Guangzhou - Post Report Question and Answers

What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?

Housing is very small and tight. There isn't much storage, so leave tons of stuff at home. You'll also be buying a TON of stuff as it's made here, so make sure you have room! - Apr 2023


Really, the only thing that makes this place difficult is our inability to leave or travel because of COVID and centralized hotel quarantine upon arrival in China. It's a big deterrent for many people taking their R&Rs, etc. - Aug 2021


I wish I had better language skills; the better it is, the easier it is to integrate. - May 2019


People say the air in Guangzhou is fine, but that's only in comparison to some other cities. It's better than some large Chinese cities, but still seems poor. In my opinion, the dangers of bad air in many areas does not seem to be discussed as much as it should be, as I'm thinking that would then affect staffing. - Nov 2018


It's pretty much what I expected - Nov 2015


China is a full-on experience. There are so many people almost everywhere you go, and with such a different language and culture, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. I became a more aggressive person when I was there, mostly because you have to be, or you'll end up constantly being shoved out of the way, cut in front of in lines, et cetera. I didn't anticipate that, though, and it was a bit of a shock when I realized that it had happened. Likewise, I wish I had known just how much of an impact the pollution would have on my day to day life. I thought I understood how bad it was, but even if you're intellectually aware of it, it's hard to fully grasp what the practical implications are until you're living there. - Aug 2014


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