www.gokunming.com/[...] - In a previous thread I asked for recommendations about living in another city in Yunnan.
On this thread I am asking about living in another province in China and the reasons why you would choose that province to live in or may have lived there in the past.
I don't see much reason to live in any other province unless:
1) you want to live in a mega city where the skyscrapers are full of offices (unlike in KM where the skyscrapers seem to be half empty)
2) you want a big spender lifestyle/ bigger salary
3) you have penchant for hot and humid (Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian) or freezing cold (Heilongjiang, Nei Monggu) climates.
If I was going to be picky - I'd like to live nearer the sea and I'd like a warmer winter.
Hainan maybe?
I too prefer to be nearer the sea. It's nice to be able to get cheap fresh seafood.
The sea would be nice but Kunmimg is good enough of you choose to live in China.
I have lived in Guangzhou and Nanning before so they are both good choices for me. I love hot and humid weather so this is not a concern for me.
Hunan is one place I would never want to live in for many reasons.
If I was going to choose somewhere else in China, it would be Shanghai. But only if I was looking to go back to the big city lifestyle i had before in London, Kunming is perfect for what I'm wanting these days. Shanghai does have a lot going for it as a major city plus I have family from England living there to so another bonus. Handy leading along the east coast of China for mini trips as others have said.
Kunming is good for me though, no thoughts of change at all!
China's a big place and no doubt there are numerous places I would enjoy living in, but if I were to leave Yunnan it would probably be over the border to northern Viet Nam, northern Laos or northern Thailand, and in the future perhaps to northern Myanmar. I like the areas near the southern border of China - border areas, I think, have a tendency to present other perspectives on the world that are often not so available near the centers of nations, where the perspective is often simply a nationalist one. Disadvantages to moving south would include the fact that I do not speak the languages of the countries I have mentioned.
For seafood, I was thinking Nanning, but I'm not familiar with the city or the people.
If money's no object - Xiamen - good schools, universities, and very international for food, but pricey. Depending on one's perspective - annual typhoon season can be a benefit or a pain.
www.gokunming.com/en/forums/thread/13045/whats_next?page=3
As was mentioned in this thread, there are some provinces that do not care about higher standards because they have a greater demand (surplus) for foreigners then they have a supply of foreigners. So getting a job, legally or illegally, may be easier in some other provinces.
In time, all things change and I think it is prudent to have an exit strategy in case of some unforseen emergency. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
As I travel both inside and outside of China I am always looking for a new place to live. So far, Cambodia offers the quickest exit strategy for both me and my wife in case of emergency. Visas for either of us are long term (6 mos - 1 yr) and hassle free. Guangxi and Guangdong are 2 other possibilities for me here in China. Ecuador, across the globe, is a 3rd option for both my wife and I since I was born there and my parents have a home there.
In my time here in China I have met some good people who have a very difficult time staying in China. I am blessed to have a wonderful wife so my visa (RP) is not a concern. I am retired so I do not have to work so I am doubly blessed with time and money.
However, just having a visa (RP) is not enough for most people because one still has to put food on the table and pay the rent. So many people have to either go to school and get a student visa or go to work and get a work visa. Be prepared.
