Studying mandarin chinese in cities close to Beijing

[Guest phantom1987]

I plan on coming to China for few month and need to improve my chinese, and i want to study somewhere close to Beijing(Tianjin,Tangshan,Chengde,Zhangjiakou,Baoding,Langfang,Qinhuangdao etc) I wonder if anyone has experience studying chinese in any of those cities. If you can share your experience of living and studying in any of those cities, please share

P.S. Interested in prices, local language pecularities and availability of professional chinese tutors. Any other info is also welcome

Thanks in advance, Andrey

[Elaine Wang]

I think TianJin is the most prosperous in the cities you mentioned.

And I think Tianjin Foreign Language Institute, and TianJin Normal University are good.

[XiaoXi]

I second the vote for Tianjin. Its certainly the nearest and most major city to Beijing. The people are a hell of a lot nicer too. I just enrolled at Tianjin Normal university which is supposed to be very good.

[jobin]

Go baoding! Great small city, unpretentious and bike friendly. One hour from BJ, yet far from the hassles and high costs of the capital and other 'modern' skyscraper towns. Learn chinese at hebei university, lots of foreign students from asia, no. america, some europe, : let me tell you that all instruction of students in china, whatever the subject, and from where ever the student originates, is brutal rote memory and minimal teacher concern. The techer is the page turner, you keep up or don't. All chinese language, in nearly all schools, is geared to the HSK test and never towards 'communication' or street speaking. So the univ here is ok, lots of good teachers, some retired can offer good tutoring help. Also students of 'chinese language for foreigners' available, cheaper than BJ.

Lots of good, cheap local food, the 'donkey burger' a speciality. All other amenities here too like McDs. KFC. Bath houses, sauna and spa, with attendant services, widely found at low cost.