What's YourGuilin Story?

每个人都带着自己的故事来到桂林 山水之间 A CLI Student Video Project What's YourGuilin Story? 你的桂林故事是什么？ Every student who walks through our doors carries a story worth telling. We'd love to help you tell yours. 缘 The First Story We Featured In 2025, Katie Siu joined CLI in Guilin for a one-year work-study program. Katie had followed our newsletter for years before applying — she was born in Guilin in 1994, adopted at age two by a family in New Jersey, and had always wanted to return to her birth city to learn Chinese.During her time here, she sat down on camera and told that story. Katie's video reminded us of something we see every day at CLI but had never put on camera: every student who comes to Guilin has a reason for being here, and those reasons are worth hearing.What's Your Guilin Story? grew directly out of that idea. Katie helped us launch the project, and her video became the first one we made. It's now a small, ongoing project at CLI. Each year, we invite a handful of students to create a short video with us — a story about why they came to Guilin, what Chinese means to them, and the particular thread that makes their time here their own. 序 How It Works A simple video-making process, shaped around your story and your pace 1Team Up with Alex and 小王 XiaowangYou sit down with our video producer, Alex, and our videographer, 小王 Xiaowang, to shape the story: why you came to Guilin, why you're learning Chinese, and what makes your experience here worth filming.一起策划 2We Support the ProductionWe help with structure, scheduling, locations, interview prompts, and filming so the process stays manageable. The goal is not to make you perform — it's to help your real story come through on camera.拍摄支持 3We Share the Finished VideoOnce the piece is ready, we can share it across CLI's website, YouTube, Instagram, WeChat, and newsletter — always with clear agreement about where it will appear and how it will be presented.发布分享 What Kind of Story Could You Tell? The strongest student videos usually follow one clear emotional thread and let Guilin do the rest Why I Came to GuilinA short first-person video about the decision to come to China, what drew you to Guilin, and what you hoped language study might change. A Day in My Life in GuilinFollow an ordinary day — class, meals, errands, walks, conversations — and show how daily life in Guilin slowly becomes part of who you are. A Small Journey with a Story ArcBike to Yangshuo. Climb a hill before sunrise. Visit a market with a purpose. Give the video a simple path so viewers feel they're going somewhere with you. A Breakthrough in ChineseTell the story of a moment when the language began to open — a conversation, a class breakthrough, or the first time Guilin started sounding less foreign. Your Personal AngleCooking, climbing, tea, architecture, photography, faith, family history — the most memorable videos often emerge where your own interests meet Guilin. The Story You Didn't ExpectSometimes the best video starts with a feeling you can't fully explain yet. That's enough. We can help you find the shape of it. Interested in Making a Video? Tell us a little about yourself and the kind of story you may want to film. No commitment required. Your NameProgram & Dates Email What kind of video are you imagining?Select anything that feels close — this is just to start the conversationA video about why you came to GuilinA day-in-the-life videoA story about learning Chinese or a breakthrough momentA video built around one personal passion, question, or obsessionA simple journey or mini-adventure in GuilinSomething else — I have a different video idea What's the story thread?What would the video really be about beneath the surface? Even a rough thought is useful. Sharing Preferences Where can CLI share your finished video?You can always change your mind later. We'll confirm before publishing anything.Share freely — CLI may feature the finished video within its networkCLI website (studycli.org)YouTube (CLI channel)Instagram (@studycli)Facebook (facebook.com/studycli)WeChat (Study-CLI)CLI NewsletterI'd prefer not to share publicly Anything else we should know? Send My Interest This isn't a commitment — it's just the start of a conversation about your video. 🎬We received your interestSomeone from the CLI team will be in touch soon. In the meantime, keep noticing Guilin — that's where the best video stories begin. 山水有情 shānshuǐ yǒu qíng Among the mountains and waters, feeling exists. 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.