Why I came back to Omeida

When I decided that I was going to continue my Chinese studies, it was not difficult to decide where to go - two years ago I had already spent one month at Omeida in Yangshuo, and I knew it would be the right place to go if I wanted to be sure to improve my Chinese.

First of all I just want to say that coming here was (again) completely worth it, and I would recommend it to anyone. I am already looking for a way to come back - and I am not the only one; many people here are returning students (so reunions with old friends are included in the Omeida experience haha) and many of my fellow students are also planning to come back or to continue their studies through online classes.

The main reason for this is probably that Omeida gives you both a great education and the right environment to learn in: the teachers are excellent, the classes are small, everyone is very welcoming, there is a very positive and open-minded atmosphere at the school, Yangshuo is absolutely beautiful to live in and to enjoy the outdoors, there is a nice social life in many different ways (from eating together to bike rides to drinking tea to partying and singing karaoke), you get to practice your Chinese all day every day…

The collaboration with the English school is a nice addition to this; there are many Chinese students studying English there, and the communal dinners, conversation classes and having a roommate lead to beautiful friendships and lots of cultural/language exchange.

So far, all my teachers have been amazing; they are very professional and kind. They use as much Chinese as possible during the classes, which gives you maximum learning opportunities. Their lessons are structured but also leave room for discussing questions that come up when living in China, and for focussing on topics that are especially relevant to you personally.

The school organises weekly culture classes which often introduce food, festivals or history, and weekly weekend activities such as wild water rafting, climbing mountains, doing pottery, and going to the Longsheng rice terraces. I also want to mention that they always responded to my messages really quickly.

You have the opportunity to volunteer 1 hour per day in exchange for free accommodation at the dormitory, or 2 hours per day in exchange for accommodation and food at the canteen. This makes studying at Omeida affordable for more people, and also gives you the chance to contribute to the school.

I can’t thank all the amazing staff at Omeida enough, hope we meet again soon!