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After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...

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Tuco

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After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« on: July 12, 2010, 06:22:29 PM »
Has anyone ever moved to a new city in China?

What city do you live in now?
What are the advantages of living there compared to other places that you are aware of?

I find that the English market in Beijing is way over-saturated with way too many young and often unsuitable people taking jobs as a teacher. Of course, I was in this position also. hehe

I would like to find a more clean, livable, friendly, less busy city that offers a decent chance to work in a school or company part time and be able to achieve the goal of getting VIP students or private work besides my usual class.

A city where some people are not bound to freak out if I go there.

Some places I am considering are

1. Dalian
2. Qingdao
3. Chengdu
4. Fuzhou
5. Xiamen

I think the environment is much better in the south however, I have yet to see Chengdu.
I just keep hearing the Sichuan rocks. as well as Chongqing.
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Ruth

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2010, 06:37:35 PM »
I'm in Dongguan, Guangdong Province.  I moved here 3 1/2 years ago after 3 years in Liaoning province. It's a young, clean, modern city. Huge expat community so we can get pretty much anything we want in the way of 'foreign food stuff.'  That's the biggest advantage over where I used to live. Lots of jobs, I believe.  I have several friends working for different places around the city. Close to Hong Kong if you need a break from China for the weekend.
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The Local Dialect

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2010, 07:14:29 PM »
I moved to Beijing after 5 years in Kunming. I loved that place and would go back in a heartbeat if I had any kind of hope of making a decent living there.

I have a friend who taught in Xiamen and highly recommended it. He said the place was beautiful, bright and clean and the salaries were reasonably high.

Chengdu is nice too but the vibe is similar to Kunming and personally I prefer Kunming because it is a touch more laid back and a bit smaller, and the climate is nicer. The job market in Kunming is crap compared to pretty much anywhere though.

Having lived in both Beijing and a 2nd tier city I think you'll find other cities a refreshing change, but it might be hard to get used to a lower standard of living. I make in Beijing between 2-4x what I could make in Kunming, and while it is definitely cheaper in 2nd tier cities it isn't cheap enough I think to completely offset the difference in salaries. So expect that, but if you're not terribly worried about money (I have 2 kids so of course I'm always worried about money!) then it shouldn't be a big deal.
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Borkya

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2010, 08:47:49 PM »
I've only spent a week traveling in Chengdu but I was absolutely overwhelmed at the traffic. It took over an hour by car just to get across the city in the middle of the day and the pollution was horrendous. Of course there is a good ex-pat community, if you are looking for that, and the most delicious western meal I've had in China at a Tex-Mex place.

I also spent a few days in Kunming as a traveler and I could see that would be a great place to live. They say it is the city of "eternal spring" and while I can't vouch for summer, it was an amazing climate in February. Sorry I don't know about working in those places.

I live in a small city (that some might call the boonies) and if you have any interest at all, I would recommend looking at some of the smaller places. Better cost of living, often times quieter and less polluted. Very friendly people. Of course people do tend to freak out as there aren't many foreigners in the small places!
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Pashley

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #4 on: July 12, 2010, 09:26:01 PM »
Haven't been to Dongguan which someone recommends above. I did live in Zhuhai, which is in the same region, and it had all the same advantages plus you can walk to Macau. From the little I've seen, I would not choose either Shenzhen or Guangzhou, but I don't know either well so I could be wrong.

Xiamen is indeed lovely, nice climate, not very polluted, and there is plenty of work. Also cheap flights to SE Asia on Air Asia or Philippines on Cebu Pacific.

I only ever spent a couple of days in Chengdu. Great food if you like spicy. More good-looking women than anywhere else I have been in China; I got a sore neck from snapping my head around so much.
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BrandeX

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2010, 06:51:19 PM »
Hehe, I haven't been to Dongguan either, but everyone who has ever mentioned it to me here refers to it as something like the ghetto of Guangdong, interesting to see the opposite opinion.
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psd4fan

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2010, 02:21:08 AM »
HARBIN
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Tuco

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2010, 03:29:01 AM »
why harbin?
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Fozzwaldus

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2010, 03:49:53 AM »
I can recommend Xi'an - friendly people and the best food in China (including food from other provinces, which somehow gets improved upon in Xi'an! best noodles in the world, and I'm including Italy in this!)

and then there's the history...  akakakakak
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Monkey King

Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2010, 04:06:15 AM »
I've been to Chongqing several times now for work and other reasons and I really like it - it's got that slightly more laid-back vibe of the rest of Sichuan and Yunnan, but it's also absolutely freakin massive.  And still relatively cheap for food, taxis, housing etc.

Despite its size, it still seems kind of off the radar for backpackers, teachers and other ex-pats.  Not sure how many foreigners they get there (I saw hardly any) but it has a huge university district next door to down-town and also contains the head IELTS office for West China - a local uni job and IELTS examining if yr qualifed could be very nice there.

It also has this crazy mountainous geography and corresponding architecture that gives it a unique character.  And I don't need to mention the food.
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mlaeux

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2010, 04:16:54 AM »
Chongqing was one of the locations I researched. They have a good expat forum (not as good as the Saloon though!)  :lickass:

http://www.cqexpat.com/index.asp
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Damballah

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2010, 04:54:41 AM »
Biggest 2 problems with Chongqing - TERRIBLE pollution and it is one of the 'ovens' of China - ie hot as hell! It is rated as the 2nd hottest city in China.  so - if you are into heat and pollution - Chongqing is a great place.

The gov't is spending chunks of money to improve the pollution, but given the levels, it will take some time.

I agree with Fozzwaldus - Xi'an is a good place.  I've been there often for varying periods, and will be back there in August for I don't know how long, working.

Anywhere away from heat, humidity and smelly river/canal cities works for me!!
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cobra

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2010, 02:58:09 AM »
I spent half a year in Beijing and I moved to Qingdao. I think Qingdao is a nice place to live in. It's a peaceful and friendly city  with mild climate. But as I noticed all it's beauty is in downtown. You can also see dirt here and the air is not perfect.
I have been to Dalian and I think it's cleaner than Qingdao. But at the same time Qingdao beach is more beautiful. hehe.
If compare all the cities I've been in China, I'd say that Zhuhai is the only place where the air is not so polluted. ( I have been to Harbin, Changchun, Dalian, Beijing,Qingdao)
Well, I also heard Weihai is a good place and it's cleaner than Qingdao, but I've never been there. ...
Well.. it's difficult to compare, for all the cities have their pros and cons. It depends on your preference.
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Tuco

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2010, 01:53:23 PM »
weihai probably isn't going to offer much as far as a good stable job :P but nice place.
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Con ate dog

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Re: After 7 years in Beijing I would like to find another city to live in...
« Reply #14 on: August 06, 2010, 12:17:10 AM »
I perversely think Chongqing would be awesome: the most populous city on Earth, full of urban decay, horrendous planning... makes Gotham City look orderly by comparison.  You could go out every day and evening, and never find everything therre is to see, do and eat.

But I hate the heat, so nothing doing for me.

There's the obvious: Shanghai.  Might be a nice counterpoint to Beijing.

Most cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are booming and wealthy: Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing; smaller bergs like Changzhou are also pretty good for jobs, apartments, foreign goods and stuff to do.

Someone said something nice about Wuhan once.  Too damn hot for me, but maybe it'd suit you.

Changchun gets strangely positive reviews, if that climate is more your style.

Fellow Saloonie Nate quite liked Tianjin.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2010, 01:29:55 AM by Con ate dog »
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