What Is It Like to Live and Work in China?在中国生活工作体验如何？

埃米·霍金斯

People who live and work in China often have a great range of different experiences， but there are a few common themes to be aware of if you are thinking of moving to one of the most exciting， perplexing1 and challenging countries in the world. Here are a few tips to let you know what its like to live in China.

What to know before you move to China

If you are thinking about moving to work in China， there are a few things you should consider before you take the plunge2. Firstly， are you more motivated by the kind of job you want to do， or the part of China you want to live in？

If you want to work in politics， tech or finance， youll likely be limited to the major first-tier cities of Beijing， Shanghai， Shenzhen and Guangzhou. These are fascinating and vibrant places to experience the modern Chinese lifestyle， but lack beautiful countryside and unique local traditions that much of China is famed for.

If youre craving a deeper cultural immersion， want to hone your Chinese language skills or simply want to live in some of the most stunning landscapes in the world， look for rural opportunities. For foreigners， this mostly means teaching English or certain jobs within NGOs.

Secondly， its worth considering how Chinese workplace culture might differ from what you are used to. For example， colleagues may have little regard for “personal time”， thanks to the ubiquitous messaging app， WeChat. “There can be different expectations from the West in terms of work-life balance， overtime and availability3，” says Simon Frank， English Editor at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. “You are reachable on WeChat 24—7.”

This can be both positive and negative. While it makes it more likely that a colleague will message you at 11pm on a Saturday， the app also makes workplace collaboration much quicker and more efficient. “What surprised me，” says Katie Cundale who works for Beijing-based travel company， Wild China， “is how much is done via WeChat （Work）. Everything in the office can be transferred， booked， and approved on one system.”

There are many other positives to working in China. The cliche that China is a land of opportunity holds true， and youll meet dozens of people who are starting their own businesses on the side. There is much less bureaucracy4 than in western countries for start-ups， and a can-do attitude means that you could experience more exciting challenges in a month in China than you would in a year in the West.

What to expect of work life in China

If you do decide to work in China， youre sure to find friendly and welcoming colleagues. Even in companies that are used to having foreign workers， some locals still find it exciting to meet someone from another country and will love to talk to you about the differences in your cultures and experiences.

Chinese workplaces tend to have long working hours. In many offices， staff religiously5 clock off at midday for a 90-minute lunch break， but then stay late into the evening to get all their work done. Chinese offices also often have strict， inflexible hierarchies6. “From my experience working in China， employers willingness and ability to accommodate foreign employees varies quite widely from company to company，” says Mr Frank.

“Grey areas that used to enable employment for foreigners in China are disappearing fast， working without visas and other permits can be quite dangerous.” says Mr Frank. Anyone considering working in China should make sure that their potential employer is up to speed on the paperwork necessary to apply for a work visa.

There are 11 days of national holiday each year， and on top of that most workers get five days of annual leave. If you work at a Chinese company， western holi-days such as Christmas are not recognised， which makes going home for the holidays difficult. Some companies offer more generous annual leave policies for foreign staff， but even then the probation period， in which you are entitled to no annual leave， could be up to one year.

Chinese business culture： all you need to know

Foreigners who work in China often encounter a bit of a culture shock. For example， the term “foreigner” is still widely used in China， which some expats find alienating7.

The foreigner/local distinction is especially stark if your Chinese skills arent up to scratch. In many offices， for example， Chinese staff and foreign staff eat lunch separately： this might be because they want different things for lunch， but its also because， understandably， Chinese staff dont want to spend their lunch break making the effort to speak English if you havent bothered to learn Chinese.

Many expats work in China without learning Mandarin. This is more feasible8 in the big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai， but even in those places youre likely to run into difficulty if you only speak English. Often， the more senior a role is， the more possible it is for a foreigner to occupy that job without speaking Chinese， because it is assumed that their work experience is sufficiently valuable， and they can afford to hire local assistants/translators.

If you are looking for an entry-level job， its definitely worth learning the basics before you decide to work in China. “One of the greatest things about working in China， when you have to order things or get things printed， is just how incredibly efficient it all is. You can basically coordinate any purchasing and delivery around the country from your phone and it all tends to happen within days，” says Ms Cundale. “On the other hand， it is all in Chinese， so that makes it a little difficult when you cant speak the language very well.”

What is the cost of living in China？

This varies hugely depending on where you live， with the cities being much more expensive， but in Beijing you can rent an apartment for 9，000 yuan （approximately 1，000 pounds sterling） per month. Many international companies will pay your rent for you as part of your employment package.

In general， local life is very cheap， but if you want to do something western， such as a night on the town at fancy cocktail bars， expect to pay London prices if not more.

Chinese social customs

More attention is given to Chinese customs in western stereotypes than matters in reality. But there are a few golden rules： accept/offer business cards with two hands; always take your shoes off before entering someones home; and be appreciative9 of any food that is offered to you. Also， learn how to use chopsticks.

外国人在中国生活工作的经历通常都各不相同。中国是一个令人无比激动、让人备感迷惑而又充满挑战的国度，如果你正考虑移居该国，就要了解一些常见问题。以下是一些小贴士，让你知道在中国生活是怎样的体验。

移居中国之前需要了解什么

如果你想去中国工作，在决定之前你需要考虑几件事情。首先，你去中国是因为那里有你想要的工作机会，还是有你理想的居住之地？

如果你想从事政治、科技或金融类的工作，那么你的选择可能会局限于北上广深等一线大城市。这些地方活力四射，令人神往，可体验到中国现代生活方式，但看不到乡村美景和当地独特习俗，而中国很多地方恰恰以此闻名。

如果你渴望深入体验文化氛围，锻炼汉语能力，抑或仅想住在世界上风景最美的一些地方，那么就去农村吧。对外国人而言，这大多意味着去农村教英语或从事某些非政府组织的工作。

其次，你需要考虑中国的职场文化与你所习惯的职场文化可能有哪些不同。例如，在中国由于微信无处不在，同事们也许不大注重“私人时间”。北京尤伦斯当代艺术中心的英文编辑西蒙·弗兰克说：“西方国家对于平衡工作生活、加班加点和时刻待命，或有不同的期许，而在中国，人们可以随时通过微信找到你。”

这既有好处，也有弊端。虽然微信让你更可能在周六晚上11点接到同事的信息，但也使职场协作更为快捷高效。任职于北京碧山国际旅行社有限公司的凯蒂·坎戴尔说：“（企业）微信的强大功能让我惊叹不已。所有办公事项都可以在一个系统上转发、预订、审批。”

在中国工作还有不少其他好处。人们常说中国充满机遇，事实的确如此，你会遇到许多业余时间自主创业的人。与西方国家相比，中国创业公司受到的官僚束缚少很多，而且，中国人积极进取的精神意味着创业者在中国一个月内所能经历的精彩挑战可能比在西方创业一年还要多。

中国的职场生活

如果你真的决定在中国工作，你一定会结交到友好而热情的同事。即使在惯常聘用外籍员工的公司，一些本地员工仍乐于结识外国人，乐于与你谈论两国不同的文化和生活经历。

中国企业的工作时间往往都很长。许多公司的员工会在中午准时下班，午休90分钟，然后却熬到很晚才完成所有工作。而且中国职场通常等级森严。弗兰克先生说：“根据我在中国的工作经验，不同的雇主接纳外籍员工的意愿和能力差异很大。”

弗兰克先生说：“以往外籍人士在中国就业的灰色地带正迅速消失，无签证或工作许可十分危险。”任何考虑在中国工作的外国人都应确保其潜在雇主能够及时提供申办工作签证所需的书面材料。

中国每年有11天的国家法定假日，除此以外，大多数员工还有5天年假。如果你在中国公司上班，由于圣诞节等西方节日并非法定假期，外国人难以回家过节。一些公司为外籍员工制订了更为宽松的年假政策，即便如此，他们在试用期内也不能休年假，有时试用期可能长达一年。

中国企业文化面面观

来华务工的外籍人士通常会遭遇一些文化冲击。例如，“老外”一词在中国仍广为使用，使有些外籍人士感到疏远。

如果你的漢语水平不过关，与本地员工的差异则会尤为明显。例如，许多公司的中外员工分开进餐：原因可能在于各自有不同的饮食偏好;另一个原因是，如果你一直懒得学中文，中国员工午餐休息时间和你在一起还得费劲说英文，他们自然也是不愿意的。

许多外籍人士未学汉语便来华务工。在北京、上海等大城市，此类做法较为可行，但即便是在这些地方，仅通英文亦会令你遇到麻烦。通常，外籍员工的职位越高，越不需要说中文，因为人们认定其工作经验能够创造足够的价值，他们也请得起本地助理或翻译。

如果你正在寻找初级岗位，那么在决定来华工作之前掌握基础的中文是很有必要的。坎戴尔女士说：“在中国工作的一大好处就是无论什么事情，如下单订购、打印材料，效率都出奇地高。基本上用手机就可以从全国各地购物并送货上门，往往在几天之内就可搞定。另一方面，凡事都要用中文，所以你的中文若是不太好，就有些难办。”

中国的生活成本

生活开支额度很大程度上取决于你的居住地，城市的生活成本要高得多。在北京，一套公寓的月租为9000元（约合1000英镑）。许多跨国公司的薪资待遇会将房租包含在内。

一般而言，当地生活成本很低，但是，如果你想体验西式生活，比如去市区的高档酒吧夜饮，其花销不会低于伦敦的价格。

中国社会习俗

西方人士更多关注的是刻板印象中的中国习俗，而非真实情况，但这里仍有一些黄金法则：递接名片须用双手;进别人家门之前先脱鞋;别人给你夹菜要表示感谢。此外，你还需要学会如何使用筷子。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）