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I live in Guangzhou and I think it's a blast. I've been out literally every night this week, whether it's a nightclub, bar, or just hanging out and watching movies with friends... some of them locals, some of them other expats, but I'm never hurting for stuff to do.
Admittedly, GZ has more nightlife than SZ. I know you said you spent a few days in all these different cities but is a few days ever really enough to get a feel for a place? A lot of it depends on what sort of fun you want to have, too: if you want to have a mellow game night followed by live jazz with some friends (Monday), you're not likely to find it after two days in a city unless you already know people there. If you want to go to a huge expat taco party (which I throw every Tuesday) and mingle with <200 foreigners from all over the globe plus some locals, unless you know it's happening via an invite from a friend over wechat or happened to talk to someone at a bar who knew about it the previous night. If you want to go to laser tag with a group of 40 people (my birthday on Wednesday), you're not likely to just stumble upon a group like this walking from the Hyatt to the Chigang Pagoda. But, I've only been here nine months and I am in a few massive social circles, I throw parties that tons of people go to, I get invited to events constantly... the only time I'm bored is if I allow myself to be.
And I'm actually not a partier or socialite by any means. I'm a mellow, 31-year old metalhead from Boston who teaches kids to say "apple" during the day and makes tacos at night. The average Chinese person on the street may not want to be your bid, but there are plenty of Chinese folks from all walks of life who do actually want foreign friends and will be more than happy to seek you out. I've met a good dozen just riding the metro or standing at the store without my headphones, despite being 6'2, muscular, bearded, and having a mohawk
YMMV in any social situation of course, but I don't hardly think that life in China is "boring."
That's my take on ANY expat living ANYWHERE in Asia.
I mean, I know its technically possible for people to NOT have a good time...but it's real hard to do. I mean, how can the guy go to HONG KONG and be bored?
My guess is he's just stuck in a dull boring spot in Shenzhen, and when he travels, he spends much of the time in the hotel or walking around near the hotel, without much knowledge of where to go. I guess...hard to say! Usually I manage to find all the fun spots, when I travel around though....
I am fine with China. I'm a lazy person though so I have high tolerance of boredom. I prefer staying in the hotel instead of going out and struggle talking to locals, that makes it boring. I also saw huge concrete parks in China, that also looks boring to me. But the rest of China, is fine. People are warm and friendly. Garments and gadgets are extremely cheap. Also best massage and nightlife experience.
I've only been to GZ, SZ and other city which I forgot the name, and yes HK is an exception.
I live in Guangzhou and I think it's a blast. I've been out literally every night this week, whether it's a nightclub, bar, or just hanging out and watching movies with friends... some of them locals, some of them other expats, but I'm never hurting for stuff to do.
pearl river delta region is my favorite part of china, no idea why you're bored. i do have a friend who works in dongguan who finds it boring. he flies to the PI every chance he gets and has a great time. scuba, hiking, etc. plus filipinos are more sociable. maybe yo should give it a try?
I have been living in Shenzhen for 5 months now, and also stayed in Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, Guilin, Sanya, Xiamen and Dongguan for a few days in each city this year. First went to China last year, toured Beijing, Chengdu and HK.
And the conclusion is China is a boring country. What do you think? Boring or not?
Any fun things to do while in China? including HK and Macau.
Working, businesses and nightlife, seem there aren't anything more to offer in the city.
pearl river delta region is my favorite part of china, no idea why you're bored. i do have a friend who works in dongguan who finds it boring. he flies to the PI every chance he gets and has a great time. scuba, hiking, etc. plus filipinos are more sociable. maybe yo should give it a try?
Dongguan and foshan are smaller peripheral cities in the greater GZ metro and would be pretty boring to most foreigners. Aside from a couple pubs, there's no nightlife for westerners. They're sort of split in half, one half being modern development and the other being super-dense, utilitarian post 60s Chinese mixed use residential/industrial areas. Not very cosmopolitan, not many English speakers, but also not really enough of the more traditional Chinese culture you'll find in a place like Wuhan or attractive leisure options like Zhuhai that'd make it attractive to foreigners regardless.
If he's bored of dongguan, he can bus it twenty-five minutes west and have a good time
I visited Dongguan, part of it's major problem is that it is very car-centric and very spread out. Actually I find Shenzhen like that as well.
I always find myself a bit isolated whenever I live in a very car-centric area, particularly since I don't have a car. It can compound itself if you want to socialize through drinking, but live in a car-centric area.
I don't know if that is what the OPs issues are or not...but I'd still keep myself busy despite that, if I were living in those spots. But most likely, I'd opt for a better part of china/asia, if I were him.
But he didn't like HK either, so I'm guessing he just doesn't like living in Asia, in general. I guess.
I have been living in Shenzhen for 5 months now, and also stayed in Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, Guilin, Sanya, Xiamen and Dongguan for a few days in each city this year. First went to China last year, toured Beijing, Chengdu and HK.
And the conclusion is China is a boring country. What do you think? Boring or not?
Any fun things to do while in China? including HK and Macau.
Working, businesses and nightlife, seem there aren't anything more to offer in the city.
Places like Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Macau, may be "boring" by your standards but they offer a lot more stimulation than the vast majority of North American cities from what I've seen. Try spending a year in Indianapolis or Phoenix then a year in a major city in China and see how they compare..
Dongguan and foshan are smaller peripheral cities in the greater GZ metro and would be pretty boring to most foreigners. Aside from a couple pubs, there's no nightlife for westerners. They're sort of split in half, one half being modern development and the other being super-dense, utilitarian post 60s Chinese mixed use residential/industrial areas. Not very cosmopolitan, not many English speakers, but also not really enough of the more traditional Chinese culture you'll find in a place like Wuhan or attractive leisure options like Zhuhai that'd make it attractive to foreigners regardless.
If he's bored of dongguan, he can bus it twenty-five minutes west and have a good time
before the crackdown dongguan (changping and changan) had the largest P4P scene in the area, so i would enjoy the place immensely if i lived there. but not everyone is into that stuff.
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