Living in China

What do I need to know about living in China?

When we asked people what advice they would give someone preparing to move to China, they said:

"If you have children, decide if you want to be in a more family friendly compound, such as Lakeshore Gardens or one that has a more singles demographic. Definitely get in touch with the schools' parents' committees. As well as a flourishing shopping and hospitality scene, Suzhou Industrial Park contains vast areas of factories and company head quarters, with little else to do. Are your priorities to be near the schools and/or work place or to be near the recreational parts of the city? If the latter, then chose a compound that is close to Jinji Lake. Make sure to check out the old town and visit the heritage gardens to gain a flavour of what pre-industrial Suzhou was like," said another expat in Suzhou.

"Lousy weather - cold, windy winters and very polluted. Hot sticky summers. Little to do aside from eating out and shopping malls. However, there is an airport close by and a train station - and Beijing is 2 hours away," added another expat who made the move to Tianjin.

"1. Learn Chinese ASAP! 2. Remember this is a Communist Country 3. Remember you are a guest here 4. Join www.ZhuhaiNights.com It's easy to have fun and get very comfortable here. The joke is that once you've been here, you can never truly leave (my 2 week holiday to Zhuhai is in its third year now!!!) but it's also important to remember to be on your best behaviour at all times. I have never seen the inside of a Chinese jail and I intend on keeping it that way," explained one expat living in Zhuhai, China.

"Go to www.hefeiexpat.com where there is an open forum to ask anything you want to know. They are very helpful," mentioned another in Hefei.

"Be prepared for a lot of walking. Live in one of the gardens within walking distance of shops. Traffic here is a nightmare and you do not want to drive in the city.Buy a bike. Great exercise and you can bike to shops quite easily. Smile..although some Chinese are wary of foreigners most will say "Ni Hao" (hello) if you speak with a smile," explained one expat who made the move to Dongguang.

"Make friends with the locals. Visit Xiangfan Museum. Make sure your cab driver uses the meter. If you are large sized like me make sure you have enough shoes and clothing as it's very hard to find otherwise. I wear a size 48 here (which is size 13 US ) and most shoes here stop at size 44. I needed some new shirts and had to have them specially made which is very expensive in Chinese RMB. Some of the Restuarants have picture menus so if you don't speak/read Chinese you can point to what you want. I recommend learning at least some Chinese before coming here, as it will be extremely helpful," said one expat living in Xiangfan, China.

How do I meet people in China?

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