By Arnold Vis
After starting my China journey as a teacher in Wuhan back in 2002, and then creating Teach English In China, I became familiar and comfortable with how the country worked during numerous trips over the years. But the pandemic was a strange period for me, as I was not able visit China for five years. It was a brilliant to be back again for my third post pandemic visit in August 2024. A lot has changed in the past years, so I thought I would share my most significant impressions with you.
China just works
During my trip I spoke to James, one of our new teachers who just arrived in China.
I asked him about his initial thoughts of being in the country, and he said his main impression was that ‘everything just works so well’. And he’s absolutely right, as life in China in convenient and well organised on so many levels.
Public transport
Taking the metro in China is easily done even if you don’t speak Mandarin. Metro maps are straightforward and clear, and all announcements are made in English as well as in Mandarin. A single fare within a city usually costs just 5 RMB (£0.50) or sometimes even less than that.
Home delivery
Do you like Amazon’s next day delivery? Then you’ll love deliveries within the hour in China!
On our trip to Hangzhou, we realised we had forgotten to pack our converter, but we were able to buy one online and get it delivered to our accommodation in less than an hour.
Food deliveries are much the same; it’s not unusual to order at any time of the day (including breakfast), and have a delicious (and very affordable) meal delivered to your door within 20 minutes or so.
Safety
China is an incredibly safe society, and you can venture out any time of day or night to any part of the city without worrying about your personal safety.
Back to normal post Covid
China imposed strict lockdowns during parts of the pandemic, and it made it a hard time for many people, foreign teachers included.
When I was in China last summer, just months after lockdown restrictions had been lifted, it felt like people were still working their way back to normality.
It didn’t feel like that this time, everything felt completely back to normal.
Far fewer people wear masks and no one has qualms about indoor meetings anymore, and the malls are packed.
Technology is a massive part of life in China
China has always been a tech savvy society, but it’s gone to another level in recent years.
All payments are online, I didn’t use cash once during my two-week trip. It takes some getting to grips with when you first arrive, to grasp apps like Alipay, WeChat Pay, your VPN, and your translation app. But when you get the hang of it, it makes life in China convenient, and the technology also means that living in China has become easier in terms of the language barrier, given the quality of many translation apps.
It also means that mobile phone use and people being on their phones is ubiquitous in China, especially as there’s mobile phone reception on the underground metro too.
I have mixed feelings about that side of things, but it’s certainly something interesting to reflect on, and part of the adventure of exploring a new society.
A resurgence of traditional Chinese fashion
Around scenic areas such as the West Lake in Hangzhou, many young people dress up in costumes inspired by ancient Chinese history.
Locals told me that in terms of fashion, China looked to the West for many years after opening up in the late 70s, and that for many years, Western brands and fashion were seen as luxury and something to aspire to.
In recent years this has changed, and people are increasingly looking to fashion brands that produce looser fitting, flat cut clothes inspired by China’s own historic dynasties
Squat toilets
Here’s an interesting one to end with: there’s a resurgence of squat toilets in China!
I couldn’t quite work it out at first, because it didn’t used to be this way.
Apparently, this is a remnant of the Covid years, in that squat toilets were considered more hygienic.
So, keep it in mind and bring toilet paper just in case, as finding toilet paper in a Chinese squat toilet can be hit and miss.
I hope this has been a helpful insight into life in China; spending time there is always an adventure like no other, that I wholeheartedly recommend.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at arnold@impact-teaching.com
Please get in touch if would like to learn more about our programs in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Hungary and Poland.
