There are many reasons to learn Chinese, not least because one quarter of the population speaks it. The Chinese are spread widely over Asia, Europe and North America almost in every corner of the world.
In China you can genuinely experience a totally different culture which is rich and diverse in history and traditions.
China has enjoyed a boom in terms of its economy and growing importance in the global market of the 21st Century.
Mandarin Chinese is the official language and is completely different to any western language. The grammatical structure is not only logical, but also pragmatic, related to the particular way of Chinese thinking.
| City Size | City Highlight | Nightlife | Cost of Living | Transportation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Large | Blending the ancient and the new | $$ | Metro and taxi | ||
| Shanghai | Large | Contrasts between sky-scrapers and Art Deco | $$$ | Metro and taxi |
Beijing is the capital of China and is the cultural and political centre. It is world renowned for the Great Wall which is one of the wonders of the world and is the only man made construction which can be seen from space stretching from Beijing to the Gobi desert.
It is also home to the Summer Palace which has been recently refurbished.
Shanghai is the economic centre of China, more westernised than Beijing, it is the link between east and west with its large influence from Europe. It is known as the Paris of the east and is known for its exciting nightlife.
As a popular destination this is the ideal location to learn Chinese with its pleasant climate and warm amiable people.