Xi’an Study Tours: Live & Learn Chinese Culture on a University Campus
Dive deep with our Xi’an study tours. 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 school, university or adult groups to Xi’an?
Our planning page is written for organizers of school, university and adult groups.
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 program.
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 Programs
We tailor every program’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, tickets and travel insurance in China. It also states excluded items: international flights, visas and personal expenses.
Helen Zhao
About the Founder
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 featuring Chinese intangible cultural heritage & traditional arts.
- Visits to Xi’an’s historic sites.
- A certificate of completion issued by Xi’an International University.
Our Campus Residence
Participants stay at Horyan Hotel at Xi’an International University, in the center of the campus. Rooms face the campus lake or the sports ground and have private bathrooms, air-conditioning, a kettle and a refrigerator. Laundry facilities and a restaurant are available within the hotel. Classes take place on the same campus, where Chinese and Western dining options are available.
Hotel entrance
Hotel room
View from a hotel window
The campus from the air
Hotel restaurant
A café-restaurant on campus
Xi’an Study Tour Itineraries
Choose a study theme, then the number of days.
Chinese Culture & Heritage
Hands-on guqin workshops, tea culture sessions, calligraphy classes, tai chi and traditional Chinese painting sessions, taught on the university campus; not every program includes all activities.
E-Commerce & International Business
Lectures on e-commerce and logistics, Chinese classes and company visits, on programs of seven and fourteen days.
Chinese Language & Culture
Chinese language classes with cultural workshops alongside; on the fourteen-day program, classes are streamed by level from beginner to advanced.
Martial Arts & Chinese Culture
Tai chi, nanquan and changquan classes on campus, alongside Chinese classes, calligraphy and a guqin workshop.
All of these itineraries can be tailored to what a visiting group needs.
Who We Work With
Our programs are hosted by Xi’an International University (XAIU), founded in Xi’an in 1992. Classes, lectures and cultural workshops take place on its campus, where participants also stay. More about our university partners on our About page.
Planning a School Trip to China
Practical guides on choosing a city, budgeting, paperwork and safety — written for the teacher who has to organize it, not for a brochure.
