Before You Arrive
The following guide will save the average visitor at least 10 hours of confusion upon arrival – time that could be spent practising Kung Fu or enjoying China.
Advice from Shifu Wu Nanfang
Shifu talks about how you can grasp this special opportunity to learn traditional internal Kung Fu.
A must-watch for anybody interested in training here in China.
Please take these steps before you arrive. In particular, steps relating to SIM card, VPN (Let’s VPN is the best) and payment are easier to take at home than after you arrive.
If you have questions, email Li Juan at wugulunacademy@hotmail.com. We’re here to help make your China experience smooth and enjoyable.
The Academy
The Welcome Pack
Most of what people ask us in their first week is already answered here. Read it before you arrive and you’ll land on your feet.
Getting Here
Use Google Flights or Skyscanner to find the best route to Zhengzhou – likely via a major Chinese city such as Shanghai or Guangzhou.
Staying Here
Rooms are equipped with air conditioning and hot water. You stay in a clean, modern dormitory for a maximum of four people.
Our rooms have been recently renovated. They are clean, with air conditioning, hot water and wifi. Most of the time you will have a room to yourself; even in busier times, it would be highly unusual for you to share a room with more than two others.
Regarding food, vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are available. All food is from the local farmer’s market. A 20-minute walk away, there is a shop where you can buy fruit and other food.
Outside Accommodation
If you prefer to stay in a more comfortable single room, we can arrange for you to stay in a nearby hotel that is a serene 20-minute walk from our academy. The fees for this hotel are 3,500 to 4,000 yuan per month (depending if you choose to include breakfast, dinner, and/or laundry). The daily rate is pro rated accordingly at around 125 yuan per day.
A third option is an apartment building 5km from the academy. The landlord is an extremely generous and kind man. All apartments have a bathroom, kitchen, washing machine and living room.
You would need to (1) take a taxi to the academy and back (about 15–20 yuan each way); or (2) rent an electric scooter for 50 yuan a day or buy one second-hand for about 1,500 yuan.
Apartment Rates
| Apartment | 1–2 days | 7+ days | 30+ days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bed / 1 living room | ¥280/day | ¥196/day | ¥2,500/mo |
| 2 beds / 1 living room | ¥380/day | ¥266/day | ¥3,000/mo |
Price
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | 350 yuan |
| 1 month | 7,000 yuan per month |
| 2–3 months | 6,500 yuan per month |
| 4–6 months | 6,000 yuan per month |
| 7–9 months | 5,500 yuan per month |
| 10+ months | 5,000 yuan per month |
The longer the stay, the lower the monthly rate. Staying in outside accommodation (a nearby hotel or apartment) reduces the rate by 500 yuan per month, or 50 yuan per day.
How does payment work if I stay for several months?
Two options: pay up front, or pay in instalments.
Up front.
Your total is the monthly rate for your full commitment, multiplied by the months. A 6-month stay: 6 × 6,000 = 36,000 yuan.
Instalments.
Each payment is charged at the bracket you’re currently in. As you cross into a longer-stay bracket, the rate drops and the difference comes off future payments.
The final amount is the same either way.
How do I pay?
Payment is made to Li Juan, Shifu’s daughter, on arrival. Three methods:
Visa
Not all embassies accept kung fu schools for X2 visas. However, I successfully obtained X2 visas from Britain, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan and Taiwan but was rejected in Hong Kong.
How to apply
Follow the visa application instructions (please search online for the most current form) and fill out this template invitation letter for a tourist visa. For a study visa, here is a sample template admission letter that you can fill out and email to Li Juan, but please note she may need to adjust the letter according to requirements that change from time to time. Then send them to Li Juan at wugulunacademy@hotmail.com.
SIM Cards & Internet
Option 1: eSIM (simple)
Download an eSIM before arrival such as Jetpac or Airalo. You can also get a good eSIM from Trip via the Alipay app. Not all phones are eSIM compatible — check your phone before purchasing.
Foreign eSIMs bypass VPN requirements. Examples: Ubigi, Airalo, Trip.com (cheaper than the other two — search for “eSIM” in app or website for package options and pricing).
Drawback: you will not have a local phone number for taxi apps, receiving SMS verification codes and installing WeChat. So if you plan to get an eSIM, install WeChat before you come.
Option 2: Local SIM
You can purchase a local SIM card in Dengfeng. Not all stores allow this and it involves more paperwork than buying a SIM card in most countries, so we recommend contacting our recommended contact in the contact list provided at the top of the page.
If you stay long-term, it is helpful to have a local number for TaoBao purchases and SMS verifications.
VPN
Foreign websites like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and possibly your bank are blocked in China. You need a reliable way to access them.
Avoid the most popular commercial VPNs (e.g. Express, Nord, and Surfshark). They are expensive, and because thousands of people share their servers, the Chinese firewall easily detects and blocks them.
Option 1: set up a private server (the bulletproof method).
Recently, even smaller commercial VPNs have become unreliable. The absolute best, bulletproof solution is to set up your own private server. It takes about 20 minutes before you leave home, and because you are the only person using the IP address, it flies completely under the radar. It uses a protocol that disguises your traffic to look exactly like standard, secure web browsing.
Here is a brief overview of how to do it. You do not need to know how to code. Just open an AI chatbot (like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini), paste these steps into it, and ask it to guide you. If you get stuck, take a screenshot of your screen, show it to the AI, and it will tell you exactly what to type or click next.
Option 2: a commercial VPN. Let’s VPN is the best of the commercial options. Speedcat also works.
Money
So, before arriving: download WeChat and Alipay (ensure back-up), and link your bank card. If you have multiple cards, add all of them as there can be security issues.
Modern banks (Wise, Revolut) work without issues. Notify old-school banks about China travel before you arrive – many foreign guests have had issues with old-school banks blocking payments in China. You can set up an account with Wise or Revolut very quickly.
Cash exists but is rare. ATMs almost all accept foreign cards.
Summary: Pre-Departure Checklist
Essential Steps
Nice to Have
Questions? Email Li Juan at wugulunacademy@hotmail.com. We’re here to help make your China experience smooth and enjoyable.
Chinese for Kung Fu
Many people come out here to China and want to learn basic Chinese so they can understand what Shifu and the teachers are saying. I’ve made this set of 140 flashcards covering both survival/daily life and kung fu principles and key vocabulary, so you can follow what the teacher is saying in class.
If you learn 2 per day, in three months you’ll understand about 70% of the basic instructions given here.
I’ve used AI to create a mnemonic for each flashcard. A mnemonic is a memory hook — it links the sound of the Chinese word to the English meaning through a vivid image or phrase. For example:
A fang drops out of a snake’s mouth mid-song — even serpents relax to music.
The sound “fàng sōng” is hidden inside “fang” and “song”, and the image gives you the meaning. The weirder the picture, the faster you remember.
How to Use
If you are serious about learning Mandarin, in particular studying Chinese characters, the Mandarin Blueprint is the best resource.