Practice over theory
No HSK lectures. We go to the bank, the agent, the market — and you learn by doing, with me beside you.
About the founder
I’ve Lived in China Since 2011. I Made Every Mistake So You Won’t.
Guangzhou · Shenzhen · Haikou · Foshan · Kunming — fifteen years of real life, not tourism.
The story
From a Lost Newcomer to a Local Guide
I came to China in 2011 with two suitcases and zero Chinese. I overstayed my visa because nobody explained registration. I paid “foreigner prices” for a year. I signed a contract I couldn’t read. Every bureaucratic dead end you can imagine — I have stood in it.
That’s exactly why I’m useful now. I don’t teach China from slides; I walk you through it on foot. I know which window at the bank says “yes” to foreigners, which agent quotes honest prices, and which street in Kunming smells of fresh flowers in March.
I’m a family man. My wife and I chose Kunming for its climate, calm pace and clean air — and I recommend it as the softest entry point into China. If your path leads elsewhere, I’ll hand you trusted contacts in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hainan.
Alexey BabkovFounder, CNBase · 创始人
“Knowledge and action are one.” I teach only what I have done myself.
— Wang Yangming, after whom I name my method
The road
Fifteen Years, Five Cities
2011
Guangzhou — First Shock
First visa, first registration fines, first honest and dishonest agents. The tuition years.
2014
Shenzhen — Business Years
Trade, factories, corporate accounts. Learned how China works for entrepreneurs.
2017
Haikou — Island Calm
Slower pace, family chapter begins. Discovered how to live cheaply and well.
2019
Foshan — Roots
Marriage, home routines, local markets. China stopped being “abroad” — it became life.
2021
Kunming — Home
The Spring City. Eternal spring, mountains an hour away, and the idea of CNBase born over tea.
Philosophy
Three Rules I Work By
Family first
I treat your move the way I’d treat my family’s: safe housing, honest prices, no adventures at your expense.
Full responsibility
Every mentor is personally trained by me and works under my direct supervision. I answer for the quality.
