"The private school is meant to give children a happy childhood, so that children will have fun living and learning," Bai says. Nine children attend the school regularly. The students are isolated but they have two ways to develop closer links to the wider world. Some students take the national college examinations, which can lead to further study at more mainstream institutions. Two children were admitted to Northwest University last year. Other students learn and practice traditional Chinese medicine. Similar private schools can be found in every province, but mostly for weekend classes.

A full-time academy like Zhongnanshan is rare. Professor Xu Jianguo from the National Academy of Education Administration says that the emergence of private school education is beneficial to China's current education system, but there are also many drawbacks, such as curriculum deficiencies which educators and government officials should address.