Living in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia

[zethe]

After my post about my work experience in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, I was asked to share my living experience here.

 

The city is quite small, you could ride a taxi around the entire city (with minimal traffic) for about 20 RMB.

To get from one side of the city to another can cost as low as 9rmb, but most places cost 6.

Restaurants, cost of living, and shopping here range wildly from stupidly expensive to stupidly affordable depending on where you go.

Overall, you can live quite comfortably without spending very much at all.

My students parents have always been hospitable, and frequently invite me out to dinner or the KTV.

The grasslands outside the city are quite enjoyable to visit, and you can go sand sledding in the dunes.

There's a rather large snow park outside the city as well, where people can skate, play, etc.

The city is surrounded by mountains, which means fierce winds most of the year, throwing up dirt everywhere. The summer, spring, and winter are all definite seasons of their own.

The skies are often blue, and you can see rainbows nearly all of spring. Pollution in this city is very low, and trash is constantly picked up. About two hours out from Chifeng is a really nice spring resort. It has waterfalls, a water park, hotel rooms, the usual.

 

Recently, the city has exploded with infrastructure growth, and it just got its first walmart.

Beijing is about an hour flight from here, and your alternatives are the slow train, a private car that drives you to and around beijing and waits for you (600-800rmb), or a 6 hour bus ride. They are currently building a fast rail (says it will be done by 2017)

Most people in this city (including hospitals and bureaus) cannot speak a lick of English, you should learn as much Chinese as possible to get around, or have an assistant. Most people in this city have also never seen a foreigner (with the exception of African and Pakistani students). This means they will shamelessly stare and ask silly questions. Often when waiting for a taxi, people slow down or even stop their car in the middle of the street just to stare at me (this is quite annoying).This city still has heavy racism, and Africans are often looked upon with disdain. Pakistanis have set a bad example for themselves in their behavior, and this makes being a foreigner in Chifeng a toss up between being treated nicely or with suspicion.

 

 

I wouldn't recommend most Mongolian restaurants, but that's just my taste. Small chinese restaurants are always nice to try around here, and if you're a regular you get special treatment.

If you are to work in this city, I recommend always stay in touch with the FEB in Hohhot, as the PSB and education department here is often influenced and/or bribed by local schools.

 

Any questions? Just ask. Want photos? I'll post

[wushucrab20]

Sounds really interesting. I've actually been to Chifeng once before to attend a wedding. It seemed like a fairly small city and I vaguely remember riding a bus out of town to get to the grasslands. There was mongolian text along with chinese characters on most of the buildings in town. Post some pictures if you can

[chilly grace guo]

Sounds cool

[abcdefg]

I would enjoy seeing some photos if you have a chance.

[zethe]

I will post photos soon, sorry in-transit at Beijing and on my way to the U.S. for the Chinese New Year.

[xuexiansheng]

@zethe- I was interested about how/why you selected to work at Candy School and live in Inner Mongolia. I've always been interested in 'off the beaten path' places that people decide to live.

Did anything in particular draw you to Inner Mongolia?

Any first impressions or preconceived notions that have changed now that you've lived there for some time?

 

@abcdefg I second the "would like to see pictures vote" 

Thanks

[anonymoose]

How much is Mongolian spoken there?

[zethe]

@xuexiansheng

 

Well, I suppose it's a mix of reasons.

I really didn't have any idea how shady schools can be in the smaller regions, nor how ignorant they are of bureau regulations, so it was part ignorance on my part of the trustworthiness of people in smaller cities.

I wanted to start in a small city where I didn't have bigger competition from other ESL teachers, as it was my first job in China, and I was just starting my career there.

I thought I would be more comfortable in a smaller city with a more green environment nearby as I'm used to the rural and mixed-urban areas of Missouri.

I already had some experience in the Chinese language (written and spoken) and want to try mastering as much as I can before moving on to other languages, so I thought throwing myself into a smaller city could help through immersion.
I was in kind of a hurry to set up a job quick, so I hadn't weighed my options very much, and the boss in Chifeng seemed the most trustworthy and helpful at the time. (I checked her school license and talked to other teachers)

 

Notions that have changed:

Chinese bosses are not to be trusted (maybe this is just from a negative experience) things are not what they seem in-ever.

I don't particularly like the way people stare and get gaping looks on their faces when they see me, nor do I appreciate the questions often asked.

You cannot expect to bring American ideas or ways of thinking, nor criticize (even constructively) the way the school system is laid out.

I came here extremely motivated and wanting to help the school in any way possible, but that quickly wore off a few months later when I realized there is no appreciation, all ideas are stolen and no credit is given, and often I am told they can find another 'white teacher'. All in all, I think a lot of people in this region are quite racist.

 

That's not to say, I love the spring and summer here, the people are very kind and welcoming to me (often wanting to go to dinner), and quite a few are helpful.

There is good and bad with every place, but I think the negative outweighs the good here with my experiences.

[zethe]

@anonymoose

Mongolian is displayed on almost all chinese signs, stamps, and so-on right next to the Chinese characters. You will see Mongolian-Chinese signs more often than English-Chinese signs.

Mongolians are common here, and I even have some mongolian students who are learning both Chinese and English.

[zethe]

I'll upload images to imgur and link them here.