Job Discussion Forums

[mcloo7]

I'm thinking about moving on to a different job next year, and a job in downtown Guangzhou in what seems to be an appealing district may be a possibility. What do those of you who have been to Guangzhou think of it? I have been in Hangzhou for the past two years, in a district away from the downtown area, but I would rather be close to downtown.

[zacharybilton]

China is a large country, encompassing all climates. Only you know what you would like or not. Hangzhou and Guangzhou are hardly the same because they have rhyming names.

[Didah]

Greetings,

I lived and taught in Guangzhou for about a year. I lived and worked near the Tanhe district not far from the East Railway Station and Ikea. I enjoyed living there, although, I didn't care much for where I taught. There is lots to do and you are only two hours by train from Hong Kong and about the same by bus to Macau. Shenzhen is not bad to hang out either. The downside to Guangzhou is that it is expensive. I found the cost of living kind of high. I like that region because the weather is better and I don't think the pollution is as bad as Beijing or Shanghai. If you are making enough money and can find some affordable housing, then, I would definitely give Guangzhou a try. By the way, there are some pretty good airfares to destinations in Southeast Asia.
Good Luck

[Simon in Suzhou]

Guangzhou is a good place to live, IMO, although opinions are subjective. As Didah said, the location is one of the big virtues of Guangzhou. Lots of cool places nearby and super-easy (and cheap) travel opportunities. 4 international airports within 3 hours drive, ALL with discount airlines like Air Asia and Cebu Pacific. If you are a traveler, this is a huge plus Guangzhou has over even the likes of Shanghai (although Shanghai is a better city in and of itself).

I don't think Guangzhou is any more expensive than any other first tier city in China. If you're not paying for housing, your cost of living is what YOU want to spend. There is cheap food and cheap shopping everywhere, just as there is expensive stuff.

Another upside to GZ is the people. It's a real Chinese mixing pot with people from EVERYWHERE in China. Perhaps for this reason (a lot of people not so directly tied to/living with family) I've found GZ to be much more friendly and "open" to foreigners than other cities in China. After living in "beautiful Suzhou," I came back to GZ because I missed the friendliness of the people here.

[Songbird]

Regarding the people too- I find the people here in Guangzhou more laid back and relaxed than in other major Chinese cities (including Hong Kong!). I think this city has the best of everything- easy getaways, great restaurants (Chinese & Western), good weather and good teaching opportunities. Lots of development, including transportation which will make it even better than it already is. I find the overall feel better than Shenzhen (I have also lived there), which is still trying to figure itself out. The sky's the limit here!

(maybe I should work for the City government??)

[Banner41]

I may be a dissenting opinion.

I lived in Guangzhou for two years and I found it to be one of the worst big cities in China. I didn't care that it was always hot and muggy. I just didn't care for the overall environment. I lived in different parts of town and never quite found a place that I liked. Crime is a lot higher in Guangzhou being the victim of numerous thefts and pickpocket attempts. When the Canton fair happens (three times a year), the city is almost unlivable with no taxis and restaurants available (or at least the good ones).

I did meet some nice people and there are some ok bars. The live music scene is good except when you get all of the recycled bands and DJ's every weekend. They get few big name acts because they always skip Guangzhou to play Shanghai, Beijing, Macao, and Hong Kong.

I guess the best thing about Guangzhou for me was that you could leave to Hong Kong every weekend to get out of the armpit of a city and relax in civilization for a bit.

In all fairness I am in Shanghai now so that may also taint my view a bit but I really can't think of very many great experiences in that city.

Your experience may differ.

[Mr. English]

I lived in Guangzhou for over five years and mostly enjoyed it. I lived in Tianhe (not Tanhe) about a 15-minute walk from East Railway Station and under 10 minutes to Linhe Xi subway station. I was mostly self-employed as a private tutor so I had my own apartment, was paying about 5,000 a month in 2014 (4,400 rent, about 350 to cover water, common electricity, guards, cleaning women [for common areas], and about 250 for internet) for a good-quality 65-square-meter place. You will pay more now as I had a good deal after being in it for five years. Mass transit is excellent. If you like to hike there are two great spots (Long Dong Forest Park, take a #39 bus, and the north end of Baiyun Preserve, take a #1 subway and get off at Yongtai). For bars, the best are street bars that have no interior seating, great prices and great selection of beer, get off a #5 subway at Taojin and walk west and a little south, then get into the smaller streets. Weather from mid May to mid September is miserable, 90/90 is not uncommon (90% humidity and 90 degrees F). Air pollution is bad compared to the rest of the world but better than most cities in northern China (track it here: http://aqicn.org/?city=Guangzhou). It's a tier 1 city and has what would be expected of such a place.

As to Banner 41's comments: You don't need to take taxis in Guangzhou most of the time as mass transit is outstanding, and the Canton Fair barely makes a dent in a city the size of Guangzhou unless you are looking to book a high-class hotel room. Hong Kong has fairs at the same time and is far worse. Shanghai has worse air pollution than Guangzhou, is more an armpit than Guangzhou. Plenty of bands play in Guangzhou. I had zero problems with thefts of any kind in over five years, and don't know anyone who did have a problem.

[Banner41]

[Songbird]

Mr English' appraisal of Guangzhou isn't bad- the public transport is fantastic (coming from a city with hit n miss transport!), loads of Western and Chinese restaurants to choose from, great bar areas (yes Zhujiang, and yes, more expensive...). I live just outside the city but usually go in each weekend. The Canton Fair is only for a week or so twice a year, I grin and bear it and avoid staying in then (I still have staycations though I live not far out!).

Lots of good entertainment- Katy Perry was just here a couple of weeks back- I won tickets online so was lucky enough to see a world class concert right here! And Hong Kong/ Macao isn't far at all for other big names when they tour as well.

[mcloo7]

Thanks for the responses. It seems like the school where I may work is in a downtown location. If nothing else, I would enjoy it for that reason. I've never lived downtown before, in China, or anywhere else, but have always wanted to.

[RiverMystic]

I have been living near GZ for about two months. I like the accessibility of the region. As many have said, you can getaway to many nearby cities and countries easily.

But I haven't found much about the city to my liking yet. Admittedly, I have only been into town half a dozen times. But the places I've been to have been nothing special. As for nightlife, the pubs and bars I've been to have been OK at best.

And the subway is really, really, really crowded.

I have found public transport at night to be a real problem in GZ. The subway closes at 10:30 and one time when I was heading out at about 11:00 no taxi would stop. I had to return to my hotel and could not go out to the bar I wanted to go to. I was staggered that this could happen in a modern city. I have never had to abandon a night out in any city in any country before because there were no transport options. Given that was my first night out in GZ, it gave me a really poor impression of the city.

In fact, I have been travelling to Shenzhen lately by fast train for nights out. It's just a lot more open and fun, and far less crowded.

Each to his own, I guess.