Job Discussion Forums

Russell123 · Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Posts: 237

Here's a question for all you veteran FT's in China for those of us planning to take the plunge:

all (job-related) things being equal, what city would be your first choice to live and work in? Why?

I know there's a ton of great advice and information about cities on this forum, but I'm curious to hear your personal favourites.

(And thanks all contributors to this forum for all their invaluable information -- already saved me from a couple of nasty schools.)

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

What is your criteria? For Western-style comfort and standard of living, pick any big city/municipalities like Qingdao, Dalian, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai. But, these cities are densely populated.

If you want to see what old China (which is fastly disappearing) is like, go to smaller cities or rural regions. There, you give up expat bars and being able to find Western products everywhere. But you also avoid the tens and thousands of people on the street.

If you are like me and hate humid summers, then avoid southern China or central inland regions.

If you can't stand the cold, then stay away from northern and northeastern China (Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, etc) and go to southern coastal regions where you get typhoons in the summer.

Russell123 · Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Posts: 237

thanks tw - this is all useful - but what's your favourite?

Don McChesney · Joined: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 656

Where I live and work. Zhengzhou !!! The people are super friendly, it is cheap, and easy to get round, OK shopping, and a good train service to anywhere.
Yes, I have been to other places, tourist ones are usually despicable with regard to points 1 and 2, and many other places don't even register in the mind.
Sure we have airborne pollution, but the good outweighs the bad, for me anyway. This is why I came back.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

The problem with picking a favorite city in China is there are SO many.

Of cities (not counting small towns like Dali and Lijiang), I've been to Chengdu, Kunming, Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin. Of those 5, I liked Kunming perhaps.. but Shanghai was so cool as well. In short, its hard to say, and 5 cities is just a small fraction compared to what there is in China.

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Russell123 · Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Posts: 237

zhamr · Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 128 Location: Darwin, Australia

Nanjing for me...

1. smaller 'large' city with friendly feel
2. cheaper than Shanghai and Beijing
3. access to international airport
4. western medical clinic
5. Putonghua spoken
6. good range of western or international restaurants @ 1/3 Shanghai prices
7. cheap taxis and (now) underground railway system
8. beautiful parks including 40 sq kms of mountain park in middle of city
9. centre of educational excellence
10. rich historical heritage

Midlothian Mapleheart · Joined: 26 May 2005 Posts: 623 Location: Elsewhere

Edited to remove offensive content.

Middy

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

I really like Tangshan but most people (including my wife) don't fancy it.

- It's a fairly new city since it's been rebuilt from scratch after the earthquake of 1976
- The folks here are just nice. WE get our share of "Hellos" but it's not all that bad
- 2 hours from Beijing and Tianjin so we have easy access to western stuff when we need it
- an authentic Italian restaurant that manages to keep us fairly happy
- decent weather and air quality compared to other places in China.

My favorite city so far has been Changzhou in Jiangsu province. I was only there for a few days but i really liked the way the city looked and felt. I can't explain way but it just seemed sophisticated.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

I don't have a favourite city, though I can say that I would never consider living in Beijing. The pollution alone is enough to turn me off. I have lived in Qingdao, Dalian, and now Hohhot and Dalian is on the top of my list, followed by Hohhot. Yes, Qingdao actually ranks third because of its humidity which I can't stand in the summer (even though it is quite developed).

I have visited Shenyang though it was for a day only. At the time I thought it was very dirty but heck, now that I've been in China on-and-off for almost 2 years, I can handle it. I have also visited Anshan and thought it was a lovely "little" city. My ex's hometown of Liaoyang is not bad either but definitely lacks the things one can only find in bigger cities.