Ruth is a blogger with a passion for Chinese society, culture and history. She has lived in China in the past and moved back to China, this time to Tai'an City, from Austria in March 2025. To find out more, follow Ruth on X (Twitter) or check out her blog, China Elevator Stories.
About Ruth
Q: Where are you originally from?
A: Austria.
Q: What country and city did you move to?
A: Tai'an, China.
Q: When did you move?
A: At the end of March this year.
Q: Is this your first expat experience?
A: No, I have been living in other cities in China in the past.
Q: Did you move here alone or with a spouse/partner or family?
A: I moved here alone.
Q: Reason for moving?
A: I wanted to move back to China (from Austria) because I enjoy living in this country.
Living in Tai'an
Q: What do you enjoy most about Tai'an and China in general?
A: That the locals are very friendly and that it is located at the foot of Taishan Mountain. Wherever I go, I can see Taishan Mountain in the background, and it makes for very beautiful views. China is lovely to live in if you are a person who embraces different cultures.
In many places, locals are friendly and social, and if you're able to speak the language, you can chat with them and they'll tell you all sorts of things, which is great! I share some of these stories on my blog and am always delighted at the stories I get to hear.
Q: Have you had any low points? What do you miss most about Austria?
A: I haven't had any low points so far this time around. I had low points when I lived in my Chinese ex-husband's hometown in Northeast China, where people kept to themselves and didn't want to meet up with me because I am a foreign woman.
Q: What misconceptions about Tai'an, if any, have you learned were not true?
A: That China hasn't handled Covid-19 well. I think it has dealt with it in a professional manner and that it has done its best to keep it from spreading.
Q: What are the biggest adjustments you had to make when settling into expat life in Tai'an? Did you experience culture shock at all?
A: The biggest adjustment has certainly been my toilet, which is a Chinese-style squat toilet. I have already gotten used to expat life because I have lived in China for eight years in the past and am quite familiar with life in China. Every place is different, but I have been pleasantly surprised by Tai'an and how friendly the locals are here.
Q: What are your favourite things to do on the weekend? Any particular places or experiences you’d recommend to fellow expats?
A: I have been travelling quite a bit on weekends, and there are many beautiful places nearby. Qingdao was one of the cities I recently visited, and I also visited Confucius Temple, which is only a short train ride away. I also climbed Taishan Mountain, another World Cultural Heritage Site. It is usually packed with people, but it's still interesting to visit.
Q: What's the cost of living in Tai'an compared to Austria? Are there specific things that are especially expensive or cheap there?
A: Living here isn't as expensive as it is at home. We have seen rising food prices and electricity costs in Austria, but prices have stayed the same in recent years in China compared to when I used to live here before 2019. It is enjoyable to live here because eating at a small restaurant doesn't cost much more than cooking at home, and Chinese cuisine is delightful.
Q: What’s public transport like in Tai'an and across China?
A: Public transport is convenient once you've gotten used to how it works. Taking a cab isn't too expensive, and it is a favourite vehicle for the Chinese as well, so locals don't think they are too expensive either. Though not public, it's still good to know that you can easily take a cab if you're not familiar with buses, etc. Buses don't cost much, one way costs only 2 Yuan, so they are a very affordable alternative.
Some cities have a metro, and the newer ones are very efficient. Taking the subway is great in cities such as Qingdao and makes getting around easy. China has a vast web of high-speed trains, and these are very convenient as well. Once you've gotten used to the fact that you need to pick up your train ticket first, and then enter the train station doing a security check, and that you'll need to wait in the waiting hall before being allowed to access the platform, taking a fast train is definitely a very convenient way to travel.
Q: What do you think of the healthcare available in Tai'an? What should expats expect from local doctors and hospitals?
A: Hospitals aren't usually as clean as they are in my home country, with some featuring squat toilets without toilet paper. I used to go to a public hospital in Shenzhen to do pregnancy check-ups, and there were masses of women not just waiting outside, but also once you saw a doctor. Frequently, I'd have about seven women talking to the doctor at once, and I was always afraid someone would open the curtain during a check-up, since the Chinese aren't always very polite when it comes to another person's privacy.
Strangers in Shenzhen were sometimes quite rude, everybody wanted to get checked first, and they were quite nosy when it came to a foreign woman who was pregnant. I therefore chose to give birth to my children in Austria. But otherwise, I believe it is great if you're into alternative medicine. I once healed a long-term issue with Chinese medicine within just two weeks, so I am positive it works. But I can't recommend going to Chinese hospitals unless you absolutely need to.
Q: What’s the standard of housing like in Tai'an? What different options are available?
A: The standard isn't as good as it usually is in Austria. But I am already used to it, so I don't usually have too high expectations. In my mind, it's still enjoyable, but you have to be prepared that the beds may feel very hard, like sleeping on wood, not on a mattress, and it can take some time to find a lovely flat.
In China, I have searched for apartments with the help of property agents, and though you may need to look at quite a few flats until you find one you like, this is certainly a great option. If you come here as a teacher, you'll often get a free apartment with your contract, and in this case, you can't choose what your apartment looks like, though you can usually rent your own apartment.
Most foreigners rent apartments, and many expats rent expensive apartments when they are on a high salary, but I believe in major cities, less expensive apartments are also available (sometimes at half the rent price). You can easily find such an apartment if you take your time. I once found a lovely apartment in Shenzhen that came with Ikea furniture, and I really enjoyed living in my 40m2 flat. It was on the 27th floor of a high-rise building and offered a nice view. Chinese kitchens can be a bit small and inconvenient, but many expats don't cook much at home anyway.
Q: Are there any areas or suburbs you’d recommend for expats to live in?
A: I don't have any particular areas I recommend, since I recommend going out and exploring your new city first to decide for yourself. Everyone's different, so there's no one-size-fits-all!
Meeting people and making friends in Tai'an, China
Q: Was meeting people and making friends in Tai'an easy? How did you go about meeting new people?
A: Yes, I found it easy this time around, though I found it much harder in Siping in Jilin Province, where I used to live in the past. It depends on how open locals are to meeting up with and getting to know foreigners. I have also met a few other teachers, and getting to know them is usually easy, since most are willing to get to know people and connect with people who have a similar cultural background.
Q: Have you made friends with locals, or do you mix mainly with other expats? What advice would you give to new expats looking to make friends with the locals?
A: I have also made friends with locals. Being able to speak the language certainly helps, though many people also speak fluent English nowadays, particularly the younger generations. You can easily meet new people by going to bars, or through your work, depending on what your work is. I recommend trying to meet new people this way, but you can also always chat with locals when you're doing daily tasks around town. People enjoy chatting with foreigners in many places, and though not every person who chats with a foreigner will become your friend, some may be interested.
Working in Tai'an, China
Q: How easy or difficult was getting a work permit or visa? Did you tackle the visa process yourself, or did you enlist the services of an immigration consultant?
A: I tackled the visa process myself. It was hard, to be honest, since I needed to have a lot of documents translated into Chinese. But the translations weren't even the most daunting task; the notarisations were. I had to go to a lot of different places in Austria to get all the documents ready, so know that this will take quite some time if you have to go yourself.
Once the documents were ready, the other steps weren't too hard, though it still took some effort. The hard thing isn't so much having to go to one place to apply for a visa, but rather having to translate and notarise documents, having to make sure nothing is missing, then having to get one visa for entry, a residence permit after entry, a health check-up before getting the residence permit, etc. There's a lot of work that needs to be done, and if you're doing this for the first time, it can be quite overwhelming.
Q: What is the economic climate in Tai'an like?
A: I have observed that many locals seem to do well finance-wise, but maybe that's just in the district I live in. Tai'an is a travel city, a city popular with tourists, and looks rather "rich" compared to other cities, so I believe the economic climate is rather good, all in all.
Q: How does the work culture in Tai'an differ from Austria?
A: The work culture, if you're not a teacher, may be similar or different from your home culture, depending on the job you have and the job you had at home. In Austria, when I worked full-time, these jobs were often stressful. In China, when I worked a full-time job in the past, I loved my job so much and the company that it really didn't feel very stressful at all. The company was also located in a beautiful office, and the boss was into Feng Shui and had made sure that people felt comfortable when they were at work.
Some companies require you to work a lot of overtime, but I didn't have this problem with this particular company. It really depends on the company. Chinese companies frequently do outings together, so you may find yourself participating in a company dinner, or going to karaoke, as well as travelling somewhere with colleagues. They often offer nice activities employees can take part in in their free time (sometimes, the expectation is that you have to take part, but other companies let you decide for yourself). I usually find these activities enjoyable, and find that they offer a great opportunity to meet other people and get to know your coworkers.
Some have explained about having to stay as long as their boss, which is common in Chinese culture, and having to work overtime every day until 9 or 10pm, which is common for Chinese. But if you're an expat, you may not have to do this – at least, I have never had to do this, and have experienced great working conditions overall.
Family and children in Tai'an, China
Q: What are your favourite family attractions and activities in Tai'an?
A: Tai'an offers a lot of activities for families, restaurants are often child-friendly, and there are a few parks in Tai'an that will be fun to visit with children, such as Nanhu Park. Daimiao Temple is a beautiful temple to visit, and you can climb the temple walls and get a nice view over Tai'an and see Taishan Mountain in the background. Right next to the rear entrance, there are a few activities for kids, such as a bouncy castle.
Q: What are the schools in Tai'an like? Any particular suggestions?
A: I am not too familiar with the schools here, but I believe they have a generally good standard of education in Tai'an.
Final thoughts
Q: Any advice you'd like to offer to new arrivals in Tai'an?
A: Be prepared for facial recognition instead of using a card to enter your work premises, and whenever you travel. China has implemented facial recognition (it didn't use facial recognition prior to 2019), and you'll often have your face scanned when entering a location. The cameras can even recognise your face if you wear sunglasses, and you won't need to take them off in summer.
►Interviewed in May 2025
