FAQ

The Jade Banyan Society is a ten-day, nine-night residential programme in Hainan for eighteen young people aged 15–19. Members live together, learn golf each morning, choose between rainforest, ocean and quieter island activities, and work in small teams through the Jade Banyan collaborative studio.

Applicants must be aged 15–19 on the first day of their selected programme. Applications are open internationally and are reviewed individually by the admissions team.

Each cohort has eighteen members: six based in China and twelve international members. They form six fixed teams of three, each with one China-based member and two international members. Members live across three villas, with six members in each villa.

English is the principal programme language. Members are also encouraged to practise Chinese and other languages naturally through daily life together.

Every application is read individually by the admissions team. We consider the applicant’s writing, interests, experiences, contribution to the group and the composition of the cohort as a whole. There is no automated admissions scoring.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Decisions are generally issued within approximately one month.

No. The current admissions process does not require an interview.

No. Use Returning Applicant to request a new private access link to the existing application.

Families may choose either US$15,000 or RMB 100,000. The billing currency is the family’s choice and is not determined by nationality or residence.

The fee includes accommodation, meals, programme activities, programme transport and standard arrival and departure transfers at Sanya Phoenix International Airport during the published transfer window. International or domestic airfare to Sanya is not included.

No. There is no deposit. After admission, the full programme fee is due within the stated payment window. A place is confirmed only after cleared funds have been verified.

玉榕奖, the Jade Banyan Fellowship, provides full programme-fee support to a small number of applicants. It covers the programme fee and included programme expenses but does not cover airfare, visas, passports, independent travel or personal spending.

No. Fellowship consideration is part of the same application. Applicants may also indicate whether they would still wish to attend at full fee if they are not awarded the Fellowship.

More than 30 calendar days before commencement, the programme fee paid is refunded less US$1,000 for USD bookings or RMB 7,000 for RMB bookings, capped at the fee paid. Thirty calendar days or fewer: 50% of the fee paid is refunded. After commencement, exceptions include company cancellation or failure to provide core services, unperformed services following early departure for illness or conduct, and refunds required by law. Company cancellation of the entire programme means a full programme-fee refund; airfare, visas and other third-party costs are not automatically included. Read the full Cancellation & Refund Policy on the Policies page.

Many international families may be eligible to enter Hainan without obtaining a visa in advance. As of 20 August 2026, Hainan has a regional 30-day visa-free entry policy for ordinary-passport holders from 61 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine and Mexico.

Eligibility depends on nationality, passport, route and purpose of travel. The policy applies within Hainan and does not cover work or study. Because immigration rules can change, families must verify their eligibility with the relevant Chinese immigration or consular authority before booking travel. The Society does not provide immigration advice.

Hainan has its own regional entry policy in addition to China’s nationwide visa rules. This can make Hainan easier to reach for some international families whose wider mainland-China entry rules differ.

Do not assume so. If relying specifically on Hainan’s regional visa-free policy, travellers should plan an itinerary that satisfies the applicable Hainan entry requirements. Clearing immigration elsewhere in mainland China may require a different visa-free basis or a visa. Families should confirm their exact itinerary before booking.

The current Hainan regional policy allows eligible ordinary-passport holders to remain within Hainan for up to 30 days.

Standard programme transfers operate through Sanya Phoenix International Airport (SYX).

Standard transfers are designed around flights scheduled to arrive and depart between 10:00 and 18:00 local time on the relevant programme dates. Travel outside this window requires advance review and cannot be guaranteed.

Yes, subject to the family’s airline arrangements and programme review. Families must provide complete travel details in advance so that arrival and departure arrangements can be confirmed.

Members stay on 神玉岛 / Jade Island in three residential villas, with six members in each villa. The public programme does not operate as a hotel stay; the villas form the residential home of the cohort.

Room assignments are made individually with age, privacy, safeguarding and member comfort in mind. Villas may be mixed-gender, but sleeping rooms are not mixed-gender by default. Members aged 15–17 do not normally share bedrooms with members aged 18–19.

Yes. Each villa has a resident overnight staff member who sleeps separately from members. A Night Duty Lead provides an additional point of escalation each night.

Members may use their phone while travelling to Sanya. At check-in, personal phones are powered off and securely stored for the duration of the programme, then returned for departure.

Families receive an official programme emergency-contact route before arrival. Urgent communication is handled through programme staff.

The device is a safety tool for programme operations and emergencies. It is not intended for entertainment or social media. Location access is restricted to authorised programme staff for legitimate safety purposes; families do not receive unrestricted live tracking.

No. Members at all golf levels are welcome, including complete beginners.

Golf instruction takes place each morning. We collect each applicant’s golf level so the admissions and programme teams can plan appropriate instruction and grouping. Members of different levels may be deliberately mixed rather than separated by ability.

Yes. Instruction is designed to remain useful across different levels, while mixed-level groups also form part of the social and team experience.

On the final day, the six three-person teams take part in a Team Scramble competition for the Jade Banyan Cup.

Afternoons follow two broad rhythms: Rainforest Days and Ocean Days. Members may also choose a quieter Stay Close afternoon. No one goes out alone; members choose an outing with at least one other member.

Activities may include waterfall rappelling, canyoning, hiking, mountain biking, rafting and bouldering, subject to weather, provider availability, safety requirements and individual eligibility.

Activities may include surfing, snorkelling and scuba diving, subject to weather, safety requirements, provider availability and individual eligibility.

Stay Close offers a quieter afternoon on 神玉岛 / Jade Island. Members may choose tennis, reading, conversation, time at the villas or simply resting.

No specific activity is guaranteed. Weather, safety, operating conditions, provider availability and individual eligibility may require an activity to be changed, rescheduled or replaced.

Each evening, members work in teams of three on a realistic business idea they could continue developing after high school. Mentors help teams turn an idea into something coherent and practical, ending with a final presentation and peer feedback.

Detailed health, allergy, dietary, medication and insurance information is collected only after a place is confirmed. Relevant information is reviewed by authorised staff so appropriate follow-up can be arranged.

Yes, subject to the programme’s final medication-handling procedures and advance disclosure. Families must provide accurate medication information during pre-arrival onboarding.

Every member must arrange qualifying travel medical insurance at their own expense. Written Insurance Requirements are provided with the offer before payment. Existing insurance may be used if it meets the requirements; supplementary cover is needed only where relevant activities are not covered or coverage is insufficient. Submit the policy, benefit schedule, relevant terms or endorsements and 24-hour assistance contacts at least seven calendar days before departure from your habitual residence. Limits and journey categories are set out in the Activity Participation & Risk Acknowledgement on the Policies page.

Families should disclose allergies and dietary requirements during onboarding. The programme will review them individually and confirm any necessary arrangements.

Yes. Families and members make separate choices for programme documentation photography and for future public/promotional use. Declining promotional use does not affect admissions, Fellowship consideration or participation.

No. The programme photographer records selected moments, but the Society does not promise that every member or every activity will be photographed.

Activities may be substituted, rescheduled or adjusted for weather, safety or operational reasons. The programme itself continues wherever reasonably possible.

After confirmation, members complete secure pre-arrival onboarding covering travel, documents, health and dietary information, permissions and programme preparation.