@michael2015: " I'll try again using JanJal's message instead. SWIFT transfers are a major problem if you're traveling as you'll need to go to a main branch"

Actually I've used the message specifically with SWIFT transfers, and with that have been able to get it cleared without going to any branch.

Don't know if your problem is this, but regulations changed a couple of years ago, that Chinese banks started requiring a message in the bank transfer indicating what the money from abroad is for.

Initially after the change my bank transfer got stuck in Bank of China, and they didn't even inform me in any way - I had to go ask in person where's my money. It was cleared the same day if I recall correctly.

I started putting "money for living expenses in China" in the message field, and no problem since then. In your situation of sending to a relative in China rather than for your own use, may be more complicated.

Yeah, I guess there will be lot of Chinese English teachers looking for jobs too. Maybe it will lead to better level of English in some service establishments here. Or exodus of young English speaking natives to other countries.

We rent our 3 bedroom apartment at roughly 2500 a month, in northern Kunming. I suspect that place like this might be more difficult to find in the very inner city.

"xiaoqu" is usually a complex of 1-5 residential houses within a single gated community. Typically these are high-rise houses, so quite a lot of people live in one, and in newer developments these also service the residents with decent outdoor area within the community - in addition to actual parks nearby.

For example our place has 4 high-rise residential houses within the xiaoqu, and between the 4 houses there is a quite large landscaped area with trees, sitting places, children's playground, and even a kind of running/walking track.

I often see dog-owners taking their poodles out to this area instead of ever going out of the main gates to the street. Incidentally one of the street-facing shops in back of this xiaoqu is some kind of pet shop or grooming shop - the owners have at least one big dog themselves.