{"id":10644,"date":"2016-02-04T09:00:50","date_gmt":"2016-02-04T08:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/?p=10644"},"modified":"2022-02-08T14:15:15","modified_gmt":"2022-02-08T13:15:15","slug":"pros-of-third-tier-chinese-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/pros-of-third-tier-chinese-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You May Enjoy Nanchang More Than Shanghai: In Defense of Third Tier Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ThirdPlaza Bayi, Nanchang<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Excited that you got a job offer in China but then you find out it\u2019s going to be some city called Zhengzhou<\/a> or Yantai? Disappointed that your international job transfer is to Nanchang instead of Shanghai? <\/p>\n

Admittedly, in the 3rd tier cities of China<\/a> there is a preponderance of people that some expats deride as \u201cnongs\u201d (short for nong min gong, meaning a former subsistence farmer who is now a migrant worker in the city), who may spit and shoot out snot rockets at unexpected moments and in unexpected places, yell into their phone in public, cut in front of you in line, and blow cigarette smoke in your face while riding the elevator.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, the traffic is horrible for there are many homemade weird vehicles that look like they came off the set of Mad Max-Fury Road driving on the wrong side of the road at night with no headlights on, and everyone\u2019s hand is seemingly glued to the horn.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, you will be seeing dogs being butchered in the late evening on the main shopping street to be served the next day cooked in gutter oil<\/a> (di gou you, in Chinese).<\/p>\n

Admittedly… Wait, am I getting a little sidetracked? This was supposed to be about the good aspects of life in the lower tier cities. Bear with me, there really are some good things about living in the dreaded 3rd tier. So let\u2019s try again, in defense of the lower tier cities of China…<\/strong><\/p>\n

But First, What Exactly Do I Mean By \u201c1st, 2nd and 3rd Tier\u201d Cities?<\/h2>\n

There is some disagreement on the terms and no official Chinese government position on the composition of each tier, but most people agree that Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen<\/a> are 1st tier\u2014collectively referred to as \u201cBei Shan Guang Shen.\u201d <\/p>\n

These metropolises are huge in both population and land area and are more developed in terms of infrastructure as well as educational facilities and receive the benefit of the most money pumped in by the central government. These cities always get new things first, but the 2nd tier cities, like Hangzhou or Nanjing<\/a>, are usually just a few years behind. <\/p>\n

The 3rd tier cities in turn are generally five to ten years behind the 2nd tier ones with respect to conveniences like the building of subways, modern \u201cbullet\u201d train stations<\/a>, air conditioned buses, as well as the arrival of Starbucks, Wal-Mart and Metro Supermarkets. In many ways, the biggest changes in China are happening the fastest in 3rd tier cities since they are trying to copy their more developed 1nd and 2nd tier big brothers at breakneck speed.<\/p>\n

As an aside, in China you may also hear of \u201cNational Civilized Cities\u201d. These are designated by the central government and currently include cities like Xiamen and Qingdao<\/a> because they have \u201ccivilized\u201d policies such as making sure there are workers to sweep up the streets, actually have a few trees permanently growing in the city limits (as opposed to only being imported temporarily for the party chairman\u2019s visit); they don\u2019t allow burning rubbish or slaughtering dogs in the middle of the street, and encourage good behavior like not screaming into your phone and cutting in line. These are usually, but not always, 1st and 2nd tier cities (Shenzhen temporarily lost its civilized status when its mayor was sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption).<\/p>\n

Aside from Xiamen and Qingdao, the 2nd tier includes other large and relatively famous cities like Nanjing, Xi\u2019an, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, and a few other provincial capitals of well-off provinces such as Jinan (note: some lists consider all provincial capitals to be 2nd tier). <\/p>\n

The 3rd tier cities are still often quite large, like Nanchang with over 5 million people or Dongguan with 6 million, but there\u2019s definitely a different vibe in these “wilder” cities that are just a little off the beaten tourist track. As a rule of thumb, if a city has 1 million people or more but doesn\u2019t fall into the 1st or 2nd tier category, it\u2019s a 3rd tier city.<\/p>\n

I should mention there are also 4th tier cities and even 5th tier (which are often just called villages) but things get quite murky in more ways than one in these cities. Basically, you need to be really hardcore to live there. <\/p>\n

Get used to only eating Chinese food because there are no foreign markets and your only international food option is KFC, if you are lucky to even have that. These are the towns where you will be stared and pointed at and may even feel like the pied piper as you will need to get used to growing crowds following you around because you may be the first foreigner they ever saw in person. <\/p>\n

Every action you take will be observed and discussed at length all around town. Taxis won\u2019t stop for you because they are afraid they can\u2019t communicate with you – and they are probably correct because many people there can\u2019t speak Mandarin, – so all your Chinese studies<\/a> will have only limited benefit. If you are interested in romance, forget about it for down in the 4th tier: you are just too weird to accept. <\/p>\n

But with this article, I want to focus on that sweet spot in between\u2014the benefits of the fabled 3rd tier.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hold Celebrity Status<\/h2>\n

If you arrive there as a foreigner, the first thing you will notice is how few other foreigners there are and that leads directly to this benefit. This is one of the more controversial \u201cbenefits\u201d of being the rare foreigner in a Chinese 3rd tier city, but this article would not be complete without discussing it so I will address it head on.<\/p>\n

In many ways, a foreigner is a celebrity in the third tier. If you live here you may find yourself being invited to drink with government officials, university presidents and the like. There may very well be requests for radio interviews and features in the local daily newspaper. Not only are these experiences quite interesting and educational, the relationships formed can be helpful if you are interested in starting your own business or otherwise establishing yourself in China<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you are a man and romance is on your mind, the 3rd tier is the place to be because the local ladies are exposed enough to Western culture to not be scared of the idea of dating one, and can gain \u201cface\u201d since you are so special, while at the same time they have not seen so many foreign men for the novelty to wear off as they have in the 1st and 2nd tier. <\/p>\n

I have to admit though, while it feels fun at first to constantly have people ask to take pictures with you and the media interview you, it does get old after a few years. Some days, you get up and simply want to get some dumplings. You may have just gotten out of bed, hungover, and this isn\u2019t the time for an impromptu photo shoot, but you never know when the paparazzi may strike.<\/p>\n

Everyone is More Friendly \u2014 Both the Locals and Other Foreigners<\/h2>\n

If, like me, you enjoy meeting new people but are a bit shy approaching strangers, the 3rd tier is a great place to be. There are prevailing stereotypes that Shanghainese and local Beijingers are quite haughty and disdain speaking with outsiders, but that\u2019s not the case down here. <\/p>\n

In the 3rd tier, the locals may be rough and rugged but are also more passionate and welcoming. Some of the most fun times I\u2019ve had in China took place when I was having dinner with a co-worker at a small restaurant and a nearby table of Chinese men will notice us and literally pull us over to their table for gan beis of their Baijiu (Chinese hard liquor). <\/p>\n

Next thing we know, it\u2019s already 2am and we are still eating and drinking with them, playing cards and now they are dragging us out to the best KTV and dance bar in town. This doesn\u2019t generally happen in Shanghai, but is par for the course down here in the 3rd tier.<\/p>\n

I think many foreigners discount the possibility of building real lasting relationships from random encounters with locals. A relationship that may feel that it\u2019s starting quite hollow and only due to your \u201cforeign status\u201d can develop into much more. <\/p>\n

A college student who walked up to me seven years ago and literally said: \u201cCan I have your phone number because you are foreigner and I want to tell my parents I have a foreign friend\u201d, eventually became one of my closest friends. He has visited my family in America, we have traveled extensively together, and he was even a groomsman in my wedding<\/a>. And to think of it, back then I almost told him to get lost.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not only the locals but also your fellow foreigners who are more friendly in the 3rd tier, certainly at least in part because of the instant comradery we feel from seeing someone who is also \u201cdifferent.\u201d In a 3rd tier city, we will cross the street to say hello when we see a new foreign face, exchange numbers and likely invite them to join us at the bar the same evening. <\/p>\n

And if an \u201cold China hand\u201d foreigner sees you struggling getting your point across in Chinese, he will be glad to jump in and help explain the situation or otherwise solve the problem. When Western holidays roll around, generally every foreigner in town will know who is hosting the Halloween, Christmas, and New Year\u2019s parties.<\/p>\n

(Almost) Everything is Cheap<\/h2>\n

Your money goes much farther down here in the 3rd tier. Below I will note some prices of common expenses in Nanchang, the 3rd tier provincial capital of Jiangxi where I\u2019ve spent some time, as compared to Shanghai, an indisputable member of the 1st tier.<\/p>\n