How to make a smooth landing in China?

How to make a smooth landing in China

Dear candidates,
Are you packing yourself up? We cannot wait to see you in China! Come on!
China is a place with large area and diverse climates. Although most of the Chinese big cities are modern cities, they are unique because of the people, the culture and the history.
China is such a vast country; there are four first-tier cities, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou; there are many second-tier cities, such as Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing and Xiamen. They are all fascinating places for expats to work and to live in.

Happy adventure, new expatriates!

Because of the thriving economy and promising future, China becomes more and more popular for overseas relocation. A large number of westerners are living here working as teacher, not only teaching ESL, but physical education, economics, math, science, art and music et cetera.
Below are some main considerations to help you to make a soft landing in China.

Accommodation

Yes, to find a place of live is the most important thing you have to consider. In major cities, the flats are all well constructed; full-furnished apartments are available upon request. For new expats, we suggest you to contract with a school that can provide you an accommodation, even though the rent could be deducted from your salary. Renting affairs is too complicated for new expats. And if you are used to cook by yourself, please don’t forget to check with your landlord about the kitchen.

Food

Once arrived, the first thing we need is food. Chinese food is one of the best things about living in China. Cheap, varied and fresh food is on your easy access. If you know Chinese food before, you could be crazy by the regional cuisines: Sichuan hot pot, Hunan spicy food, Zhejiang seafood, Mongolian meat...
But meanwhile, always remember to eat safe. For new expats, we suggest you to cook by yourself in the first month; and be with your colleagues or friends if you want to eat street foods.

Healthcare

Healthcare is also very important. In general, the Chinese government has a policy to accept the foreigners to buy the public health insurance combining with social insurance upon their work in China. However, you are not required to have such public health insurance. You can buy commercial insurance instead. And we suggest the new expats to check with your employer about the insurance issue. Either Chinese public health insurance or commercial insurance shall be acceptable at the government side.

Work-life Balance

It is always a good question to talk about the work-life balance for employees, for both local Chinese and foreign expats.
According to the China law, the regular working hours should be 8hours a day and 40hours a week. This is the same for both locals and expats. Usually, foreign employees are not strongly restricted by those office hour rules as the Chinese employees. So, don’t work too hard!
Meanwhile, Chinese are passionate about their daily chores and work. The Chinese cultural work ethic is one of the reasons behind the positive working attitude, but not the only reason. With the common understanding of more pay for more work, we encourage our candidates to work hard in China. China is the best place to make money. Moreover, working with full passion is not only good for the money, but for your career plan as well.

Social Media

To live in China, WeChat is very important. You will need a good smartphone when you come to China, because WeChat will be everywhere in your life.
In some sense, WeChat is the Chinese version of Whatsapp, but actually more than that. In China you use wechat for text message; you use wechat for voice message and you use wechat for online audio call. WeChat also has a social media element that has become the Chinese mobile version of Facebook. You can also use WeChat on your laptop like Google Talk, or send digital files as attachments. Moreover, WeChat has her own payment platform, Wechat Wallet, where you can set up your bank card and buy anything you want.
For new expats, we strongly suggest you to download the APP WeChat and have a look before you come to China. Here below is the link.

Safety

Yes, China is one of the most safe countries in the world. Many expatriate, especially women, find living in China is much safer than that in the cities like London or New York. Street harassment and catcalling is virtually unheard for foreigners. Most of the streets are well lighted and the police services are available for all the major cities. If you do want to find something less safe, I would say ‘be careful when you are driving or cycling’. The traffic in the major cities can be very heavy. It does take some time to get used to the crowds.

Language

As a new expat, you may worry about the language. Can I survive if I don’t speak Chinese?
No worry, you will be fine. In major cities, English is good enough for you to keep a good daily life, working, shopping and moving.
On the other hand, Mandarin is the only official language of China. However, the spoken Chinese comprises many regional variants, such as: the Mandarin related dialects, spoken in the northern, central, and western regions; the Cantonese related dialects, spoken in the regions south.
For foreign teachers, most of the schools offer free Chinese classes. It would not hurt to pick up some Chinese. And for those who want to live in China for a long time, we highly recommend you to take a Chinese course and pass the HSK test step by step.

China is now very international and easy relocating. TiC will always be here to help you!