China City Guide: Best of the Rest
Tier 1 teaching destinations in China may enjoy all the hype and fame yet for every job offered in major Chinese cities, there are countless others fewer foreigners consider. For a multitude of exceptional reasons, these may well be considered the best teaching positions of all. The Best of the Rest, if you will! That’s because teaching and living in a Tier 2/3 city can be more enjoyable, more relaxing, less stressful and even more profitable than in any megacity. If that’s your thang, that is.
What’s more, given that jobs offered in ‘minor’ cities see fewer applicants, it means they can offer a priceless foor in the ‘Chinese-teaching door’ if you’re just starting out and don’t have much experience under your belt.
Visit www.vbcareerservice.net and explore unique teaching opportunities!
Smaller, more laid-back, friendlier and, in many ways more rewarding and authentic, our Best of the Rest teaching destinations offer a unique experience to foreign expats. Here, away from impressive expat crowds and touristed centres, you’ll find the real China, the one many people never get to see. You’ll stand out more in a more remote location – although the term ‘remote’ is relative – will enjoy superior privilege among your peers and, although you may be paid less than in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, you will also have much lower living costs, allowing you to save even more than you otherwise would. Salaries may only be 20%lower but living costs could easily be 50% lower and there’s your saving gap exponentially increased. Living as a TEFL professional in China, more savings usually means more luxuries, more fun and much, much more travel!
Visit www.vbcareerservice.net and explore unique teaching opportunities!
The benefits of smaller destinations are innumerable
Big city life on weekends but quieter and more peaceful working week? Choose a smaller destination close to one of the major cities. Want to immerse yourself fully into Chinese culture? Choose a Tier 2 or Tier 3 city with fewer expats. Want to learn Mandarin or Cantonese? You’ll get much more practice when you’re surrounded by locals rather than foreigners, as is the case in smaller cities. Dream of teaching English in China but feel overwhelmed at the mere thought of a mega-metropolis? Choose a Tier 3 city – the culture and social shock will seriously be less. We could just keep going!
Visit www.vbcareerservice.net and explore unique teaching opportunities!
Here are some of the most popular ‘Best of the Rest’ teaching destinations in China. And do keep in mind that new jobs, in new cities, come up all the time.
01.Ningbo
Visit www.vbcareerservice.net and explore unique teaching opportunities!
Only 200km south of Shanghai (2-hours by train) Ningbo is a very popular Tier 2 city, the kind that’ll see you get stopped on the street by locals to either have a chat in English or take a selfie (they loooove selfies with foreigners). With a population of only 6 million people (we know, small, right?) Ningbo can feel very welcoming and is somewhat easier on the soul, especially as a first-time teaching abroad destination. Being a seaside city means Ningbo boasts a long history of seafaring trade and is very multinational, which also blunts the culture-shock, somewhat. An eclectic mix of architecture, gleaming skyscrapers rubbing shoulders with ancient temples and sparkling new supermarkets vying for customers from local open-air markets, Ningbo is a fascinating and very rewarding city in which to teach. Demand for quality ESL teachers is huge here.
02.Yangzhou
Visit www.vbcareerservice.net and explore unique teaching opportunities!
Connected to the capital city via the 1,100-mile-long Grand Canal, a magnificent UNESCO-listed treasure, Yangzhou is one of China’s smallest Tier 2 cities. A mere 4,5 million people live here which, as you’ll soon-enough discover, almost warrants being called a ‘village’.
This Venice of the East is a gourmand paradise as well as a nature-lover’s dream. Dotted among the canals are luscious parks and gardens, ideal for a spot of morning Tai-Chi. The historic centre is likewise a gem to explore as is every canal-side alley and open-air market. There’s certainly an expat scene here but we find that ESL teachers in Yangzhou tend to have a more inclusive social sphere, making local friends a lot more readily. You can still be in Shanghai in just 1,5 hours (by train) but your life, here, will be immensely different.
03.Qingdao
Visit www.vbcareerservice.net and explore unique teaching opportunities!
Considered one of the China’s most liveable cities, Qingdao is at the half-way point between Shanghai and Beijing, right on the eastern seaboard. Home to China’s second-biggest brewery (what more of a reason could one seek, we wonder?!)
Qingdao is a force with which to be reckoned and offers tremendous potential for ESL teachers, even though it’s so often overlooked. An interesting historical city with a multi-cultural history that’s not often found in China, Qingdao is ideal if you’re looking for that off-the-beaten-path teaching destination that delivers entertainment, attractions and a wicked lifestyle, all in one package.
04.Nanjing
Visit www.vbcareerservice.net and explore unique teaching opportunities!
With its wonderful lake, glorious palace and welcoming atmosphere, Nanjing is one of the most delightful places you could choose. This is a hub for weekenders from Shanghai – teachers who need a little escape from the hectic city pace head here to unwind – so how good would it be to live here full-time? With an abundance of outdoor pursuits, better air quality and more immersive Chinese life, Nanjing is the bees’ knees of ESL teaching.
05.Kunming
Visit www.vbcareerservice.net and explore unique teaching opportunities!
One of the most resplendent cities in China, Kunming is a hidden treasure that really needs to be discovered. The sheer concentration of parks in the heart of the city, with a stunning lake that’s just peachy and an overall very easy-going vibe, this is one of the most enjoyable teaching cities of all.
You’ll still find French bakeries and foreign-owned pubs and restaurants, Kunming’s small but close-knit expat community offering the best of the West whilst leaving the emphasis very much on authentic China. Even if you don’t end up teaching here, pin Kunming on your map and come experience this superb city over a long weekend.
