Around this time of the year is when many expats first land in China on their new adventures in life. China may be wildly different than your home country but one may be surprised at all the conveniences living in this second world country may bring. China, if you allow it to, can certainly be the place where you can not only learn more about Chinese culture and Chinese people, but also about yourself. 

You may ask how would moving to a country like China, help me learn more about myself? Well, although China is catching up to other world leaders, there are certain aspects of Chinese society that will cause expats to learn more about themselves. You will learn more about yourself and how you handle conflicts or a culture that in many ways different than yours. At the same time you may also learn about a few aspects of Chinese culture that you find easy to latch on to and incorporate it to your set of values. 

Thankfully since China, especially larger cities like Shanghai, is popular with expats and because of that, there are many who have or will share the same experiences that you will face. Below are some categories of life in China that need attention and what to expect. 

Community

As mentioned above, since China is popular with expats for work. Theres a great variety of expat communities in China. For the different cities or for the country has a whole, we have listed some expat communities and their websites below. 

Shanghai

• www.shanghaiexpat.com
• www.cityweekend.com
• www.communitycenter.cn

Beijing

• www.smartbeijing.com
• www.thebeijinger.com
• www.beijingexpatguide.com

Chengdu

• chengduliving.com
• chengduexpat.com

Wuhan

• www.wuhanexpat.com

 

Convenience

As mentioned in our previous article “Life in China Made Easier: Apps”, there are many apps and services that can truly make your transition into China a little easier. One thing you may notice after to you move to China is the number of apps that can help you do a variety of things. There are food delivery apps, laundry apps, movie ticket apps, shopping apps and you can even order a professional chef through an app if you'd like to see your food cooked in front of you. Keep in mind that if you do not read or write, or speak any Chinese invest some time into learning the basics so that operating an app that’s in Chinese will be a breeze. Below are a list of our favorite apps, that makes life in China convenient. 

Education

If you have moved to China or plan to soon and have children you most likely have already selected an international school for your child. If not, well you are in luck as Shanghai’s largest and developing cities have many legitimate options when it comes to elite-level, western education in China. For brevity, we have listed some schools below. We also have another article specifically addressing Shanghai’s international school selection. See full list here. 

Shanghai

• BISS
• Concordia
• SCIS

Beijing

• International School of Beijing
• Beijing BISS International School
• Harrow International

Guangzhou

• UIS Guangzhou
• American International School of Guangzhou
• Canadian International School of Guangzhou

Chengdu

• Chengdu International School
• Chengdu Meishi International School

 

Safety

In general, China is a fairly safe place to live in comparison to some other countries. Violent crime in China isn't nearly as prevalent and police presence appears to be much greater than in the west. 

While violent crime is not an issue in China there are other issues that can threaten your safety in China. Food Safety in China is a well-known issue as every year a new scandal appears. Make sure that when you either eat out or purchase food in China that you make effort to understand where the food is coming from and how it is handled. Stick to places that are transparent about their food safety.

Safety

In general, China is a fairly safe place to live in comparison to some other countries. Violent crime in China isn't nearly as prevalent and police presence appears to be much greater than in the west. 

While violent crime is not an issue in China there are other issues that can threaten your safety in China. Food Safety in China is a well-known issue as every year a new scandal appears. Make sure that when you either eat out or purchase food in China that you make effort to understand where the food is coming from and how it is handled. Stick to places that are transparent about their food safety.