◆Text by Yin Xing

Photographs by Duan Wei

International visitors and expats are now commonly seen on the streets and in the businesses of Beijing. Yet, I was still surprised when I came across dozens of foreigners chatting in Chinese in the courtyard of a winding hutong (a narrow lane). The day was bright and sunny when I paid my first visit to Hutong School in the Shuangsi Hutong, just off Beijing’s North Second Ring Road. The school’s traditional courtyard is typical of its kind in the city, with reaching grape vines and pigeons flying overhead.

Calligraphy class.

There were three to five students in each class. Situation simulating, spelling and pronunciation brought these foreign students into the world of the Chinese language.

“We founded the school in 2005 in response to the growing demand of Western students and young professionals seeking internships and Chinese language courses in Beijing,” said Jiao Yu, principal of the School. “For most foreign students, China remains a mysterious oriental nation. One of the students even asked me if he should bring a portable toilet with him when he came to China. When he arrived at the new terminal at Beijing Capital International Airport, T-3, I thought he must now know how ridiculous was that question.”

When asked why they want to learn Chinese and come to China, many of the foreign students mentioned kung fu. “When I was 14, my father brought me to China because we both love Chinese kung fu,” Canadian Travis Joern told me. “That passion remains today. I have learned baguazhang (Eight Diagrams Palm) with a Chinese master. I’m now advancing my Chinese language and better understanding China in order to write a comic book on Chinese martial arts.”

Language study is just one element of Hutong School. The fact that some foreigners know of China but don’t understand China is due to not only language barriers, but also cultural disparities. So the Hutong School holds many activities for the purpose of bridging the cultural gap, including calligraphy classes, drama performances of Chinese literary works, cooking class and social practices.

I came across the “Ancient Clothing Show” of Hutong School on the day of my visit. Garbed in clothes of the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the foreign students were enjoying themselves, even though they did not know the difference between the clothes of different dynasties. The school provided them with a primary introduction to ancient Chinese dress. “At first I thought it was a Japanese kimono, but it turned out to be the clothes of the Tang Dynasty. I learned that the Tang style of dress was introduced to Japan and evolved into the kimono,” says German Ellen Schreiber.

“We try to introduce them to tangible things like food, clothes and daily utilities, as well as people, to help them understand Chinese culture,” says Qu Lei, a Chinese teacher at Hutong School. “The Chinese writing brush, for example, is often hung on the wall. For them it is no more than a decoration. In our calligraphy class, they write with the brush pens. They find it difficult to handle the brush and understand why a piece of calligraphy is worth so much.”

Students practice tai ch.

Borei Eng of France is a fan of Weiqi (the Chinese name for the game of Go). Every night, he has a standing date with the store proprietor in the neighboring hutong. After dinner, they always play the game together until midnight. Over the past few months, Borei Eng progressed in not only Chinese, but also Weiqi skills. While Imo Berman, a young woman from the U.K., is a fan of doufunao (uncongealed bean curd), which she buys from a small booth in Shuangsi Hutong. It has become her favorite food in Beijing and is a fixed dish on her breakfast menu.

Some foreign students determine to settle down in Beijing after studying at the Hutong School. The reason why they chose to stay could be based on a small thing, like a snack, a scenic spot or an experience. A young Swiss woman, Margot Vera Jann, who took the Chinese name of Yang Xiaoman, is among them. It is not a short distance from her dorm to the Hutong School, but Yang Xiaoman likes to walk each day. Wherever she goes, she takes photos. In her lens are captured everyday items, including aired shoes on the window, birdcages hung on the tree and clothes on the line. “I’ve fallen in love with Beijing. I’d like to stay here forever.”

Cooking class is one of the most popular classes at Hutong School. Before preparation, students must purchase goods at the local market. They bargain with the vendors and learn the Chinese names of every kind of vegetable. And then, according to Chinese teacher’s recipe, students prepare their Chinese dishes.

“Our course is individual-oriented. For instance, in advanced class, a law student interested in Chinese law will have a Chinese teacher majoring in law. Hundreds of students from over 30 nations have studied at our school,” says Jiao Yu, the principal. “I dare not say our school helped those students master the Chinese language and eliminate all cultural misunderstandings. But we try our best to introduce to them the real China. We only hope that when they return to their own land and are asked about China, they will use words like ‘special’ and ‘unique’, rather than ‘strange’ and ‘weird’.”