Across China: Chinese adults head back to school at sundown to chase passions

CHANGSHA -- After taking up Chinese painting classes, 52-year-old Yang Li began dressing in brighter colors and plating meals so artfully that her son said they looked like a painter's palette.

A white-collar worker in Changsha, capital of Central China's Hunan province, Yang enrolled in a local night school this May, trading her usual evenings of housework for hours spent painting in the classroom.

"It unlocks a second life for me," she said. "It has taught me patience. Now I'm willing to pause for a falling leaf and take time to admire a flower from every angle."

With a growing number of night schools now offering courses in video editing, musical instruments, artificial intelligence and more, Chinese adults are heading back to classrooms after work to explore new interests and reconnect with themselves through lifelong learning.

Meituan, a Chinese e-commerce platform, has reported a surge of over 78 percent in online discussions about night classes since the beginning of 2025, with comment sections now filled with course suggestions, learning tips and personal stories mostly from the hobby-driven learners.

Wang Haodong, a 24-year-old community worker, learns to play the guitar at night. "The affordable classes are a great gift to young people like me. When I lose myself in music, the day's stress disappears," he said.

While some people attend night schools to pursue hobbies, others enroll to keep up with the rapidly evolving society.

Witnessing the rise of automation and digital transformation in the factory workshop, former industrial worker Yang Baohua, 46, signed up for a course in AI training.

Here, he has learned to use AI for writing documents and creating PowerPoint, and is gradually starting to learn basic coding.

"Studying AI sparked my interest. I'll keep learning and aim for an AI trainer certification to find a better job," he said.

In Changsha, the price for a single session ranges from 30 yuan ($4.2) to 60 yuan, and teaching materials are provided free of charge. Classes run on weekday evenings, leaving weekends free.

"The popular courses are filled within minutes," said Tan Ting, director of a night school in the city, adding that such schools are quickly becoming a vital part of the education system.

Statistics show that over the past two years, various night schools in Changsha have offered courses benefiting over 100,000 participants. Courses are regularly updated based on student feedback, with new classes added and less popular ones phased out.

In Shanghai, night schools offer more than 2,300 classes in the upcoming autumn term across more than 600 venues. Night schools are also common in other cities such as Shenzhen, Nanchang and Nanjing.

Market research firm Frost & Sullivan predicts that China's adult education market will hit 1.04 trillion yuan by 2027, fueled by rising incomes and a surging demand for lifelong learning.

Du Yizhu, an assistant researcher at Chongqing University, noted that modern life's fast pace has fueled a strong demand for nighttime public education.

"Night schools allow individuals to embrace their hobbies in a high-quality yet affordable way," Du said.