Studying Chinese in the Summer? Peking University vs National Taipei University (UCEAP)

Hi everyone! In this session, I want to compare the Chinese Language Immersion Summer Programs UCEAP offers – one in Beijing at Peking University and one in Taipei at National Taiwan University. While this article is targeted for UC students who are thinking of applying via UCEAP to study/learn Chinese in the summer, this article is also for anyone who wants to learn more and decide which location may be a better option (please double check with your study abroad advisor for exact requirements and such for full confirmation). You can view the program link for Peking here and National Taipei University here.

*Disclaimer: For costs, I have filtered to in state California student, undergraduate (NOT graduate level), and 2026-2027 cohort. If you are a out of state or international student at UCs who is planning to do a UCEAP program, the costs will be higher than the numbers I have below.

*I also created a video briefly covering what I mentioned in this article. Please click here to view the video.

Chinese Summer Program at Peking overview:

1. Academics: Expect Chinese (simplified Chinese characters) only for your two courses focused on writing, reading, listening, and speaking.
2. Courses & Credit: 4 levels offered starting from basic to advanced (if you do not have prior Chinese language skills, you can start from Basic), Course must be taken for letter grade (pass/no pass option not available), Attendance is VERY IMPORTANT (if you miss more than 25% of overall class attendance, you will either recieve a lower grade or fail your course), and exams dates may not be adjusted (though you must speak with the instructor and our study center to see if it’s possible as early as possible).
3. Academic Culture & Exams: Classes every day from Monday to Friday, 4 hour classes (8AM-12PM for example), but there is usually a minimum of 10 minute break between each hour(9:00AM – 9:10AM). Class size is around 15 students (could be more or less), and classmates will be diverse from all backgrounds and nationalities. For exams, you can expect one mid term and one final exam with sporadic quizzes and there is a good chance you may not know your grade until the program ends (uncommon to ask or know grades in advance).
4. Important Note & Restrictions: You can either do an online self-assessment to determine language level or let the university decide for you. You may be able to switch levels if you feel that the course content does not fit your level (must consult with instructor as soon as possible, ideally first day of instruction or the first few days). Another important restriction: This language program is NOT ELIGIBLE to both native OR heritage speakers (an individual who learned a language informally at home). If you are a Chinese heritage speaker and speak Mandarin (or other Chinese dialects) at home, please consult and double check with your study abroad advisor if this will affect your application.
5. Housing: Student dorms at Zhongguan Xinyuan Global village (dorm for international students) located across the east gate of Peking University, around a 10 minute walk. Onsite facilities include fitness center, garden, front desk support. Students will have their own bedroom, while the small living space and bathroom area is shared. Housemate will either be a fellow UC classmate or international student studying at Peking University. No meal plan available.
6. Cost: Depending on which UC campus you are located, overall estimated program fees cost will vary. But you can expect the total cost to be around $11,100 – $12,000 (may need to add buffer if you expect to spend more on other personal costs)

Chinese Summer Program Overview at Taipei (National Taiwan University):

*The 2025 Chinese Language syllabus can be found here and 2025 Exploring Taiwan course syllabus can be found here.

1. Academics: Expect 1 Chinese intensive course (traditional Chinese characters) on reading, writing, speaking, listening, and 1 course taught in English about Exploring Taiwan.
2. Courses & Credit: Chinese course only can be taken for letter grade and Exploring Taiwan can be taken for letter grade or pass/no pass. Attendance is also VERY important, so low attendance can result in a lower/failing grade.
3. Academic Culture & Exams: Expect Chinese language course to be intensive and concentrates on developing Chinese writing, listening, reading, and speaking skills. Classes are around 3 hours long with a short break between each hour and class size is around 4-10 students. Exploring Taiwan is an introduction to the Culture of Taiwan offers a series of lectures, cultural activities, and excursions to look at Taiwan’s geography, society, and culture.
4. Important Note & Restrictions: You may expect an assessment (self) or have the university decide the course level based on your Chinese language learning history. You may be able to switch levels if you feel that the course content does not fit your level (must consult with instructor as soon as possible). Another important restriction: This language program is NOT ELIGIBLE to native speakers. If you are a native speaker or consider yourself a heritage speaker who may classified as native, please consult and double check with your study abroad advisor if this will affect your application.
5. Housing: Two options – NTU arranged housing or self arranged housing. Depending on the choice of housing, the location is between walking or short public transportation distance. You may have either your own room or share a room, and will share common areas and bathroom. House/room mated are either international or local students. No meal plan available.
6. Cost: Depending on which UC campus you are located, overall estimated program fees cost will vary. But you can expect the total cost to be around $11,400 – $12,400 (may need to add buffer if you expect to spend more on other personal costs)

Now you may be thinking…. which one is better? You can consider the following below that will aid into your decision:

1. Cost: One of the biggest factors for students deciding which program to apply – We do see the Taipei program at least a few hundred dollars more expensive, with housing and UCEAP fees higher. UCEAP- Peking wins for being the more affordable program in comparison.
2. Scholarships: There are various scholarships including the UCEAP Global Study scholarship, Boren, Critical Language, and other flagship programs. Unfortunately, post COVID and increased tension between US-China relations is causing a shift – we are seeing less scholarship funding initiatives for mainland China programs and some scholarship organizations are switching scholarship delegation from mainland China to Taiwan. Therefore, scholarship opportunities in mainland China (Beijing), while not impossible to receive, is relatively more scarce than ever. While it is difficult to say which program has an upper hand with systematic rules changing time to time, Taiwan is seeing more international students than mainland China post COVID.
3. Overall Program Requirements & Quality: Students have different purposes and reasoning on the programs they choose. While students may find the Chinese intensive program in Beijing more rewarding, some students may want a overall balanced package of learning both Chinese and about the society, geography, politics, etc taught in English. If you
4. Chinese Language, Efficiency vs Business vs History : Students who learn Chinese in school or at UCs will most likely learn simplified Chinese characters (less strokes) with the Hanyu Pinyin system. In Taiwan, traditional Chinese characters (more strokes) are still being used til this day (along with Hong Kong and Macau). For overall efficient learning process, simplified Chinese may be the preferred one, especially with other pros of it is used more in business Chinese settings with clients/businesses mainly from mainland China, and is also used in Singapore/Malaysia, and seeing more presence in other Chinese community centers. On the other hand, traditional Chinese characters is seen more as art and the longer, complicated strokes represent the beauty and evolution of Chinese characters (ancient Chinese script is based on traditional Chinese). In some cases, students may learn simplified and traditional at the same time, thus this leaves the preference of location, overall program quality and other factors in mind.
5. Attractions: Beijing and Taipei both offer fantastic mix of historical-traditional and modern sites for people to discover and visit. Since Beijing and mainland China in general may offer more variety of opportunities for students to explore other parts of China, Beijing probably has the upper hand. In terms of amusement parks, there are less variety of amusement parks in Taiwan, while mainland China has both Universal Studios in Beijing and Disneyland in Shanghai.
6. Food: Beijing and Taipei offer rich experience in their cuisine; in Beijing, you have Peking Roasted Duck and northern Chinese cuisine heavy on dumplings, noodles, steamed buns, yellow congee, while in Taipei you get to explore mix of Taiwanese/Hakka with some influence from Japan with the famous bubble tea, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), beef noodles, and last but not least; night markets.

Conclusion:

Now that you see the more detailed info and comparison/contrast, I hope this may give you a better idea on what program may fit you more. If we really wanna see which program has the clear advantage, here is the breakdown which I have tried to do (I really did):

1. Academics = EQUAL (Peking focuses more on Chinese immersion while National Taiwan University is more balanced on Chinese immersion and culture and other areas)
2. Program Cost = Peking (overall cheaper by around a few hundred dollars)
3. Housing = Peking (more straightforward and only 10 minute walk from campus, no need to take public transportation)
4. Scholarships = NTU (These days, Taipei has the upper hand in Chinese scholarships)
5. Less Restrictions for heritage speakers = NTU (heritage speakers may have a higher chance being accepted, especially if their command of Mandarin is not up to standard with native speakers)
6. Language Efficiency, History, Business = TIE (this may be controversial, but I believe it depends on the learner themselves; different perspectives exist as some could find traditional Chinese characters more convenient to learn though simplified Chinese speeds up the process)
7. Attractions: Peking (With more famous attractions like Universal studios in Beijing, Beijing has the upper hand)
8. Food: TIE (depends on preference)
9. TBD

Ok, too many aspects to compare and see which option has the upper hand. The reality is that there is no correct answer on the perfect program and you could consider other factors that determine which program you apply for. Despite the ranking above, what I recommend assuming if cost is not a big hinderance: if you prefer a mix of traditional and some modern with entertainment, and prefer the ease of upskilling your simplified Chinese characters, you can choose Beijing. If you prefer something more some traditional and nature ecosystem focused areas (lakes, the sea), mountains, night markets, upskilling your traditional Chinese characters, or just interested in Taiwan more in general, you can choose Taipei.

I hope you found this little insider guide helpful. If you have other ideas and opinions, please let me know and I’ll see you next week for the next edition of East & Weast!

Best,

Mason

East & Weast

Chief Editor