This article draws on interview data to report how students of Mandarin in UK universities were exposed to and responded to 'Chinese culture' during their studies. The experiences that the students shared and the ways they responded demonstrated their understanding of cultural complexity, incorporating a fluid and dynamic view of culture as interculturality. Participants interviewed tended to move beyond talking about cultural differences. They showed their transnational sensitivity and awareness of cultural diversity, and some reflexivity. Key to understanding participants' responses was their negotiation with discourses about 'Chinese culture', engagement with their personal life and their experience of sojourning abroad.