Job Discussion Forums

[StephPoet]

I would love PMs or posts about costs of living, quality of life, etc. on these areas. I'm of course doing independent research before I make a final decision but nothing beats a word from someone who has lived there.

Beijing

Zhanjiang (Guangdong province)

Daqing (Heilongjiang province)

Thanks a lot. I appreciate everyone's help so far!

Stephanie

[tw]

[clomper]

I've been teaching in Zhanjiang for two years now and I can say the cost of living is quite moderate.

Let's see.. nightlife?? there are discos and karaoke bars. I haven't been to the cinema yet but we do have one.

Sightseeing.. there's the volcano park outside town and some nature parks in the city itself. You can visit the beach as well if you like. It's not a big city like Beijing.

Weather... currently it's hot and humid. During the winter, temp can go as low as 0 (first time last year). No snow. Though we don't have a central heating system inside the apartment.

We have two McDonalds, KFC and Watsons. Several Chinese Western restaurants as well. It's not too crowded and the people are friendly. Though we do have our share of robberies but it's not as bad as Guangzhou.

There are about a hundred foreigners in town working in schools, oil refinery and businesses.

If you're visiting or planning to teach here, feel free to PM me. I'll be glad to show you around the city. There are several job openings in town and our school is looking for two more as well.

Claudine

[Tieren]

I have been teaching in Daqing for the past two or so years and generally enjoy it. You must understand this is a newly built city without much traditional Chinese culture or interesting scenery in the town. Despite this, the salaries are extremely competitive. Teachers with experience can make good money and cost of living is low. 1500RMB a month is possible to survive on if you try. Outside the city there are plenty of interesting sites such as farms and lakes. Being an oil town there is plenty of money and the there is always demand for teachers.
Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[Roger]

I never understand why people "research cost of living" in given cities in China - your bais needs are normally taken care of, i.e. housing, visa, and food gets supplied to you at a subsidised price.

In Daqing and Zhanjiang you won't be able or need to rent your own premises. These are backwaters where no regular tourist goes to unless he is totally drunk, drugged or out of his wits.

There isn't much of interest in either, so you might end up blowing your pay in karaokes (if that's your cup of tea...) for lack of alternatives. You can travel around, yes, - from Zhanjiang to Beihai is just 2 hours, from Zhanjiang to Haikou, or from ZHanjiang to Nanning.

Beijing is a whole lot different. I guess you can also maximise your earnings more easily and thus avoid the costly temptations of a sophisticated Chinese town.

[tw]