What are the most beautiful areas of China?

Gayle

If you were a foreigner who wanted to visit China and wanted to see the most beautiful places in the country, what are the most beautiful areas of China to visit?

Suppose you were a teacher of English considering living in China and in choosing a location, your most important consideration was the beauty of the landscape, but also other things that make a place good to live in such as climate and friendliness of the people, what would be the best places to live?

seneca

I suggest you try to put yourself in the shoes of Petter Kessler, U.S. American author who put in a stin as an English teacher in Sichuan province. He then wrote his memoirs titled "Rivertown".

Another Westerner, Mark Kitto, set up expat magazine "That's" ("That's Shanghai", "That's Guangzhou", "That's Beijing"), then was unceremoniously chucked out of his office by the authorities but allowed to remain in China. He set up a cafe and guesthouse on Mt. MOgan. He recvently wrote a book titled, (I may be a little wrong but you can easily find the name) "WHy I left China" or something like that. I read an excerpt from it. The place Moganshan, in Jiangsu, is quite idyllic.

seneca

As a rule of thumb: the more beautiful places are the less developed areas where, incidentally, there is less law enforcement than in the more developed urban centres of China. FOr a foreign English teacher, there are many pitfalls working in backwaters in China. That is why I recommend the two authors above.

seneca

For example I consider Kunming one of the more attractive big cities in China, thanks to its pleasant climate and enviornment.

But on my first visits there to interview for a teaching position I was given some highly unorthodox suggestion: if you want the job you need to "show your respect for the principal". Translation: buy him an expensive gift.

Another person who actually wanted me to work for her employer told me that they had never hired a foreigner but were extremely interested in obtaining my services. And then she proceeded to tell me how much that would COST ME.

You read right. Many Chinese, at least some years ago, bribed employers to get a position. And why would they exempt a laowai from doing this?

Gayle

Would you like to live in the south or north of China?

Which is more beautiful?  Let us say just to visit.

seneca

Gayle Post time: 2017-4-16 23:13
Which is more beautiful?  Let us say just to visit.

And how do you determine which of these provinces is more "beautiful"???

I suggest you acquire a Frommer's or a Lonely Planet. Then you can compare likes with likes and match them with your personal tastes and preferences.

seneca

Gayle Post time: 2017-4-16 23:13
Which is more beautiful?  Let us say just to visit.

Just as an example: I lived in Guangdong province for several years, so I am pretty familiar with that province. I wouldn't call it a "beautiful" or "scenic" place because it is largely built-up, polluted and industrialised. But I have fond memories of visiting small towns such as Zhaoqing, Qingyuan, Shantou, Shunde, Foshan. I even remember a natural waterfall in a park in Shenzhen and a very scenic footpath leading up to the top of a mountain called Wutongshan.

It is not possible to quantify such a fleeting quality as "beauty".