About Our Academy:

Founded in 2017, Xi'an Hantang Culture Online Academy is one of the major projects undertaken by The Open University of Xi’an (OUX) in the development plan of the Xi'an Municipal People’s Government under “the Belt & Road” initiative. As one of OUX’s secondary schools, the Academy seizes the opportunity of achieving the “great development of Xi’an”, and sets the goal of building a glamorous Xi’an with “rich culture and lasting appeal” to inherit and develop the Xi’an-centered culture of the Han and Tang dynasties based on the “Internet Plus” education concept. At the same time, rich online Chinese learning resources is provided to Chinese learners globallyin order to continuously promote broader, higher-level, and deeper people-to-people exchange between people from countries and regions along “the Belt and Road”.

About Our City:

Xi'an, called Chang'an in ancient times, located in the middle of the Guanzhong Plain of Northwest China, is the capital city of Shaanxi province. Xi'an is one of the three international metropolises and the 9th National  Central City designated by China's central government. In 2019, Xi’an, as the only representative of China and the Asia Pacific region, was  successfully elected to be the co-presidency of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) with the city Mayer, Mr. Li Mingyuan, as the co-president.. In 2020, the over one trillion yuan GDP of Xi’an made the city the first to rank into the “One Trillion Yuan GDP” cities in northwest China. By 2021, it has been named “ the Happiest City in China” seven years in a row.

Introduction:

      This camp aims to promote overseas Chinese language education, help foreign students of Chinese origin learn Chinese language and have a general knowledge of China’s national conditions, and arouse their interests in Chinese culture. Students’ interests in Chinese language learning will be simulated through courses about Chinese language and culture. They will be guided to understand the profound traditional Chinese culture as well as the fast developing China. 

Curriculum: 

    1. 30 Lectures on Chinese Characters: This course is designed for beginners. The basic strokes, components, and Chinese characters with the combination of these strokes and components will be introduced. Students will have the basic knowledge of Chinese characters and learn to write simple characters by following the teaching videos. This course will lay a foundation for students in future Chinese language learning.

Class hour: 20 lectures, 10min/lecture. 

    2. Mini-Lectures: Chinese for Traveling in Xi’an: With a virtual character-John-an international student as the hero, this course is more like a v-log series of John’s 30-day journey in Xi’an. He and his Chinese friends Xiaotang, Xixi, and a teacher Mr. Wen spent their days in scenic and historical sites of Xi’an and spoke Chinese during visit. In each video, the cultural and historical background of a certain spot is introduced, together with the context-based spoken-Chinese teaching.

Class hour: 25 videos, 5min/video.  

   3. Let’s Master Chinese: Get a New Skill: This course introduces and displays different traditional folk customs, culture, and arts of China. Students can appreciate the delicate folk arts in Xi’an, get the knowledge about the origin of each art form, and learn the art skills by following the teaching videos. Through this course, students will gradually understand the profoundness of traditional Chinese culture. This course will inspire students in exploring the similarities and differences between their own culture and the Chinese culture, so as to enhance culture exchange and communication and improve students’ interests in Chinese language learning.

Class hour: 8 lectures, 5min/lecture.