A Summer on the Great Wall

Learn Mandarin on the Great Wall

At the Great Wall everything is about the outdoors. After class, you may decide to climb one of the different sections of the Great Wall or perhaps go for a cycle and explore the wall further.

You could even partake in some sports with the locals, perhaps take them on with a game of badminton for example.

If you enjoy hiking, then you will find a huge variety of trails to hike up along the Great Wall and in the mountains surrounding it. The pictures you’ll take will live with you forever and the scenery is breathtaking.

You can study Chinese on the Great Wall during your summer holidays, as part of a gap year program after high school, or any other LTL program like the multi city Chinese course or standard Mandarin course in Beijing or Shanghai.

Every day you, fellow students and teachers will eat together at the farmhouse. This will usually be followed by drinks together in the village square, one of the other farm houses or our own courtyard.

When the weekend arrives it is possible to organize day long trips to other areas of the Great Wall such as the flooded Wall or more famous sections of the Great Wall like Mutianyu, Yanqi Lake or even go rafting or for day long hikes. The possibilities are endless.

Where on the Great Wall are we based?

Many areas of the Great Wall have been extensively renovated and opened for tourists, with cable cars, fun rides, souvenir shops and huge crowds.

However, we don’t want you to experience the touristy areas that many see everyday.

Our program is in a village next to an abandoned section of the Great Wall. Here you can really see and feel Chinese culture, and the history of this landmark first hand. Our village is roughly two hours north of Beijing city by car.

This means while the locals of course don’t know any English, everyone still speaks standard Mandarin.

Our China Summer program is a real Chinese immersion experience. Making friends with some of the villagers is a very good way to improve your spoken Mandarin quickly. The China Summer Program on the Great Wall already includes transport to and from the village to the city. Like almost everywhere in China, the area is extremely safe. Most people don’t even lock their doors at night.

A Summer on the Great Wall – When Can I Start?

The Summer Program on the Great Wall is best booked in combination with a program in either Beijing or Shanghai beforehand, allowing you to settle into China, learn Chinese and get used to the environment.

Our Summer Program runs from Sunday to Sunday each week and includes transport from Beijing to the Great Wall and back. This program has limited spaces, so make sure you book your course in time.

DATES – Start any Monday from May-October and finish on any Sunday. The program can last for one week, up to as many weeks as you require.

A Summer on the Great Wall – Prices

You can partake in the Chinese Summer Program on the Great Wall for one week, or the full six weeks. We recommend to start with a program at LTL Beijing or Shanghai first and leave the Great Wall Mandarin until the end of your course.

We also have two optional extras you can add onto your Summer Program package:

• Single room supplement: 700 CNY per week
• Private Car transport one way: 800 CNY