Hi all, I've just signed up to the i to i placement service in China for 6mths starting Sept 2010, mainly because I have a limited time frame in which to work so destination didn't matter to me the contract length was more important. However now I have a HUGE question, where to go in China, as it is a massive country and one I know not a lot about in terms of cities/locations.... Can anybody recommend anywhere they have been? Or anyone advise me where not to go? I'm quite a social butterfly so would need some kind of stimulating activities, wouldn't like anywhere too remote, however do want to save some money also for onwards travel. Any/all advice would be gladly welcomed!!

Have you been offered a placement, or are you asking for ideas of were to put down as a choice of placement? Chongqing may be a good place to go. I have some friends there and it is a HUGE place, but, as it is not as well known as Shanghai or Beijing, it is cheaper to live, therefore, giving you room to save. It is also sub tropical in temperature as it is fairly southern. :)

I also know some expats in Qingdao, which is a seaside city and a very popular destination. Not as warm as Chongqing, but definitely has as much going on in terms of stuff to keep you busy! :)

Keep us up to date with how you get on! I am going to China to teach on 31st May, be nice to hear how things are going for you too! :)

Hey Rin, thanks for that no I've not been offered a placement yet just needed ideas for choice of placement, your suggestions really help Ive been doin lots of googling but china's a BIG place so all info is great.

Will def kept undated as to where I end up, best of luck in China in May I could be gettin back in contact with you in Sept if I end up in China as you'll I've 3mths expaerience of teaching in China at that point :)

Hey Elaine! I'm also applying for placement in China for 6 months from September...EEeeeeek, excited and nervous at the same time! Still waiting for letter of recommendation from one of my lecturers so I can get the interview process underway. Would be great if you let me know where you decide on going. We might even end up in the same region :) (although China is massssssiveeee!!!)

Hey Elaine :)

Thats cool! Glad I helped a little in terms of places to go! Yes, definitely get in touch when you get to China. Never know, you may be close by!! Same goes for you Annette. I think its always good to have a strong network of acquaintances! :)

Some things to maybe keep in mind... I'm in Xuzhou currently.  I've also spent time in Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Beijing, and a little in Shanghai.  I have friends in Macau, Suzhou, and Shanghai.

Xuzhou has very very few tourist attractions and very few foreigners.  It's great for getting cheap, real Chinese food, and learning Mandarin, but also the majority of the people here have very traditional Chinese values.  This means they often live with their parents or other relatives until they are married, their lives consist mostly of work and/or school, shopping on weekends, and occaisionally dining out.  The people I work with are generally home by 9:30pm -every- night.  They do not go to bars, or nightclubs, or even out to dinner a lot of the time.  What this means is my social life is limited to my foreign friends (of which there are quite a few, and we all sort of band together), Chinese friends from other less traditional cities, and the handful of non traditional Chinese people I know here.  We drink at the one outside beer garden and have dinner most nights, and then if we have a lax schedule the next day we go to the -one- proper nightclub in the entire city, and we generally see the same people in that club.  As far as I know, any city, no matter the size, that is not a major tourist spot will have a similar social scene.

On the other hand, though, it is far, far cheaper to live here than Shanghai, Beijing, or Hong Kong.  I live right downtown, and my rent for one month is about what it costs to get to and from the Shanghai airport in a taxi.

Hangzhou is one place I'd recommend looking.  The city itself is a good mix of nightlife and the culture and social scene you're probably looking for, but also a traditional Chinese city.  It's very very beautiful, probably one of the more aesthetically pleasing cities in the country.  Suzhou, from what I've been told, is similar, and they're both a short distance by train from Shanghai.  Out of the places I've been or know about, I would put those two highest on the list.  I also absolutely love Shanghai and want to live there, but the cost of living is a bit daunting for me.  The salary, though, is supposedly correspondingly higher.

where ever you go..dont head for Dongying!..a duller more no-where place I can,t easily imagine!..nothing to do and no where to go,..unless you fancy 4 hours on a bus each way to Qingdao.

Tangshan. Is not a very social area and it's not the greatest for weather / air conditions. It has some big advantages though. 2 hours by bus to Beijing, Tianjin, for big city buzz or you can jump on a bus 2 hours the other way to go to the see in Qinhuangdao for a more relaxing time.

In Tangshan there are many Foreigners that are teaching. If you are worried about foreign friends whichever city you go to try to find private English schools like EF or Aston which usually consist of 4 - 15 Foreign teachers.

Haven't been on this in ages travelling plans and goodbye drinks and parties are taking over at the minute!!!

So Annette, that cool that you are doing the same thing as m e just wondering have you applyed yet?? I did a month ago now and haven't heard anything back yet sent an amail to the job saction today to see if their was a reason for the hold up in my application process... Has anyone else had a similar experience?? As u say China is massive but ill let u kno what preferences I put down and where Im placed if it ever happen??!!

Logictheorist?? all that info is great about locations in china will def keep it all in mind. I like my social life but however I have no problem taking it easy for a bit and by the time I arrive in China (I hope) I will have been travelling and partying for about 2 months so will enjoy a quieter pace of life for a bit while I work!

Nutty point about Dongying duely noted!! Same for Tangshan thanks Rochie.

I am a executive director of a foreign language school in Shandong China. Now we are looking for  foreign teachers to teach English in my school. If you are interested in working in China, please contact me. Our website is: www.2jiaoyu.com. Please call me on 86 15563723333 or send email to:kyddy1214@126.com!     skype: kyddy1214  If you have any question about working in China, do not hesitate to contact me and I would be happy to provide help!