"The parents of our students are well-educated. Many are highly paid overseas returnees, entrepreneurs, officials and intellectuals. They are not looking for quick fixes, nor do they worship Western culture blindly. Instead, they have a good understanding and yen for traditional Chinese culture," says Li.
It is not an easy task to be a teacher at the Confucian school. Proficiency in Chinese language, a good background in children's education, psychology, capability and sound moral background are some of the desired requirements.
"In China the family is everything. Children are influenced by the behavior of their parents. So we have classes for parents too, which run in conjunction with the courses for the children."
"Modern parents often feel irritated, stressed and flustered. And these are exactly what traditional Chinese culture heals. It makes parents more assured and capable of dealing with the problems.
"There is no dominant religion in China, hence the people feel the need to be bound by a spiritual force, called Li and Yi (rituals and righteousness) in traditional Chinese culture," says Zhao.
But not everything in these schools is run on the age-old lines. Entry to the schools is no longer the prerogative of the male students/teachers. Female students and teachers are present in equal strength in modern day Confucian schools.
"Gender discrimination is not a tenet of Confucianism. Rather it is the limitation of the ancient times," says Zhao.
"I can now sense the subtlety and delicacy of Chinese classics. What the ancient sages said are indeed inspiring," says He Xiyuan, who studies at Zaiqianxuetang and is now able to recite many Chinese classics from memory.
"I study at school for grades, but study here for myself," says Shen Lijun, a winter-holiday course student at Zaiqianxuetang.
"Children who are acquainted with traditional culture can lead a life that is more elegant and healthier than their parents. Lifestyles are highly relevant to one's life quality and sense of joy," says Li.
"A good understanding of traditional Chinese culture will definitely become their unique competitiveness when they grow up."
"The 'Standards for Students' helps improve children's implementation capacity, which is exactly the weakness of the younger generation, " says Wang Jing, the mother of a seven-year-old student. Wang says she was surprised that her son was able to shed the habit of procrastination after he started attending the classes.
"Wisdom buried in traditional Chinese culture makes us light-hearted, generous and tolerant. It will give students self-balancing and self-healing powers," she says.
"Morality comes first at any time for a child's education," says Shan Qi, a high school teacher and the mother of a six-year-old girl.
"The saddest thing is that even teachers like us find what we teach is meaningless in the examination-oriented educational system," says Shan.
"It's good to see the rehabilitation of traditional Chinese culture, which is much better preserved in Taiwan, Hong Kong and even Singapore than the Chinese mainland," says Cui Libin, professor at the College of Chinese language and Culture in Beijing Normal University.
China's long history of civilization, socio-economic development have also attract more foreign students.
By the end of 2009, some 282 Confucius Institutes and 272 Confucius classrooms had been established in 88 countries. They were educating about 260,000 students in 2009, an increase of 130,000 over 2008, on China's culture and language, according to the Ministry of Education.
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