About Mandarin Zest
We’re Antoine and Dorota, from Belgium and Poland, respectively — long-time friends turned business partners.
We met in Taiwan while studying, where we became fluent in Mandarin. Dorota also lived in Xiamen and travelled across China, gaining understanding of its regional cultures and everyday language.
We decided to start Mandarin Zest to share our Chinese language journey with other learners. What began as a simple newsletter grew into a community — and eventually into a school.
Alongside this, we run Polylocal, a consultancy connecting Taiwanese and European companies. We work in Chinese every single day. Mandarin isn’t just something we studied — it’s our professional reality.
We understand the challenge of learning Chinese — because we’ve been there, too.
Decoding characters. Navigating culture. Learning which words truly matter — and when.
That’s why we built Mandarin Zest around:
- Structured courses with clear progression
- Mentorship checkpoints to keep you on track
- Community support so you never learn alone
At Mandarin Zest, we believe growth happens through clarity and consistency. Don’t be afraid of Chinese — you have what it takes. We’ll prove it to you.
We partner with ThinkChinese, a school with over 10 years of experience, to co-develop our curriculum and ensure native input and professional standards.
Mandarin Zest isn’t just about learning Chinese.
It’s about using it — confidently, in real life.
Meet Our Team
Our Teachers
Briony Sun 诗洋
Education Advisor
Briony is the founder of ThinkChinese and a specialist in international Chinese education strategy. She leads curriculum architecture and teacher training at Mandarin Zest, embedding a structured, knowledge-based approach to Mandarin learning. Her work ensures that Mandarin Zest’s programmes are not just engaging — but intellectually rigorous, culturally authentic, and strategically designed for long-term language mastery.
Zhenzhen 真真
Teacher
Zhenzhen, originally from Hunan, China, has more than 1,000 hours of teaching experience. She specialises in supporting non-Chinese learners by understanding where they struggle most — and guiding them through those moments with patience and practical explanations.
Elegance 黃瀞妤
Teacher
Elegance is originally from Taiwan and is currently based in Hong Kong. She is a professional translator who has worked in a wide range of industries, from cosmetics to international trade. Now, as a teacher, she uses this experience to bring real-life situations into the classroom.
Management
Dorota Maczuga
Co-Founder
Originally from Poland, Dorota developed a passion for Chinese in high school and spent several years in mainland China and Taiwan. She earned a Chinese-taught Master’s in Political Science from National Taiwan University.
Antoine Collard
Co-Founder
Originally from Belgium, Antoine lived more than 5 years in Taipei, Taiwan. He graduated from a Chinese-taught master’s program in Political Science at National Taiwan University.
Gabrielle Merk
Business Development
Gabrielle is from Ohio, United States. She earned a BA in Chinese with a minor in Korean. She also spent one summer in Taipei, Taiwan, through the Fulbright Foundation.
Rose Hurst-Liu
Social Media Management
Rose grew up in China and later moved to the UK to attend university. She is a professional illustrator and graphic designer.
Xinyan Gong
SEO & Copywriting
Xinyan, originally from Xiamen, China, specializes in SEO and content creation. She has experience optimizing online content and developing engaging digital materials.