Needing your help to choose a city to study Chinese

[Clef Ment]

Hello everyone,

 

I would like to continue learning Chinese in China but would like to change city (from Shanghai), but there are so many possibilities and I don't have a lot fo experience with chinese cities (except Shenzhen and Suzhou so please don't mention them).

 

Here's what I am looking for:

 

- Population doesn't really matter

- Climate doesn't really matter too, except too extreme like Harbin

- Developped city, with a metro

- As few foreigners as possible (in university and expats)

- Not too expensive

 

If someone could help me and or share experience, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks a lot!

[889]

But I take it you're rejecting Suzhou, which would be one of my first suggestions. Since everything is relative, it would be useful to know why.

[Clef Ment]

It's because I have already studied / lived in Suzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen. So now I would like to go in a different city, even if Suzhou match my requirements (but even less foreigners would be appreciated).

[roddy]

You want a metro? Pick one

[anonymoose]

Well, outside of Beijing and Shanghai, I don't think there are many foreigners (by comparison) in any city. This only leaves having a metro as a requirement, since basically the other conditions are met by any city really. Many cities in China now have metros (or are in the process of building them), but none are anywhere near as advanced as those in Beijing or Shanghai, so I'm not sure that it would be worth limiting your options based on this criterion alone (though it still leaves you with a number of options). These cities come to mind: Hangzhou, Nanjing, Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Jinan, Ningbo, Changchun, Dalian, Harbin, Qingdao, Changsha, Wuxi, Dongguan, Xiamen, Changzhou, Zhengzhou, Nanchang and Nanning.

[Coys1991]

What about Xiamen?  Their university is one of the most well known universities in China.

[abcdefg]

In Kunming I rarely see a foreigner more than once or at most twice a week on the streets in the older section where I live. But our metro is still a "work in progress" with only parts of it being currently complete. Not sure why a metro matters when the bus system is well developed and relatively convenient.

 

Cost of living here is lower than first-tier cities. Good weather.

 

You probably need to rank-order your criteria list from most important at the top to least important at the bottom. Also, what are you seeking in the way of educational opportunities? For example, do you want/need a university degree or private schools and tutors?

[Coys1991]

Also if you want to live where no foreigners are, just go to the outside of the main city of Shanghai I barely see any one there.  But possibly they may use more Shanghainese than the Mandarin.

[Jamasian]

I enjoyed my time studying in Chengdu. I found it easy to get along with locals and my language improved tremendously. I hear there are more foreigners now, but I think you'll be able to still enjoy a fairly foreignerless life.

[Clef Ment]

@ abcdefg : I actually already have a degree (in business), so I am now just learning chinese. So I just need a non-degree program.

 

Kunming looks really interesting. Good climate, beautiful and without a lot of foreigners. My only complain would be that Yunnan University accomodations don't have toilets and showers.

 

I don't have a lot of criteria, but the first one would be as few foreigners as possible. And a metro because I really don't like the bus.

 

I used roddy's list to see the different cities with metros, but it is difficult for me to judge wether a not a city has lots of foreigners or not.

[roddy]

I think any city in China you can avoid foreigners by choosing the less popular (with foreigners) universities and places to live. Beijing - study at BLCU and live right on Wudaokou, you're going to have a lot of foreigners around. Study at the Post and Telecommunications University and live at 牡丹园, there's going to be hardly any. 

[Clef Ment]

Thank you for your advice roddy, for some reasons I was focusing myself on the main university for each city and forget to check the other ones.

 

For example there is the Yunnan University of Finance and Economics in Kunming, which provides year-long Chinese program and single room with private bathroom. I might choose this one, because Kunming sounds like a lovely city.

[Lu]

On the other hand, if you're going to study Chinese as a language student, all your classmates will be foreigners by definition. Breaking away from that will always take work, but it's doable even in Beijing/Shanghai. (On this subject, also go read Takeshi's advice in the relevant thread, starting here.)

[abcdefg]

It wouldn't really be possible to use the metro to get around here (Kunming.) There aren't enough lines and enough stops. Maybe in 5 more years. Currently one would have to mainly rely on other means of transportation.

 

Suggest looking into private language schools as an alternative to enrolling in a non-degree university program. More intense learning environment, albeit at greater expense.

[Clef Ment]

@ Lu: yes I will have to see foreigners since I'm learning Chinese. But I find it more interesting when you see less of them, of course I know that I will have to see some.

 

Regarding Takeshi's advice, this is a really weird thing to do. I made a few Chinese friends on campus and with apps, no need for this kind of "strategy".

 

@ abcdefg : I think private schools are too expensive. Thank you for the information regarding the metro, if I can do some travel in metro and some in bus/taxi it's better than nothing. Or just buy a bike / e-bike.

 

Honestly I am reading about Kunming and looking at pictures and it looks like a really nice place to live.

[abcdefg]

Honestly I am reading about Kunming and looking at pictures and it looks like a really nice place to live.

 

Kunming does have a lot going for it. Weather is good most of the year, at least it seldom has the temperature extremes found in some other parts of China. Plenty to see and do in and around the city. It's also a convenient hub for regional travel.

 

As the city has grown, it has become increasingly spread out, which is not an unusual story. But that means some parts of the city are more desirable than other as places to live, work, study. Best to have all three fairly close together, because commuting is not easy.

 

The cons, which are less easy to find out than the positive points, are that traffic is often slow, often snarled. An electric bike or scooter can be a good way to get around. There is also lots of construction, buildings as well as roads. Among other things, this leads to lots of dust.

 

This year and last year the air quality has slipped quite a bit and isn't as good as it was previously. We have lots of "yellow/moderate" and "orange/unhealthy" days now; very few "green" ones. It's the result of several factors, not all of them transparent.

 

http://aqicn.org/city/kunming/

 

One other Kunming drawback is that the local dialect is used a lot on the street instead of more standard Mandarin. I don't find this a big hindrance, but some people do.

 

I know very little about the university scene. But there are many "minor" universities scattered around the city. If you really want to learn Chinese, from what I've heard and read, wherever you choose to study, you will need to supplement the official course work a lot on your own.

[Clef Ment]

Thanks for a all of this, I think I will got o Kunming or Wuxi.

[889]

Wuxi is a horrible place -- well, not in the league of Zhengzhou, but that's not saying much -- and leaves you practically within commuting distance of your old haunts of Shanghai and Suzhou. What's the point?

My suggestion would be a place where northern Chinese is spoken on the street and where you get a chance to experience northern Chinese culture. On your shortlist, that means Xi'an.

[Clef Ment]

Thank you for your input.

 

A friend of mine also mentionned Xi'An to me, but only based of a few days he spent there. I noticed that the universities and accomodations (single room) were a bit expesive though. Except for Chang'an university.

[Aria1984]

Hey,  Im a scholarship winner to go study Intensive Mandarin in China for 1 semester in 2016.  However I'm having a REALLY hard time deciding what University to attend. My 3 options are;

 

1. Peking University

2. Beijing Normal University

3. Fudan University

 

Any advice, tips or thoughts - or any other forums/blogs to check out would be go great help!!

 

Im pretty easy going, I have a basic understanding of Mandarin and Medical Mandarin. I want to live in Beijing or Shanghai. Im more curious about the actual learning at the Universities and people's experiences and thoughts.

 

Thanks!