Summer 2026 in China

I spent a wonderful 7 weeks studying Chinese with Keats program. I chose to study one on one in different small towns in Yunnan. My teacher, Du Laoshi, was very flexible and let me choose what I wanted to focus on. Our first lesson, she reviewed the Chinese pronunciation of Pinyin and tones. She corrected me when I made mistakes and this helped me a lot. I brought my old textbooks that I used before so we could review grammar and vocabulary. I wanted to learn songs and she found the music and shared videos I could watch and also wrote the lyrics in Pinyin and English for me. Later, we ordered books of children's stories and idioms. Each place we went was unique and beautiful! We started in Puzhehei, which was full of lotus blossoms, then Jianshui which had a lot of history and felt very authentic. Then, we went to Pu'er to Jingmaishan where tea and mountains felt like heaven! After, I opted for a week break with a tour of Dali, Lijiang and Shangrila. I wish I had a week in both Lijiang and Dali! So cool and beautiful! After, I spent a week in Tengchong which I would definitely go back to. The old town is lovely and the views so peaceful. Finally, my last week of studying was in the Miao village. It was on a hillside and I climbed up and down 200 stairs everyday, but it was worth it! My last week is a tour of Chengdu. Everywhere is so much to see and lots of domestic tourism, but it is an experience of a lifetime. I can't wait to come back again and see more of this beautiful country!