Destinations: Chinese lessons, market practice, shadow puppet art
This intensive winter Mandarin immersion camp is designed for international students of all Chinese proficiency levels, from absolute beginners to intermediate learners. Rather than classroom-only language study, this program embeds Mandarin learning inside authentic Shaanxi folk culture experiences in winter Xi'an. Students attend level-based small-group Mandarin lessons every morning, focusing on daily conversation, food vocabulary, historical terms and winter festival expressions. Afternoons turn Xi'an streets, old alleys, folk museums and craft studios into real-life language classrooms. Students communicate with local shop owners, folk artists and residents, watching shadow puppet shows and learning to make paper cuttings. Daily language journals, oral drills and teacher feedback help students build confidence in speaking Mandarin while exploring the rich folk customs of Shaanxi province. The winter slow pace of local community life creates a gentle environment for cross-cultural communication and language practice.
Day 1: Arrival & Mandarin Level Placement Test Airport pickup and hotel check-in. Winter camp opening and safety briefing. Students complete Mandarin placement exam for grouping. Teachers introduce daily course schedule, learning goals and language journal requirements.
Day 2: Mandarin Basics & Xi'an Old Town Field Practice Morning Mandarin class covering greetings, directions and food vocabulary. Teachers practice pronunciation and simple dialogue. Afternoon walking tour in the old quarter, students practice asking directions and simple conversations with local vendors.
Day 3: Market Language Practice & Shadow Puppet Workshop Morning situational Mandarin lessons focusing on shopping and bargaining sentences. Afternoon visit shadow puppet theatre, watch live Shaanxi shadow play. Students learn to paint puppet figures and practice Mandarin describing folk art.
Day 4: Folk Museum Visit & Paper Cutting Craft Class Morning Mandarin class about traditional festivals and folk customs. Afternoon folk museum guided tour with language tasks, then paper cutting workshop with local intangible heritage master.
Day 5: Shaanxi Food Workshop & Mandarin Review Competition Morning cooking workshop, learn to make traditional local snacks while learning food-related Mandarin. Afternoon language review and group conversation competition, consolidate vocabulary and sentences. Evening one-on-one teacher feedback on journals.
Day 6: Final Mandarin Assessment, Closing & Departure Oral and written language assessment. Students share their cultural and language gains. Award language certificates and winter camp certificates. Closing sharing and airport transfer.
