Welcome to The Chinese Outpost

For over twelve years now, our centerpiece Introduction to Mandarin Chinese has been reducing the dreaded Mandarin Learning Curve for countless students and other netizens eager to learn about the Chinese Language.

"I've just learnt more in an hour doing your language tutorial than I could ever expect in a year of classes."

- Christine Black, Australia

With a conversational approach that aims to educate and entertain, our popular tutorial explains the basic principles of Mandarin Chinese pronunciation, characters and grammar.

"The best. A must-visit site" for Chinese Language learning.

--Dr. Ming L. Pei, China The Beautiful

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Other Features

PERSONALS Meet new international friends, pen-pals and language learning partners, or meet your ideal match! Nearly 1 million registered users await you for friendship, travel, romance or more. Go >>

CHINAPEDIA This reference guide, drawing on select U.S. government and other published sources, provides a detailed and up-to-date overview of The People's Republic of China. Go >>

CHINA NEWS HEADLINES The latest news headlines from China, as well as a list of top news stories for each province in the People's Republic, and for each major special administrative region. Go >>

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE Our monthly newsletter, which ran from 2003-2006, is no longer published, but here we have archived some of its stories that you might still find interesting or informative. Go >>

HISTORY View a selection of engravings depicting Chinese scenes from China Illustrated, printed in four volumes between 1843 and 1847. Go >>

MUSIC Our custom Flash audio player offers eight traditional Chinese musical arrangements, featuring erhu and bamboo flute, for your online listening pleasure. Go >>

8-Minute Virtual Video Ride on a Hong Kong Bus

Video footage that puts you in the front seat on the upper level of a double decker bus in Hong Kong. The trip takes you (with some gaps) from North Point, on the north side of Hong Kong Island, toward Stanley Bay, on the island's south side. Music by Cracker. ....

Latest Stock News from China

Daily Stock Market Activity
Stocks dropped in New York after investors were rattled by signs of a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing and a potential easing of central bank support for the economy.

Japan’s market takes a tumble
Is the stock market boom coming to an end?

What caused Japan's stock market to tumble? Three theories
The Nikkei average took a plunge, causing global jitters

US stock market recovers most of an early loss
NEW YORK (AP) — Stock prices are slightly lower at midday on Wall Street after manufacturing contracted unexpectedly in China this month.

PHL shares fall sharply on US market drop, weak Chinese factory output
Shares prices on the Philippine Stock Exchange fell sharply Thursday as investors took cues from the US market which fell on a possible cut of the Federal Reserve's bond buying program and weak Chinese manufacturing output.

The Swiss Stock Market Dropped On China Data & Bernanke Comments
The Swiss stock market finished solidly to the downside Thursday, putting an end to the strong gains it has enjoyed of late. Weak manufacturing data from China weighed on investor sentiment, as well as fears of a tightening on U.S. monetary policy, after comments from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Yikes! The Japanese stock market cratered overnight
A huge drop in Japanese stocks overnight shows how fragile markets have become in this central bank-driven world

U.S. Stock Futures Fall on Fed Fears, Weak Chinese Data
U.S. Stock Futures Fall on Fed Fears, Weak Chinese Data

Japanese Stock Market Plunge Spills into Europe
Japanese Stock Market Plunge Spills into Europe

Tokyo stock market plummets more than 7%
Disappointing Chinese manufacturing data and signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve send Japanese market into full retreat