How Russians live in China. How ordinary people live in China

China is far from the most popular country among Russians, but still, many compatriots live in these exotic lands. As part of a series of materials about fellow citizens who moved abroad, Lenta.ru publishes a story by journalist Alena from Kirov about how, in a year and a half, she managed to get used to the Celestial Empire and change her profession to a more relevant one for a new place.

chinese dream

I was born in Kirov. After school, she went to Moscow, entered the Faculty of Journalism. At the university I already worked by profession, but soon I realized that it was not mine. I won a grant to study and work in America, but I was not given a visa. I decided that I would go somewhere anyway. Eventually, she moved to China.

First I arrived in Beijing. At that time, I did not speak Chinese, so the scope of the job search was limited to teaching Russian and English. Great and mighty in China was not as popular as English. Already in the first few days, numerous proposals poured in to teach the local language of Shakespeare. I chose the most interesting option for myself - teaching English to children from three to six years old.

Both in Beijing and later in Shanghai, I rented a room in an apartment. There was a large apartment in Beijing where we lived with two Americans and a Pole. Renting a room in the center of Beijing with a beautiful view costs about three and a half thousand yuan (about 28 thousand rubles). Interestingly, the same room on the outskirts near the subway can cost the same.

In China, real estate prices are constantly rising, Beijing and Shanghai are already on the list of megacities with the most expensive housing in the world. Any, even unsightly square meter is sure to be sold. Prices for good apartments start from several million yuan and increase every year due to overcrowding in the country. In most families, several generations live together. The Chinese often litter with money, but if they have a really large amount, they will definitely invest in real estate for themselves and their children, born or future.

Become a local

After moving to Shanghai, I realized that for the entire first year of my life in this country I continued to live as a “non-local”: I ate only the usual food, communicated only with foreigners, spoke English at work. Here foreigners are divided into two main types. Some can live for years and not learn anything in Chinese, eat pizza with burgers, communicate with Europeans. But others are immersed in the local culture. At the beginning of my second year here, I decided that I wanted to stay in this country for at least the next couple of years and took up the language. In addition, she went on an interesting experiment - she settled in a Chinese family.

A significant item of expenditure is transport. It is very expensive to have a car here. It is necessary to pay a tax, almost equal to the value of the car itself. But this is not an essential thing, because public transport is very developed in China. For example, in just 25 minutes I can arrive in another city by high-speed train.

At first, due to climate change and smog, I often got sick and went to the doctor. Each trip to the local clinic without insurance, along with medicines, cost me about 200-400 yuan (1.6-3.2 thousand rubles). International clinics with English-speaking staff, of course, are many times more expensive.

Chinese food is much cheaper than European food, and the portions are huge. But I can't imagine myself eating their food every day. The Chinese eat a lot of things that we do not eat: chicken feet, pork cartilage, duck head soup. This is where I tasted donkey meat for the first time. Worst experience - rat meat. It often happens that if it’s delicious, then I eat it and don’t ask from what, because I’m afraid of the answer. There are more than a billion people in China, and everyone needs to be fed, so they eat what we consider inedible.

White face fee

The Chinese cannot argue with their boss, because they know that they will quickly find a replacement. At first, I didn’t allow myself this either, but now I can calmly refuse something.

Foreigners get more Chinese. For the same knowledge and experience, you will be paid more than a local. Here very often they pay for your "white face", no matter how terrible it may sound. It is very prestigious when Europeans work in the company. Fortunately, in my field, in teaching, we are not competitors with the Chinese: we apply for different vacancies and working conditions.

Most Chinese don't travel much. Therefore, for them we are like aliens. The Chinese have a type of appearance that they really like: blond hair, white skin, blue eyes. I fit that description and I constantly get glances at me and I get photographed a lot. Sometimes they ask permission, but more often they don't. There were cases when they pointed the camera right in my face, now I answer it the same way.

The Chinese are generally very dependent on smartphones. Because of this, accidents and collisions constantly occur. On dates, it is also considered normal not to look up from the phone. Europeans often joke about this.

Marriage as a lifetime contract

They have completely different views on marriage, divorces are much less common, the opinions of parents and family matter more than in Western countries. Their marriage is like a contract. A lifetime contract for a person to live with you. There are significantly fewer women than men, and this affects their character. Chinese women are capricious and demanding, while men are malleable and driven.

When choosing a couple, here they pay attention not so much to feelings as to material condition: are you suitable in terms of social status, what kind of job do you have, do you have a car. The Chinese can talk about marriage on first dates. There were cases when they wanted to introduce me to parents in the first days of communication. For me it was a shock! A foreign wife (or husband) is very prestigious here. For myself, I can’t imagine marriage with a Chinese: you never know, because of status or real feelings, he is with you.

In China, almost everyone has one baby, although in 2015 they canceled the "One family - one child" policy. Education and training are very expensive. Here they make a lot of money on small children: kindergartens and schools are all paid. My English school is considered inexpensive and costs parents of kids 15,000 yuan (122,000 rubles) a year.

Diligence in Chinese

From the first days in a new place, I realized how important education is here: it is in this area of ​​life that the Chinese are actively investing their time and money. Here you won’t surprise anyone with early development schools for babies, English courses for babies, circles and sections. Even for my youngest students, the day was planned by the hour: an international kindergarten, a language school, a drawing studio, martial arts.

The Chinese believe that childhood and youth are given to a person to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills, and you can travel, make friends and enjoy life later.

I also invest most of my salary in my education: I am constantly improving, taking new courses, growing in my profession, learning Chinese. When I say that teachers in Russia can earn about two thousand yuan (fifteen thousand rubles) a month, my foreign friends are amazed. Nobody believes that for such money someone agrees to work.

Usually in the morning I go to learn Chinese, then to work and then go to the center with my friends. I have a constant feeling that I need more time. I wake up with the thought that a lot of interesting things are waiting for me. I really like this lifestyle.

I am a young teacher, but here I am offered such working conditions under which I can afford to travel a lot (I have been to seven countries over the past year and a half), study at an international school, surround myself with active and interesting friends from all over the world, constantly practice foreign languages , make plans for the future and constantly develop.

When I was thinking about my future in Russia, I didn’t even imagine that it would turn out like this.

Everything is possible in China

Surprise and shock still haunt me. I went through all the stages of adaptation to life in a new country: from complete delight to deep disappointment. There are many things that are not written in the newspapers and are not shown on TV. For example, the Chinese believe in signs. The number "4" sounds like "sy", but if you pronounce it in a different intonation, then it means "death". Because of this, they try to avoid it in phone numbers or cars. Even in my modern house in the center of Beijing, there was no 4th, 14th and 24th floor.

The Chinese language is very different. A person from the south of the country often does not understand a northerner. The Beijing pronunciation is considered the reference, so we can say that the Chinese speak two languages: Beijing and local dialects. It's the same with the kitchen. Each region of China has its own cuisine. For example, in Shanghai it is more sweet and sour, in Sichuan it is more spicy. The Chinese are always surprised when I tell them that in our vast country we all speak the same language, we have a similar cuisine and a common television.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the level of culture and hygiene. Toddlers are often put on pants with a hole through which they can do their "things" right in the middle of the street. Are spitting men and women everywhere? It was only after living here for a long time that I realized that the reason for many of the internal problems of this country is that the cultural level of the Chinese does not keep pace with the economic one. Just 10 years ago they lived in remote villages and were engaged in agriculture, and now they drive around in expensive cars and spend a lot of money in fashionable restaurants. Perhaps, they realized here in time that its citizens should keep up with the development of China, so now various schools and educational centers are opening all over the country.

The starting point

My family was not happy that my choice fell on China. I always tell my parents that everything is fine with me so that they get used to this country and my move. Very few friends accepted my idea and supported me completely, some are now jealous, and some who didn’t really communicate with me before, after moving, they actively write to me with various questions and requests and help. Many people say: “When are you going to hit? Come to Russia, we will find you a groom here.

In Russia for a year and a half I was once. I had stress. I didn't leave the house for three days. When I came to China, I thought: “How can these people live like this?”. And when I returned to Russia, I asked myself the same question. In China, I have never seen drunk people on the street, it is safer here. In Russia, they really don't smile. Everything seemed dirty, untidy, gray. In China, everyone is busy with something, everyone has many interests, there are areas in which to develop and who to grow up to.

Perhaps this is just my perception of China, but after a year and a half, I see both positive and negative in this country. I've learned a lot here. For example, the Chinese should definitely adopt the habit of long-term investment, self-improvement, self-education and perseverance towards the goal. Then I clearly realized: if you don’t do something, then there will always be someone who will do it, replacing you.

Nevertheless, despite all the good things that are in my life here, I understand that this is only a stage, and far from the final goal. This is a great starting point, but here I will always be a stranger, even if I perfectly master the language and marry a Chinese. There is something in this country that I will never understand.

The development of Chinese territory by the Russian-speaking population has not lost its relevance for several centuries, in fact, just as the interest of the Chinese themselves in the nearby post-Soviet regions has not faded. The reasons that force CIS citizens to move to China are very different. This includes an element of exoticism, and close economic contacts, and a cheaper market for goods and services. How Russians live in China and whether the move is worth the effort will be especially interesting to know for those who intend to change their area of ​​residence in the near future.

Features of life in China

It is quite difficult to carry out the process of migration to this country. The reason must be so strong that the local authorities have no doubts about the appropriateness of such an event. If it is an investment, then it should be at least 500 thousand US dollars, if it is a rare profession, then it should not be lower than a nuclear chemist, and if it is a marriage union, then it should last at least 5 years.

The first thing that attracts the Russian-speaking population is the cheapness of manufactured goods, housing, and food. But this is on condition that you will live in a modest apartment, and buy clothes and food in the market. In any case, this is what Russian bloggers living in China recommend doing.

Moving to permanent residence in this part of the continent, you need to be prepared for a sharp change in basic habits and lifestyle.

The first is food. The food here is tasty and original, but after a couple of weeks, the emigrant begins to miss the traditional dishes of his native cuisine. The second is the densely populated territory, and the third is a completely different attitude to hygiene and order.

As for the economic development of the Celestial Empire as a whole, many countries have long resigned themselves to the fact that China has overtaken them in matters such as the automotive industry. Here, its own "Silicon Valley" functions quite productively, and the export of goods today suggests that Chinese production provides all other regions of our planet.

Russian diaspora

The most numerous stage of Russian emigration to Chinese territory can be called the end of the 19th century, when the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway took place. The peak of emigration coincided with the 1920s. It was during this period that it reached its highest development, which gives historians the right to talk about the diasporas of Harbin and Beijing.

The events that followed in Russia and the "Cultural Revolution" in China crossed out the efforts of several thousand migrants, and this phenomenon simply ceased to exist in Chinese society. It would be quite fair to say that today there is no Russian diaspora here as such. Life for Russians in China, dispersed throughout the country, is represented in terms of unity and cohesion by just a few Russian-speaking communities.

As the researchers note, compact settlements of immigrants from the former USSR can be found today:

• in the Xinjiang Uygur region;
• in Shanghai;
• in the province of Heilongjiang;
• in Argun-Yutsi county (Inner Mongolia).

Weak attempts to create something like a Russian community are distinguished by the areas where Russians live in Shanghai. The "Russian Shanghai Club" and several Russian-language Internet resources function here. In general, according to all the same sociologists, at the moment about 15 thousand immigrants from the CIS space officially live on Chinese territory.

The size of the Russian-speaking population is also influenced by a living example of how Russian pensioners live in China. The minimum allowance here, translated into, say, Russian currency, is 9,500 rubles (1,141 yuan, or $168). At the same time, a pension is provided only if a citizen has worked all his life in the civil service or in an industrial enterprise.

Nevertheless, even this does not greatly affect the desire of Russian pensioners to move to Chinese territory, which is due to low prices for housing and utilities. In any case, it is quite difficult to say exactly how many Russians live in China in 2019, since the statistics only provide official data.

Sphere of education for Russian migrants

The education system in China is in many ways similar to that to which migrants from the former Soviet republics are accustomed to in their own state. It all starts with kindergartens, which, by the way, are in short supply here. This is followed by primary and secondary school, and then the highest stage of the educational process - the university.

Education at school is compulsory, and all institutions are divided into two types - public and private.

You can get knowledge in a public school for free. This also applies to the children of migrants.

At the middle stage, instruction is conducted in Chinese, but vocational schools and colleges in many cases switch to English. Rarely, but you can find institutions where there are teachers who speak Russian and can explain the subject.

A school in China for Russians will be a good reminder of the Soviet past, when mass exercises were held in the schoolyard, and during the day, students were waiting for a quiet hour.

Higher educational institutions willingly accept Russian students. To do this, it is enough to provide the results of independent testing and withstand the competition, which can reach 100 people for 1 place. The chances are increased for those who have already begun to study Chinese at school.

Work for Russians

China for Russians who want to realize themselves professionally begins with a work visa. It is issued in the native state, and after crossing the border, within one month, one has to obtain a residence permit with the right to work. And do not even try to get settled here bypassing the migration requirements. Chinese laws are very harsh on violators. There can be two directions of labor realization:

• open your business;
• get hired.

The competition in both cases will be quite high. Most often, the Russians choose Beijing and Shanghai as their target.

Features of working in Chinese companies

Do not forget that Chinese employers and the style of work itself are also different from what you are used to in your homeland. To begin with, remember that the Chinese celebrate their new year not together with the whole planet, but in the first quarter of a new and already arrived 12-month period for us. It is for this reason that the most hectic month here is January, and not December, as we have.

They also like to relax here for 10 days on holidays. And because the holiday is so strongly revered, and because before its onset, workers accumulate days off that they have not taken off during the year.

As for any agreements, the Chinese are not inclined to follow them. Deliveries are always delayed, and if the best employee turns up, no one will remember you anymore. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the culture of behavior in the East, which differs significantly from Western canons.

Wage

It is very easy to earn an elementary minimum in order to rent inexpensive housing and buy the necessary products and things here. There are always enough vacancies for sellers, waiters and animators. A salary of 400-800 US dollars can be found for a couple of weeks.

But if you are interested in earning 1.5 thousand dollars, then you cannot do without a profession in demand. Russians can easily find work as a fashion designer, IT developer, shoe and clothing production technologist, teacher, and doctor. The main thing for successful employment in this country is the presence of higher education.

For comparison, we present the level of wages in the table:

Doing business the Chinese way

It is no secret that the Chinese goods market has long conquered the world, in particular, the former Soviet republics, where not only original products are actively supplied, but also fakes of famous brands, sometimes of quite high quality. This is what makes many businessmen think about.

We will immediately stipulate that the development of a business project is a profitable event, although it is rather bureaucratic. There can be two options for doing business: register a representative office of a foreign company or create an enterprise with 100% foreign investments.

The first way is the fastest. Representative offices of foreign companies receive accreditation for 3 years, after which the owner faces a dilemma - to extend it for another 3 years, or to reorganize the business into the second option. It is important to remember here that representative offices in China are not allowed to operate for profit. They can conduct business in the field of networking, market research and the like. To make a profit from your labors, you will have to organize a company in which all 100% of the capital will be foreign.

It is difficult to say what is more important in the process of moving to this part of the planet - the opportunity to find inexpensive housing or a good job. In any case, something will have to be sacrificed. Prices for rented housing will grow in direct proportion to the size of the settlement. But in a large city you can find a well-paid job.

Many are betting on the areas where Russians live in China. Perhaps it would be more expedient to start the search for a suitable option with them.

As in other countries of the world, the more prestigious the area and the better the building, the more expensive the accommodation will cost.

For comparison, here are the prices for renting apartments in different cities:

Buying real estate

Of course, the most profitable option to settle in China is to buy your own home. Prices for it will also vary, based on the region of the country and the district of the city where you choose. And here it is important to remember that when buying an apartment, you become the owner of only square meters. The land on which the house stands will still belong to the state, since it is not subject to sale.

In the process of drawing up a purchase and sale agreement, the land plot is leased to the owner for 50 years. What will happen after they expire is hard to say. But those are the laws. As for the cost, the average figures for cities can be represented as follows:

And do not neglect the advice and feedback of those who have already visited this amazing country, or, moreover, settled in it for a long time. They, like no one else, will be able to tell you how Russians live in China. Make a discount only on the fact that everyone has different tastes, requests and needs.

How to move to China? Work in China and salaries: Video

The People's Republic of China is located on more than nine million square kilometers of the Eurasian continent. More than a billion people live in this country. therefore difficult for many foreigners. According to recent studies, this state is the strongest in the world in many respects. you can on your own.

Temple in the mountains of China

Independent monitoring commissions note an increase in the average standard of living in China in 2018-2019, which is greatly facilitated by the constant growth in the production of goods and the development of the service market.

All this suggests that life in China is improving every year, and this cannot but attract a huge number of both Russian tourists and Russian investments. The modernization of the economic sector, which began in 1978 and continues to this day, has gradually brought the PRC to the world level. Currently, China is considered the country with the most powerful economy in the world.

The expansion of the social sphere with the development of the country's market economy and the improvement of the living standards of the indigenous population, treatment in China are vectors that have priorities for the government. Moreover, the state strictly regulates the activities of the subjects of both the external and internal markets of the republic.

Tiananmen Square in Beijing

Control over the functioning of the tax system of the huge Chinese state is carried out by the State General Administration of Taxation. Taking into account the vast expanses of the country and the clear administrative division into provinces, the SCSI of the PRC delegates its powers to the territorial tax administrations, which are coordinated not only by them, but also by the provincial governments.

In 2016, the government levied 17 tax levies. Among them, there are both generally accepted throughout the world and exclusive ones, analogues of which are difficult to find in other states. Those planning to live or be active in the economy in the People's Republic of China should pay attention to the following:

• Corporate income tax. This tax is paid by organizations and enterprises located both in the country and abroad.

  Automobile factory in China

  Non-residents of the PRC pay withholdings on income received from Chinese sources if they have a permanent establishment, as well as when receiving passive income from rent, dividends, interest. Residents pay tax on the entire amount of income received. The rate of this tax is uneven: for high-tech enterprises it is 15%, for small and unprofitable enterprises - 20%, for all others the rate is 25%;

• Personal income tax. It is levied on income received in China and outside of it. The minimum income is calculated from the rate of 3% minus one and a half thousand yuan. Income up to this amount is not taxable. The maximum rate reaches forty-five percent. This rate will be active if the monthly income of an individual exceeds eighty thousand yuan;

  Chinese employees of BAUER

• VAT. Relevant for 2019, the conditions for paying value added tax are the conditions adopted during the 2012 reform, the main provision of which is the transition to the payment of this tax by organizations engaged in the service sector. Prior to this reform, such enterprises paid only income tax. The normal rate of this tax is seventeen per cent. For preferential enterprises, this rate can be lowered - up to thirteen. How much this tax rate will be for the digital technology sector, 2019 will show. A person who is engaged in small business activities in China, in particular, trade in products, the rate of this tax is three percent;
• excise tax, or consumption tax. This tax is paid exclusively by organizations that are engaged in the import of goods into the territory of the PRC.
  These goods include: tobacco products, alcohol, cosmetic products, oil refinery products, products of foreign automobile industry. There are three types of import duties: combined, specific and ad valorem;
• Transport tax. Given the space of the state and the great love of the indigenous population for transport, this tax is a tangible replenishment of the budget. Indeed, as of 2016, the population of China is in first place in the world in terms of growth in demand for the purchase of vehicles. The level of tax directly depends on the type of transport ownership: passenger, cargo, agricultural or water;
• Also in the country there is a mandatory tax on the purchase of vehicles, but only if they are new. Therefore, when buying a new car, you must pay 10% of its cost to the treasury. When reselling vehicles in the secondary market, tax is not levied;

  Detailed map of Chinese provinces

• Property tax. Owners of structures, premises, buildings that are located within the city limits and are used for business activities pay real estate tax. And only as an experiment in the regions of Shanghai and Chongqing, a reform is being carried out, one of the solutions of which includes partial taxation of the housing stock. The level of this tax ranges from ten to thirty percent. The tax on rented property reaches twelve percent of the rent. State real estate is not subject to taxes;
• One of China's unique taxes is the tobacco leaf tax. This tax is paid by both individuals and legal entities involved in the sale of tobacco products. The rate of this tax is fixed by administrative acts and currently amounts to twenty percent of the cost of purchased tobacco leaves;
• Additional fees for educational programs.

  Hong Kong University building in China

  Given the huge population of the country, the government takes care of the education of every citizen. Therefore, people, especially owners of large businesses in the PRC, willingly pay these fees, rightly considering them an investment in future specialists. These fees amount to two percent for local budgets, and three percent for the national level of the income received.

The People's Republic of China also has a huge number of small local fees collected by the territorial authorities. It is not difficult to find out how much they will take in the expenditure side, but their calculation takes a lot of time. Therefore, business owners often hire a specialist in local taxes and fees.

In general, taxes in China are not burdensome, which allows both local and foreign investors to make huge profits. Medicine in China is developing both at the public and private levels. Therefore, local budgets can introduce fees for medical care.

Educational system of the People's Republic of China

The educational system of the PRC has a number of similarities with the Soviet system. The academic year, as in Russian schools, begins on the first of September and ends in early June. Just like in the CIS countries, there are big winter "New Year" holidays. Only, unlike the Soviet system, they last almost until the beginning of February. The vertical of education consists of three segments: initial education, technical and vocational education and higher education.

Primary, pre-school education in China begins with kindergarten. There are more than one hundred and fifty thousand of them throughout the country. They teach children from 3 to 6 years old. Further, education takes place in general education schools, in which for 6 years children are taught moral education, given basic knowledge of the Chinese language, they learn the primary humanities and receive their first labor skills.
Children who pass through such a school, without entrance examinations, enter secondary schools in the area where their parents live.

Secondary education in China is divided into two parts. To complete the compulsory nine-year state education, children enter secondary schools of the first stage, where they receive compulsory basic education for three years. Graduates of such schools have the level of knowledge and skills to start working or can take preparatory courses for their chosen profession.

For those who want to get a higher education in the future or want to engage in vocational training more deeply, there are secondary schools. At the end of their studies, students take a comprehensive exam, the results of which show the level of knowledge and the applicant's chances of entering the country's universities.

University of Business and Economics in Beijing

At this stage of training, Chinese law allows the admission of foreign citizens. But only in institutions with the status of leaders.

Higher education in China is very demanding of its future students. Thus, according to the law, the number of points obtained in the final exam in secondary school determines the limitation of the level of educational institutions in which applicants can study.

The higher education system in China, like in many Western countries, has three levels of training: bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies.

Moreover, the prices in China for higher education are quite affordable.

A bachelor's degree usually requires four years of study, sometimes five years. After passing state exams and defending a bachelor's degree, graduates have the right to work. Applicants with a bachelor's degree can, if desired, study for another two or three years, get a master's degree.
Accordingly, to obtain the title of Doctor of Science, additional education in China is required for three to four years.

People who, due to financial or other circumstances, cannot educate their children in universities have an alternative. This is a technical and vocational education of the middle level. How much such training will take depends on the chosen profile of the future profession.

This education system includes higher and secondary technical schools, technical schools, and vocational training centers. The main goal of studying in such institutions is to prepare a theoretical base and hone technical skills in strict specialization. Graduates of these institutions have the level of a technical specialist and are ready to start working.
The salary in China satisfies such specialists.

The level of well-being of the people of China

China's government statistics state that the average salary in China reaches six hundred and twenty US dollars. But if we consider the level of wages of workers in numerous factories, plants, farms and the cost of an hour of work of a manager of even an average financial company, then there will be a huge difference between their earnings.

Given the huge labor resources of the republic and the relatively low level of education of the population, it is easy to conclude that workers in popular professions in such areas as finance, science, IT technologies receive a salary comparable to those in developed Western countries.

And workers, especially those living in the underdeveloped provinces, are paid incomparably less than their counterparts in Europe.

poor Chinese children in the provinces

Therefore, average wages in China do not show a real picture of the well-being of the people as a whole. In huge cities, the average salary can reach about nine hundred dollars, and in rural areas, peasants can receive one hundred and fifty. But given the prices in China for food, consumer goods, communication services, real estate, we can safely say that the average Chinese does not live below the poverty line. It is better to search only in large cities.

A large number of Chinese residents, naturally, causes difficulties in finding employment. Many people with higher education are forced to go to low-paid jobs because of the lack of demand for their qualifications. In addition, in old age one has to endure tougher competition, and with underdeveloped pension standards for many Chinese, the question of further work is acute.
Affordable and high-quality Chinese medicine helps the indigenous population to confidently reach retirement age.

Retirement in China has its own characteristics. At the current stage of the country's development, it is received by citizens who have retired at least from the age of 55 and have been in the public service for a certain time. Average salaries in China make it possible to engage in pension savings both in private foreign funds and in the “old fashioned way”.

How much money the average Chinese spends on his own needs, and how much he can invest in his prosperous life in old age, depends solely on himself. Prices in China are very different, it all depends on the geographical location, the general wealth and the concentration of production capacities of the province.

With any move of a person who does not have a strong attachment to the Motherland, a feeling of euphoria first appears. For the first two or three months, everything around is new, interesting ... After this period, a number of things begin to irritate wildly, because this was not the case in previous places of residence. The irritation period lasted another four months and ended a month ago, incl. it's time to write about life here. I live in Guangzhou, the southern center of the country, the third most important city after Beijing and Shanghai. It is never cold here (with me the temperature did not fall below +7), but it is very hot, but this moment is still ahead, from time to time heavy rainfall unexpectedly sneaks up, and constantly high humidity.
Guangzhou is a fairly new city, so it is extremely busy with sights, except for numerous parks.
About real estate I live in the business center of the city. A few years ago, all the buildings in the area were demolished and new ones built in their place. The prices for buying real estate here are now very high and until recently they have been growing at a cosmic pace: 3.2 times in 2 years. For example, if we wanted to buy a rented apartment, we would have to pay 50.5 million rubles. - 210,000 rubles / m2 (in fairness, it should be noted that today this house is the most prestigious apartment building in the center of Guangzhou).
The amount that we pay as rent is also quite high, with one drawback: for this money we would never rent an apartment of the same size and level either in Moscow, or in St. Petersburg, or in Lausanne. The bulk of visitors rent real estate with a footage of 120 - 200 m2 for 20,000 - 40,000 rubles. The Chinese themselves, like the Russians, are more inclined to buy, since, unlike Russia, the mortgage interest rate here is very low.
When choosing an apartment and an office, I realized that I didn’t want to live / be in the place where someone lived / was before me, because the local population easily and naturally gets everything around, including the walls ... including with their feet. This is what a typical Chinese office looks like:
Chinese construction companies have no concept of high-quality interior decoration. For example: they take a socket wrapped in a plastic film, mount it, and then remove the film without worrying that A - pieces stick out, B - film and electricity are not best friends. We had a hose in the main bathroom ruptured by water pressure - this happened a year after the commissioning of the house. Lifting up the marble slab (solid marble, not tiles), we saw that the installed hose was used. When they lifted the same slab again, it fell apart in half, i.e. Apparently, it was neatly glued together, otherwise it stopped holding with what they glued from the water ... About life For the first two months I lived in a hotel. Accordingly, as soon as we moved, we decided to celebrate this joyful event with self-cooked food. Our kitchen is fully equipped with built-in appliances: "oven", built-in refrigerators, stove, "dishwasher", even a TV on a bracket. Joyfully having bought a chicken, I decided to bake it. I took out a baking sheet from the “oven” (I’ll explain why the oven is in quotation marks now), spread the carcass on it, loaded it into the “oven” and began to choose a program, since the miracle technique writes in English. The machine offered only a double boiler, but I still found how to remove the word double boiler and switch to cooking meat. I pressed “start”, “oven” asked me to pour water into a specially designated container. I am a kind lady, and there is nowhere to go - the unit does not work without water, I poured it. And then the process of steaming my game began ... The oven turned out to be a double boiler. Similarly, the dishwasher turned out to be a sterilizer. It turns out that for the Chinese, just washed dishes are not clean, they sterilize them, even at home. Twice a week a cleaner comes to us, her visits cost 4,000 rubles a month. She manages to clean the apartment, iron bed linen and things in 2.5 hours. The secret is that in China people don't really like using household chemicals (especially those that smell strongly) - they just wash with water. The bulk of the population does not know how to iron, it is not customary here, clothes are dried and put on. There are many dry cleaners with a price difference of 2-3 times, I started with the road and made sure that more expensive does not mean better. Now for 1000 rubles I manage to clean about 8 things. We bought furniture for the apartment ourselves (in general, apartments in China are rented furnished). Our owners had five objects in the house, and only in one of them did they manage to buy anything except a TV stand. Accordingly, we agreed on an independent arrangement on the condition that we do not actually pay the first two months of rent. As a result, instead of the terrible furniture that the landlord would have bought us, we got pretty decent things, spending a little more than the allotted amount on them. As an example of prices: for 100,000 rubles. I managed to buy a dining table, a coffee table and a TV cabinet made of solid stone.
By the way, when concluding a lease agreement, you make a 2-month deposit, which is returned at the end of the lease period, in addition to this, both you and the owner pay 50% of the monthly rental amount to the agent as a reward. In a normal situation, you must register in the rental property and pay a monthly tax - 8% of the monthly contract amount. But if you do not have a business visa, but a business visa, then you can skip the registration procedure :). The rent here is charged every 2 months. These invoices must be paid no later than one week after receipt. The date by which this must be done is indicated on the invoice. It is not worth forgetting and postponing this event; from the very first day of delay, penalties are charged in the amount of 3% of the invoice amount (for comparison, in Switzerland 8% per year). In order to pay for the Internet, you need to get a card in one of the Chinese banks: money will be debited from it automatically. About banks: never in any country in the world have I seen such a copper service and such a transfer of paper to completely unnecessary operations. For example: you need to change money. There are special exchange points only in tourist places, so everyone goes to the bank, since there are branches and ATMs on every corner. The main building of the agricultural bank: If there are 2 people in front of me, and there is only one cashier, then I can be sure that I will spend at least an hour and fifteen minutes in the bank. Bank employees check passport data 10 times with those specified in the application for currency exchange. They make a copy of the passport itself and keep it for themselves. You fill out the exchange form yourself, if there are several currencies, then there should be several forms. Each form consists of 4 self-copying sheets, each of which is stamped by a bank employee. Then he prints a couple more papers, on the same sheets, and checks your money from all sides ... If you received money in foreign currency to a Chinese bank account, and you are a non-resident, you will have to go through the same operation in order for your map. Moreover, you do not have the right to exchange more than 50,000 US dollars per calendar year (if you change the euro or any other currency, they will be converted to dollars first, and only then to yuan). ATMs here are of varying degrees of friendliness to foreign cards: some allow you to withdraw no more than 1,000 yuan at a time (5,000 rubles) and no more than 5,000-6,000 per day, others - 3,000 at a time. As soon as you try to withdraw more than 20,000 (100,000 rubles) in a day, it does not matter which bank you started your operations with, this procedure will be denied to you and you will have to wait until tomorrow to continue. This is a limitation of local banks, because. the daily limit on my cards is higher than this amount. In general, what is interesting: withdrawing money and paying in cash turns out to be more profitable than paying for purchases with cards in dollars, euros and Swiss francs, and it is better to use ruble cards as cards. The transaction itself takes longer than in Russia, and as a result you get several checks, some of which are again on self-copying paper. About friends I found my first girlfriend using a search engine on Gossip. I wrote to the girl in a personal, and on the 3-4th day of my stay in China we met. In general, it is much easier for a person of a European type of appearance to make friends here than in Switzerland and even Russia: you are very different from everyone around you and this gives rise to communication at the very first visual contact. There are many foreigners in China, so there are no problems with communication. In addition to Russians, we have friends from Italy, the States, Canada, Slovakia, Syria, India, Great Britain, Singapore, Mexico, the Netherlands, Austria and, of course, China.

About food When I first moved to China, I persistently suggested that everyone should go to a Chinese restaurant and did not understand why no one really wanted to. Now we eat Chinese food once every two weeks. Chinese restaurants are much cheaper than European restaurants, the food is delicious (the scarier the restaurant, the tastier it is, and, for my taste, dishes in the north of the country taste better than in the south), but after scandals about recycled oil, posts about beef and eggs, I rarely want to taste something local. On the street you can buy a lot of any stinking muck (not larvae and other rubbish, which is still exotic here), but smelly tofu, disgusting meat of an incomprehensible animal, chicken paws (not legs, but paws) and who knows what else .. If you want European products of decent quality, then we found only two stores, the prices in them are higher than in Switzerland, and it turns out that going to a restaurant is more profitable than cooking at home.
For example, a bag of mozzarella in rubles will cost 240 rubles, against 80 in Switzerland. Parmesan - 500 rubles for a small triangle, against 220 rubles in Switzerland (I don't know Russian prices for these products, so I can't compare). By the way, in any restaurant in China you get tea or water for free. Here, fruits are relatively expensive, but cheap vegetables and fish, whose carcass is about 22-25 cm long, costs 75 rubles, and this despite the fact that I do not go to the market. And I don’t go there because the Chinese like to eat freshly killed animals. Chickens, rabbits, piglets sit in cages, fish swim in aquariums: you choose who you want to eat, they kill and skin them in front of you. Of course, I understand that those whose parts I buy in the store were also killed by someone, but I can’t help but want to participate in the process, it’s easier for me to refuse to consume.
The Chinese do not like freshly slaughtered meat, and in fact no one ever buys it in stores, so what you can find there does not look fresh even at the time of purchase, and after a night in the refrigerator it generally deteriorates. As a result: at home we cook a maximum of once a week or two, and the rest of the time we eat in restaurants, regularly ordering home delivery (you can order virtually everything from McDonald's to food from fairly decent European restaurants). All delivery is carried out using bicycles and orders are accepted only by those restaurants that are relatively close. Water, and tap water cannot be used here, comes in the same way. About transport Since we are holders of business visas, and driving in China requires a Chinese license, which can be obtained by a person officially residing, we do not have cars. The main transport for moving around the city is a taxi. It is very cheap, as a rule I fit into 50 - 100 rubles, and it is convenient - there are a lot of them. The only negative for taxi drivers is shift changes at 18.00, just when everyone finishes work, so it’s better not to leave the office / home until 18.40, because all these 30-40 minutes you will stand waiting for a free car.
Motorcycles and mopeds are prohibited to move around the city. The Chinese drive as they want: they can easily ride along a one-way street in the opposite direction, they easily carry out the same movement at a roundabout, they never let pedestrians through, they don’t react to red lights, they don’t look in mirrors when changing lanes, so they don’t like to ride next to each other. Underground. The subway is clean, tidy, no one spits, eats or drinks, but trains run much less frequently than we do, about once every 5 minutes. The ticket price is from 10 rubles or more, depending on the duration of the trip (living in the center for more than 30 rubles, I could not ride). Buses. I rode them 3 times. Clean, air conditioning works well. If you have an IPhone, then on the map, when you enter the place where you need to get, it will be shown what type of transport and what route number you need to get there.
Trains. In trains, air conditioning works in such a way that you always want to put on something warmer. My colossal mistake was boarding a train with a journey of over an hour in shorts and a T-shirt. I was shaking all the way. In China, there are many high-speed trains with which you can cover a very decent distance in an hour or three. It is bad that these trains do not always run in the directions you would like to go. By the way, on all trains you will always be given a free bottle of water. I saw long-distance trains only from the side and I didn’t like them: three levels of shelves, you can buy standing places (and stand, for example, 15 hours!), seated, recumbent and recumbent suites (lux = Russian coupe, not SV). Airplane. Of the Chinese companies, I used China Southern Airlines and I didn’t like it: on long flights they don’t always give earplugs, the food is disgusting, they don’t give a toothbrush and toothpaste. Moreover, they do not have large planes, so there are no personal TVs in the economy. The price of air tickets in Europe is more humane than in China.
About the toilet This topic deserves a separate post. Can you imagine a hole in the floor that someone decided to ennoble, giving it a ceramic shape? - This is the local toilet. (In my opinion, something similar pops up in my memory when I remember going to the restroom at a summer cottage railway station during the years of the USSR.) These toilets are still being built in new Class A shopping malls (in A +, after all, the option we are used to) . They are at all stations, airports, in the lion's share of local restaurants ... The Chinese believe that it is more hygienic, but I could not see hygiene in the floor described. About medicine Medicine in China is expensive. Ambulances come only for money, the health insurance system is poorly developed and has no state support. There are also no clinics here, only hospitals where you don't have to be really sick to visit a doctor, and private clinics. I once went to a private clinic, paid 12,500 rubles for an examination, and realized that I would never go back there. Once I was in the hospital and also realized that I didn’t want to go there anymore ... In pharmacies you can buy everything without a prescription, the problem is that everyone writes in Chinese. You have to call the pharmacist the active ingredient of the drug in English and hope that you are understood correctly. Local pills differ from European ones in that they must be eaten 3-4 pieces at a time, otherwise they do not work. (When I caught a cold, I ate 12 tablets a day.) About beauty salons I have never seen peeling varnish on the nails of Chinese women: either there is no varnish, or it looks like it has been applied. Edged manicure and pedicure, for both procedures together in the basic version, the price ranges from 400 to 1500 rubles. There are no special chairs anywhere: just chairs with pillows of varying degrees of purity. Styling costs nothing from 100 to 800 rubles, but a good professional hair dryer can only be found in “expensive” places. It is very difficult for people of European type to find a good place for cutting and coloring: the Chinese have completely different hair, and they do not know how to work with ours. Massage is everywhere, anyone. Starting from 125 rubles for 40 minutes of foot and back massage, in an unpresentable place, ending with a two-hour full body massage for 5800 rubles. at the Ritz. All salon procedures that are not popular with the local population are obscenely expensive. Hardware cosmetology is not developed at all, despite the mass production of the devices themselves. As an example: LPG 5500 rub. in 30 minutes. Solarium 450 rubles for 8 minutes in a cabin very far from modernity. Anti-cellulite body wrap - 5800 rubles, only done at the Ritz. Epilation - wax, the rest is not worth even dreaming of, bikini - 2500 rubles. and they don't know how to do it. In fairness, it should be noted that other places can be epilated cheaply. In general, Chinese women are not afraid to walk with hairy legs and even more hairy armpits ... With cosmetology, in the usual sense of the word, everything is extremely neglected here. About clothes I want to immediately debunk the myth of cheap and good shopping in China, for a person who is accustomed to a certain level of quality of things they buy - it is not here. I have a few acquaintances who think that they make luxury products in Chinese factories - bags, wallets. When I look at things, I think that people have not even seen this very luxury - interesting models, but disgusting quality of leather, fittings and finishes. I am by no means saying that it is not possible to establish the production of something really worthy here, but this process will take a lot of time and effort. The Chinese and I have a different concept of product quality: they will turn a thing inside out, look at how even its seams are, even buying a jacket for 100 rubles on the street, but it never occurs to them to soberly evaluate the material from which it is made. The Chinese women themselves dress quite well, but as a rule, everything looks decent only from a distance of five meters. They almost never wear jeans, many in skirts/dresses and high heels. Cosmetics are either not used at all, or they wear pronounced false eyelashes ... In general, China is very simple in terms of clothing, like a kind of balance between Russia and Switzerland, i.е. no one will look askance at you if you dress up right in the morning, and there will be no judgmental looks in the absence of makeup and proper clothes in the evening. The open neckline is allowed here only at night. An open belly equates to a bare chest for us, but at the same time, Chinese women can easily put on a skirt that looks more like a wide belt, or shorts that look like underpants, and put on pantyhose with “panties” under this skirt / shorts, most of which will stick out. Glasses without glasses are also very fashionable. I was at the local clothing market and saw things that looked quite decent, but nothing could be tried on there. I was at the bag market and found something there that was deformed in half a month of wearing. I have not been and will not go to those places where local shoes are sold ... As for shopping malls, decent European brands here are 30% more expensive than in Europe / Hong Kong, and in any store, sellers will follow you around, with the hope that they will still be able to sell you something ... C I finally gave up shopping in China, since Hong Kong is only 2 hours away. About sport
The Chinese do a lot of sports. Older people do it in the mornings or evenings in parks (various types of gymnastics and martial arts - I'm not an expert and I'm not particularly interested in names, dancing), young people in fitness centers, of which there are a lot.
There are many table tennis tables in the parks. Basketball and badminton are very popular. Surprisingly, the Chinese swim very badly. At sea, the lion's share of swimmers, regardless of gender and age, puts on life buoys, and this despite the fact that you can swim only in strictly designated areas, limited so that even with my 160 cm height, I always get my feet to the bottom without immersing even a part faces in the water. Local swimsuits deserve a separate topic, they are so closed (by the way, there are no thongs in ordinary lingerie stores here either) that they wildly shorten the already kilometers-long legs of Chinese women: monokini without the slightest semblance of a neckline, with shorts and a skirt partially covering them. In Russia/Europe this is sewn only for very small girls, and even then with a more open booty. Features of the behavior of the local population The Chinese are divided into two categories: those who speak English and everyone else. The peculiarities of the thinking of these groups are absolutely different, the first ones are very close to European ones, the rest, of which the vast majority, is absolutely illogical for us. I will not write about those who are able to speak a foreign language, I will write about the rest. They never wait for other people to come out from somewhere, regardless of whether the elevator arrived on the first floor, or the train stopped at the platform - they won’t let you get out, they will immediately climb inside, and not along the wall, but along the very center of the passage . If you are standing and hailing a taxi, these wonderful people will quite easily, approaching from the back, stop two meters in front of you: the taxi stops next to the one who is closer. If a taxi stops a couple of meters from you, the Chinese will come running and get into the car first. They slurp wildly not only when they eat, but also when they chew their gum. Belching is also not a sign of bad upbringing. They talk very loudly. They do not like Americans and all persons without a bright national identity are attributed to them. They won't sit next to you at a sushi bar because they think that sitting next to unlucky people (the Chinese love their country so much that they think that you can only go somewhere else if you are not at all successful in your homeland) badly reflects on their karma, but at the same time, local beggars believe that even poor visitors are cultured people, and it is their direct duty to help their neighbor, unlike their compatriots. The Chinese are not aggressive and peaceful, you will never find yourself in a situation where you are afraid to walk down the street, but are absolutely unclean. Spitting is officially forbidden, but 5 percent of the population does not know about this ban. A Chinese smile is a sign of embarrassment. A man, going on a date with a girl, will definitely remember everything that she likes and will feed / offer to do exactly that each subsequent time (if you liked ice cream - get it every time you meet, if you like to eat sushi - go to the sushi bar ...). When shopping or going to a restaurant, the man always pays. The local population is very easy-going, they can be called somewhere right now. They don’t argue with the elders: if mom / dad / grandmother said, then it will be so. The wedding, regardless of the age of the spouses, must be approved by relatives. A woman, if she is not married, has no right to have a child. In the event that she somehow still manages to do this, the child will never have a passport and other documents that allow a normal existence (I asked if documents can be bought - based on the answers of the interlocutors - no). Their creative thinking is absolutely not developed, it is completely suppressed by the local school curriculum. (By the way, schoolchildren go to school in tracksuits) Since the population of the country is huge, each person has his own very narrow specialization: the driver of the mail delivery truck does not carry it out, the seller does not work with the cashier ... In general, China reminds me of Russia in many ways 10 years ago: - there is a possibility of quick earnings; - everything is decided by the necessary acquaintances; - the more expensive it is bought, the better the thing (price is more important than quality); - brag about how expensive you bought something or how much you spent on something, be sure (the amount that you will be called at the same time may differ several times from the real cost), - restaurants and clubs in the proper majority are only good first six months after opening. P.S. Everything written is my subjective opinion, photos are my own.

I don't really like going to markets, but the total economy regime forces me to visit such places. Once, while buying a new thing for myself, I met a saleswoman, she came from China to build her business here. We struck up a friendship. The girl told me how ordinary Chinese people live, explained why they value their health so much, I will share the information received with you.

China: new values

China is called the Celestial Empire because there are many mountains in the country that support the sky, and people also live there. Perhaps they see the world better, but they definitely see beautiful landscapes. Therefore, they live differently.

Just want to highlight the men. Guys in China are very dependent on women (the younger generation). Because women are not inferior to men, working in factories, building a successful business and slowly giving birth to children. Girls are immersed in the world of business and calmly do men's work.

Personal life

There are more men in China, but the number of single women is still growing. There was even an interesting service “Groom for an hour”. A successful Chinese woman goes to an agency and chooses a fiancé to meet her parents. The groom must smile, maintain a secular conversation, answer questions from the relatives of the temporary bride (everything except marital duty). Girls take the groom for an hour so that their parents do not worry about their future. In particular, they did not ask one annoying question: “When will you get married?”

How do the Chinese live and relax?

In China, they work well and have good fun. For example, young people visit clubs, bars.

The older generation devotes time to their health. They go to Hainan. It is a city of clinics and health centers. People come here because it is believed that Hainan has the cleanest air.

Here they undergo the most dangerous procedures:

• Fire massage.
• Beauty injections - sheep tendon tissue is injected under the skin to tighten the skin and remove excess fat.
• Electric massage.

Men and women take care of themselves and are ready to spend a considerable amount to be healthy, because good health is the basis of a carefree life in harmony with oneself.

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When I was in medical school, we had a lot of Chinese in our group. In the first years, we almost did not communicate with him, as we did not understand each other well. But, having learned Russian, they began to make contact. During our friendship, the Chinese talked a lot about their lives.

Realities of Chinese life

I, like many people, used to think that China is a continuous celebration of life, where everyone has a luxury car and the latest technology. But when I saw the usual residential areas of one of the Chinese cities, I did not believe my eyes. It seemed to me that I was walking along the street of an ordinary Russian city during the Soviet era:

• the streets of the sleeping areas are the same as ours - narrow, dirty and with bad roads;
• multi-storey buildings have the same appearance (cladding, access doors, porch) as our houses;

• fences are generally something (most of the yards are surrounded by a home-made crooked picket fence).

In our country, we have long been accustomed to seeing shops and markets littered with Chinese goods. Therefore, it was a matter of honor to explore the markets of the greatest plagiarist country. But even here disappointment awaited me - rickety buildings, broken trash cans in the area, dirty counters and the same women in oilcloth aprons (Chinese, please note), weighing fish and meat.

Many, of course, in China and fabulously rich people. The most interesting thing is that luxury and poverty peacefully coexist with each other.

Features of the Chinese character

The Chinese are quite an interesting nation. They are good-natured, hospitable and smile a lot. A distinctive feature of the Chinese is the habit of talking loudly and constantly arguing.

How is the day of an ordinary Chinese

Early in the morning, every Chinese goes to work, where he works very productively until 12 noon, and then sleeps right at the workplace. After work, it is obligatory to visit a cafe (the Chinese do not cook at home - many do not even have a kitchen).

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I can't call myself a fashionista: my entire wardrobe is tagged "Made in China". There are no branded items, only luxury copies (can't buy expensive items). Asians have cleverly learned to fake things. I became interested in how they live, and I learned invaluable information that I am ready to shock you with today.

Chinese life

Another country - an incomprehensible world. We will never fully understand the traditions of the Chinese, but it is worth trying to live one day as they live. In order to diversify their identical everyday life.

The schedule of every Chinese is very busy. Because these people have long established themselves as a hardworking and disciplined nation. No matter how hurried the inhabitant of Hong Kong to work, he must do exercises in the morning. A healthy lifestyle is one of the secrets of longevity.

Busy hours ahead. But lunch and rest according to the schedule. As soon as the clock strikes 12, the Chinese "capture" restaurants en masse. In the truest sense of the word. There is no place for an apple to fall (cafes are overcrowded with visitors).

In China, there is a tradition: after dinner, sleep for half an hour. And after a working day, the Chinese, like most people, tend to quickly get home and spend dinner with a noisy conversation. Only weekends are different (clubs, day trips).

unknown facts

China is an advanced country. But, some facts about her are simply terrifying:

• In China, there is a strange profession - a body finder. This is a person who searches for and gets corpses in lakes, on the streets.
• In the provinces and does not smell of scientific progress (they move on donkeys).
• There are dating sites where you can choose a girl for a week.
• China's population is growing rapidly, the government does not know what to do with this problem.

The Celestial Empire is a big anthill, which also has its own problems.

fakes

China is famous all over the world for fakes. At what quality and not very. The economy boomed thanks to enterprising businessmen. Now you can buy an iPhone not for 1500, but for 250 dollars. Household appliances, clothes, shoes, cars - everything is forged!

The Chinese live in a tense regime, but they also receive the fruits of their work.

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At work, I have to communicate with residents of the port cities of China, I can say that people all over the country, regardless of social status, are united by inexhaustible optimism. Where the Russian folds his hands and falls into depression, the Chinese will sculpt new projects, whether it be sewing socks from silkworms or the production of stainless steel.

Chinese people live differently

There is a noticeable stratification into rich and poor, and, despite the stable growth of the economy as a whole in the country, someone literally bathes in luxury, and part of the population lives in terrible poverty. Young people in search of a better life rush to large cities, it is not uncommon for parents to work in the city, coming to visit their children in the village once a year.

Beauty in Chinese

Northern Chinese, they are also Manchus, as a rule, stocky short people with crooked legs. This is what is called the working class. There are also pretty girls in the north, but they are pretty, no more. But in the south you can meet a real Chinese princess, especially if you taxi to some fashionable boutique or luxury hotel. Such ladies are not less than 180 in height, porcelain-white skin, operated eyes, and this beauty will weigh no more than 45 kg. Among the stewardesses of southern airlines, I also saw incredible girls. Eyes like saucers, long extended eyelashes, perfect skin, you even doubt that it is real. The southerners, both men and women, have softer facial features, are tall, and, as they say, aristocracy is felt.

By the way, in China, you can make a good modeling career, having only the following signs:

• European appearance;
• high growth;
• blond/blonde/red hair.

Family Institute in China

Once we got into a conversation with a young guy from Shenzhen, he complained about how expensive life is in the city, how difficult it is to earn a living and how difficult it is to find a bride. In China, there are more men than women, so matriarchy reigns. There are 10 Chinese guys for one pretty Chinese woman.

The girls are capricious and rule the men. Often there are heads of large plants and factories of the female sex.

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Before talking about how the Chinese live, it should be understood that China, despite its apparent similarity, country is very different. Usually we are shown it from one side - the one where the megacities, production and high technologies. I was personally shocked when I saw its underside in the form of traditional villages with subsistence farming.

How do Chinese people live in the provinces?

Chinese way of life outback changed little over time. The peasants are the same cultivate the land, raise livestock, engaged in traditional crafts and in the evenings they get together to relax and have fun. Yes, there are technologies, but they have not penetrated into life as much as in big cities. As a person accustomed to life in a computer-phone-concrete box mode, I find this charming.

If you are a person with European appearance(and especially white-skinned and fair-haired), then be prepared to become main focus local residents. They will point fingers at you, or even touch you. No one will understand your indignation in English (and even in Chinese), and also will try to deceive you and squeeze out more money(for locals, white means rich).

Life in the Chinese metropolis

But life in a big city is already much more familiar to me. But still only partly: too much there features.

1. There is no personal space. The Chinese are used to the fact that there is always a crowd around and it is useless to fence off from it, so constantly pushing each other and paving the way in the crowd with your elbows is in the order of things.
2. The Chinese hardly cook at home. Street food is here cult, it is cheap, and therefore few people spend time on home cooking.
3. The Chinese are uneducated in the understanding of the European man. They can publicly relieve their natural needs, and they also eat very untidy. I lose all appetite when the Chinese are dining nearby. But in their culture loud champing only means that they like the food.

The strength of the Chinese state

The Chinese live under constant control. The Internet is closed (for open you need to go to Hong Kong), no anonymity and the party is vigilantly watching to make sure someone doesn't say something superfluous. I wouldn’t be able to live like that for sure. Where do the Chinese live

Probably, most stereotypes about Chinese life are associated with their diet and housing. We are used to thinking that all Chinese are crowded into tiny apartments of 10 square meters, however, this is not so. Of course, this also happens, but a resident of a big city can easily afford decent apartment. Basically, the apartments are located in tall skyscrapers30–50 floors. Often these are even entire complexes of buildings, with very well developed infrastructure. Usually the younger generation lives in such houses. Old people, on the other hand, often live in old houses that are planned to be demolished in order to build new skyscrapers.

Chinese life in the big city

I don't know about the outskirts, but the city reigns incredible turmoil- in the morning people rush to work, in the evening - from it. But in the afternoon, when everyone has already gone to work, it becomes very quiet and calm on the street. By the way, I advise you to take photos at this time, so no one accidentally “climbs” into the frame.

With transport in China it is difficult, because of road congestion getting to the right place on time will be difficult. About a taxi in general, a separate conversation, because in addition to ordinary cars, here you can often meet moto taxi, and although this method of transportation is much faster, it is officially prohibited, so I do not advise choosing this type of taxi.

Chinese habits

In the daily life of the Chinese, there are also some features that depend on urban conditions and established traditions. So:

• They love healthy food(even street food here consists of healthy ingredients and is steamed, or simply peeled fruits and vegetables are sold in cups);
• most people in the city rides bicycles, or mopeds and motorcycles;
• the Chinese are very love to eat(surprisingly, they eat everywhere and always);
• love to drink tea(no matter how stereotypical it may sound, but it is true, and they make tea just delicious);
• after work they, like us, like to watch popular shows on TV.

Of course, these are far from all the features of life in China, but you can get a general idea.

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