Five Things You Should Know Before Coming to China

As a young girl, I lived in Japan for five years with my family, travelling throughout Asia, and I loved the experience. Although I hadn’t been to China, my ideas about the country were undoubtedly shaped by the media. However, those ideas have not aligned with what I’ve actually experienced since coming here to teach English and living in China for nearly four years.

I had assumed that, because China is a communist country, there would be obvious infringements on personal freedoms. Yet, from what I’ve observed, people seem free to live as they choose. I’ve met many educators and artists who openly express themselves through their teaching and creative work. There’s little open discussion about what the government is or isn’t doing, or whether people are satisfied with it.

What I do see is a citizenry that appears content as they go about daily life in the cities. I see families dropping off and collecting their children from school, children playing and engaging in everyday activities in a pleasant manner, and businesses running successfully. My impression of the Chinese people is that they are, on the whole, happy and doing well financially.

In my experience of living in China for nearly four years—across two different provinces and three different cities—I’ve found it to be one of the safest countries I’ve ever lived in or travelled through. China is known for its extensive use of CCTV, with cameras at nearly every intersection and throughout urban areas. Personally, I’ve found this to be reassuring, especially as I often travel alone.

As a woman, I feel completely safe here in China. I’ve never felt uncomfortable or concerned walking home alone on foot at around 9:00 pm on a Saturday evening after a full day of teaching.

Although the country manufactures what seems like everything under the sun—including solar energy components—China is vast, with a rapidly growing population. This is evident in the extensive construction of high-rise apartments in both major and smaller cities. It is also reflected in the condition of city streets and pavements, which are often uneven, worn, and in need of repair due to heavy use.

City infrastructure—such as road maintenance, street repairs, and regulations regarding kerb height and materials—appears to be still developing compared to most Western cities.

The government has been implementing recycling initiatives for a couple of years now. Recently, efforts to educate the public about recycling have been stepped up, covering different types of recyclable materials—from plastics and glass to food and plant waste—as well as how to deal with unrecyclable items. Every apartment complex and neighbourhood has designated recycling areas with special waste bags and collection bins. On every street corner, there are bins allocated for different types of waste.

In fact, this month our school hosted students who spoke about recycling, and we are taking part in a community recycling event in my city! Recycling is definitely happening in China!