Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I got a job offer in Shenzhen (which is fairly comfortable) for a 4 years mission.
I got in my network a couple of people living in China. I surveyed them, gave them a phone call, about how, is it to live in China and it seems most of them are bored/tired of it and are really looking forward to moving back to the US or Europe (where I am from).
I got comments like Shenzhen is not sophisticated at all and it's difficult to make friends who are not raw businessmen. One of my friends living there for 10 years told me that I would be lucky if I found an expat or local who has read more than 5 books in the last year...
I really enjoy being surrounded by people who are into literature/arts/politics/music and he told me I wouldn't find such expat in China. He told me there it is the opposite of Paris, London or New York that everything revolves around money, going to bars and restaurants.
He told me also that there are very few western movies due to some control and that I can forget to go to the theatre and other activities which are the norm in other countries.
I did some research and found this: [url]https://www.quora.com/How-bad-is-it-to-live-in-China/answer/Michel-Trotrau?__filter__=&__nsrc__=2&__sncid__=320359930 0&__snid3__=5267015926[/url]
Is this true?
I must say I am not ready to sacrifice my current intellectual life and activities for an expat package.
I looked at Hong Kong and it seems to be way closer to my lifestyle but it seems the daily commuting from HK to Shenzhen would be a hassle.
Would you mind sharing your experience of living in SZ and in China in general so I can get some more opinions?
I live in SZ now and also spend a lot of time in Guangzhou, just to the north (lived there for about 4 years).
Right now, it's true, the expat community in China is shrinking. You are beginning to feel the economic crunch, and stricter social controls are starting to hamstring nightlife and social activities.
SZ is not, unfortunately, a city for the arts. You'd think with over 12 million people it would be, but, there are few galleries, live music venues, private bookstores, etc and the ones that are, are under constant watch to make sure that nothing subversive is propagated. There are certainly plenty of intelligent, intellectual foreigners and locals, but a combination of language barriers and the ever-present fear that big brother is watching (reading/listening). Most music acts exclusively do covers, and they tend to be standards. Public art shows, when they happen, must be in keeping with government standards and tend to be more of the same, over and over. It doesn't have the same sort of cafe culture you will find in the US or EU. Even the pub culture is different; traditionally, it's been more of a non-stop party, 24/7. People tend to go much harder here than they do back home.
And, again, the opportunities are not as abundant as they once were. When the money is flowing and everything feels like an opportunity for growth and achievement, people are willing to overlook these negatives. Once those opportunities dry up (or, at the very least, are perceived to), then people tend to start to grumble.
A couple years ago, even a year ago, I would have told you to come give it a try. My time here has been good to me. But now I, like many people I know who have lived here 5, 10, 15, even 20 years and thought they'd be here forever, am planning to head back home with my family next year. It would be somewhat counterintuitive for me to suggest you come to a place I am leaving.
I live in SZ now and also spend a lot of time in Guangzhou, just to the north (lived there for about 4 years).
Right now, it's true, the expat community in China is shrinking. You are beginning to feel the economic crunch, and stricter social controls are starting to hamstring nightlife and social activities.
SZ is not, unfortunately, a city for the arts. You'd think with over 12 million people it would be, but, there are few galleries, live music venues, private bookstores, etc and the ones that are, are under constant watch to make sure that nothing subversive is propagated. There are certainly plenty of intelligent, intellectual foreigners and locals, but a combination of language barriers and the ever-present fear that big brother is watching (reading/listening). Most music acts exclusively do covers, and they tend to be standards. Public art shows, when they happen, must be in keeping with government standards and tend to be more of the same, over and over. It doesn't have the same sort of cafe culture you will find in the US or EU. Even the pub culture is different; traditionally, it's been more of a non-stop party, 24/7. People tend to go much harder here than they do back home.
And, again, the opportunities are not as abundant as they once were. When the money is flowing and everything feels like an opportunity for growth and achievement, people are willing to overlook these negatives. Once those opportunities dry up (or, at the very least, are perceived to), then people tend to start to grumble.
A couple years ago, even a year ago, I would have told you to come give it a try. My time here has been good to me. But now I, like many people I know who have lived here 5, 10, 15, even 20 years and thought they'd be here forever, am planning to head back home with my family next year. It would be somewhat counterintuitive for me to suggest you come to a place I am leaving.
I have the same feeling. I spent many years abroad and when I am back to Ch I found it quite boring. I love arts, politics, intellectual convos; however it seems that everything here is revolved around money, house, etc.
I really wanna go back to the place I enjoy living, but it is not my country and I am disadvantaged there. Right now I am really struggling because I don't wanna be here.
Very hot and humid for much of the year. Be prepared to dwell in a sub-tropical climate. You'll be so grateful to have modern air-conditioning because without it, you will sense how the peasants who used to farm the rice fields there lived. Air pollution is pretty bad too. That's my two cents. The others pretty much summed it up in terms of culture for you.
You can live pretty comfortably in Shenzhen - it has plenty of modern conveniences, and has come a long way from what it was 20 years ago.
However, if you're looking for culture and arts, SZ is definitely not it, being a working city that has sprang up in just a few decades. You'll need to go to Beijing and Shanghai for that.
Very hot and humid for much of the year. Be prepared to dwell in a sub-tropical climate. You'll be so grateful to have modern air-conditioning because without it, you will sense how the peasants who used to farm the rice fields there lived. Air pollution is pretty bad too. That's my two cents. The others pretty much summed it up in terms of culture for you.
Air quality has been great for the most part since COVID hit. A lot of the factories in the area don't seem to be running, so you have almost daily perfect blue skies. It is, however, currently hotter than hell, with the humidity on top of everything... maybe it's because of the clear skies and more UV rays, but it seems much harsher this year than previous ones. Last year I didn't mind going outside for an hour or two walk or bike ride, but honestly after walking outside more than ten minutes now, I feel like I'm ready to take a nap My daughter and the other kids don't want to go out and play because of the heat. Even my wife, who has traditionally been kind of anti-AC, has kept it humming all day and night this summer.
Some time ago I was thinking about moving to China, but after this virus I got really scared and decided I am good even in the place where I am.
But maybe in the future I will like to move there. Following this thread for ideas/reviews
The OP has long gone, information may still be useful for other people.
The OP mentioned both HK and SZ. SZ is hotter than HK island and Kowloon in summer days and colder in both winter days and nights. SZ is about maximum 38 Celsius in summer, close to 40 in the northern part of it. Not too bad for me who can withstand heat and definitely not special for someone from the tropics. I experienced 3 Celsius in SZ. Every year, it still has days below 10 Celsius in winter, not truly tropical.
It only has a few popular beaches and they are in the far eastern bay of the city. Can go hiking in mountains all over SZ. There are far fewer foreigners in districts other than Nanshan. I personally find other districts better due to fewer offensive or arrogant foreigners.
There are fewer jobs for foreigners from unfriendly countries now in SZ and other mainland Chinese cities. For foreigners from friendly countries, still welcomed by most Chinese, no change except mandatory 2 weeks quarantine after entering due to Covid.
People can no longer cross between SZ and HK easily due to strict measures to prevent Covid by both cities.
Covid situation is much better in most of mainland China including Guangdong than HK right now, caused a large exodus of HK Chinese heading north last week. Some people not wearing masks including many foreigners without masks in HK, are blamed for the worsening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Urban Peasant
Very hot and humid for much of the year. Be prepared to dwell in a sub-tropical climate. You'll be so grateful to have modern air-conditioning because without it, you will sense how the peasants who used to farm the rice fields there lived. Air pollution is pretty bad too. That's my two cents. The others pretty much summed it up in terms of culture for you.
The OP has long gone, information may still be useful for other people.
The OP mentioned both HK and SZ. SZ is hotter than HK island and Kowloon in summer days and colder in both winter days and nights. SZ is about maximum 38 Celsius in summer, close to 40 in the northern part of it. Not too bad for me who can withstand heat and definitely not special for someone from the tropics. I experienced 3 Celsius in SZ. Every year, it still has days below 10 Celsius in winter, not truly tropical.
It only has a few popular beaches and they are in the far eastern bay of the city. Can go hiking in mountains all over SZ. There are far fewer foreigners in districts other than Nanshan. I personally find other districts better due to fewer offensive or arrogant foreigners.
There are fewer jobs for foreigners from unfriendly countries now in SZ and other mainland Chinese cities. For foreigners from friendly countries, still welcomed by most Chinese, no change except mandatory 2 weeks quarantine after entering due to Covid.
People can no longer cross between SZ and HK easily due to strict measures to prevent Covid by both cities.
Covid situation is much better in most of mainland China including Guangdong than HK right now, caused a large exodus of HK Chinese heading north last week. Some people not wearing masks including many foreigners without masks in HK, are blamed for the worsening.
Foreigners make up such a small portion of the population, even in Nanshan, that it's only a problem if you want it to be.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My daughter and the other kids don't want to go out and play because of the heat. Even my wife, who has traditionally been kind of anti-AC, has kept it humming all day and night this summer.
