A still of A Love for Separation. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Government statistics show the number of Chinese students studying abroad was 500,000 last year, making China the top source of international students in such major host countries as the US, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, domestic media report.

Also, reports from several agencies handling Chinese students going abroad show that nearly 50 percent of inquiries now are about middle schools.

The annual cost for a teenager studying in the US is between 250,000 ($37,500) and 500,000 yuan, says Li Peng, vice-general manager of the Beijing-based agency, Kentrexs Enterprise.

"Culture shock and different lifestyles are among the main obstacles," Li says.

For instance, he says, some Chinese who opt for home-stays are used to having the shower curtain outside the bathtub when they bathe, but this causes the bathroom floor to get wet and this often annoys the host family.

"There are other trivial issues, too, but the overseas experience does teach them to become independent," says Li.

This view is echoed by a number of Chinese parents.