Studying at Huayang Academy in Dali is a very relaxed experience compared to a language study at a university. The people and the city are very laid back. The school itself is very clean and the people working there are very helpful. After arrival you will be guided in the process of getting a visa/residence permit/medical examination or what else kind of documents you might need.

Accomodation at the school works great as a basis upon which to explore and get to know the city. I stayed at the school for the first month so I didn't have to worry about accomodation while I settled in and got used to living in a foreign country. After the first month I found a place of my own in Dali Old Town. Finding rooms is relatively easy, but the school will provide help if you need it.

While studying in Dali I opted for the group class. At the moment this class consists of three people, including myself, which means every student gets a lot of attention. The class itself is relatively easy going, you won't get pushed too hard. You will have one tracher who will guide you through the lessons of the textbook and provide additional information where necessary.

Dali has beautiful scenery both nature and culture wise. The old town has many bars and restaurants to choose from and nature is always close by with the mountains to the west en lake Erhai to the east.

Overall I would recommend Huayang Academy in Dali if you're looking for a relaxed way of studying Chinese outside of the big cities.

My wife and I have been studying here in Dali for approximately eighteen months and are very happy with the school. Both management and teaching staff are friendly, helpful, and professional. They hold occasional activities such as barbecues etc which is good for interacting with native Chinese speakers, and with other students at different levels. We take one on two classes, so can choose what we want to study, and the pace we would like to go which has turned out well.
On the whole, a good school with good staff in a beautiful part of China.

I am a current student of Huayang in Dali, and have studied here for around 3 months already. My experience here so far has been great, and I plan to study here for at least one more semester.

The school is fairly small but nice, set in a pretty traditional house with a big bright courtyard. Inside are several clean and bright classrooms and also the dorm rooms where I stayed for the first two months. The dorm rooms are comfortable, all with ensuite bathrooms, but most students prefer to find their own accommodation in the old town, as I did recently. (During this time the school were extremely helpful and came with me to check my new accommodation, check and sign the contract etc.) There is also a well equipped kitchen at the school for those who stay in the dorms to use, even including a small oven.

The staff at Huayang Dali are all very kind and helpful, and because of the small amount of students studying there they will always have time to listen to and help students if needed. My teacher, Ella, is the best teacher I have ever had for Chinese (due to her modern and fun teaching style), and I have studied for 4 years already in the past.

Dali is an incredible place to live, the old town is beautiful and full of life, there you can drink, eat, shop and listen to live music. The people here are very interesting, and it has been easy to make friends with Chinese people here thanks to the slow pace of life (everyone has time to talk!). The scenery is beautiful and the air is fresh, and there are many opportunities to get out and enjoy the nature.

My advice to the school would be to include more cultural activities for students outside of class time if possible to provide more opportunities to get to know each other and the Chinese culture.

Overall, I'd recommend studying here to anyone who wants to slow down a little and enjoy a fairly quiet but still exciting and interesting place to study Chinese.

Studied at Huayang Academy Kunming while learning Chinese in China for two months. I wanted to study in Lijiang aswell but after visiting Dali and Lijiang over the holiday I settled on Dali.

Huayang Academy -
Huayang is a great school and is very well looked after by Lori in Kunming ( Visa/accommodation/Bank card etc. ) Found their communication better than other schools in the area that answered Yes/No and didn't seem to have time.

Teaching is great, 4,000rmb for a semester of group class is an amazing price with X1 Visa. But don't be foolish enough to think this is going to help you much. You cannot expect to learn Chinese for 4,000rmb but it is a good starting point.

I took 1 on 1 classes and did my homework at school where I was surrounded by people willing to help me.

Dali is an amazing place to learn. In the mornings I learned with my great teachers in the campus right near the old town and by night I could be practicing with tourists in a Western bar eating pizza or in a Chinese hostel having great conversations with people from all over the country.

Definitely worth spending money on extra lessons as the cost of living is so low. I studied in Guilin and for one month there I can stay in Dali for 6 months with more lessons!

Just spend two weeks in Dali campus of Huayang and now back at the Kunming campus. I was expecting Dali and Kunming to be quite similar but they are actually very different. Dali is very laid back and more like a beautiful European coastal city. Really loved it and that there was many Chinese travellers really helped with practicing Chinese. The location of the school near the 3 towers is a great location near the old city