lots of forigners in wuhan or changsha?

[civic94]

I looked online on which cities have the most foreigners (looking mostly for americans) but anyways i cant find that list, and I have been researching on wuhan and changsha, it doesnt seem too expensive compared to the bigger chinese cities, I want to move to either one of these cities and at least have a lower cost of living while still have a big city feel and a china feel. do these 2 cities have lots of foreigners? how about ABC's?

I have seen the cost of living in guangzhou, shenzhen, HK, shanghai, Beijing, and it looks awfully expensive.

Thanks

[anonymoose]

I guess Wuhan has more foreigners, but I don't think either city has very many (compared with the likes of the other cities you mentioned).

I should point out, though, that you've picked probably the two dullest cities in China. Maybe you should also consider Jinan if that's what you like.

[Scandinavian]

I've spent quite a bit of time in Changsha (visiting family there) and walking on the streets I have yet to see a foreigner. I did however see some Changsha foreigners participate in a Hunan TV Show last year, so they are there. Of course ABCs would not stand out. Wouldn't say Changsha is more dull than say Guangzhou or Shenzhen. But, its just another big city, they are all the same.

Never been to Wuhan so no comments on that.

[civic94]

So other than beijing, shanghai, Guangzhou, and HK, there are really not much out there? I kind of want to be in a place with americans or with ABC's so I can at least feel a bit more comfortable. it just seems the cities that i mentioned, its more expensive there than NYC, even adjusted for currency difference!

[skylee]

You have to consider the expenses issue, the language issue, the safety issue and the homeless issue... This must be tough. I hope everything will turn out fine.

When do you plan to go to China? I recall a member here called Liebkuchen who talked about going to China as if it wouldn't happen any time soon but then suddenly she got offered a teaching job and was in Yantai soon afterwards.

[anonymoose]

Apart from the big cities, I don't think you'll find many with a lot of foreigners. However, if you want somewhere that will have at least some, plus a pleasant or interesting environment, then you could consider places such as Qingdao, Hangzhou, Xiamen or Xi'an.

If you just want the cheapest, then you could try Lanzhou where basically noone goes unless they are forced to.

[putonghua73]

What about moving West e.g. Chengdu and Chongqing? I chose Kunming (mid-tier city), but both places may have what you are looking for and should be cheaper than Beijing and Shanghai.

What about Shenzhen? I only spent a couple of days visiting my language partner and his girlfriend in 2009 (I thought it was a hole and couldn't wait to leave), and I'm not sure of living costs and other expenses, but it is right next to Guangzhou and HK.

The days of China or rather the big cities as an cheaper alternative - on a currency basis - are over. Some (married) friends of mine, whom I met in Kunming are currently in Shanghai until next year. He got transferred with his role in the State Department. I remember him mentioning that they both loved Shanghai - his wife found a Japanese hairdressers right next to their apartment - and it is convenient, "But damn! It's expensive!". They both lived in Washington DC, and were a little too used to living costs in Kunming.

You are going to have to make a compromise at some stage. If you want all the conveniences on NYC but in China, you're going to have to pay. A lot.

Note: thanks to Scandinavian for the comment about Changsha. I briefly considered Hunan province if I return to China to initially study for another 6 months, but sounds like Nanjing or Xiamen are better options i.e. I want pleasant living environs / culture.

[jkhsu]

While the major cities in China can get expensive, there are ways to live on a dime. Your main expenses are going to be rent and dining out / entertainment. To save on rent, try finding a place further from the city center but not too far from a subway station. Cook most of your meals and when you have to eat out, avoid fancy restaurants. The local mantou / noodle shop in Shanghai / Beijing might be a bit more expensive than a shop in a small town but it's not going to break you. You can totally live on a frugal budget in a major city. I was able to do this in Shanghai. So my advice is don't rule out the bigger cities if city life and the opportunities to meet other foreigners / Americans is what you want.

[Scandinavian]

@putonghua73: Changsha is nice enough. I just would not be able to pick between these 5-10 million people cities.

Changsha seems to have the facilities needed by most people. And it has one thing that I really miss in the south of Guangdong Province. It has actual seasons with snow in winter and warm summer.

[imron]

it just seems the cities that i mentioned, its more expensive there than NYC, even adjusted for currency difference!

Where are you getting your data from? They can be more expensive if you are living a western lifestyle but they can also be significantly cheaper. It all depends on how you live.

[HusbandOfWuhan]

There are lots of foreigners in Wuhan. However, if you walk down the main shopping mall, it will not be obvious. If you go to some universities, especially Wuhan university, you may spot them around. If you go to church for foreigners, there are many of them, mostly African, I would say. Some Koreans and a few Americans. As far as ABC's, there may be a few, but they are rare. I actually have met ABCs, Americans and all sorts of foreigners there before. I have to emphasize that ABCs are rare. You have to go to universities and educational institutions to find suitable foreigners to make friends with.

If you go to Wuhan, make sure you get in contact with Mr. Mai. He is a friendly American who owns a coffee business in Wuhan. Here's the link below. Tell him I referred you to him and he'll know.

http://www.echinacities.com/wuhan/listing/mr-mai-s-coffee-house-and-foreign-language-club.html

Lots of foreigners and locals go to his coffee house to help each other out.

[Lost in Mong Kok]

Changsha feels small despite its large population. I've only ever visited for a week, and I never saw a foreigner. Local residents stared quite a lot when we were out and about and even stood watching us eat in a small noodle bar off the main street. There was definitely a vibe that they don't get a lot of foreigners.

You can find cheap accommodation in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, but you won't be living in the expat areas. The costs of accommodation reflect the wealth of the people that live there and on the whole the expat community in both of these cities seems to earn above what locals do. So if you're budget is tight you'd simply be looking in more local areas.

It largely depends on what you want to experience when you're there and what you do socially. You'll find a lot more available in terms of clubs and bars in the more expensive cities, and down in Shenzhen and Guangzhou you'll also be able to access Hong Kong and Macau with relative ease. With cheap inter-city transport its also about where you can get too as well.

Is Shanghai anymore expensive than Guangzhou? I'd heard from people having lived in both that they found it much the same. They were mixed on which city they preferred.

[tooironic]

Neither Wuhan nor Changsha have huge numbers of foreign residents. But Changsha is infinitely nicer to live in than Wuhan in my opinion, which I found big, messy and polluted. Would describe neither as dull though.

[abcdefg]

#5 --

I recall a member here called Liebkuchen who talked about going to China as if it wouldn't happen any time soon but then suddenly she got offered a teaching job and was in Yantai soon afterwards.

Pretty sure she ran into trouble in Yantai and had to return home prematurely. Sad story.

[liuzhou]

I have never seen specific figures for cities (other than the 'province level' cities such as Beijing and Shanghai etc.)

According to official Chinese statistics the top ten places for foreigners (as of April 2011) were:

1. Guangdong (316,138)

2. Shanghai (208,602)

3. Beijing (107,445)

4. Jiangsu (64,177)

5. Fujian (62564)

6. Yunnan (47,396)

7. Zhejiang (36,380)

8. Shandong (33,098)

9. Liaoning (23,834)

10. Guangxi (23,445)

Source

I'm going to guess that a large percentage of those will be in the provincial capitals.

As you can see neither Hunan or or Hubei are included.

I've only ever visited for a week, and I never saw a foreigner.

I don't think that is indicative of anything. I know for a fact that there are over two hundred foreigners in this small city. I seldom see any of them.

[hbuchtel]

FYI, there is a newish English-language website about living in Changsha: www.changshahua.com

[tamir302]

I'm supposed to study Chinese in Changsha next semester, so that's one more foreigner!

[civic94]

I recall a member here called Liebkuchen who talked about going to China as if it wouldn't happen any time soon but then suddenly she got offered a teaching job and was in Yantai soon afterwards.

If you see my older posts, i said I will go within a few years. then, Just this week I have been talking to a good friend here in the states where he is my age, Born in Fujian China but came to the states when he is 5, so he is technically an ABC. anyways his options for a good job here is not that good, so were planning to save up and go to china within 6 months, 9 months at the latest. he knows how to speak fluent mandarin.

I explained to him how were single, and this might be the only chance we can be in china for a extended time before we have to settle down with a family, at that point if we want to be in china it will only be a month before we have to be back. our backup plan is to teach english there. if not, we'll enjoy the culture. both of us are root seeking.....

does anyone know how much meat costs per pound? like for the good cuts, like the steak sections. My mom told me that when she was in china, vegatables were eaten by them because they were poor, and meat is a once a month deal becuase it was expensive. and I eat steaks a few times per week to satisfy my Americanized style

[abcdefg]

...and I eat steaks a few times per week to satisfy my Americanized style.

You might find it difficult to live in China on limited funds. Some adjustments in consumption patterns will probably be required.

Beefsteaks are a luxury item. Don't think I've ever even seen them for sale in the neighborhood wet market where I buy most of my food. (I'm sure they are available in large chain supermarkets, however.) If you plan on eating steak in a western style restaurant, it will most likely cost 50 RMB or more for the meal.

Meat prices keep rising here, even pork. It's a serious problem for the average worker family.

http://articles.lati...lovers-20110910

http://www.markgodfr...f, 7-07.doc.pdf

http://www.guardian..../30/food.china1

This is not current, but might still help in giving you perspective: http://www.youtube.c...?v=uKBzHGPpJyw

[civic94]

Beefsteaks are a luxury item. Don't think I've ever even seen them for sale in the neighborhood wet market where I buy most of my food. (I'm sure they are available in large chain supermarkets, however.) If you plan on eating steak in a western style restaurant, it will most likely cost 50 RMB or more for the meal.

even If I cook it myself? I dont know the conversions but I pay about 8 bucks a pound in the U.S. for steak at the grocery store. so after the conversions, how much does a pound of beef steak cost in U.S. dollars say If I buy it at a wal-mart in china?

sorry about the questions but I do love my steaks