Youth night schools become popular lifestyle choice among young people

A trainee learns flower arrangement at a night school in Gongshu district, Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo/Zhao Yan)

Many young people, after a busy day at work, leave their offices and head to classrooms and cultural and creative spaces to learn music and dance, explore intangible cultural heritage crafts, take AI courses and more. Today, attending night schools is becoming a popular lifestyle choice among young people.

After finishing work for the day, Hu Siqi heads to the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. For him, attending night school after work at the end of each workday has become a must. Fourteen other students, all young faces, are waiting with him for class to begin.

From the history of wind instruments to ancient Chinese music theory, Li Zi'ang, a young teacher from the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, explains the material carefully. The students listen with keen interest.

When asked why he attends night school, Hu said although he works in the chip industry, he has always been passionate about traditional music. He happened to come across the night school courses offered by the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center on a mini program offering information on activities and digital resources from public cultural institutions across the province and decided to give them a try.

This summer, the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center offered a range of courses, including yoga, vocal music and makeup, all of which quickly filled up.

Zhao Yaqian, deputy director of the center's training department, said the spring and summer sessions offered six and seven courses, respectively, with around 15 students per class. They filled up almost as soon as registration opened, with those born in the 1980s and 1990s accounting for more than half of the participants.

Trainees learn to make coffee at a youth night school in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. (Photo/Han Bing)

Today, more and more young people like Hu are attending night school. Some pursue their interests and hobbies, some seek to break out of social isolation, while others simply want to experience a different way of life.

He Xiuqing, a woman born in the 1990s who lives in Changping district, Beijing, crosses much of the city every Wednesday evening to attend a jazz dance class at Beijing Open University in Xicheng district.

"It's definitely worth it," she said. As a beginner, she initially struggled even to keep up with the rhythm. But the relaxed and welcoming classroom atmosphere put her at ease. "We set up a group chat, and even when we're not in class, we share updates about our lives. I feel like I've become more outgoing, and my life has become more vibrant."

In her view, one night school class has helped bring about positive changes to her overall lifestyle. "My job is physically demanding, and I used to just want to rest after work and do nothing. Now, because I have class, I make an effort to get up early and exercise to build my stamina, and my daily routine has become more regular," He said.

Night schools are creating social spaces centered on shared interests, helping young people break out of social isolation and providing them with a place to unwind and recharge.

Across China, youth night schools are offering a diverse range of programs tailored to young people's needs. For instance, Shanghai has included youth night schools in its public-service projects, with teaching sites covering all of its districts.

In 2026, Hangzhou included the establishment of 100 youth night school sites offering skills training and employment and entrepreneurship courses in its public-service projects. To date, nearly 300 vocational skills, employment and entrepreneurship courses have been offered, attracting nearly 20,000 young people.

Trainees learn Yue Opera at the night school of the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center)

Night schools are no longer merely places for young people to relax and recharge after work, but are increasingly tailored to their real-world employment and entrepreneurial needs, enabling students to put what they learn into practice.

Sun Jiawei, born in 1993, is a member of the village Party committee of Dongfanghong village in Jiashan county, Jiaxing, Zhejiang. In his daily work in the village, he often encounters technical challenges.

In the first half of this year, he learned that the youth night school in Jiashan had launched vocational skills training courses. He promptly signed up for an electrician course. He completed the training during evenings and weekends and successfully obtained an electrician vocational skill certificate.

When Typhoon Dolphin affected Jiashan this year, flooding occurred in the village, and a submersible pump was urgently needed to drain the water. With no professional electrician available, Sun stepped forward. He independently completed the entire process, from wiring the distribution box and installing the pump to testing and commissioning it.

In line with the county's industrial upgrading priorities and young people's practical skills needs, the youth night school in Jiashan has offered 13 vocational skills courses, including electrical work, welding, cross-border e-commerce, AI applications and drone piloting. To date, the program has provided services to young people 842 times, helping 50 obtain vocational skill certificates.