BEIJING
Beijing’s best, between flights.
Beijing's 15 most popular workshops, side by side. What each one includes, what it costs, and how much of a stopover it takes.
A calm, English-taught Beijing calligraphy class where you learn brush-and-ink skills, key character meanings, and leave with your own piece.
Most Popular“It was a very nice, serene experience! Richard is very patient and encouraging. This class is good for introducing to Chinese culture and philosophy, in my opinion, and I am definitely satisfied”
Learn Chinese calligraphy in a small Beijing class by a patient instructor. Practice brush strokes, posture, and even a calm yin-yang reset.
“Richard was an incredible man to meet on our travels. He was so knowledgeable about the history of China and Calligraphy. We learnt so much from him. He made an extra effort to come and meet us at the subway and offered us some delicious tea and chat upon arrival. My husband and I left…”
Beijing dumpling-making workshop with an English guide. Knead, fill, and pleat, then eat with tea and beer for $35.
“We enjoyed this dumpling making class, it was led by some lovely ladies who demonstrated step by step how to shape the dumplings; they had a lot of patience! The whole afternoon was enjoyable and the dumplings and other dishes were delicious! Would definitely recommend.”
Cook Beijing-style dumplings and other Chinese favorites on Zoom with Chef Miss Li, using a pre-arriving ingredient list tailored to you.
“We had an absolutely amazing cooking class with Sunflower. It was both fun and very informative. We learned how to make authentic dumplings, Kung Pao chicken, and bok choy with mushrooms. We felt like we were in her home in Beijing Read more”
Practice Chinese calligraphy in central Beijing with an English-speaking teacher, learn ink strokes and materials, and take home a mini skill for life.
“Wonderful experience to learn just a little about the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy. My wife, daughter and I learned to do some characters and after we had gotten better we painted the characters on a decorative board that we were able Read more”
Learn Chinese calligraphy near the Forbidden City with an English-speaking teacher in a calm studio. Choose 45 min to 2 hours.
“It was very good and relaxing experience, Richard was so kind! I learned a lot about the culture, and calligraphy in such a short time. I definitely recommend everyone to try and learn to feel🥰”
Train kungfu in a 700-year hutong temple beside the Forbidden City east gate, with English help, Shaolin basics, and practical moves.
Noon calligraphy in Beijing near Wangfujing. Learn Chinese brush strokes with an art teacher. Supplies included, small group, take-home work.
“Richard was very kind and informative during our class. We got lots of practice before our final piece which we got to take home. Highly recommend!”
A private VIP Huangpu River night cruise plus Din Tai Fung xiaolongbao dinner in Shanghai, with hotel pickup and a guide to pace it all.
“Very overpriced. River cruise was nice but pretty generic. The Dim Sum place was a chain and we got there super late, so they were about to close. Minimal explanation from our tour guide about the history of the city.”
Learn Chinese watercolor techniques on a traditional fan in Beijing with a small-group class, then take home your custom fan. $65.
“Li was an excellent instructor, he gave lots of tips and helped us to make the best watercolor painting we could. We liked it so much that we stayed to take another class with him and learn Chinese calligraphy. Great experience, would do again.”
Private tai chi lesson in Beijing near Temple of Heaven. Learn 9-step form, meditation, push hands, and self-massage for $58.
“Eric is a wonderful instructor! I knew nothing about Tai Chi other than it looks beautiful and relaxing. Eric taught me some of the basic concepts in Tai Chi and some of the basic moves in an introductory lesson. He made the lesson interesting and fun. I would highly recommend this lesson to anyone who…”
Learn to make Beijing jian bing from scratch in a private 1.5-hour workshop, guided by Dom, with savory and sweet fillings to customize.
“I did the jian bing workshop with some of my friends in September. It was a ton of fun! I really enjoyed getting to make as many jian bings as I wanted and getting to both make the dough and cook it on the pan myself. I definitely needed a few tries to get the…”
90-minute Chinese Kung Fu class in Beijing near Temple of Heaven: stances, five-stance form, joint locks, and self-defense.
“A great class with impressive surroundings at the temple of heaven. We hugely enjoyed our time spent practising Kung Fu with kung fu master Liu. He was a kind, enthusiastic teacher with great English. It was a defining moment of our trip. ORead more”
Private beginner Tai Chi on the Temple of Heaven grounds with English-speaking masters, 9-step form practice, Qi focus, meditation, and self-massage.
“Great class with Eric he really knew lots about tai chi and helped me and my friend learn ! The location was amazing too on the grounds of the temple of heaven. He took great pics of us. We had a wonderful time would highly recommend.”
A private 4-hour Beijing outing with a hands-on calligraphy lesson, a hutong walk, and dumplings or noodles, with a guide who keeps it calm.
“After very enjoyable and relaxing caligrafy class we went to a very tasty dumpling place. Vegeterian dumplings also available . Very tasty.”
Every landmark, every transfer, and every way to fit it between flights.
