Job Discussion Forums

[Fairest44]

Hi, My name is Tina and I am looking to spend some time in China and work for Aston English School. I know relatively little about China, but would love to experience the culture. So, hopefully someone out there can give me some guidance as to where I should consider living. Here are the choices (there are so many!!):

Yinchuan
Xianyang
Yanliang
Chengdu
Xian
Zhengzhou
Jinan
Dalian
Changchun
Qingdao
Shenyang
Dandong

I realize that I will teaching english and I am not coming as a tourist, but I would still like to pick a location that would be appropiate for a girl in her mid 20's. I would like to be near a body of water if possible ( I like the Ocean), I want a lot of culture, but I don't want to go into culture shock. So somewhere a little westernized would be helpful. I like cities, but appreciate a small town feel. Just nothing isolated with strictly nature. I like people, shopping, food, museums, etc. Any suggestions? Or anything else I should be considering? I feel out of my element because I don't know what kind of questions I should ask. Thanks!!!!!

[Sinko]

Tina,

Of all those places (and I admit I don't know 3 of them), Dalian seems to be the best choice in my opinion. It has beaches, nightlife, culture. It is not too big by Chinese standards. It is also cleaner than most cities. Qingdao is very popular, but may be a tad more expensive and the schools don't pay too much there. Most of the other places are inland and far from the sea. They can also get very, very cold in the winter.

I am currenty in Hangzhou and reasonably close to the ocean. However, I have not yet been to the sea since I arrived here 7 months ago and I like going to the beach. The Chinese don't seem to have a "beach culture" like I am used to in Australia. Even on the scorching hot days they prefer to sit in the shade.

[KarenB]

I lived outside of Chengdu for 2 years. The food is great, and the city has some pretty cool places to shop and visit, but the air pollution was dreadful. I couldn't stay in Chengdu for more than a day before I started getting a sore throat and a cough. This is an issue with a lot of the Chinese cities.

I haven't been there, but a lot of foreigners like Dalian.

[Roger]

[quote="Fairest44"]
Yinchuan: That's on the rim of the Gobi desert. The watered-down version of Chinese Islam dominates here.

Xianyang: That's not far from Ynchuan; located on the northern Loess plateau, it too has a sizeable Muslim population. The incentive: it is a little oldish, site of one of China's previous capitals that eventually moved 20 kms east to Xi'an. The whole area there is full of relics. Downside: relatively poor and underdeveloped (though in towns such as Xi'an and Xianyang it's not too bad).
Yanliang: ? PRovince? No idea.
Chengdu: Lively and friendly place that's fast developing. NOt much to see in terms of traditional architecture but you will appreciate the spaciousness and the locals' spirit! Sufficiently westernised! Big city!
Xian: See under "Xianyang". Old city but growing fast.
Zhengzhou: Few westerners would voluntarily move there if they knew the rest of the country! Enough said!
Jinan: A backwater but not without charm. I enjoyed the beers, the locals' relative cosmopolitanism and the expat scene (though the expats I befriended were German engineers working for SIEMENS). Disadvantage: In my time the brand-new block of flats I lived in had no showers or bathtubs! I was told that locals never take a shower because "it's too cold here" (in summer the temperature easily climbs to 35 degrees, in winter it drops to zero or below). A case of self-imposed sanitary backwardness, I guess. The town hasn't much to show off, really, but the climate is pleasant (for me: distinct four seasons. On the whole, Qingdao, 500 kms away, is much preferred by most.
Dalian: Someone said the relevant things above! I second that! Good climate!
Changchun: VOLKSWAGEN city! Too cold in winter; this used to be a Manchurian town (called "Mukden"). Very little of interest. But it's China after all...
Qingdao: See "Ji'nan". Good seaside place, lively local scene, mountains to discover, a sea to swim in and good beer to top it off. A lot of German buildings from the end of the 19th and early 20th century!
Shenyang: Similar to Changchun, uninspiring, located in China's rustbelt!
Dandong: I am none too sure about this one...;l
quote]

In my opinion you should do some introspection and ask yourself what you are really looking for, and whether you can handle the life here. The most westernised Chinese city could totally alienate you, so that is not necesssarily a comforter at all. Defining "Chinese culture" is like trying to describe someone else's thoughts. It is not what you expect, that's for sure. You will be faced with bizarre behavioural patterns that defy logical explanations; there isn't much in the way of physical "culture" such as traditional architecture. The food is the food - some hate it, some like it, it certainly ain't what you think it is if your experience is based on Chinatown eateries! The language is easy to pick up but difficult to practise because of time constraints.
You must be prepared to forego a comfort zone and plunge straight into an abyss!

[voodikon]

i'd recommend googling these cities, both for text and for images. just seeing some pictures of the places you're considering might help you come to a decision; another idea would be to pick up a rough guide or lonely planet or other travel guide to china and reading what it says about each of these places--then you'll be able to make a much more informed decision according to your own preferences rather than those of some strangers on the internet.

[Fairest44]

Thank you to everyone that replied and for the detailed information.
I picked up a few books, and will make my decision soon.

Tina