Xi’an Study Tours: Live & Learn Chinese Culture on a University Campus
Dive deep into Xi’an on our study tour. Staying at the Xi’an International University campus, participants immerse themselves in Chinese culture through sessions chosen from guqin, tea art, calligraphy, painting and tai chi, alongside visits to iconic historic sites.
Bringing a school or university group to Xi’an?
Our planning page is written for the teacher who has to organise it.
Why Xi’an?
Xi’an was the capital of thirteen dynasties, and that history is still in daily use. Within the city you will find UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Terracotta Army and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, alongside the Ming-dynasty city wall you can cycle round, and streets lined with old temples.
Xi’an is also a university city. That combination is the point: in a single week, and without long transfers between cities, a group can attend classes on a university campus and take part in hands-on workshops in traditional Chinese arts.
Famous Historic Sites in Xi’an
These landmarks feature in our itineraries; which ones you visit depends on the programme.
How We Work
One-Stop Service
Airport transfers, accommodation, classes, cultural activities and local transport are all arranged by the host university. You will have one single dedicated point of contact for all your needs.
Safety Management
A Chinese teacher accompanies your group throughout the trip. Designated staff handle daily logistics, and participants stay on a secure university campus accessible only to university members.
Bespoke Programmes
We tailor every programme’s theme, duration and content in advance, to fully match the specific requirements of your visiting group.
Clear Quotations
Each quotation clearly lists included services such as transfers, accommodation, classes, activities and tickets. It also states excluded items: international flights, visas, medical insurance and personal expenses.
About the Founder
Helen Zhao
Founded by Helen Zhao, an educator with more than ten years’ experience working in Xi’an universities. Having witnessed the growing demand for genuine cross-cultural learning, she created this platform to bring global guests closer to real-life Chinese heritage.
We focus on in-depth study tours rooted in Xi’an. We connect overseas visitors with university-hosted classes, alongside hands-on workshops including tea art, guqin music, tai chi, calligraphy and Chinese painting.
Our aim is to give international participants an authentic, immersive experience of campus life and traditional Chinese culture. We strive to move beyond standard sightseeing, delivering meaningful, culturally rich journeys that blend academic learning with local living.
Classes You Can Choose From
What You Get
- Classes and lectures on campus, arranged by the host university.
- Hands-on workshops in traditional Chinese arts.
- Visits to Xi’an’s historic sites.
- A certificate of completion issued by Xi’an International University.
Our Past Study-Tour Programmes
Study-tour groups we have hosted in Xi’an — classes on campus, traditional arts workshops and visits to the city’s historic sites.
A visiting group from the United States
美国团.mp4
A visiting group from Malaysia
马来西亚团.mp4
A martial arts group
武术团.mp4
Our Campus Residence
Participants stay at Horyan Hotel at Xi’an International University, in the centre of the campus. Rooms face the campus lake or the sports ground and have en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning and a kettle. Classes take place on the same campus, which also has Chinese and Western restaurants.
Hotel entrance
Hotel room
View from a hotel window
The campus from the air
The campus lake
A café-restaurant on campus
Xi’an Study Tour Itineraries
Choose a study theme, then the number of days.
E-Commerce & International Business
Lectures on e-commerce and logistics, Chinese classes and company visits, on programmes of seven and fourteen days.
Chinese Culture & Heritage
Hands-on guqin workshops, tea culture sessions and calligraphy classes, taught on the university campus; not every programme includes all three.
Martial Arts & Chinese Culture
Tai chi, nanquan and changquan classes on campus, alongside Chinese classes, calligraphy and a guqin workshop.
Chinese Language & Culture
Chinese language classes with cultural workshops alongside; on the fourteen-day programme, classes are streamed by level from beginner to advanced.
All of these itineraries can be tailored to what a visiting group needs.
Who We Work With
Our programmes are hosted by Xi’an International University (XAIU), a private university in Xi’an founded in 1992. Classes, lectures and cultural workshops take place on its campus, where participants also stay. More on our partners page.
Planning a School Trip to China
Practical guides on choosing a city, budgeting, paperwork and safety — written for the teacher who has to organise it, not for a brochure.
