More young Chinese opt for night school after work

TAIYUAN -- Hui Ruixue doesn't rush home after work, instead, she heads to a sports center in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, to attend a tennis class.

"The night school program has made my dream of learning tennis come true," said the 28-year-old, who attends sessions with five other white-collar workers in the city.

Hui explained that the 12 tennis classes cost only 500 yuan (about $69.6), a reasonable price and the evening schedule is very convenient for her.

Night school programs have gained widespread popularity nationwide in recent years. Originally emerging in first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai, this educational model has since expanded to many second- and third-tier cities, as well as county-level towns, offering a wide range of courses.

In 2024, East China's Jiangxi province established 460 youth night school teaching sites, offering over 1,650 courses that have benefited more than 42,000 young people.

In Southwest China's Yunnan province, more than 200,000 young people have participated in night school programs since 2014.

Night schools are not a new thing in China, but today's night schools are more focused on cultivating adults' interests and hobbies, offering affordable and accessible courses, said Li Jianghao, a night school operator in Taiyuan.

In night schools across Taiyuan, participants can attend nearly 15 hours of classes for just a few hundred yuan. These courses are primarily interest-based and experiential learning, such as photography, dance, painting, calligraphy and musical instruments.

Li Fenglai, director of the provincial cultural center of Shanxi, attributes the popularity of night schools partly to the active support of local governments and civil society organizations with the aim of improving public cultural services.

Thanks to Communist Youth Leagues, cultural centers, trade unions and cultural and tourism departments, designated intangible cultural heritage inheritors, university professors, musicians and calligraphers are invited to give lectures to the young people.

The growing spiritual and cultural needs of young people have helped night schools continue to thrive, with many popular courses quickly selling out.

The demand for night schools offered by public institutions often exceeds supply, but private organizations have stepped in to help meet demand.

Li Xin, who moved from Hangzhou city in East China's Zhejiang province, to Taiyuan to run a night school, offers courses in coffee brewing, bartending and sewing, all of which are very popular among young workers.

"Young people are able to experience various courses at an affordable price, I achieve my entrepreneurial goals, and the training institutions I cooperate with gain more students -- it's a win-win situation," Li added.

Sociologists predict that attending night school after work will become a regular part of life for an increasing number of young people in China.