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Guide · Open source

How to use zhangxuefeng-skill: install and ask questions

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

zhangxuefeng-skill is an open-source Agent Skills package that makes an AI assistant reason in the style of Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese education commentator known for advice on gaokao applications, graduate exams and career planning. This guide shows how to install it into a compatible AI agent, how to phrase questions so it is useful, and where its limits are. By the end you will know whether it fits your situation and how to use it.

张雪峰.skillalchaincyf/zhangxuefeng-skill · ★ 10.7k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Confirm your runtime. Check that you use an agent runtime that supports Agent Skills, such as Claude Code or Codex.
  2. 2Install Node.js. Make sure Node.js and npx are available, since the one-line installer depends on them.
  3. 3Run the installer. Run npx skills add alchaincyf/zhangxuefeng-skill in a terminal.
  4. 4Load the skill in your agent. Start or restart your agent so it picks up the newly installed skill.
  5. 5Ask a concrete question. Describe your score, province, intended major or career question in Chinese or English and invoke the persona.
  6. 6Check the reasoning. Compare the answer with official data and the research files before making a decision.

What zhangxuefeng-skill is and who it suits

The README describes the project as a set of mental models and decision heuristics distilled from books, interviews and public statements, rather than a collection of quotes. It is generated by a separate tool, Nuwa.skill, and is meant to be loaded into a compatible AI agent runtime.

It suits Chinese students comparing majors or universities for the gaokao or application season, parents who want a blunt framework-based view of education choices, and readers who want to study how a persona skill is structured. It is not a source of verified career or admissions data, and the persona is deliberately opinionated.

  • Good fit: comparing majors or universities, thinking through a decision with a direct framework.
  • Poor fit: looking for authoritative statistics, or a neutral and balanced view.

Install zhangxuefeng-skill with the npx command

The README's recommended method is a one-line installer that works across runtimes. It requires an AI agent runtime that supports Agent Skills, such as Claude Code or Codex, plus Node.js and npx. The installer detects the current runtime and places the skill in the right directory. To target a specific runtime, the README lists flags such as -a claude-code, -a codex and -a cursor.

  • Make sure Node.js and npx are available on your machine.
  • Run the installer command below from a terminal.
npx skills add alchaincyf/zhangxuefeng-skill

Install manually if you prefer git or a plain copy

If you want to place the files yourself, the README shows a manual clone into the Claude Code skills folder. The README also lists install paths for Codex CLI, Cursor and OpenClaw, and notes that Hermes Agent uses its own install script or a clone into its skills directory.

If your runtime does not load Agent Skills automatically, you can paste the contents of SKILL.md into a conversation, since the file is markdown with YAML frontmatter.

  • Claude Code: ~/.claude/skills/zhangxuefeng-skill/
  • Codex CLI: ~/.codex/skills/zhangxuefeng-skill/
  • Cursor: ~/.cursor/skills/zhangxuefeng-skill/
git clone https://github.com/alchaincyf/zhangxuefeng-skill ~/.claude/skills/zhangxuefeng-skill/

Ask questions in a way the skill can use

After installing, tell your agent to use the persona. The README gives example prompts in Chinese. The skill works best when you give concrete facts such as your score, province, intended major, family situation or city preference, because the README's sample answers start by asking such questions to narrow the options.

The README's examples show the reasoning being applied to a question, with the heuristic named in a note after each reply, for example the median-outcome check or the family-background split. Treat these as framing for your own thinking, not as facts about any particular school or job market.

  • > 用张雪峰的视角帮我分析这个专业选择
  • > 张雪峰会怎么看这个职业方向？
  • > 切换到张雪峰，我孩子要填志愿了
  • Give your score, province, and the major you are considering.
  • Ask it to explain which heuristic it is using, so you can check the logic.

Check the skill's reasoning before you rely on it

The README states that the persona is built from secondary and interview sources and does not state statistics of its own. Its reception is contested, and the README itself acknowledges this. Use the output as one perspective to test against official admissions rules, school data, and your own circumstances.

The research files are in references/research/, covering writings, conversations, expression style, external views, decisions and timeline. Reading them shows where each claim comes from.

  • Verify any numbers or job-market claims with official sources.
  • Read the external-views file to see criticism alongside the praise.
  • Remember the persona is designed to be direct and certain, not hedged.

Explore how a persona skill is structured

The repository is a useful reference if you want to build your own skill. It contains a README, a SKILL.md file that can be installed directly, a references/research/ folder with six research files, and an examples/ folder with a sample conversation. The README says Nuwa.skill produces skills by researching a name in parallel and cross-checking the findings before writing SKILL.md.

  • README.md: project overview and install instructions.
  • SKILL.md: the file the agent loads.
  • references/research/: source material behind the persona.
  • examples/demo-conversation.md: a worked conversation record.

What people use it for

  • Thinking through a gaokao major or university choice with a framework-based checklist.
  • Testing whether a graduate exam plan makes sense against the 'median outcome' heuristic described in the README.
  • Studying how a persona skill's SKILL.md and research folder are organized.
  • Comparing a direct, opinionated education perspective with official admissions information.
  • Exploring how a public figure's decision heuristics apply to your own situation.

Frequently asked questions

Is zhangxuefeng-skill free to use?

The repository is released under the MIT licence, which the README describes as free to use, modify and distill. The README does not mention any price, and the skill itself runs inside an AI agent runtime you already use.

What do I need to install zhangxuefeng-skill?

You need an AI agent runtime that supports Agent Skills, such as Claude Code or Codex. For the one-line installer you also need Node.js and npx. If your runtime does not support Agent Skills, you can paste SKILL.md into the conversation.

How do I install zhangxuefeng-skill manually?

Clone the repository into your runtime's skills folder. The README gives this example for Claude Code: git clone https://github.com/alchaincyf/zhangxuefeng-skill ~/.claude/skills/zhangxuefeng-skill/. Other runtimes have their own folder paths listed in the README.

Is zhangxuefeng-skill accurate for admissions and career data?

Not as a data source. The README says the persona is built from books, interviews and secondary commentary, and it does not state statistics of its own. Check any figures against official admissions and employment sources.

What are alternatives to zhangxuefeng-skill?

The README lists comparable projects nuwa-skill and huashu-design. Nuwa.skill is the tool that generates persona skills like this one, and huashu-design is linked in the README as the tool that made the hero animation. Neither is an education advisor.

Why does the skill give such blunt answers?

The README says the persona is deliberately opinionated and high in certainty, reflecting the public style of Zhang Xuefeng. It also notes that the persona's reception is contested, so treat its directness as a style rather than a neutral verdict.

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Our verdict

zhangxuefeng-skill suits students, parents and researchers who want a direct, framework-based take on majors, universities and career choices, and who will check the output against official data. It is a poor choice if you need neutral, verified or statistically grounded advice, or if your AI runtime cannot load Agent Skills and you do not want to paste SKILL.md manually.

Install options & downloads