This blogpost explores a catchphrase yanxue (study travel) and its intersections with education, policy, and consumer culture, from its roots in project-based learning to its commercialisation as a luxury study experience.
Figure 1. A poster of yanxue programme
Bin Guo is a PhD researcher in the IOE, Faculty of Education and Society, University College London.
During the last summer holiday, while I mostly buried myself in the library revising my thesis, I would often pass the back streets of the British Museum. Every day before the museum opened, rows of coaches lined up, each with a sign reading “Study Travel Group” (研学团yanxue tuan), bringing groups of children to the museum as part of their study travel programmes. In early September, I came across this poster (Figure 1) on my WeChat Moment, advertising a Parent-child UK Museums Yanxue Programme for the 2025 winter break, spanning the Chinese Spring Festival holiday. The poster prominently showcases images of iconic British landmarks: the British Museum’s grand pillars, stunning countryside views, Big Ben with a glimpse of the Parliament. Here comes the price at the bottom: ¥38800 (approximately £4195) per person, with the Peter Rabbit seemingly nudging parents to book quickly: “limited places, hurry, don’t miss out”. The programme’s list of “unique features” highlights its exclusivity:
The term yanxue (研学) combines two verbs, yan (研 study) and xue (学learn); yet together they make a Chinese catchword, often translated as “study travel” (e.g. Chen & Xie, 2020). It has been particularly popular fuelled by China’s 2021 Double Reduction policy (双减政策) and the post-pandemic revival of educational and tourism markets. This essay explores yanxue (研学) as a dynamic, evolving and “flowing” catchword transcending time, as questioned in Dr Xumeng Xie’s essay. This essay explores how yanxue navigates the intersections of education, policy making and consumer culture, from its early conceptualisation back in 1990s to its redefinition in today’s economic and educational landscape.
Yanxue can be traced back to China’s 2001 High School Project-Based Learning Guidelines, which introduced project-based learning (研究性学习, containing the same two characters 研 and 学) as a cornerstone of suzhi jiaoyu (素质教育quality-oriented education). This policy advocated for an alternative pedagogical approach to didactic teaching methods. It reflected a longstanding aspiration within China’s education: emphasises students’ holistic development (全面发展) beyond academic achievement. This was also an institutionalised respond to the culture of yingshi jiaoyu (应试教育 exam-oriented education), often criticised for its sole focus on exam scores. Perhaps thanks to this aspiration, I remember a rare school-organised fieldtrip to an amusement park in Grade 7, probably my only yanxue-like experience during secondary school. In 2016, the Ministry of Education, together with ten other government bodies, formally institutionalised yanxue as yanxue lüxing (研学旅行study travel). The policy positioned yanxue as a key vehicle for bridging primary and secondary school education with on-site, real-world experience. Notably, this policy marked a shift, transforming the idea of project-based learning into an activity blending education and travel.
Over time, yanxue’s meaning expanded, influenced by societal demands and government directives. With the implementation of the Double Reduction policy (双减政策) in 2021, yanxue transformed again, adapting to new policy priorities that emphasised reducing homework and academic tutoring outside school hours. The policy also enabled spaces for alternative educational activities that resonated with China’s ongoing emphasis on students’ holistic development. Yanxue thus becomes a preferred option for schools and families for enriching children’s school holidays while parents are at work. Many private tutoring companies seized the opportunity, shifting their priorities from tutoring to developing yanxue programmes. This soaring business quickly drew criticism. Some programmes prioritising sightseeing over learning, reducing yanxue lüxing to “游而不学” (travelling without studying).
In response, the Ministry of Education issued new guidelines in 2023, calling for the transition from yanxue you (游, travel) to yanxue you (优, excellence). This directive emphasised meaningful learning outcomes, professional course design and training for qualified instructors – all reflected in the poster showed earlier. Over time, the term yanxue lüxing began to be shortened to only yanxue, losing its “travel” component like a gecko docking its tail. This renewed terminology drew focuses back to yanxue’s main body rooted in educational value. Trips were expected to be meaningful, aspiring to specific learning outcomes, with academic relevance taking precedence. Yanxue’s historical trajectory highlights its adaptability like a gecko, surviving the persistent tension between its educational aspirations and the practices.
While yanxue is supposed to retain its educational core, it has evolved out of the boundaries of educational activities. The 2024 Opinions of the State Council on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Service Consumption policy categorised yanxue as part of “basic consumption potential” (基础型消费潜力), placing it alongside tourism and hospitality – the gecko’s tail grows back to serve the government’s demand on economic growth. The market responds quickly; yanxue programmes often cost 2–3 times more than standard tours, with profit margins reaching as high as 50% (Han, 2024). The high-cost programmes targeting middle-class families, including overseas “immersive” school or cultural experiences. The poster mentioned earlier exemplifies the development of elaborate add-ons to justify premium pricing, such as experts as programme leaders, guest sessions by museum professionals, small group of participants and tailored arts-and-crafts activities and materials. Yet, critiques have pointed out that these enhancements are rather performative and designed to appeal to parents, who are now restricted in how they can academically prepare their children with the impact of the Double Reduction policy. Some children return from yanxue trips more fatigued than inspired (Han, 2024).
Figure 2. A user posted on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform, titled, "UK Extra. National Gallery Occupied by New Oriental Yanxue Groups"
This tension reveals multiple layers of perceived affordances of yanxue. The government expects yanxue to not only retain educational aspiration but also drive economic growth. Parents pay for yanxue as multi-functional childminding services, with expectations for academic and cultural enrichment. The commercial providers market yanxue as an avenue for enriching children’s knowledge and cultural exposure, yet the growing association of yanxue with luxury and performative add-ons raises questions about its fundamental educational value. The term yanxue has evolved into a versatile signifier, serving various purposes and expectations depending on who is using it and who is it targeting. To navigate this fast-growing cultural phenomenon, there is a need for more research looking into children’s experiences, perceptions and views about yanxue, as well as those of the actual receivers – such as museums, schools, universities, natural reserves, etcetera.
The term yanxue has transcended time, flowing through educational and societal expectations, as well as policy and market demands, capable of evolving to meet new priorities. Over time, yanxue has transformed into more than just a certain type of cultural practices; just as a gecko can regenerate its tail, the term yanxue retains the potential to reattach or reimagine elements like “travel” as societal demands change again. For instance, future regeneration of yanxue might incorporate elements of virtual reality or artificial intelligence, further blurring the material and digital boundaries. Yanxue’s adaptability and fluidity have turned it into a catchword that captures the fluidity of China’s contemporary aspirations.
Several relevant catchwords are worth studying to continuously exploring yanxue. For example, Dr Jiexiu Chen’s essay on neijuan (内卷 involution) addresses the intense pressure and competition in educational and work environments in China. Within this societal phenomenon, yanxue often showcased not only as a marker of educational value but also as a status symbol, with curated images of exclusive destinations and immersive activities signalling a family’s commitment to investing in their child’s future. “Daka” (打卡), originally meaning “clock in at work”, now is often used to describe visiting hotspots recommended on social media; the yanxue programme design may incorporate daka for social media exposure, appealing to parents and children. Moreover, since the government has been promoting “xiangcun zhenxing” (乡村振兴 rural revitalization), rural villages may become the next popular choices for yanxue.
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How can yanxue “travel” achieve yanxue “excellence"
http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/s5147/202308/t20230821_1075360.html