Boost Your Chinese Reading Skills with This Awesome Website

Today, I’m excited to share a fantastic free website that can help you practice Chinese reading: Chinese Reading Practice.

Created by Kendra Schaefer, a Beijing-based tech policy researcher who’s lived in China since 2002, this site is her passion project designed to help learners like you. It’s packed with simplified Chinese texts ranging from beginner to advanced levels, covering stories, idioms, essays, and even jokes.

How to Use It:

• Start with beginner texts if you’re new to reading, or challenge yourself with more advanced essays if you’re a more seasoned learner.

• Hover over unfamiliar characters for instant pinyin and English translations—no dictionary needed! It works just like the Zhongwen extension tab, that I mentioned to you several times in my earlier newsletters.

• You can also find the English translation on the right side of the Chinese texts.

• Even pinyin can be toggled on and off!

This site makes reading approachable and fun, and I truly think it is one of the best Chinese reading resource out there and maybe not that many people know about it. The pop-up dictionary saves time, letting you focus on understanding rather than flipping through a dictionary. The variety of content keeps things fresh while exposing you to real Chinese usage and culture. It’s perfect for building vocab, grasping grammar naturally, and boosting confidence, whether you’re studying solo or supplementing a course.

There’s no audio (yet!), but the detailed vocab breakdowns before each text help bridge that gap. It’s not updated frequently, but the existing library is timeless and substantial enough to keep you busy for months. If you want to advance your reading skills, then make sure you bookmark the page! By the way, I’m not affiliated with Kendra at all—I just really admire all the work she’s put into her website without asking for anything from her readers in return.

Happy reading,

Sandy

Do you want more help with learning Chinese? Check out my private online classes:

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