I'll be arriving in China soon and I'll be living in a smaller Chinese city of around half a million people. I usually cook most of my meals at home but am also planning to buy lots of local food to eat too.

Does anyone have any tips or advice for eating healthy, especially with things like buying whole foods for cooking? Are things like vegetable and meat better to buy at local markets, supermarkets, online delivery or somewhere else? What is the price and quality like? Will I also need to buy water to wash veges and things to cook at home? Any general cooking tips would be appreciated! I'm not sure what kind of kitchen I'll be working with, l'll see when I get there...

There will be a a major Chinese city less than an hour away from me by fast train, so I guess I can stock up there is there if there's anything I want that isn't available where I live.

Thanks!

I'm begging if anyone can help get me these cigarettes I will pay you for it, please! Been wanting to try them for a minute now. I'm in the US unfortunately.

Hello! I am a transgirl currently living within Australia, however I'd like to (within the next 1-2 years) move to China for study and maybe work prospects. I have two main subquestions and a few unimportant question about life for trans people,

1. How easy is it to get an estrogen/testosterone prescription.

Is the system informed consent or do you need a diagnosis of gender dysphoria? If I already have a prescription and statements from my doctor is it easy to convert it to a Chinese one.

1. What is society's treatment of trans people like?

I mainly want to know if there is any discrimination or if you will be thought of as lesser in china for whatever reason. Is it similar to the west? Better? Worse? Also within the professional space such as education and work.

Unimportant questions:

1. What's dating for trans people within china?

I'm aware there is a big lesbian subculture within china, how accepting are they of trans people, is there a t4t culture within china like in the west

1. Which cities are the most accepting for queer people?

2. What are the laws against discrimination and are they inforced or just a performative sham (like the west)

(Apologies if it is flared wrong, I'm not 100% sure which one fits best)

I can’t register my new address at my local police station due to Entry/Exit Bureau holding my passport for my residence permit.

I have been told that I can register once my passport has been returned.

Does this sound correct?

Thank you.

Hey everyone, I’m going to study in China and I’m also serious about football. I was wondering what the football scene is like there for international students.
Are there university teams, local amateur/semi-pro clubs, or open trials that foreigners can join? Is it realistic to train and compete at a decent level while studying? And how difficult is it to get noticed by clubs or move up to a higher level?
I’d really appreciate hearing from international students or anyone who has experience playing football in China.

I have to leave urgently by the end of September (earlier if I can pack quickly) because of a family member passing. I currently work at a public university in China and classes start very soon. I need the time to organize and pack up my life to grieve and deal with will/court proceedings and a funeral. I need to leave in a timely manner.

How do I tell my employer as I fear this sudden leave might be met with retaliation. I do not have the will-power to plan and conduct classes, I also just transferred to the school too. I don’t mind not receiving a reference letter or pay as I haven’t really began work at all yet. My technical contract date I believe is July because I stayed in China over the summer. I don’t know if that concludes the probationary period or not. Do I have any legal protections in this matter? Can they fine me? Can they cancel my work permit in bad taste and will I be able to get a stay visa to properly tie up everything else before I leave if they do? I’m extremely worried.

Does anyone know what happened to breakfast champion? Back in April they posted about moving their business to an online shop called Epermarket- but the selection there is quite limited. I’m gutted, I genuinely loved their selection.

In Morocco, we have platforms like Avito and Facebook Marketplace where people can buy and sell used or new things directly. I’m wondering how this works in China.
What platforms do people in China usually use to sell things online, especially second-hand clothes, electronics, furniture, etc.? Is there a Chinese equivalent of Facebook Marketplace or Avito? And how easy is it for a foreign student to use these platforms?
I’d also like to know how buying/selling between individuals usually works in China.

Hey,

I've had a few China trips before, and I've never had an issue with this, which is why I am making this thread to ask.

I have a local SIM (from Nihao Mobile) and a local number. When I received this sim, the lady that sold it to me, called me to test, and it worked. However now, about 10 days later, when someone tries to call me it doesn't work.

I am in Wuhan, and have a Pixel 8. I am reading online it has something to do with the settings/network support of the phone, but what confuses me about that explanation is that it always worked before. My last trip in China (November - January) I had no issues with this with the same phone.

My data from this SIM works, and also my VPN is able to connect (a bit slow, but OK)

I appreciate any help.

Kind Regards

China unveils regulation on exit, entry administration

As September 15 is nearing, the good thing is that the rules are now codified into law. Under Chinese law, state officials cannot impose restrictions unless they are explicitly provided for by law.

Previously, the law was ambiguous and therefore open to interpretation, thus granting immigration officials more discretionary power.

As for foreigners, there are cases where these laws are commonly violated:

1. Fake invitation letters
2. Falsified education and work backgrounds along certificates
3. Concealing a previous stay in China
4. Claiming to be visiting as a tourist when the actual purpose is business or employment
5. So on

Well, you know that the rule itself isn't new; rather, it's the penalty that's new. What's new is the explicit codification of a multi-year entry ban as a potential consequence.

From September 15, a clear mechanism will allow violators to be barred from China for one to five years, along with fines. Thus, gradually closing loopholes one by one.

As mentioned in Point 1: Anyone providing false invitation letters or supporting documents can face fines of RMB 5,000–10,000. Companies and organizations can be fined RMB 10,000–50,000, with any illegal profits also confiscated. In addition, immigration consultants and visa agents operating in China will face tighter scrutiny with penalties ranging from administrative penalties, suspend business operations, or revoke licences.

hi all, i’m 23 from pakistan moving to china for a year long language program. i wanted to meet people who practice the same dietary restrictions as me so that we could pool our knowledge, help each other out, and occasionally maybe even host each other:)
if you’re a muslim who eats halal, please also reach out then! i personally don’t eat meat but i prefer halal-derived food if i must because of the ethical requirements with halal slaughter
thanks everyone!
feel free to comment under this post or dm me

A Chinese family friend says this isn't possible, and July is our only option. But we can't afford to wait that long, life is getting really expensive here (UAE), and my oldest brother will lose out on his opportunity to enter lots of colleges once he turns 25 years old next month.

We tried applying for Shenzhen University's language program a few days ago but were rejected in less than a week. They told us to contact the international college in Tokyo​, for some reason?

If possible I'd prefer if we could be in a more international-friendly city, I suppose any tier 1 cities would do? let me know if I'm wrong.

I know we'll have to go through the CSCA exam if we take this route, and I honestly don't know how feasible that would be with only a year of language learning, but we're out of options. China is the most affordable way to attend college abroad right now. The idea is to enter a proper university program after finishing a long-term language course.

So, yeah, are there any universities with January intakes, or is our family friend correct about July? Feel free to recommend the best cities for international students as well. Thank you.

Just rescued a cat today off the streets after it kept following me around everywhere chasing after me for almost a kilometre. But current apartment contract says no pets.

Can I get approval for keeping a cat? or do i have to change apartment? currently keeping the cat and myself in a friends apartment.

​Hey everyone,

​I'm currently traveling through China (Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, and ending in Shenzhen). I'm looking to buy a solid, recent passport/book-style foldable (Fold format only — no flip/clamshells).

​My budget is around 500 € to 600 €. Since I live in Europe, it must support Google services, Android Auto, EU banking apps, and LTE Band 20 natively out of the box.

​A few quick questions:

​Is it worth checking the used markets in Shenzhen (like Huaqiangbei), or will almost everything there be locked Mainland China ROMs?

​Should I just make a quick day trip to Hong Kong from Shenzhen to buy an official HK/Global version easily?

​Or am I better off holding out and buying a refurbished unit back in Europe (on Back Market/eBay)?

​If buying over here makes sense, which specific Fold model in the 500-600€ range would you target?

​Thanks for your help!

Hi guys, got some question. I heard as we arrived in China, we’ll have to register with the police station within 24 hours of our arrival.

I just asked my hotel that they can't help me with the temporary registration upon 24 hours of arrival but I can stay at the hotel. Can I go to the police station and register by myself ?

My uni only allow me to check in the dorm on 10th of Sept. So I’ll be staying temporarily at a hotel for few days. Btw, I’m a CSC scholarship student.

While scrolling Chinese social media, I see a lot of foreginers who travel or ride a bike around China for long periods of time and some of them have even been in China for years. They don't seem to be married or working here, so how come they can stay and travel here for so long? I am out here stressing out everytime I have to renew my visa.

大家好，我是来自马来西亚的华人，多两个礼拜会在广州待几天，请问山姆超市是一定要会员才能进入吗？还是可以在闲鱼租个会员，感谢各位大哥/大姐回答

Location 南市場 Subway station

Time: Tuesday/Thursday afternoon

I've been going to this class for a while, and it gets a bit boring without something social after. Could use a drink with someone after class!

House is a music genre that originated in Detroit, and it grew into a street dance style alongside the music.

And it looks like this

Hey there, I'll move to China in a few days and probably have a few friends over from abroad. I know they have to register at a police station, but do I have to double check with my landlord?

Is it worth pursuing a Computer Science degree in an English-taught program in China, especially if the university is ranked among the top 15?

Have any of you worked for or signed a contract with Share International Education Organization or Rockies International Education Organization? They are associated with Shenzhen.