Life in China
Read First
In Gulun Kung Fu, you have the rare combination of deep, internal depth and clear communication and organisation.
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.
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.
Getting Here
The address: 会善寺西800米路北800米古轮禅院. You can also search ‘Gulun Chanyuan’ on Didi.
It is a 90-minute taxi ride from Zhengzhou Airport. Use Google Flights or Skyscanner to find the best route to Zhengzhou – likely via a major Chinese city.
To book a taxi, the cheapest and easiest way is to copy-paste the address above into a ride-hailing app such as Amap or Didi.
This will cost around 200 RMB. Taxi drivers will likely ask you to pay an additional amount of around 50 RMB above the fare stated in the app to cover a road toll (‘gao su fei’). Don’t worry – they’re not trying to rip you off!
If you hail a taxi, it will likely cost around 300 RMB.
Contacts and Addresses
Two years of local knowledge in one document.
Download our guide to Dengfeng — massage places, taxi drivers, supermarkets, hospitals, acupuncturists, restaurants, saunas, tea houses, and more. Includes clickable Amap links and WeChat contacts you can add directly.
Staying Here
Rooms are equipped with air conditioning and hot water.
You stay in a clean, modern dormitory for a maximum of four people. It would be unusual for there to be more than two others in your room.
Regarding food, vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are available. 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 the our academy. See first photo on the left below. 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 (about 117-133 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
1 Bedroom / 1 Living Room
1–2 days – ¥280/day
7+ days – ¥196/day
30+ days – ¥2500/mo
2 Bedrooms / 1 Living Room
1–2 days – ¥380/day
7+ days – ¥266/day
30+ days – ¥300/mo
Price
Fees include training, food and accommodation, and are as follows:
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | 350 yuan |
| 1 month | 7000 yuan |
| 2–3 months | 6500 yuan |
| 4–6 months | 6000 yuan |
| 7–9 months | 5500 yuan |
| 10+ months | 5000 yuan |
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.
Example, 6-month stay:
Month 1 — 7,000 yuan (1-month rate)
Month 2 — the rate drops to 6,500. Total due so far: 2 × 6,500 = 13,000. Already paid 7,000, so this month is 6,000.
Month 4 — the rate drops to 6,000. Total due: 4 × 6,000 = 24,000. Already paid 13,000, so the next payment brings you up to 24,000.
Final month — whatever's left on the balance.
The final amount is the same either way.
How do I pay?
Payment is made to Lijuan, Shifu's daughter, on arrival.
Three methods:
Alipay — works, but incurs a 3% fee.
Bank transfer — usually the cheapest. Fees vary by bank; Wise tends to be lowest (around €8 flat). Revolut also works well. Send euros or dollars, not RMB.
Name: Wu Lijuan
Account: 6217 8580 0009 7089 137
SWIFT: BKCHCNBJ530
Bank: Bank of China, Henan Branch
Cash — accepted on arrival.
Essential Apps
Download before you leave.
Click the arrow-buttons to scroll for more.
Visa
The visa process for China is straightforward.
Short stays (under 30 days): Tourist visa (L visa). Note: Some nationalities can enter China without a visa for 30 days. Check online.
Medium stays (1-3 months): Cultural exchange visa (F visa)
Longer stays (up to 6 months): Study visa (X2 visa). (Please note that the school currently cannot process 1-year study visas (X1), but you can apply for another X2 visa when your first one expires.)
Note: 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.
Some countries offer 2-year multiple entry visas (e.g., Britain)—unlimited entries, max 120 days per stay.
How to apply:
Follow these 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.
Include: gender, visa type, dates, passport number
Check the requirements carefully and ensure you have all documentation before your visa appointment
If you want to stay long-term, you can do so easily by leaving the country to get a new visa before coming back. You can stay indefinitely using this strategy.
SIM Cards & Internet
Option 1: eSIM (Simple)
Download an eSIM before arrival such as Jetpac or Airalo.
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 atht ehtop 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.
Rent a server: Go to a provider like BandwagonHost and buy an "E-Commerce VPS" plan. This specific tier is important because it includes premium "CN2 GIA" network routing, which gives you an uncongested path into China for fast video streaming.
Install Ubuntu: In your server's control panel, install the Ubuntu operating system. It will give you an IP address and a password.
Install the dashboard: Use your AI guide to connect to your server and install a free, open-source control panel called "3X-UI". This installs a visual web dashboard so you do not have to use code.
Configure the connection: Log into your new dashboard and create a connection using the "VLESS" protocol and the "Reality" security setting.
Connect your devices: The dashboard will generate a configuration link. Download an app called Shadowrocket (for iOS/Mac) or Hiddify (for Android/Windows), paste the link into the app, and connect.
Option 1: Use a Reliable Commercial VPN If you absolutely do not want to set up your own server, you must download a working commercial VPN before you arrive. Please be prepared for occasional connection outages as the firewall updates. The two most reliable options currently are:
Money
Everyone uses QR code payments in China.
You cannot use physical foreign cards to make payments.
So, before arriving:
Download WeChat and Alipay (ensure back-up)
Link your bank card (if you have multiple cards, add all of them as there can be security issues)
Alipay: Account > Bank Card > Add Bank Card
WeChat: Me > Services > Wallet > Bank Cards > Add Bank Card. Note that you may need to upload your passport details before you can use this service, and verification can take up to 24 hours.
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 now all accept foreign cards.
Summary: Pre-Departure Checklist
Essential Steps
Download apps: WeChat, Alipay, Google Translate, Amap, Didi China
Link your bank card to Alipay and WeChat. Notify bank of China travel if your bank is old school
Download eSIM or VPN (before arriving!)
Email Li Juan at wugulunacademy@hotmail.com for visa invitation letter. Her telephone number in China is: 15937138860
Save school address in Chinese on phone: 会善寺西800米路北800米古轮禅院
Nice to Have
Download Taobao for shopping
Download EZ Screen Translator (iPhone)
Learn to say "hello" and your country in Chinese
Questions? Email Li Juan at wugulunacademy@hotmail.com. We're here to help make your China experience smooth and enjoyable.
For your convenience, here is a zip file of all the downloadable files on this page:
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:
放松 (Fàngsōng) — Relax 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
Download Anki (free): https://apps.ankiweb.net
Download the Anki file attached to below
Open Anki → File → Import → select the file
Also attached below is a PDF with all the vocabulary.
If you are serious about learning Mandarin, in particular studying Chinese characters, the Mandarin Blueprint is the best resource.