Job Discussion Forums

[andrewtphelps]

I will be teaching in Sichuan province starting in September. I just wondered if anyone on here lived in that province and could tell me any thing about the area. I will be in the Chengdu area.

[flutterbayou]

Chengdu is a fun place to live and work. My son has lived there for more than 6 years and won't go anywhere else.

China has its pocket communities. When you find your niche, it's hard to leave it.

I have met people over a wide age range and a variety of tastes, all of whom just love Chengdu.

The earthquake did not harm the city proper. People from the countrysides have had to relocate, but I have been told that day to day life has not changed much within city limits.

My only problem with the area is the heat in summer months and lack of central heat in the winter, but last year summer in Chengdu was cooler than either Shanghai or Beijing.

[GeminiTiger]

The girls are hot and the food is hotter.

Try the whiskey bottled with dead snakes at hotpot.

Good stuff.

[andrewtphelps]

Dead snakes in alchohol sounds awesome. I have heard from a lot of people that the prettiest girls in China are in Chengdu. I am aware of how subjective that is on so many levels. On the other hand, all the girls I have met on Facebook(an online social networking site for you oldies) have been very good looking and friendly to boot. Maybe there is something to it.

[piglet]

we know what facebook is you little whippersnapper

[diana83709]

ChengDu is a great place. Lots of good food (western as well) and good shopping. Awesome farmers markets.
Some good places to eat:
Peter's Tex-Mex
Grandma's Kitchen
Zoe's BBQ
The Shamrock
There are also some good Indian and Turkish cafes as well.
Good shopping (imported food):
Sabrina's Country Store
Metro
...to mention a couple......

[eddy-cool]

I know Chengdu only as a visitor but each and every time I was there I got away feeling I should stay longer.

Chengdu is a big city, yet it's still quite laid-back and people are unhurried.

You get some glitzy, ritzy boutiques and hotels in the downtown area -but their products and services are affordable. There were some nice cafes and western-style bakeries beside multinational supermarkets. It has excellent transportation links to all other major destinations in China and is surrounded by a host of interesting tourist places.

[vikuk]

Chengdu has some of foulest pollution going - it lies at the bottom of the Sichuan basin. which doesn't help the situation.
I found the smog so bad that I've now relocated 20 kms out from town - to a slighty cleaner countryside.
What is good about Chengdu - is its proximity to some great areas of scenic beauty. I'm writing this mail now from a Moxi on my way back from Sichuan Tibet which is now open again to foreign tourists.
Otherwise Chengdu isn't much different to other grey faceless Chinese cities - lots of cars, people and building sites. Most of the old that gave Chengdu so much character - has now been demolished under the developers hammer. You can't even find genuine old style traditional tea-houses any more (the thing Chengdu was famed for) - to get to these you have to travel to those small towns outside Chengdu.

[Sinko]

[North China Laowei]

A while back I worked in Chengdu in the shoulder period between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the autumn semester at a government school that ran (and still runs) a summer English intensive program.

On the plus side, I found the people in Chengdu to be really among some of friendliest that I have encountered in China. Dinner invitations were offered quite easily; invitations to sit on the street and play mah jong also came quite easily; invitations to karaoke, etc, etc.

On the minus side, I fairly gagged on the air, quite literally. It was filthy, at least when I was there. I developed a nasty cough which required treatment for several months. I remember going into the center of the city and gagging and gagging and gagging...and I come from a very large, not-so-clean city in the West.

I would be more concerned at present with the ramifications of the earthquake. It was the worst natural disaster in China in years and years and surely the infrastructure outside of the city has suffered immensely. I can only wonder how long it will take to restore everything that was rent asunder.

Sichuan cooking is considered one of the four regional cuisines of the country and if you like hot and spicy, then this is perfect for you.

All in all, in spite of the poor quality of the air, if I could find a place outside of Chengdu but still within reasonable distance that was still intact, I probably would consider it.

[weninlome]