Living Abroad
Tier 1 and Tier 3 Cities in China
1st Tier Cities Tier 1 cities represent the most developed areas of the country. Large densely populated urban areas with huge economic, cultural and political influence in China. Tier 1 cities attract a lot attention from foreign organizations because they have higher income levels than the national average. These cities are Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Beijing. Things to note when discussing each Tier 1 city in China: Some of the biggest cities globally Populations between 10 to 26 million people Talents pools for hiring are educated and qualified for most industries Have the highest salaries Have the highest real estate/home rental prices
5 Things You’ll Love and Miss About China
Having lived in Central China for a year and returning to States for a year and a half, I really missed things about China. Yes, there were certain things I was glad to get away from but for the most part the good out weighted the bad. One thing I missed right away was my spacious two bedroom apartment because living in Southern California it’s a hard thing to afford on your own. There were plenty of other things that I grew accustomed to and missed about China but from my experience these are the top five things that I wish we had back home.
Fruit Sister and Other Silly Chinese Nicknames For Foreign Superstars
1. Fruit Sister – Katy Perry Katy Perry is a successful American singer, songwriter and artists who’s been active since 2001. She’s won many awards, is one of the “Top-Earning Women in Music” and the first female artist to produce five number-one Billboard Hot 100 songs from the same album (Teenage Dream). However, the Chinese […]
The most popular US universities for Chinese students
The United States remains the most popular destination for Chinese students looking to study abroad. In the 2013-2014 school year over 274,000 Chinese students came to the United States to study, accounting for 31% of the entire international student body that year. A large number of these students come from China’s wealthiest and most powerful families—the daughter of President Xi Jinping, for example, studied under an assumed name at Harvard. While the US remains the uncontested number one destination for Chinese students, the U.K. came in second with a total of 58,810 students commencing their studies in the 2013-2014 school year, compared to 57,190 Chinese students in all other European countries.
The Most Famous Foreigners in China
In many parts of China simply being a foreigner used to earn you some semblance of fame, but as more and more expats are choosing to call China home and high schools around the world are starting to offer Chinese classes, being white and able to speak some Chinese no longaer earns you the celebrity status. Here’s a list of 5 famous “lao wais” and a short description of what they’ve done to accomplish that status.
Top 5 unique Chinese cities
Everybody knows Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong and they are probably the most visited metropolises in China and this trend will certainly continue that way. However, China is a big nation and home to more than 600 cities and more than 160 of them have populations greater than a million!Many of these fairly unknown Chinese cities have an incredible and fascinating landscape and atmospheres built up by their own histories and cultural attractions. Still they are little-visited by foreigners. Why not experience China in an extraordinary way and visit these unique cities as well?
5 Most Breathtaking Scenics in China (Eco-Tourism)
For all you great travelers, explorers, photographers, ESL teachers and responsible eco tourists who are seeking for adventure and natural beauty; here are some of the most breathtaking destinations in China!
The best 5 meals in China for under a dollar
The best and cheapest food you can get in China!
Best travel locations for Chinese New Year
Spring festival will shortly be upon us, and for those of you spending your first Chinese New Year here, expect fireworks….lots of fireworks. Roads will become quieter, shops opening hours will be getting shorter and the metro less congested, as the majority of the Shanghai workers migrate to their home towns for the holidays (across China an estimated 3.6 billion trips will be made). This makes travelling around China an almost unbearable task for teachers and other expats alike, so this time of year provides the perfect opportunity to leave the Mainland and explores the delights of South East Asia, which conveniently sit on China’s doorstep. Should you want to stay in China, climbing these cool Chinese mountains or a short weekend trip to Hong Kong is recommended.
7 Great China Apps for Expats
Before we arrive to a new country like China, off on a new adventure, there are probably many places we want to explore. If you want to avoid the hassle of guide books, maps and dictionary, mobile apps are the best way to explore a city.
9 Things Not To Do (That You’ve Probably Already Done) In China
It is the bane of the business traveler in an unfamiliar culture: making a comment or gesture that is meant to be friendly but instead offends or embarrasses the hosts. Happily, such cross-cultural faux pas are no longer deal killers. Globalization has narrowed the cultural divide, and these days the Chinese are experienced enough in dealing with foreigners to shrug off such indiscretions. Even stabbing chopsticks into a bowl of rice and leaving them there (an act of hostility among Chinese because it signifies death) would be laughed off (albeit nervously) by locals. What truly matters is a friendly attitude and a patient manner. Below is a list of 9 things to avoid.
The Nomad’s Guide to Taobao Part 2 – Searching and Checking Out
Now that you have successfully created both your Taobao and Alipay accounts, it’s time to reap the rewards. The first thing you will want to do is search for the item(s) you are after. While you can do this in Chinese and English, I have personally found that learning the correct characters and doing it in Chinese yields far greater results. So, here we go – the perfect opportunity to work on your Chinese. In the beginning if you’re in a pinch, Google Translate will do the trick. Because one can never have too many, I’ve gone ahead and decided to search for a dress. This will bring up pages of results. Scour the options and select the one you think you like – don’t fret, it will open in a tab of its own.