Job Discussion Forums

wuliuchiba · Joined: 07 Jul 2013 Posts: 61

I've lived in China for several years and have decided for several reasons (pollution, cost of living to salary ratio, climate, access to Western comforts but not a crowded Tier 1 city) that I would ideally prefer for my next job to be a Tier 2/3 city on the east coast, but no further north than Jiangsu province because I can't handle cold winters in China. I sent out applications to schools in all three of the cities in the title of this thread and have received positive replies. Nanjing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are too big for me. I've been to Xiamen and enjoyed it as a tourist, but got the impression I wouldn't like living there so much as a non-tourist. Can anyone who's lived there tell me about what it's like in those cities, or any other Tier 2/3 cities in Jiangsu/Zhejiang/Fujian?

ChrisHenry15 · Joined: 03 Jan 2015 Posts: 99

An hour or two out from a major city (on a train line) is a decent trade off.

I'm a few hours from Xiamen. Decent city- low COL and close enough when you want a weekend away.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

Xiamen USED to be great. Now - urghh. Overcrowded with tourists and tourist buses, way too many cars, metro being built messing up the traffic.

I left for Shanghai, but find it unappealing.

Leaving soon.

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

They all look the same to me.

I have visited Suzhou, Kunshan, Wuxi and Fuzhou, and they look about the same as any other Chinese city.

As long as the pollution is not too bad, then the quality of the job matters more to me than the quality of a 2/3 tier city.

Voyeur · Joined: 03 Jul 2012 Posts: 431

I've been in Fuzhou for four years. It's the only Chinese city I have worked in. I chose it precisely because it was, at least at the time, the least polluted large city.

The weather in Fuzhou is very bad. It's grey during winters, but still relatively chilly and humid. In the summer--which lasts like 7 months--it is unbearably hot and humid. But clean air trumps bad weather for me any day.

China is not a very transparent market. It can be difficult to ascertain what the going market rate is for a job. In Korea, I found things much more standardized: you tended to know where a job ranked vis a vis the market.

If you are a good teacher who knows how to keep students from becoming too bored, you can make more money in the bigger cities. This is true even factoring in the greater expense. But there is also more downside: if you can't find private lessons or your job goes south, you still have to pay that exorbitant rent!

Salaries in Fuzhou definitely seem to be lower than in many other cities. But rents seem reasonable and ~2000 RMB per month can usually get you a reasonable place near your primary job.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

Pinkpiglet · Joined: 31 May 2017 Posts: 15

Lived in Xiamen (well Jimei actually) for 2 years. Great place. You have buses down to the island but actually there is a lot going on in Jimei itself. Lots of privates, and plenty of fresh air. There are Westerners, but not too many and Metro supermarket and all that stuff if you need it. Also easy to get down to Shenzhen,HK etc.