Dear friends of CCC,  
 
We told you a couple of months ago that CCC had to move soon and asked for advice. Since then we have been talking to various parties, and exploring different options. We can not say that we found idea home, and we still open to suggestions and recommendations.
 
The CCC will need a fairly large space to continue offering the activities in which you enthusiastically take part. These activities have never been driven by profit, and after our relocation, we want to keep the costs low for participants.  To achieve that, we will need to make more efficient use of our space. We only need our classrooms for a few hours a day. And if our space can be used productively for a few more hours each day, the revenue this generates could help offset the increase in rent. We think we have a few options, and we would appreciate your comments and suggestions during this transitional period.  

1. We could operate a Chinese-learning/play group for toddlers. Parents can let their children spend two to three hours here every morning, doing activities with a certified Chinese teacher for young children. Would you, or someone you know, be interested in this service? Are there ways we can alter this plan to tailor it to the expatriate community' s needs? Are there other services the expat community in Beijing lacks that we could provide? 

2. We could rent out our classrooms to organizations in the mornings and/or on weekends. Are you a yoga teacher looking for a reliable studio space? Do you provide professional training, but lack a dependable meeting spot? Need to operate a weekend gallery? Let us know if you, or someone you know, could use a time-share classroom. 
 
3. We can share space with an eatery. If you already have a spacious cafe or are looking for a place to start something new, let' s talk. 
 
We will need about 250 square meters of space for classrooms, and 100 square meters for offices.  The two functions can be physically separate, but easy access between the two would be ideal. 
 
Please contact us if you have comments, questions, or suggestions. Recommend a new location (350-450 sq meters, conveniently located near the east 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Ring Rd), or introduce us to a potential partner with similar interests or clients. With your help, CCC will meet this challenge and emerge stronger than ever.


Cloud Mountain Traditional Health Center Opens!

We have just opened a small health center nearby our CCC's office in the same compound.  It  is designed to meet the needs of expats living in Beijing who would like to gain a better understanding of their health as viewed through the window of Traditional Chinese medicine, but feel discouraged by the lack of quality service here in China.  

At Cloud Mountain Health Center you can avoid the crowds common in hospitals here in China as we provide a quiet and private atmosphere in which to discuss your questions one on one with our health consultant.

We have carefully selected some Western and Chinese TCM doctors who we believe are good, and currently they are offering health consultation, treatment and acupuncture.  Welcome to drop by and check this new place !   (click here to learn more about the services and practitioners)


This weekend

Hiking the Silver Mountain & Pagoda Forest
Sunday, Sep.25, 09:30-16:00

The Silver Mountain will be really silver-looking with the recent fall of heavy snow onto Beijing ! Join our hiking group to see the snow-clad mountain and stupas. This hilly forest area is made up of black granite and is often topped >>> more

Hands-on: Making Traditional kites
Saturday, September 24, 14:00-17:00

Learn to make traditional Chinese kites with a famous kite master Mr. Zhang. Various types of kites will be explained and appreciated, and then you have a chance to try your hand at one special Beijing style of "sand swallow", and painting >>> more

Cricket Fighting and Chirping Culture
Sunday, Sep.25,14:00-16:00

Go to a local pet market and take home a cricket songster to keep you company this fall! The Chinese love crickets! Come hear a talk all about crickets (qu qu & guo guo) and their extravagant containers - villas, and cricket apartments. >>> more

Talk: Chinese foot-binding
Wednesday, Sep.28, 19:30-21:00

Nicknamed Gold Lilies, bound feet is symbolic erotic fantasy for men. Foot-binding resulted in lifelong disabilities for most of its victims. The talk explores the history, detailed process of binding feet, and the custom and appeal. >>> more

 
October Holiday Out-of-Town Tours

Take this last chance to book the below trips,  which have only a few spots left and will be closed soon!

The Silk Road (from Dunhuang to Turpan, Kashgar & Kazakh) 
Oct 1-6

The Silk Road Route starts from Dunhuang's Mogao Grottos in Gansu, fly to Xinjiang to explore Turpan Basin for its grape and melon harvest; then fly to Kashgar, the heart of Chinese Islam and drive to Karakuri Lake and Snow Mountains. >>> more

Ningxia's Muslims, Goat-skin Rafting & Inner Mongolia Desert
Oct 2-4

This journey will explore the large Muslim community along Yellow River, do goat-skin rafting, and then cross the border from Ningxia into Inner Mongolia desert dunes. Climbing aboard a jeep and drive up and over the shifting sand dunes. >>> more

In-depth Xinjiang Tour: Kashgar, Kucha and Takalamakan Desert
Oct.2-7

Visit the famous Kashgar and Kucha, two largest Uigur and muslim community cities of Xinjiang and experience the Taklamakan, China's largest desert; and visit the Grotto of Thousand Buddhas, the earliest major Buddhist cave complex in China. >>> more

Ningxia's Muslims, Goat-skin Rafting & Inner Mongolia Desert
Oct 5-7

This journey will explore the large Muslim community along Yellow River, do goat-skin rafting, and then cross the border from Ningxia into Inner Mongolia desert dunes. Climbing aboard a jeep and drive up and over the shifting sand dunes. >>> more

Qingshanguan Great Wall Retreat & East Qing Tombs
Oct.2-3

Take coach to the East Qing Tombs, and then head to Qingshanguan Pass and Great Wall in Hebei, hike the wall and stay overnight in the authentic and unadorned courtyard houses in an obscure village next to the Great Wall at the Green Mountain Pass. >>> more

Sleeping on the Great Wall Jinshanling
Fri.2pm - Sat.4pm, Oct.07-08

The hike between Jinshanling and Gubeikou Great Wall gives you a truly authentic wall experience and breathtaking views in relative isolation. Sleeping overnight on the Wall (camping or in the watchtower is the coolest experience ever ! >>> more

The Most "Chinese" Scenery Guilin & Yangshuo
Oct.3-5

Guilin has China's most "Chinese' scenery - paddy fields, farmers wearing straw hats, etc., and the town of Yangshuo has limestone carst peaks along the Li River. Its natural scenery and laid back air, is a great escape from the big cities. Longsheng Rice Terraces' natural beauty and the colorful ethnic minorities cultures and customs attract people from all over the world. >>> more