Updated August 10, 2020
Living and working in China is a very different experience in terms of language, food, expectations and the whole cultural stuff. If you are coming to China, for travelling or living for a long-term, there are a few things you’d better prepare in advance (before moving to China).
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO BEFORE MOVING TO CHINA
#1 Install ExpressVPN
When you are in China, you won’t have access to Facebook, Twitter, and most of the western social media platforms. Gmail and Google Maps wouldn’t work. Wikipedia and BBC won’t be accessible either. What’s the way out? Install a reliable Virtual Private Network (VPN) software on your mobile and computer! I would recommend installing ExpressVPN (free trials and just about $8/month).
#2 Download WeChat Mobile App
Installing WeChat (Wei Xin, 微信) App on your smart phone is the number 1 thing you should do before coming to China. WeChat, primarily a texting App, offer services that are virtually a good mix of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, you name it.
In China, over 95% people have WeChat accounts. The chances of someone not having a WeChat account are very low. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine living in China without a WeChat account. Moreover, WeChat has an excellent Microsoft powered translation function (Fan Yi, supports many languages including Chinese to English). The WeChat App is also available in English.
#3 Download DiDi Taxi App
DiDi Chuxing (滴滴出行) is the number 1 taxi booking App in China. Its functions are quite similar to Uber App. Very nice and a must have App when you are in China. Highly recommended. DiDi is also available in English.
#4 Learn Using Chopsticks
China is a very diverse country; there are so many languages, ethnic groups, cultures, etc. However, China is also a very good example of “Unity in Diversity”. There are so many things shared by the people living across the mainland China. Chopsticks (Kuai Zi, 筷子) are one such example. Square dancing (Guang Chang Wu, 广场舞) is another example. 🙂
We daily use chopsticks (from breakfast to lunch to dinner). You’d better grab chopsticks from a local supermarket and try to be comfortable with them (try moving 100g peas from one bowl to another).
Well, your chances of meeting those insane chopsticks in China are extremely high. In fact, in China, we are not so used to the spoon/forks. It’s worth mentioning that we do use Chinese style of spoon (shaozi, 勺子), however, it’s not for eating rice/noodles, it’s often used for drinking soup.
#5 Learn Mandarin Chinese Language
Learning Mandarin Chinese is a very long journey. However, even if you are in China just for a few days, there is not harm in learning some basic phrases.
Here are my top 5 Mandarin phrases:
- Hello (Ni Hao, 你好),
- Thank you (Xie Xie, 谢谢),
- When? (Shen Me Shi Hou, 什么时候),
- How much is the price? (Duo Shao Qian, 多少钱),
- Where is the toilet (Ce Suo Zai Na Li, 厕所在哪里),
It’s worth to grab a phrase book.
#6 Find Expat Groups
It’s better to find more information about travelling to China. You should find the expat groups (Facebook, WeChat) for your destination cities. Most of the Chinese cities have Facebook expat groups. Once you join such Facebook group, you can meet people living in your city. Then try to find WeChat group for your city. Feel free to clear your doubts about the destination cities.
Btw, although it’s ok to have expat friends in China, I still prefer to hang out with my Chinese friends. They are very friendly and supportive. Moreover, this is an interesting way to uncover the Chinese culture. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover Chinese culture.
Have you been to this beautiful country?
I love China. How is your experience?