Would I like China if I lived there?

Question

I live in Japan and it is my favorite country. I love the US, but I'd rather live in Japan.

My fantasy is to try China. I would like to live there for one or two years (actually, maybe forever, but it all depends on the opportunity!) and not just in one place. I'd like to see and experience as much as possible.

So, do you think a person who really enjoyed Japan as much as I did might come to like China as much?

Answer 1

Tough! I have to say. You can't compare China with Japan, they both are unique.

hmmmm..... I lived in Tokyo before, I liked it but I do not want to live there again, Kyoto is my dream city to live for at least 2 years though. And I have some other dream cities.... Ah... I'm greedy!!!!

I'm in Beijing now, I prefer Hong Kong - my hometown because I have friends and family there. I'm tired of speaking Mandarin whole day here and I miss talking in Cantonese. However, being a Chinese and working in China (no matter in which city) I feel that I'm doing something meaningful to my homeland or my life. I won't be "addressed" or "reminded" as foreigner, alien, outsider from friendly Japanese (they really didn't intend to offend me but they just expressed it when they called me expat, I felt like being blocked.)

Experiences tell you the truth, why don't you give it a try? You can always try something new and learn something new. People can't tell you what you would be in your future and how you can feel for yourself in the future. It is your own experience. No matter it is love or hate. You are on your own and you pick your choice.

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Hey, RM! Hi there!

I do not hate Japan, indeed, I like Kyoto a lot. Not all Chinese are rude.

After 2008 Olympics, I wish I could at least go to Inner Mongolia or Hokkaidou.

Answer 2

I have never been to Japan but I have lived in China for almost 2 years.
What Rillifane ( above ) has said is correct. All of these FACTS can be easily checked with a search on the internet. China now produces MORE co2 than the USA. ( Check it ) !
Many people come to China with the beliefs that they have been taught about the country all their lives. Those beliefs are WRONG. They usually enjoy the first six months or so and think everything is new and exciting, different people culture ( ? ) etc. Then they start to see the reality of this country and simply LEAVE. VERY FEW stay for more than 12 months, ask yourself WHY?
The people here are unlike ANY others that I have encountered when travelling in Asia. They have been so cut off from the rest of the world that their culture ( ? ) has developed in isolation and is quite unique. You will find their manners and hygiene standards rather unusual to say the least! I also find them extremely selfish and willing to make money at ANY cost to others. ( Search the China daily for SLAVES ! )
I would suggest that you try to visit here before you decide to re locate. If you do, then I suggest you take a long hard look at the PEOPLE here and not just the " sights " and remember that what seems to be " Local colour " when you are on your holiday soon becomes a cause of disgust and anger when you have to live surrounded by it everyday.
As a " Foriegner " you will be constantly stared and laughed at, you will constantly be over charged for goods and services ( If they can get away withit ) and you will be subjected to ridicule and racism.
The Govt. here is now running ads, on TV teaching / asking the people to be clean, friendly and respectfull to each other ! Why is that ? The Olympics are coming and they are afraid the world will find out the truth about the reality here
If you would like to know more about the awfull truth of this country please feel free to email me. ( If this posting is not reported by some Chinese person trying to hide the TRUTH ).
To those that tell you China is a " wonderfull country " simply ask " Why do 70% of Chinese students, who go to study abroad, NEVER return " ? ( Search The China daily )
Good luck with your decision.
Also DO NOT take any notice of the Chinese people that post on this board as they will give you a totally FALSE impression of their country and will only tell you the " positive " things ( as they see them ) NEVER the " negative " becauase that's what they have been taught to do all their lives.

Answer 3

China is the complete OPPOSITE of of Japan. The people here are rude and unclassed. The toilets are dirty, and so are the streets. If you're a foreigner you will get scammed around every corner, or what we Expats like to call it the "White Tax",

Most expats think the locals are retarded and accept the fact that there is no such thing as the service industry.

I think you'll have fun here for a short while because things are cheap and you get treated like a king, but trust me that gets old pretty fast and then you notice all the rude people who use public trash cans as their own toilets, and the worthless cops harassing the tourists for money.

If you actually lived in Japan and liked it, you will be appalled at what you see in China. If you grew up in Africa and like it then China's a pretty nice place.

Also, people are racist as hell here.

Answer 4

If you are an adventurous person, then China is the best choice. It offers not only the modern facilities like those in Japan, but also adventures you have never experienced. For example, lots of rural areas still don't have clinics/hospitals. After all, it’s still a 3rd world country. If you are not prepared, you will get frustrated quickly. If you can adapt to the environment very well, then China could be your permanent home. The thing that expats appreciate most is the diversity. Some say, China is not just a country, it’s different world.

@Rillifane, I bet you have never been to China. And everything you know was probably from the biased western medias. Yes, there is corruption and pollution in China, like anywhere else. But it's not as bad as you think. By the way, corruption is not rare even in the states. And US generate most of world's green house gases.

Answer 5

That depends on what aspects of Japan you like... If you mainly like the cultural beliefs and the attitudes and behaviors that result from them, then you will probably like China. Although China and Japan are very different cultures, their core values are actually quite similar, so those who appreciate it in Japan, should also be able to appreciate it in China. Also, if you are highly interested in traditional Asian culture, you will probably like China.

If you like the modernity, technological innovations, cleanliness, and high standard of living in Japan, then it is difficult to determine whether you will like China or not. You can find high standards of living in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, but much of China is more rural, poorer, and more traditional than Japan. Some people really like this, and others hate it. It just depends on you!

If you want to go to an Asian nation that is more similar to Japan, I would recommend Taiwan. You may also want to consider South Korea.

Answer 6

dont think so, if you like Japan stay in japan. China is a communist country not that is neccessarily bad. however many of your freedoms you like in japan and u.s wont be in the U.S, and only move to China if you have a well paying job. Rellifane knows what hes talking about. Listen to him.

Answer 7

If you enjoy air pollution you'll adore China. Some 600,000+ people die every year as a direct result of air pollution according to the World Health Organization. China has some of the worst air pollution in the world. Air quality in Beijing makes New York at rush hour seem like a pristine wilderness by comparison.

If you enjoy drinking and bathing in water contaminated with human feces and industrial chemicals then you'll find China a very pleasant place. According to the WHO, more than 90,000 people die every year in China as a direct result of polluted water. Sewage treatment plants are almost non-existent and industry routinely discharges waste directly into lakes and streams.

Do you yearn to live in a ham fisted dictatorship in which government routinely imprisons, tortures and executes dissidents, union organizers, and members of religious groups that are not directly controlled by the state? If so, China is the place for you.

Are you eager to take up residence in a country in which a relative handful of people live a middle class existence on the backs of hundreds of millions of exploited workers who are treated like cattle and paid no more than a few dollars a day? Pack your bags and head for China!

And, if you can't wait to arrive in a country in which corruption is a way of life and every official from the very highest to the most petty party cadre spends every waking moment seeking out bribes then your must go destination is China.

EDIT: Does anyone have guts to openly contradict these facts? Or will you just to thumbs down the answer to try to hide the truth?

EDIT2: @onegoodman...you'd lose that bet. I'm an overseas Chinese. I have been traveling back to China since shortly after the fall of the Gang of Four (when I was personally invited to visit by the government at their expense) . Most of my family still resides there.

Answer 8

Well, you did not say what you like Japan.

If you like the culture and history of Japan, then may be you like China. If you like the politeness, cleanness, etc, then you will not like China.

Answer 9

Zhangjiagang in Jiangsu Province is a nice city. It is near Wuxi. Plenty of Japanese and Korean restaurants since many Japanese business people spend there. Ningbo, Jiangsu is another nice city! Overall, China has a much higher level of crime than Japan. Just smile and enjoy what China has to offer!

Answer 10

Yes, China is a very nice place but I don't like Japan.