Educational camping gains on after-school tutoring

Restructuring spurs startups with eye toward more holistic teaching

Carrying a mattress on her shoulder, a tent on her back and a chair in her hand, 29-year-old education camping entrepreneur Ge Yue climbs a mountain in Chongqing in 40-degree weather, lugging everything up herself to save on labor costs.

As hard as the hike is, Ge feels more excited than tired as she gets ready to set up the next camping activity for a group of pupils.

"We saw almost full bookings during the summer holiday, with orders mainly from schools and tour groups. It was far beyond our expectations, considering we are just a four-month startup. We are lucky to tap into the growing need for education camping in the domestic market," said Ge, who co-founded Chongqing-based education camping startup Starry Woods with Li Kun, whom she met during an outdoor activity event. They were later joined by Zhang Chen, who worked until he acquired the money to buy in.