Skip to content

KAOHONGSHU

All about learning Mandarin

  • Starting out
    • What are the pros and cons of learning Chinese?
    • Lingosteve’s wisdom on learning Mandarin
    • Three character traits you need to improve your Chinese skills
    • Knowing your learning style to master Chinese
    • 5 simple things to remove from our lives to focus on Mandarin
    • 5 things we tell ourselves that keep us from studying Chinese
    • 9 things to expect from a good Chinese teacher
    • What has running a marathon to do with learning Chinese?
  • Study
    • 11 things I wish I knew before starting to learn Mandarin
    • “How to learn any language in six months”
    • Learning to write Chinese characters: 7 bad practices you should avoid
    • Learning Mandarin: how to continue after you leave China?
    • “Should you still learn Chinese?”
    • Can you learn Chinese from a textbook?
    • Tutoring platforms: Chinese lessons on a budget?
    • Chineasy vs Uncle Hanzi: two radical approaches to Chinese characters
    • Getting fluent in Mandarin: Underestimating the four tones
    • Should I read Chinese texts above my level?
  • HSK
    • What does your HSK level really tell about your Mandarin skills?
    • My best tips to beat any level HSK test
    • How hard is HSK 6?
    • How long does it take to get HSK 6?
    • How hard is HSK 9?
    • 5 great apps to help you prepare for the HSK exam
  • Resources
    • My 2025 overview of resources for Mandarin Chinese
    • Learning Mandarin the low-budget way
    • 10 Chinese audiobooks for advanced Mandarin learners
    • 10 extremely helpful YouTube channels for learning Mandarin
    • 19 China podcasts to better understand 中国
    • Learning Chinese? 12 BLOGS you should know about
    • Slow listening: boost your vocabulary with Mandarin Corner
  • Tools
    • 5 apps that help you to understand and write Chinese characters
    • Learning Chinese with flashcards: Anki vs Pleco
    • The best pop-up dictionaries for learning Chinese
    • Learning Mandarin: what’s the best Chinese dictionary app?
    • Review: Chinese dictionary app Pleco
    • Chinese dictionary apps: Pleco vs Hanping Lite
    • Pleco flashcards: yes or no?
    • Vocabulary trainer app: Daily Chinese
    • DuShu: a powerful reading tool for Mandarin Chinese
    • 9 great apps to boost your Chinese reading skills
    • Two free online tools to hack Chinese texts
  • Movies
    • Still unbeaten: Journey to the West (1986, TV series)
    • Understanding China and Mandarin with 7 Chinese film classics
    • Love defense wars: 爱情保卫战
    • New show: Granny knows best 奶奶最懂得 (2019, TV series)
    • Women in Shanghai: 上海女子图鉴 (TV series)
    • Film tip: My Ferry / 我的渡口
    • 人生第一次 – The Firsts in Life
    • Chinese dreams (2019): must-watch China doc
    • 10 great movies about rural China
    • The Chinese cultural revolution – in 10 movie classics
  • Music
    • Top 10 Chinese songs for Mandarin beginners
    • 任賢齊 – 心太軟 (1996)
    • 趙傳 – 我是一只小小鸟 (1990)
    • 宋祖英 – 辣妹子 (1998)
    • 张伟进 – 猴哥 (1998)
    • 大壮 – 我们不一样 (2017)
    • 大张伟 – 葫芦娃 (2018)
    • 屠洪刚 – 中国功夫 (1997)
    • 崔健 – 一无所有 (1986)
    • 崔健 – 花房姑娘 (1989)
    • 张国荣 – 倩女幽魂 (1987)
    • 李娜 – 青藏高原 (1994)
    • 王菲 – 你快乐 所以我快乐 (1997)
    • 王菲 – 紅豆 (1998)
    • 腾格尔 – 天堂 (1997)
    • 花儿乐队 – 果汁分你一半 (2006)
    • 蒋大为 – 敢问路在何方 (1986)
    • 费翔 – 故乡的云 (1987)
  • Reviews
    • Improving Chinese reading & writing: one month using maayot – a review
    • Pleco’s graded reader: Journey to the West
    • HSK 6 Chinese graded reader review: The Art of War
    • HSK 6 Chinese Graded reader review: The New Housekeeper
    • Reading above your level: Game of Thrones in Chinese
    • Reading Chinese novels: To Live《活着》
    • Review: John DeFrancis – “Beginning Chinese Reader Part 1”
    • “Dutch Mandarin” Robert van Gulik
  • AI
    • Learning Chinese with ChatGPT – a game changer?
    • Discussing ChatGPT’s learning tips for Chinese learners – from complete beginners to advanced
    • Can ChatGPT be your Chinese language tutor?
    • Chinese text correction: ChatGPT vs professional Chinese teacher
    • Teacher AI for Chinese: innovative but expensive
    • Talkpal: the Chinese teacher you’ve been waiting for? (review)
    • What’s the best AI-voice generator for Chinese?
  • About
  • Bookshop

Welcome on kaohongshu.blog

Kaohongshu leading his dream life in China
Hi there! This is Kaohongshu. When I'm not blogging, I'm probably running, learning Chinese or drinking beer. Cheers!
Follow me on X!

Never miss a post from Kaohongshu!

Enter your email address to subscribe to Kaohongshu.blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Top Posts

  • 李宗盛 Jonathan Lee - 凡人歌 (1999)
    李宗盛 Jonathan Lee - 凡人歌 (1999)
  • 5 apps that help you to understand and write Chinese characters
    5 apps that help you to understand and write Chinese characters
  • Why Duolingo won’t help you learn Chinese in any real way
    Why Duolingo won’t help you learn Chinese in any real way
  • Everything you need to know about eunuchs in Chinese history
    Everything you need to know about eunuchs in Chinese history
  • 10 great movies about rural China
    10 great movies about rural China
  • HSK Standard Course books review
    HSK Standard Course books review
  • Teacher AI for Chinese: innovative but expensive
    Teacher AI for Chinese: innovative but expensive
  • Still unbeaten: Journey to the West (1986, TV series)
    Still unbeaten: Journey to the West (1986, TV series)
  • Learning Chinese with Google Gemini - can it beat ChatGPT?
    Learning Chinese with Google Gemini - can it beat ChatGPT?
  • 5 great apps to help you prepare for the HSK exam
    5 great apps to help you prepare for the HSK exam

Friends & Partners

China bloggers

Teach me Chinese

Keats

Privacy policy

Site notice

Contact

Copyright © 2025 KAOHONGSHU

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT