u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56 wrote:
"I've been in Beijing for over 3 years now, and I really love the hustle here - everyone is 卷 (juǎn) in their own way.
But I'll be honest: after settling in and traveling to a bunch of cities, I feel like I've lost the 新鲜感 - that freshness/excitement I had when I first arrived. Everything has started to feel normal.
So I'm curious - for those of you who've also been here a while, what still makes you love China? What keeps the spark alive? Is it the food, the people, the pace, the little daily things? I want to see China through your lens again."
When The Newness Goes
u/Diligent-Stretch-769:
"if you have lost the feeling of novelty, try going out to an extremely rural area for a while and noting how time passes differently"
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"This hits. I'll be real - most of my China traveling has been tier-1 to tier-2 city-hopping which kinda starts to feel like the same 商圈 in different fonts. i am actually thinking of visiting to guilin or somewhere there are more nature"
u/Diligent-Stretch-769:
"The patterns in major cities is by intention. a lot of the chinese political economic models are repeated what worked elsewhere. Smaller localities have a critical issue however. Knowing that huge infrastructure projects exist in capitals and metropolitan localities, how are the benefits of modernity brought to districts that still struggle with basic education and hygiene.
its like rolling back the clock to a time before you were even in china and understanding why the huge subway networks and giant highways were needed in the first place and how chinese culture had to struggle to modernize.
Witnessing the end result is great, but there is a massive story to explore."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"true! there are still a lot to explore, thanks for the inspiration!"
What Safety Feels Like
u/Aggressive-Speed-987:
"Safety. I can go anywhere, any time, with anyone and not have to think twice about it."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"thats very true, in my own country, i always make sure i dont walking on the street alone at night, but here in china, i do whatever i want, i go wherever i want at anytime"
u/Down_Growth_2626:
"Can I ask you're a woman? The assumed safety of women is such a surprise here, coming from the UK. Women happily walking alone in parks at night - such a joy to see this & for this to be the case"
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"yes i am woman, ermm maybe thats different case in Malaysia, but good to hear that tho, havent been to the UK yet, really wanna go visit some time of possible!"
Convenience Wins
u/Triseult:
"Once the novelty wore off for me, after two years the things that keep me loving this place are the food, how nice people are, and how different and fascinating Chinese culture and history is to the West.
But if I'm being truly honest, I suspect the one factor that will keep me here forever is how damn convenient and cheap Taobao and Meituan are."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"Hahaha the Taobao + Meituan confession is too real. As a Malaysian I thought we already had convenience back home (Shopee, Grab, Foodpanda) but the first time I ordered groceries at 11pm and they showed up in 28 minutes I was like... how am I supposed to go back to anywhere else after this 😭
and the people here are actually very nice, even though sometime will accidentally get into a rude didi, but overall people are really nice here!!! one thing i love about chinese culture is, the chinese incense stick, that smell is very calming!"
u/Jodhpur1016:
"Convenience and the ability to buy basically unlimited coffee or tea without worrying about the cost...just my blood sugar haha"
u/heygoldenface:
"The longer I stay here, the more I appreciate the general lack of fussiness about everyday things. It makes things a bit chaotic sometimes, but people basically live and let live without policing people's behavior too much.
I enjoy traveling to places like Japan and Germany, but I feel like I would quickly get annoyed by all the persnickety rules if I lived there. Just let me jaywalk in peace bruh."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"This is a very new perspective that I didn't have before! Thanks for sharing"
u/Seal_beast94:
"The trust that people typically want to get along and you don't have to worry about someone being a problem. It's nice living here."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"thats very true, i love that when i buy breakfast in hutong, the old nanny will always gives me one cup of soy milk, because she regconize me, just love the poeple here"
Home Has Edges
u/RubiconPosh, nine years into Chengdu:
"I love the food, the variety of it, and the sheer number of restaurants. It is impossible to ever try them all, and each has their own spin on the dishes.
I love the convenience that is built into daily life. Everything can be served to you on a silver platter.
I love the more relaxed lifestyle you get here. The slower pace of life, the number of public parks, the families and friends eating out on the sidewalk at 9pm on a Wednesday chatting and laughing and drinking."
"Plenty more. Of course this is also balanced by some challenges; being sick of the \"外国人!\" pointing and shouting that happens most days from kids and adults alike, the semi-regular staring, etc. Missing the simplicity of living in a country where everyone speaks in your mother tongue. The feeling that you're always an outsider."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"This is the kind of answer I was hoping for - 9 years deep, you've earned the take 🫡
Love everything you mention about china! But As a Malaysian, I look Chinese enough that people don't point. But the moment I open my mouth and my Mandarin comes out a little off, the vibe shifts to confused-curious. The \"you LOOK Chinese but you can't speak proper chinese??\" face still cracks me up after 3 years here.
But ya - feel you on the bigger thing. Some days China actually feels like home, then one random moment reminds me I'm just 外国人 and that hits really sad sometimes."
u/Confident_Cry_6963:
"请你不要这样想哈哈，在中国同一个省的人可能说的话都听不懂。"
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"hahahaha 好的哦"
History Changes The View
u/Ole718er:
"I'm a history nerd and studied Chinese history and stories as a hobby, I like going to places and knowing this happened here hundreds or thousands of years ago. Even if many historic sites are rebuilt, I still enjoy the feeling of knowing I potentially stepped in the same spot as someone famous. Like standing on a city wall and looking across the yangtze from xiangyang, you can kind of feel what some general during the three kingdoms or song dynasty felt.
I also enjoy passing by some carved calligraphy on some random hill or mountain face, it's like ancient graffiti, but I can still somewhat read and understand it."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"okay this is making me realize ive not been engaging with the history side at all. 3 years in beijing and i couldn't tell you who walked where i walk daily. that wuyue king inscription thing sounds wild - gonna actually look that up. thanks for sharing this."
The City Keeps Opening
u/ApprehensiveBig8147:
"Yeah China is not the most exciting place in the world. That comes with it being a conservative culture; especially in the last decade or so. But the thing I love the most is the investment in infrastructure. Subways and high speed trains make it super convenient to go anywhere and meet up with friends no matter how far away we move from each other. That and cost of living is incredibly good for the quality of life."
u/Crazybun__, also from Malaysia:
"I'm from Malaysia too, and honestly, it's the transportation. I'm not gonna be waking up at 5am to catch the metro, but it sure is very convenient! Affordable and I can get perpetually anywhere with my two feet. Groceries are fairly affordable, and even then, ordering 外卖 isn't the equivalent to going hungry and partly broke at the same time. Although I do miss home and everything else, convenience really strikes me as a strong factor here in China too."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"Yaaaa! when I go back to Malaysia, I feel so weird that I can't order at the midnight hahaha"
u/Cultivate88:
"Been in China over a decade - I think the thing that keeps it interesting is the continued exploration.
The two biggest unlocks are: getting a driver's license so you can rent a car and go places you haven't gone before, and getting really good at Chinese and getting to know local friends - it's China from another angle."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"Very good advice! But how do you get the driving licence here?"
u/memostothefuture:
"There is a massive difference though between those who speak Chinese at a working proficiency level (let's say HSK5) and those who don't. It's like living two different lives in different countries.
Personally, I've been here for 14 years. I built my network here, I have my company here, it's where I am comfortable. Doesn't mean there aren't things to complain about."
Twenty Years Later
u/JustinMccloud:
"eating the food with and getting shitfaced with the locals"
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"Hahaha the 干杯 culture is no joke. First Beijing dinner I sat through I genuinely thought we were just toasting once. Twelve baijius later I understood the assignment 😅"
u/JustinMccloud:
"yeah man, arrived 6th feb 2006, i had just spent 1 month in bangkok, and then 2 weeks in hongkong, and i thought it would be fun to take the train to shanghai. It was not fun - i had a sleeper but could not move fore 36hrs. btu yeah been in China 20 years, has been a wild ride, but yeah the drinking and food culture is something i still love, i do it less but it is still my favourite part of China"
u/eternalcathy:
"In Shenzhen since 2018. What still keeps me here is that i can get jobs, much faster than in Spain, and that i can afford to rent an apartment for myself and buy enough food and pay the bills with a single salary. My salaries are not that high here, but my expenses are 4000-5000 a month. So i can still live and earn money. Something impossible in Spain."
u/TheDragonsFather:
"After 30 years here, and now retired, it's death or divorce!
That aside, as a photographer. I'm now producing books. so I'm always looking for that next high - photos for the current book. And that usually involves travel, meeting different people, culture, landscapes and experiences - before coming back again to rest and just enjoy being home."
u/the_hunger_gainz:
"I spent two plus decades and it was the privilege. The standard of living has been and is still lower than Canada where I am now, but the quality of life in China is much better, recreational time, ability to travel, personal time with friends etc etc.
I miss it but I do know it was mainly privilege."
u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56:
"Some days China actually feels like home, then one random moment reminds me I'm just 外国人 and that hits really sad sometimes."
The Bus, The Herd, The Clock
u/Bottom-Bherp3912 wrote from Vietnam:
"Just got back from a Chinese style tour in Vietnam and my goodness, that's something I'll never do again (it was the wife's idea and it was cheap)."
"Spending half of the entire trip on a large bus."
"Spending the trip with large groups of noisy Chinese tourists."
"Only visiting main landmarks and then only getting a few minutes to take a photo before being shepherded back onto the bus."
"Being shepherded into overpriced gift shops where they try to sell you things."
"Give me independent travel anytime"
u/shaghaiex asked:
"what was your wife's opinion? Best holiday ever?"
u/Bottom-Bherp3912:
"She thought she would like it but by the end, even she hated it. We ended up sneaking away from the group whenever we had chance."
"We only got a bit of free time away from the herd but made the most of it"
u/wufflebunny:
"I ended up with severe back pain from rattling around on a bus for 2 weeks."
"Places that I thought we would stop off and linger for an hour ... ended up just taking 15 minutes."
"We saw SO much and yet nothing at all. I came back feeling as though I needed another holiday to recover. Never again"
u/Busy_Account_7974:
"They couldn't care less of the culture or history of the places you visit, they just want \"that\" photo for their Xiaohongshu (小红书), no more, no less."
Cheap Has A Shape
u/Capital-Sorbet-387 pushed back:
"I would say a portion of every population has these kinds of tourists - it's certainly not an isolated Chinese issue."
"Exactly the same complaints from both sides."
u/HorzodCeales:
"They are affordable for people who have some money but not lots."
"convenient/not intimidating for people who don't speak any English"
"social for people who are used to eating, relaxing, and generally spending time in larger groups"
u/H9419:
"it's just a bus full of retirees chatting and having fun while they can."
u/Valuable-Drop-5670:
"For many Chinese people, this is the only way they can afford to travel, sometimes logistically and economically."
"perhaps there are lessons in empathy to be observed."
The Shopping Stops
u/jessluce:
"My guide told us he gets 50y per person that goes into the shop/presentation, as well as a cut of the spending"
u/the_hunger_gainz:
"Ok our guide to us that she only got a cut of the spending."
u/TheDudeWhoCanDoIt:
"They took us to the \"Rattlesnake Research Institute\" I think it was called. And no shit they tried to sell us snake oil."
"Once we toured Suzhou and the bus went to Tiger Hill and they didn't even take us in the park. They pulled the bus into a parking lot and told us to view it from there."
u/BBlovestosleep:
"You're in Vietnam with pho on every corner and they bus you to some random Chinese banquet hall with lukewarm stir fry?"
"people were literally sneaking out to find street food at every stop"
Group Tours, Not Chinese Tourists
u/jessluce:
"Your problem is with group tours, nothing specific to chinese style."
"I also went on tours with local Chinese, and they weren't worse. If anything they complained and criticised less; the food and shopping was equally shitty but they just toughed it out and moved on."
u/Zagrycha:
"I totally agree with everything you said except for calling this chinese style tourism. This is the negative side of group tours in all countries."
Sources: Original Reddit post by u/Jazzlike_Werewolf_56 and Chinese style group tourism sucks by u/Bottom-Bherp3912, with selected public replies quoted above. Each account belongs to its author.