The most authentically "Chinese" place to study

[zomis93]

Hello. I am right now a Senior in High School and right now I have my heart set on traveling abroad in China. However I am having some difficulty choosing. It is the third largest nation in the world after all. Anyway here are my priorities.

+ As the title suggests, I want to study in a place that's authentically Chinese culturally. The last thing I want is to go through all the effort of gathering my money and doing all the paper work only to find out that I selected a big metropolitan city that is no different from cities in the west. I want a destination with a real personality. One where I can really get a feel of the culture and am able to do interesting things other than spend a whole day looking at old monuments. I figured Beijing would fit the Personality part. However, I have heard the all the popular destinations like Shanghai and Hong Kong have become too westernized so I am unsure.

+ This is not that important but I do want to actually be able to breath as I have heard that the polluted air of China is noticeable. This is not a number one priority but it would be a plus

+ A cheap place to live would be nice, however, I am willing to go the extra mile if a place meets the above descriptions.

I would greatly appreciate any help.

[jasoninchina]

If you want to study in a location that has minimal western influence, I think you're on the right track by steering clear of places like Beijing, Shanghai, etc. There are numerous places to choose from, but the only one I can attest to is Hainan, which is where I am. The quality of the school aside, I much prefer studying in a place like this for the reasons you listed. The fresh air and minimal western influence are important to me as well. Another idea is to find a location that is close to a major city. There may be a good school an hour or two away from Beijing for example.

Since you are asking for suggestions, I may as well suggest 海南师范大学也 (hainan shifan daxue). Haikou exhibits all the qualities you mentioned. The air is clean, the prices are cheap, and it is thoroughly Chinese. In addition, this particular school offers a scholarship. The downside to this school is that the administration is...how do you say?....incompetent. However, it you're a reasonably flexible person, you could totally learn Chinese here.

[kdavid]

Do some research on Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

If you can put up with the cold, it seems to match what you're looking for. It's also renown throughout China has having the most standard Mandarin in the country.

[wushijiao]

Basically, I think you could look a "dialect/regionalect" map of China that outlines the dialect regions, and just throw a dart at the Mandarin-speaking areas, and you'd be fine, assuming you strong motivation and the right learning techniques.

In my case, after doing a year abroad in Chile, I realized that big capitol cities (like Santiago, Chile), although very nice and cosmopolitan, are not the ideal places to learn a language. Therefore, I essentially did the "throw a dart at the Mandarin-speaking areas of China" thing, and ended up in Henan, which was an absolutely great place to start learning Mandarin. Why? 1) Basically there were no foreigners there, and people were extremely willing to chat with foreigners. 2) The level of English was non-existent among 99% of people.

With that in mind, when starting off learning, I'd recommend places like Henan, Hebei, Dongbei (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning), Inner Mongolia, Shandong or maybe norther Jiangsu. As you get more proficient in conversations, then I'd argue that you can successfully learn anywhere in the country - whether it is in the mega-cities like Shanghai or Beijing, or in the dialect areas. I also like the Southwest - Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan and Guangxi, since it has beautiful mountainous scenery and spicy food. However, if you're just starting out, the accents down there may be a bit too thick.

However, I must say that there is a premise to your question that I think is a bit problematic. I think one has to have an open mind about what "authentic" culture means. You might want to live in a China in which everybody is walking around in beautiful traditional robes or qipao, living in traditional buildings, and eating authentic foods...etc. However, culture has many aspects, and I think things like cheesy-ness/kitsch, rampant materialism, strange versions of Westernization, massive financial districts, cookie-cutter subdivisions in cities that look basically indistinguishable across the country...etc. are an essential components of contemporary Chinese culture. Another issue is trying to separate what is Westernization, what is materialism, what is modernization...etc. In some ways, I often think that Hong Kong - easily the most Westernized place in the PRC - is also probably one of the places that has conserved many of the "traditional" or "authentic" aspects of Chinese culture to the greatest extent. On the other hand, some of the most traditional places will also have ferocious materialism (due to socio-economic system and the creation of a pretty stark class structure, in my opinion) I'm not saying this to be argumentative, but I'm just trying to point out that having a fairly expansive view of what culture is can help you enjoy your overall experience.

[Brian US]

I've heard many good things about Dalian, although I have never been there. If I wasn't offered a scholarship I would have considered a second tier city after living in Beijing for a year. I'd go with what wushijiao said.

[anonymoose]

Dalian is a comparatively comfortable place to live (if you don't mind freezing winters), but there is very little by way of traditional Chinese culture there (in other words, temples, relics, and so on).

[renzhe]

You are only listing really big cities. Do you want to go to a major city (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and the like), a second-tier city which is still quite large (Xi'an, Wuxi, Nanjing, Hangzhou, etc.) or something even smaller?

You can rest assured that none of these cities will look exactly like the cities in the US, and the culture shock is pre-programmed. Yes, there are modern buildings, but it still feels extremely different, as long as you stay away from the foreigner-magnets. Like wushijiao says, they are all quite distinctly Chinese, and often more authentic than the freshly renovated temples for tourists. Every larger city in China will be full of skyscrapers, this urbanisation is a part of what modern China is like. But you'll also find temples, tiny restaurants hidden in small alleys, street food, traditional gardens, and many other typically Chinese things.

Perhaps a mid-sized city will give you a good balance as they can offer a convenient and interesting life, but will still be less full of foreign students and tourists. Xi'an could an interesting option, as it's quite central, large, and has a huge number of extremely important monuments and temples to visit.

[skylee]

According to this thread, Taiyuan appears to be a place that's authentically Chinese culturally.

[Chinadoog]

most chinese cities are very similar

i wouldn't choose a city just because it has some temples and a few cool sites to visit.. you can just travel a bit and see those kind of things.

[daofeishi]

I went to Yinchuan in Ningxia province, which is one of the places in China that I absolutely love the most. There are very, very few foreigners in Ningxia province. All I know about are some South African investors, a small group of ESL teachers that can be counted on one hand, and a small group of international students at Ningxia university. Since there is basically no tourism, you don't end up being treated as a tourist. There is no Starbucks, and there are more "Dicos" than KFCs around. The city still has all the amenities that you would expect from a provincial capital, with shopping streets and night markets, cafes and night clubs, concert halls and sporting events.

As for culture, it is not stereotypically Chinese. About one third of the population is Hui (muslim), so the city is an interesting mix of traditional Chinese pagodas, modern urban architecture and mosques; foodwise you will find a lot of Xinjiang-food (which is some of the best Chinese food in my opinion); and to sum it up, I think the culture there is more 'diverse' than many other places. However, saying that it is not stereotypically Chinese doesn't mean you will not feel like you are in China; there are tea stores, chopsticks and the rest too.

If you like travelling, you are not too far away from Xi'an and Beijing, or other 'exotic' places like Inner Mongolia. On top of that, Ningxia is one of the cheapest places to stay and live in China.

Beware though, the city is bordering the desert, so the winters are harsh, the climate is dry and you can get sand storms during the fall and spring. I was never bothered by it, but some people are.

If you find that that piques your interest, try and contact Ningxia university and they might be able to provide you with more information.

[creamyhorror]

There've been some pretty positive recommendations of Xi'an as a rich cultural center that also offers the convenience of a big city.

[abcdefg]

+ This is not that important but I do want to actually be able to breath as I have heard that the polluted air of China is noticeable. This is not a number one priority but it would be a plus

+ A cheap place to live would be nice, however, I am willing to go the extra mile if a place meets the above descriptions.

Beijing does not rank high in either the air quality or the cost of living department.

You will find, as your process moves along, that some trade-offs and compromises will be necessary. Kunming is worth considering.

[xiaocai]

According to this thread, Taiyuan appears to be a place that's authentically Chinese culturally.

Interesting reading. So that's what HK people regard as authentic Chinese, or just your personal opinion? :o

BTW, Shangdong +1. The air quality of costal cities (Qingdao, Yantai, Weihai, etc.) is quite good.

[msittig]

The problem with going to the middle of nowhere to study Chinese is that you risk ending up in a cultural black hole where nothing ever happens, people have backward attitudes, and you end up losing touch with a lot of the things that define you. I wonder if it's a useful analogy to think about where in the USA you would go to study English. Would you go to a small city in the Midwest because it's more authentically American, and try to avoid New York because it's too cosmopolitan and not real enough? Are you a hobby astronomer, programmer, or quilter? It will be difficult to find Chinese people who share your interests if you are in an isolated, authentically Chinese location. In the big city things are moving forward and new Chinese culture is being created; you can be not just a spectator but take part: join a fashion or artists community, volunteer for a charity organization, or get an internship at a local high-tech startup. Opportunities like these require a certain level of economic and cultural support that will be harder to find in Henan or Gansu.

Disclosure: I live in Shanghai.

[skylee]

It is my opinion. I do not represent HK people. And I did put a smiley in my post #7.

[jbradfor]

Interesting reading. So that's what HK people regard as authentic Chinese, or just your personal opinion?

I think skylee was mocking the OP. If you want "really authentic", this is what to expect. [Where "really authentic" means "as different from the west as possible"]

Everything in China is 100% authentic China. What else do you expect to find in China? Just like everything in the USA is authentic American, the good and the bad, the old and the new.

As others have said, I think the OP needs to think further on what the OP wants, and what the OP means by "authentic". Do you mean traditional? Different from the west? Primitive?

[Yang Rui]

msittig makes an interesting point. If you go to a relatively remote place, isolate yourself from other foreigners, and immerse yourself in local culture, this can have quite a psychological impact, especially at a young age. I did it aged 18 and then again aged 21 and it really messed with my mind. I look back now on the person I was then, and really wonder at some of the things I did and the decisions I made. You're outside of your own reality and, if you're impressionable like me, you start to take on a lot of the characteristics of those around you. Going back to the UK to university, I had massive reverse culture shock, and didn't enjoy it as much as I should have done.

Of course, my Chinese got quite good, but there are times when I wonder whether it was worth it. I also went through a phase where I was quite bitter about China and hated it, before I could finally come out the other side and accept it for what it is.

As for the question of what is most authentically Chinese, it's hard to say. "Authentically Chinese" can mean different things to different people, as the posts above show. If I was doing it all over again, I might go to Beijing and just make the effort to seek out Chinese friends rather than take the safe option of hanging around with the other foreign students. If you just want to study, Xi'an also seems like a good option, as does Qingdao. If you're thinking of pursuing other opportunities while you're in China, being somewhere like Beijing or Shanghai is more likely to put you in a position to talk yourself into a job/meet interesting people doing interesting things.

[xiaocai]

Ah the rant was started by someone else... Alright my apology for misreading your posts.

BTW to OP, I'm still not quite sure about your criteria. As you mentioned that you want to study in a place that's authentically Chinese culturally, but study what? The major you are going take may be a important factor to take into consideration as well. If it was just Chinese language that you plan to learn, I'd say every city in China is as authentic as anywhere else.

[zomis93]

Wow. I was not expecting so many responses so soon. Thank you everyone for responding. I will try my best to respond to everyone's post.

Wushijiao, thanks for the long and thoughtful post. I have read about the benefits of studying in an environment not populated by English speakers. Studying with other English speakers can have benefits, I think. I will always have someone to comfortably practice my mandarin other than my teachers. I can also have someone who I can compare study methods too. I think studying Mandarin in a group setting where I can comfortably communicate with other people who may be struggling with the same things I am or who are struggling with things I can help them with may make the experience more meaningful. Studying in a group setting could pressure me into working harder as I don't like falling behind on anything I do.

I will respond to the other part of your paste later.

[bakhtinjali]

I spent last Winter/Spring studying in Harbin and absolutely loved it. Sure, it's a city, but it takes you pretty far away from bumping into too many Americans/Europeans. You might see a Russian and some Koreans but other than that it is you and a bunch of Chinese people. I was actually with a program called CET, so I am not too familiar with how you would stay there. All that aside, Harbin is a really distinctive city that definitely does not attract as many foreigners. I agree with kdavis on this one, if you can handle the cold, Harbin is the place to be.