When considering a move to a new city, there is nothing more useful than hearing real-life stories and experiences from other expats who have lived there. We'd love to hear about your expat experiences. Please contact us if you live or have lived in China and would like to share your story.

Melissa is an expat from South Africa who moved to Yiwu in 2018. She currently works as an ESL teacher in an international kindergarten, and is enjoying life in China with her fiancé. Read more about her life as an expat in Yiwu.Melissa_China_0.jpg
Julia is a Scottish expat who moved to China to teach English on her gap year. Read about her experiences as a young expat in the Henan Province, as she describes what she likes and has found challenging in her Expat Arrivals interview about life in China. 
American expat Greg relocated to China in 2009. In his interview, he shares his incredibly useful insight into life in China, how it compares to back home, and everything in between. Read about his experiences of expat life in Beijing. 
Rachel is an American expat who moved to China when her husband got a job in the nuclear industry. While she sometimes feels frustrated not being able to work, she’s been able to spend some time learning Mandarin and discovered her inner writer. Read more about her expat life in China.Rachel - An American expat living in China
Alessandra, an Italian expat living in Beijing, moved to China in 2010 as a trailing spouse along with her child and her husband, who accepted a job offer in the city. Read more about her expat experience in Beijing. 
Paul, a British expat living in China, moved to Jinan, the capital of China’s eastern Shandong province, to immerse himself in a different culture and learn a new language. Read more about his expat life in Jinan.Phil Robinson - A British Expat Living in China
Ben, an American expat in Zhuhai, decided to get some experience out in the world before settling into an entry-level job back home. Eight years later he's still living and working in China, and loving it. Read about his experiences living in China.
Georgia, a British expat in Shanghai, fell in love with the city after completing an internship and stayed on. She has made loads of new friends in her time here. Read her advice on the best areas to live, public transport, and meeting people while enjoying expat life in Shanghai.
Jordan, an American expat in Shanghai, is a student who moved to Shanghai with her parents when her dad was relocated by his company. She misses being able to get around easily and having friends close by like it was back home, but loves the fact that there's always something new and exciting to see or do while living in Shanghai.Jordan an American expat in China
Kara, an American expat in China, is a self-proclaimed member of the kingdom of Geekdom. She moved to the big, bustling metropolis of Beijing with her husband in 2008, and now spends her time writing, blogging, studying to become a pilot and assisting the expat youth associated with a Christian church in Beijing. She shares her expat experience in China. an American expat in China
Paz, an expat in Guangzhou, moved with husband and dual infants in order to spice up life and give her children an international upbringing. She and her husband sold their belongings, jumped on a jet and traded up to a fascinating life abroad. Get her take on expat life in China.
Seth is an American expat living in Guangzhou. His passion is playing basketball at the universities and, with his wife, hanging out with students and helping with English corners in the evenings. Read more about Seth's expat life in Guangzhou.

Expat life in China

Kung-Fu in the morning, crowds at any time and cooking with alligators a mere market stall away – needless to say, expat life in China is likely to be far from the humdrum you may be used to. Find out what one woman does in Guangzhou to nail down some semblance of routine. 

Further reading

►See Culture Shock in China for further insight into life in the country

Are you an expat living in China?

Expat Arrivals is looking for locals to contribute to this guide, and answer forum questions from others planning their move to China. Please contact us if you'd like to contribute.

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