Living and training at a Chinese martial arts school like Song Jiang is not the same as going to a boarding school in Europe or the U.S. But if you really want to learn wushu, you probably won’t care too much. The school usually does not allow foreigners to live in rooms with Chinese students. That means you will have to stay in the school’s hotel and pay at least 1,800 yuan (about 180 euros) per month, which is part of the school fee.
The school hotel is not luxurious at all. The living conditions are closer to an average motel. If you really want to save money, you can ask to live with Chinese wushu students or outside the school, but they usually won’t allow it. In the end, they don’t want trouble with your embassy if you get sick. There is also no chance they will allow this if you don’t speak fluent Chinese. And honestly, you should be prepared to use toilets where 50 students go at the same time, in one big room with no doors and knee-high walls between stalls. There is no privacy at all.
More: Hygienic Questions – Study in China
Living in the School’s Hotel
You will have your own room with two beds, a normal toilet, and a shower with hot water. If there are many foreign students (which is usually not the case), the school may ask you to share a room with another foreigner. If there are enough free rooms, you can say no.
Usually only parents stay in the hotel when they visit their children or bring them to Song Jiang for the first time. The hotel has four floors and around 16 rooms. The best rooms are on the second floor, and the worst ones are on the fourth floor. There used to be a rat problem, but since they removed the restaurant on the first floor, there have been no rats in the building. Click here for more information about the rooms.
How the Chinese Students Live
Chinese students live in dorms with about 12 students per room and do not have private bathrooms or showers. There is one large shower room for all students, similar to what you might see in a prison. They can shower only a few times per week. And the toilets—well, you already know what they look like. Just imagine the smell.
Canteen Food & Restaurants
At the moment, there is no restaurant inside the school. All students and most teachers eat in a large lunchroom. The food doesn’t taste very good, but it’s not extremely unhealthy and the risk of getting diarrhea is relatively low. Canteen food is included in the school fee.
Food in Yun Cheng
There are quite a few restaurants in Yun Cheng. You can find a fast-food place called DICO’s (“De Ke Shi” in Chinese) at Guang Chang. It’s basically the Chinese version of McDonald’s. The only problem is that it’s on the other side of the city. After a few weeks of canteen food, DICO’s will feel like heaven.
There are also some good fish restaurants near the bus station, but they are a bit more expensive. Unfortunately, most restaurant food is quite greasy, and once you get tired of Chinese food, the only real option is DICO’s. No pizza, no lasagna.
On the road to the school, they barbecue goats and dogs every night. Yes, dog meat is very popular in Yun Cheng. But don’t worry, the school would never serve dog meat, because most students are not from Yun Cheng and would never eat it. As you can see, Yun Cheng is not the right place for pet lovers or food lovers. If you’re a real foodie, forget Yun Cheng and go to Beijing or Shanghai.
Water
Sometimes the water and/or electricity stops for a few hours or even an entire day. This doesn’t happen very often, but when they are constructing new buildings inside the school, they sometimes turn off the water while students are in their general knowledge classes. And yes, China is definitely not a place where you can drink tap water.
Toilets
If you live in the school hotel, you will have your own toilet, a normal Western-style one. I recommend buying your own toilet paper, because the hotel doesn’t always have enough. If you need to use a public toilet, be prepared for the worst. Just google “Chinese toilets.”
Never leave the school without toilet paper in your pocket. Learn the Chinese words for toilet (ce suo), male (nan), and female (nü).
Laundry
Most students wash their clothes themselves. You can buy washing powder and a plastic tub in the school shop. Of course, you can also pay someone to do your laundry, but you will still need to wash your underwear and socks yourself. Click here to learn more about laundry.
Sanitary Products
You can buy toothpaste, washing powder, and basic supplies in the school shop. During vacations the shop sometimes closes, but it usually opens at least a few hours per day. They also sell bread, milk, fruit, sweets, and of course wushu shoes and training equipment.
Advice: Hygienic Questions – Study in China
Never leave the school without toilet paper in your pocket. Learn the Chinese words for toilet (ce suo), male (nan), and female (nü).
Once you get tired of Chinese food, the only real escape is DICO’s at Guang Chang. Ask Mr. Li Chen for details.
Avoid eating in your room. The rat problem is probably gone, but food in your room can attract them again.
Get used to the idea of being in a third-world environment. If you think you can’t deal with dirty public toilets and life without pizza, you should consider a more expensive school in Beijing or Shanghai instead of Yun Cheng.
Quick Links
Laundry
Medical care, health and insurance
Where is the school located?
How is the climate
Racism in China
Visa questions
Preparing to go to China
Will somebody pick me up in Beijing?
Money questions
Can I get a discount?
Sightseeing
Contact the school
Contact Mavi
The only shoe you’ll ever need. Ideal for wushu and acrobatics on hard ground, and perfect for overall foot health.
#barefootshow
#wideshoebox
