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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
Beijing
Chengdu
- chengduliving.com
- chengduexpat.com
Wuhan
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.
Health
Also as discussed in one of our previous articles, expats have many options when it comes to healthcare whether its public, private or vip clinic care. These types vary in sophistication of care and cost. Below is a list of major hospitals for major expat cities in China.
Shanghai
Huashan Worldwide Medical Center
Address: 8th Floor, Outpatient Building No. 1, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai 200040
Tel: +86 21-62483986
Shanghai Guangci Memorial Hospital
Address: Building #38, 197 Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai 200025
Tel: +86 21-64664483
Shanghai East International Medical Center
Address: 551 South Pudong Road, Shanghai 200120
Tel: +86 021-58799999, +86 150-0019-0899
Parkway Health International Medical & Surgical Center
Address: 4th Floor, Tomorrow Square, 389 Nanjing West Road, Shanghai 200003
Tel: +86 021-64455999
Beijing
Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics
Address: 2, Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District
United Family Health & Wellness Center-Jianguomen
Tel: +86 10 5927 7000 Emergency: +86 10 5927 7120
International SOS Beijing Clinic
Address: Suite 105, Wing 1, Kunsha Building,16 Xinyuanli, Chaoyang District
Tel: +86 10 6462 9199
Amcare Women’s & Children’s Hospital
Address: 9, Fangyuan Xi Lu, Chaoyang District
E-mail: [email protected]
Hotline: 800 610 6200
Bayley & Jackson Medical Center
Address: 7, Ritan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +86 10 8562 9998
24 Hour Emergency: +86 10 8562 9990
Guangzhou
Global Doctor Guangzhou Clinic
Address: Room 401-403 (3A), Morgan Business Center, North Tower, Fuli Yingli Mansion, 3 Hua Qiang Road, Pearl River New City, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
Tel: +86 20-38841410, 20-38841452 (24h), 13500014119(Emergency）
Global Doctor Guangzhou Clinic
Address: Room 401-403 (3A), Morgan Business Center, North Tower, Fuli Yingli Mansion, 3 Hua Qiang Road, Pearl River New City, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
Tel: +86 20-38841410, 20-38841452 (24h), 13500014119(Emergency）
Guangzhou Can Am International Medical Center
Address: 5/F Garden Tower, Garden Hotel, 368 Huanshi East Road, Guangzhou 510064
Tel: +86 020-83866988
Guangdong General Hospital, Concord Medical Center
Address: 9th Floor, Dr. Y.T. Fok Heart Center, 96 Dong Chuan Road, Guangzhou 510100
Tel: +86 020-83874283 , 020-83874293-8933/8968
Transportation
Transportation in China is fairly convenient depending on the time that you travel and the origin or destination. During certain times of the year like Chinese New Year, you can expect airports, bus and train stations will become very busy with more people than you could ever imagine. Seriously. During long public holidays China’s massive 1.37 billion population makes some serious moves during those times of the year.
Besides the public holidays, transportation easier than ever in China. Majority of large cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Wuhan have developed or developing transit systems including public bus and metro systems. See below for links on each cities transit capabilities above.
- Shanghai
- Beijing
- Guangzhou
- Chengdu
- Wuhan
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.
