German psychoanalysts have played a special role in the spread of psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy in China. This article describes the history of the training programme anchored at the Shanghai Mental Health Center, its specific design, the cooperation with Chinese colleagues, and the importance of self-experience in groups. It reflects on the sociocultural background of the involvement of German psychoanalysts and the promotion of the project by German institutions. Conscious and unconscious aspects of group dynamics on both the German and Chinese sides are presented and discussed.