CLI Holiday Party: Ringing in the New Year!

CLI Holiday Party: Ringing in the New Year!The CLI Team December 13, 2023CLI News Learn Chinese in China or on Zoom and gain fluency in Chinese!Join CLI and learn Chinese with your personal team of Mandarin teachers online or in person at the CLI Center in Guilin, China. Students, teachers, and other festive members of the CLI community celebrated the holiday season this week with a hotpot feast fit for a Qing emperor. As the name suggests, Chinese hotpot is a big hot pot full of broth. Normally, a group of at least three or four happy, hungry souls gather around their hot pot (the more, the merrier) and add their favorite meats and veggies into the broth, talking and watching their food cook to perfection. This interactive community-style cooking was perfect for conjuring up the holiday spirit at CLI. Leona, one of CLI's Mandarin instructors, is proud of CLI’s Christmas tree After filling their bellies with holiday cheer, attendees moved the party to CLI’s legendary first floor recreation room for games and gifts. Students had the opportunity to give their Chinese language skills the ultimate test with a few rounds of Charades. And, in the name of cultural fusion, CLI provided the winning team with the fruits of their victory: Chinese candy. Angie gives instructions for bilingual Charades Powered by Chinese sweets, CLIers had more than enough energy for a White Elephant gift exchange. The rules of a traditional White Elephant gift exchange allow for the gift givers to “steal” a gift that has already been opened. But regardless of who “stole” what, everyone ended up taking home something special. Sean, a CLI student, is clearly delighted with his gift As the CLI festivities came to a close, some students decided to go to Cats and Rabbits, a local Guilin pub, to end the night with some celebratory cocktails. The biggest surprise of the night came when the local Guilin television station came to interview students and staff for a holiday news segment. Check out the video on YouTube here. Despite being far away from friends and family, CLI students still enjoyed the warmth of the holiday season by putting a unique spin on their traditional celebrations. And the richness of new perspectives made this special time all the more memorable. The CLI TeamThe Chinese Language Institute (CLI) is a center for Chinese language and cultural studies based in Guilin, China. Founded in 2009, CLI has hosted over 5,000 students from more than 50 countries and maintains a 4.95 out of 5.00 rating on GoOverseas. CLI's team includes Chinese language educators, program managers, and China specialists holding advanced degrees in Chinese studies, teaching Chinese as a foreign language, education, and related fields. Articles published under The CLI Team draw on the collective expertise of this group, informed by years of experience designing and delivering Chinese language immersion programs in Guilin and across China. Free 30-minute Trial LessonFree 30-minute Trial Lesson Continue Exploring CLI News CLI 2025 Year in Review: 36,000 Hours, 35 Countries, One Community CLI News Guilin 马到成功: CLI Upgrades Student Living Facilities for the Year of the Horse CLI News Travel China What Are the Best VPNs for China in 2026? CLI News The New York Times Goes to Guilin CLI News CLI Online Student Wins USA Memory Championship CLI News The Ben Hedges Interview CLI News Former CLI Student Gives TED Speech CLI News Jack Ma Speaks with Charlie Rose CLI News Happy Halloween from CLI 1 2 3 … 5 Next » ✕Join the CLI community and learn Chinese in China!Based in scenic Guilin, China, CLI is a leading center for Chinese language and cultural studies.Learn OnlineLearn in China CloseMessage us on WeChatIn WeChat on your phone, tap + then Scan, and point it at this code.Take a screenshot of this code. In WeChat, tap + then Scan and choose it from your album.Press and hold the code and choose the option to scan it.Then tap Follow and send us a message.We reply Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM Beijing time.