutely the best place to go to. I can say personally that my language ability sky rocketed in my 3 months there. 明年见!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Throw yourself into your chinese, that means speaking as much as you can during lunch periods, in class and outside, it can be difficult sometimes and took me a while to adjust to speaking even when talking about the incorrect subject but its all worth it!
Pros
  • Teaching
  • Location
  • Food
Cons
  • Bathroom
110 people found this review helpful.
Response from The Chinese Language Institute (CLI)

Hi Cameron! Thank you so much for the positive review. We appreciate it and loved having you in Guilin. We're as focused as ever on sustaining and elevating our core purpose — providing a warm, community-based environment for students from all walks of life to learn Chinese and experience Chinese language and culture.

Also, thank you for the honest feedback about the bathrooms. While functional, they certainly had room for improvement! Since your stay, we’ve completely renovated several and are in the final stages of redoing the remaining ones. The project is scheduled for completion February 15, 2026. In the coming weeks, we'll be posting before/after photos on Facebook (facebook.com/studycli).

We appreciate you being part of the CLI community and look forward to seeing you again soon! 加油!

Diana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great immersive language experience

I spent two weeks at CLI in October and honestly, I was surprised at how much my Chinese improved in such a short time (I am roughly at the HSK3 level). The classes were enjoyable and my three teachers really knew how to adapt the lessons to what I needed most—whether it was speaking practice, repeating certain vocabulary in multiple contexts, or tackling grammar that wasn’t clicking yet. They made sure I kept working on the areas that were tougher for me and they clearly communicated amongst themselves outside of class to make it a coherent approach. Outside of class, the activities were a highlight: from trying local food to exploring cultural traditions and even joining in some sports, it all made the experience way more immersive. It wasn’t just about studying—it felt like living the language. Overall, I had a great time and would definitely recommend CLI to anyone who wants to boost their Chinese while enjoying Guilin’s amazing vibe.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
Try to stay longer! My main regret is that I could only spend 2 weeks due to having to get back to to work... I had the feeling that if I had stayed for another 1-2 months I could've even reached basic fluency.
117 people found this review helpful.
Sarah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Unforgettable Summer

I came to CLI for a total of 3 months during the summer, and I had an amazing experience that not only helped rapidly improve my Chinese, but also gave me the opportunity to meet many new friends. I had previously learned some Chinese before, but when I first arrived, I spoke very slow and fragmented as I needed a lot of time to think first. Thanks to my amazing teachers and the immersive experience overall, by the time I left, I was speaking Chinese at a much faster, natural speed. It helped improve my Chinese a lot by also regularly chatting to the interns, who were very friendly and willing to help us with anything or just to hang out. I made a lot of friends with fellow students as well, regularly going out with them to explore the city. CLI also provides a lot of events to the students, I particularly enjoyed one weekend excursion to a mountain village where the sights were breathtaking and incredibly refreshing.

One issue I did have though was the accommodation. The A/C in the upper floors broke once and the water had dripped into my dorm walls, and combined with the high humidity in Guilin, it caused mold to grow and made me sick.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
I'd really consider what season you plan on going to Guilin for. The summers are not only extremely humid, but it also often rains, nearly every day during some periods. This limits your actions in terms of activities and going out sometimes. I believe fall would likely be more comfortable in terms of weather.
Pros
  • Immersive experience in a beautiful city
  • Kind, patient teachers and friendly staff
  • Delicious lunches made by the Ayis every weekday
Cons
  • Accommodation can be a bit variable in quality depending on your assigned room
117 people found this review helpful.
Response from The Chinese Language Institute (CLI)

Hi Sarah — thank you for sharing such a thoughtful review. We’re really glad to hear how much your Chinese progressed over the summer and that you connected so well with your teachers, interns, and fellow students. It means a lot to us that the CLI community played a meaningful role in your experience.

We’re also grateful you mentioned the housing issue. We’re sorry the AC problem affected your stay. Since then, we’ve replaced the upper-floor AC units and completed new comprehensive waterproofing work. These improvements, along with our ongoing bathroom renovations (on schedule for completion February 12, 2026!), are designed to ensure a consistently comfortable living environment for all CLI students.

Thank you again for spending your summer with us — we’d love to welcome you back to Guilin anytime. 加油!

Urmas
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

2 weeks in CLI

I spent 2 weeks at CLI, which is obviously too short time to learn the language but still it gave very good and unique experience. Since I had some basic knowledge of Chinese before, they valuated me as HSK 2 level student.

I chose the accommodation in the CLI premises and this was perfect choice for me. The room itself was nothing super fancy but covered all basic needs and that was just ideal for me. I consider staying in the same building where the classes take place is the most convenient solution.

The whole staff of CLI is super friendly, polite and supportive.

One-on-one learning process is the most effective and my 2 weeks went very fast. The learning process was engaging, interesting and all my three teachers were very good and supportive.

CLI location city – Guilin- is very good. The city itself is not very big and the locals speak hardly any other language than their own- so you must cope from the first moment you step outside 

CLI location in Guilin I think is also not bad- basically all you need is at walking distance- gym, small stores and countless small restaurants for breakfast or dinner.

Many of the other students I was with at CLI were not attending for the first time. One guy told it is his 9th time at CLI. So it means the place is so good people are keep returning!

Would I go back to CLI?
Yes, definitely, because I have only and only positive emotions and experiences from my time at CLI.

Pros
  • One-on-one is the most effective way to learn the langugage
  • Native speakers insights- things you do not find from the text books
  • Immersive environment - local does not speak any language but their own. So you must cope from the fist step out there...
117 people found this review helpful.
Paul
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I had a great time with CLI in Guilin

I chose CLI because they were super flexible on the timing and nature of the instruction, and because Guilin seemed fun. It is a diverse place with language learners of all ages and from lots of different countries.

The teachers were wonderful, quickly diagnosing my level and goals and tailoring the lessons to match them appropriately. More importantly, they customized things to suit my interests. For example, I am interested in history and had some plans to visit archaeological sites, so some lessons centered around those things. It was interesting and made my onward exploration easier! The teachers definitely get five stars.

I stayed in the CLI building, which was comfortable and clean. There are always a lot of "opt-in" activities around town or in the building. It is nice because you can participate or relax, whichever you prefer. Their lunches are great and social, and almost everyone is trying to stick with Chinese.

The interns at CLI are true heros. These are mostly aspiring teachers getting some practical experience. From my first greeting to my final goodbye, they were super friendly and always happy to help. For example, they helped me figure out how to use Wechat to make museum reservations.

125 people found this review helpful.
Sebastien
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best 2 weeks during my exchange

I was then studying in Hong Kong for an exchange semester of my Master Degree. With a friend we decided to visit Guilin for a couple of days. He had done a 6 week course at CLI before, so after hearing his experiences and a quick visit at the school, I spontaneously decided to extend my stay in Guilin for two weeks and have an intensive learning experience. From day one you are fully immersed in learning, meeting friend, and of course, enjoying the amazing Guilin cuisine. I will come again as soon as possible!

What was your funniest moment?
Eating BBQ after each night out was amazing and super funny
Pros
  • People
  • City
  • Food
Cons
  • Too short
  • Very intense classes
  • Easy to get lost in all the possibilities and activities
122 people found this review helpful.
Jeremy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A great learning experience in a beautiful place

I spent four weeks at CLI and I wish I could have stayed longer. The teachers were very professional and well organized, with plenty of opportunities to practice your language skills throughout the day. After school and on weekends, the CLI team arranges spectacular cultural and sports activities that are fun and educational. And I really enjoyed exploring the town of Guilin and the surrounding mountains which are great for hikes and long walks. An hour away is Yangshuo which is also a popular tourist destination. The school will arrange day trips but I recommend going for at least a full weekend.

What was your funniest moment?
Going to a Mah Jong parlor with some of my fellow students and using the automatic Mah Jong tables that shuffle the tiles for you. Good fun!
Pros
  • Beautiful scenery and surroundings
  • Professional language education
  • Very affordable destination
115 people found this review helpful.
Nick
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

If you're looking at this review, just go!

I did a six-week homestay; this was my first visit to China.

CLI is an amazing place, as proven by my experience and the fact that, during my stay, I think I met as many second, third, fourth, and nth-time visitors as I did first-timers like myself. The teachers are all amazing, the lunches provided by the school are so great, and the activities every TWRSa are a great way to experience things besides the school.

Guilin is gorgeous and fun if you have classmates you enjoy or make friends with people unaffiliated with the school. I was lucky enough that I had both. That sometimes made me socially over-busy.

Before going to CLI, I had worked through the Hello Chinese app. I knew some vocab and grammar, but I had no real-time listening/speaking ability. After six weeks at CLI, I could have a small conversation with a person on the street and could explain preferences at stores/restaurants. I consider that a huge improvement.

I plan to go back at least annually. Unless external issues make this impossible, I plan to stay at least six weeks next time, hopefully longer.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
Stay longer!
Pros
  • Teachers/staff
  • Homestay family
  • Guilin
Cons
  • One exhaustingly entitled classmate (don't be them)
115 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers