Country Information - Teaching in China
Thursday, 16 April 2009 10:25
Teaching and living in Beijing
Beijing City
Located towards the North West of China, Beijing nestles amongst the mountain ranges to the North, North West and West. Beijing is a bustling vibrant city which played host to the 2008 Olympic Games.
Beijing, formerly called Peking is the capital of China and is the focal point for scientific and technological development as well as education and communication.
It is a thriving city where ancient and modern buildings compliment each other and make Beijing the international metropolis that it is today.
The Climate
Beijing's climate is hot and humid during the summer and cold and windy during the winter months – the effect of the monsoon.
The hottest time is between June and August where the average temperature is around 30 degrees.
The months from November to March are cold and windy with average temperatures falling as low as -8. July and August as well as being the warmest are also the wettest months with average rainfall being 22cm.
Beijing, a safe city
Beijing is described as one of the safest cities of comparable size anywhere in the world. That said it is important not to let your guard down and become too complacent.
You should, as a matter of course, keep your valuables safe at all times and avoid putting yourself at risk by venturing into isolated areas alone. Minor pick pocketing occurs in Beijing as it does anywhere else in the world so keep your bags secure.
Beware of being approached by beggars, some with small children, as they are often part of an underground network which takes children from their villages and puts them on the streets to beg.
Much has been said of the poor air quality in Beijing, much was done to improve the situation prior to the Olympic Games in 2008 and the government has been determined to work toward continuing these improvements. It is proposed that all citizens be made to use public transport at least once a week.
Thousands of trees have been planted and green spaces have been increased to help improve the overall quality of life.
The Standard of Living you can expect
The standard of living in Beijing is said to be the highest in China. Generally speaking it is possible to enjoy a superior quality of life to what such a salary would afford you back home.
To give an idea as to how far your money will go here is a random list of prices in Chinese Renminbi based on the following exchange rate (1 Euro = 10RMB) Bus ticket – RMB 1, can of soft drink – RMB 3, litre bottle of mineral water - RMB 2, 33cl bottle of beer – RMB 3 – 5,Taxi – RMB 10 for the first 3km then RMB 2 for each additional km. Adult football entrance fee - RMB 20 -150
Eating out
Chinese cuisine is renowned the world over and the food in Beijing is rated highly among the Chinese people. When eating out it can be a bit daunting to find that most of the menus are written in Chinese however a bit of perseverance will soon have you making the right choices.
Beijing Roast Duck or Peking Duck as it was once known is a specialty of Beijing.
There are also foreign restaurants where you will find French, Indian and Korean food. For those of you who are vegetarians you will find a good variety of suitable dishes in restaurants in Beijing.
The average cost of a meal is RMB 120 -150. On the other hand fast food restaurants charge an average of RMB 20.
A bit of shopping?
Shopping is a wonderful experience in Beijing, there is so much choice and the prices will be a pleasant surprise, whether you are looking for food, electrical equipment, clothes or antiques it is all here in Beijing.
There are many supermarkets in Beijing, some of which can be found worldwide – famous names such as Wal-mart. Carrefour is one of the largest chains of supermarkets in China with 8 branches throughout Beijing, many of these shops offer a free shuttle service for their customers. Branches of Watsons, are found all over Beijing, they are a chain shop for cosmetics etc.
There are also plenty of department stores which offer a large variety of good quality, famous brand names. Bargaining is routine in Beijing, most vendors inflate their prices to allow room for a little friendly haggling – please do not try this in supermarkets or department stores though!
For those of you who enjoy participating in sports you will be spoilt for choice in Beijing whether it’s badminton. Swimming, football, tennis, rock climbing, golf, fitness, skating or skiing you will be able to join in at one of the many clubs in Beijing.
There are also a number of fitness centres offering something to suit everyone’s ability.
For a spot of culture you can find nothing better than Beijing Opera which combines singing, dancing, music, art and culture which takes place in some of the many theatres which also feature ballet, concerts, Chinese drama and puppet shows. Night owls will probably head for the many bars, clubs and jazz clubs.
Places of Interest
There is so much to see and do in Beijing so these are just a few of the places of interest you will find here.
The Forbidden Palace from where twenty-four emperors reigned over China is a magnificent place to visit. It is ranked as one of the most famous buildings/palaces in the world.
China’s Great Wall, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the world’s longest architectural structure is an incredible feat of engineering. Taking over 2000 years to build, the wall meanders its way through desert, mountains and plains and is the only man made structure to be seen from space.
Tiananmen Square, the geographical centre of the city is the largest square of its kind in the world. Tiananmen Tower, The Great Hall of the People and the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall are all open to the public.
Beijing City also boasts a number of historical sites and museums that are well worth visiting for an insight into China's history.
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