Beijing - Youth Report Question and Answers
What do you wish you had known about this city/country before moving here?
The surveillance it pretty harsh, with cameras everywhere and no subtlety about it, and the internet was more of a bother than first thought. It's really cool, though, as long as you go home every once in a while to take the pressure off and make sure that you really enjoy everything that the city and country in general have to offer you. And go with the flow, because a lot will go wrong and be more or less complicated than you thought. And, while not a requirement, having someone who knows Chinese is also helpful. - Dec 2025