Many say that living in China is good and there is great economic growth, many say that, on the contrary, it is bad.

We decided to investigate this issue. Today you will find out the whole truth of how people live in China.

An all-encompassing love of the state is the norm for Chinese people. What is it: a natural, voluntary motivation, "healthy" patriotism or a forced, fake action, from which everyone has long wanted to escape- we will not be able to find out to the end, because for this we need to plunge into the age-old atmosphere of an Asian country, take many other steps to understand the inner essence of events. We can only judge from the outside, which does not exclude the truthfulness of judgments, as well as their superficiality. One thing is clear: patriotism for the Chinese is both good and bad.

China - what is it ?!

Today China is essentially two states, most countries recognize the PRC as the main one - the People's Republic of China. The second state, the Republic of China, occupies a much smaller area called Taiwan (an island) and adjacent islands. The PRC is a communist state ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, the Republic of China is a democratic state. China was divided during the civil war that followed World War II.

Both of these regions call themselves China.

From the fall of the Qing dynasty to the end of the civil war, China was ruled by the government Republic of China.

"..A partially recognized state in East Asia, which previously had a one-party system, wide diplomatic recognition and control over all of China, now a democratic state with limited diplomatic recognition and controlling only Taiwan and the surrounding islands. She is one of the founders of the UN and was previously a member of the UN Security Council (in 1971, the place of the Republic of China in the UN was transferred to the People's Republic of China) "

(Wikipedia)

Winners in civil war in 1949, the communists took power into their own hands, and the former leadership of the country moved to Taiwan.

Chinese civilization is one of the most ancient on Earth, rich in culture, history, China is one of the most advanced world states.

In the main state of China - the People's Republic of China - the economic, social system is communism with elements of economic liberalization. In China, despite the fact that there is communism, their own business is encouraged.

« According to the Constitution, the PRC is a socialist state, but about 70% of GDP is provided by private enterprises.. Under the 2004 amendments to the Constitution, private property is “inviolable”. Officially, the PRC calls its current economic system "building socialism with Chinese characteristics." The assessments of individual economists about the forms of the economy in China vary greatly. "

(Wikipedia)

Many popular attempts to demand political change were ruthlessly suppressed. Strengthening the state power "The PRC in 1997 reclaimed the island of Hong Kong from Great Britain and in 1999 the island of Macau from Portugal."

This huge Asian country ranks third in the world in terms of territory, first in terms of population. Almost 1.5 billion Chinese make up an impressive fifth of the world's population (from 7.3 billion people).

A great power is a superpower candidate, the world's second largest economy, a member of the UN Security Council, the world's largest exporter, the largest automobile manufacturer, possesses a large army, nuclear and other weapons, and foreign exchange reserves.

Of the many peoples living on the territory of the country, 56 are recognized, they make up only 7% of the total population. The main share of those living in China is the Chinese themselves - "Han".

The religions of China - Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and for some time now quite an influential position begins to take Christianity, but "adjusted" to the pace of the state.

« The system of Christian theology should correspond to the national characteristics of China and fit into the Chinese culture. This task was set by the head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, Wang Zuoan, speaking at the forum "Sinification of Christianity" in Shanghai. The concept of "socialism with Chinese characteristics" forms the basis of the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party.

The new Christian theology is also beginning to grow into requirements that, according to the authorities, must be taken into account when creating a version of Christianity Made in China. Thus, in his speech at the forum in Shanghai, the head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs Wang Zuoan stressed that theology in Chinese should proceed from the fact that China has chosen the socialist path of development. "

(Lenta.ru)

It is also worth noting that the main "religion" of China for a long time was atheism. The "Cultural Revolution" has borne fruit, and today over 62% of the PRC's population consider themselves to be atheists.

Belief in any state-approved religious niche is called "following religious practices that do not pose a threat to the country's security." That is, you can still believe, but carefully, with the permission of the rulers, it is limited. The “green light” in the present for some religious trends, which previously had no entrance to the Celestial Empire, indicates that the country's leadership understands the impossibility of preserving the unity of the people without a spiritual background and understands the danger of a vacuum, the absence of “natural opium,” an outlet. Yet there is too much control in China to talk about the unhindered realization of the right to freedom of conscience and religion.

China has given the world an endless series of discoveries, while becoming largest manufacturer and an exporter of the same discoveries. Much, from compass, porcelain, silk, gunpowder to toilet paper- the work of the hands and mind of the Chinese.

Almost the whole world lives by Chinese horoscope... Feng Shui entered the life of those who are alien to Buddhist culture with an easy gait. Also, China directly and firmly established itself in foreign territories through the famous goods "made in shina". Prada, Dolce Gabana for just a couple of bucks is already part of the philosophy of fashion, who knows, the originals would be so popular if the availability of fakes was eliminated.

Despite the fact that the policy of limiting the birth rate began in 1979, and also despite - in the literal sense - tough methods of dealing with increasing population growth - the Chinese are simply incredibly multiplying. What is the secret of their fertility, everyone is guessing. Perhaps the point is their potions traditional medicine: many of the tinctures and herbs, either to increase potency, or from fatigue and for longevity ...

Perhaps the point is the patriotism breaking out beyond the borders of everyday life: they love the country so much that they want to give it as many creatures as possible, “made up” in their own image and likeness. The latter, of course, is doubtful, but we will talk about patriotism separately.

Space, nuclear and chemical production have left their mark on the country. In China, about a million children with anomalies and developmental defects are born annually.

Patriotism in China

Do the Chinese love their country, or do they just have to pretend they love it? Naturally, there are both. But people who grew up in a one-way presentation of information often have no choice.

In China, since 2003, the Golden Shield project has been commissioned: filtering Internet content in the country. Thanks to him, access to many sites is blocked, which, in the opinion of the Chinese leadership, could become a threat to national security, undermine the country's authority, and also be simply harmful to the consciousness of citizens.

“Access to a number of foreign sites from the territory of the PRC is limited within the framework of the“ Golden Shield ”project;

Websites based in China cannot link and publish news taken from overseas news sites or media without special approval;

Web pages are filtered by keywords related to state security, as well as the black list of site addresses.

A number of Western companies comply with the requirements of the Chinese authorities to restrict access to information. According to Reporters Without Borders, the Chinese version of Yahoo! does not show certain information in search results

The Wikipedia site has also been repeatedly blocked on the territory of the PRC. The reason for the blocking is due, in particular, to the description of the events in China in May-June 1989.

The system also blocks the sites of a number of religious and philosophical movements, in particular, transhumanist ones. "

(Wikipedia)

More this system restrictions are called the "Great Wall of China". There are also commentators on the Web who, for a fee, glorify the ideology of the country's leaders.

In general, the Celestial Empire, realizing that the Internet is not so simple, that all wars and revolutions are now capable of starting with the whiff of Twitter, put its authoritarian hand on this sphere.

About the Internet blockade, about the multimillion-dollar Chinese city of Shanghai, about skyscrapers that have sprung up from the ground in the release of the Eagle and Tails program:

China, which for epochs was raised on imperial greatness, had rulers of a dynasty of leaders, and even despite religion and culture, called the emperor the main god, due to this desire to serve and be faithful to the goals of the state and retained its unity. And today such a huge country with an endless army can be weak if it does not have unity.(unity is the most important element of strength, it is not in vain that the main party of Russia also contains a word that is rooted in unity). The more people there are, the more difficult it is to keep the community. Bridged and humble - he is strength, but unbridled and unhumble he is a force that can turn against the rulers themselves. Realizing this, China is tightening the screws of restrictions more and more. After all, it is foolish to underestimate such a multi-potential country.

A civilization that has risen above the whole world, called the Celestial Empire for a reason, accustomed to receiving gifts as a sign of its reverence, wants to feel its power in practice and unconditionally.

Criticism of the Chinese leadership is "exterminated" in every possible way, the state can only be praised, and national traditions are promoted. In a number of cities, all billboards with foreign goods are labeled with hieroglyphs. National holidays are celebrated on a grand scale, every primary school student knows the geography of the country.

In 2012, an essay by a Chinese student posted on Twitter received widespread attention:

“Time is running very fast. Soon the middle of the semester, the exams will start, I started to prepare for them and I am very nervous about passing the tests, I have to start working harder, because if I don’t work hard and I don’t know the material well, then my grades will not improve, and I will be scolded by my parents, if my parents scold me, then I will lose confidence in myself, if I lose confidence in myself, then I will not be able to finish my studies, if I do not finish my studies, then I will not be able to finish [university], if I cannot graduate from university, then I cannot find a good job, if I do not find a good job, then I will not be able to make money, if I am not able to make money, then I will not be able to pay taxes, if I do not pay taxes, then it will be difficult for the country to pay salaries to teachers, if it is impossible to pay teachers, then they will not devote themselves to teaching, if they do not devote themselves to teaching, then this will hit the future of our country, if it will hit the future on necks of the country, then it will be difficult for China to progress and the Chinese people will degrade into a barbarian nation. If the Chinese people degrade into a barbaric nation, then the US will begin to suspect that our country has a powerful lethal weapon, if [the US begins to suspect that] our country has a powerful lethal weapon, then the US will start a war against China, and the Third World War, if the Third World War breaks out and the forces of both the United States and China are not enough, then they will begin to use nuclear weapon if they start using nuclear weapons, then they will destroy the environment, if the environment is destroyed, it will create a huge hole in the atmosphere, if there is a huge hole in the atmosphere, then global warming will intensify and the glaciers at both poles will start to melt if the glaciers are melt, then the water level on Earth will rise, if the water level on Earth rises, then the entire human race will drown and die. Since it concerns the survival and safety of the entire human race, I must spend the remaining few days reviewing the material I have covered in order to pass the test well and thus prevent tragedy. "

If someone found the text funny, others saw in it psychological oppression, enslavement to alien ideas from an early age, while others felt ashamed that they were not so responsible in their middle years.

In comments about the value of Chinese love for the homeland, one can find phrases about the difference between Russian and Chinese patriotism: they say, they cannot be defeated, because they are a united nation, because everything is good with them, but everything is bad with us. They are warriors, in everything they could raise the country, and we, the Russians, consider them to be "come in large numbers" and so on.

Those who unconditionally praise Chinese patriotism forget that we have too different mentality so that we could try on Asian clothes and customs in order to find the best.

Long-known facts: the Chinese, along with fertility that knows no boundaries, have lost all interest in the value of human life.. There is a high suicide rate in China. In China, executions are carried out en masse for a number of crimes; in China, soups are prepared from premature babies. If earlier the latter fact aroused doubts and seemed to many to be provocative and compromising, today there are no secrets or understatements: the cooking process was shown on TV and the tasting was covered on other resources.

“The meaning of the information contained in the textbooks and transmitted by the Chinese media is that the answer to all the hardships that the Celestial Empire has experienced can only be the revival of Chinese greatness and national pride in the heart of every Chinese. And they themselves admit on Internet forums that the question "Why do you love China?" they answer by rote phrases from books and slogans. Often they do not have their own opinion on this matter ...

... In fact, Chinese patriotism is a long-forgotten form of ethnic nationalism that is influenced by German romanticism. Sun Yat-sen was lying when he argued that Chinese nationalist ideas did not come from a foreign source, but "were transmitted to us by our forefathers." Indeed, in the 19th century, German thinkers and philosophers for the first time responded with the nationalism of "language, blood and earth" to the conquest of the German principalities by the Napoleonic army. This concept subsequently attracted many romantics in the countries of Asia, whose peoples felt oppression from the Western colonial powers. It is being embodied in the action of the CPC Central Committee to this day. "

(from the article "Chinese patriotism is based on the feeling of one's own humiliation", the newspaper "Renmin Ribao")

However, let us also not react with imposed and learned phrases. There is a lot to learn from China, but we are too different to compare our troubles, problems in the same vein, and even more so to compare the level of patriotism of each other.

Many foreigners, including Russians, are considering moving to China. Some are attracted by its rapid economic development, which promises great opportunities for self-realization, others dream of getting better acquainted with the original culture of the Middle Kingdom, others hope to live here a calm and prosperous life. With a favorable set of circumstances, patience and perseverance, the dreams of every immigrant quickly become a reality. But before you finally move, it would be nice to learn about the features of the standard of living in China, so that later you will not be disappointed in your choice.

China: the life of ordinary people and peculiarities of the country

Economy of the Celestial Empire in last years demonstrates explosive growth, but is the standard of living of the population rising after it? Today, almost all Chinese people note the rise in prices for basic goods and services, and salaries of employees are not increasing so quickly. But despite this, more than 400 million people can already be ranked as middle class. Over the past decade, the number of Chinese people who spend $ 10 to $ 100 per day has grown from 4% to 30%.

... if we compare the standard of living of the middle class, in my opinion in China it is an order of magnitude higher, for example, take ordinary teachers, doctors (doctors in China are generally gods).

INAKOS

Standard of living

In 2015, China ranked 52nd in terms of living standards, ahead of Russia by 6, and Ukraine by 8 positions. When calculating the indicator of the standard of living, the following were taken into account:

• the state of the economy;
• entrepreneurship and innovation;
• disposable income;
• healthcare;
• controllability;
• education;
• safety;
• personal freedom.

Comparison of the absolute values ​​of these indicators suggests that a rather high place was assigned to the state due to the success in the economy and the growth of citizens' savings. However, in terms of security and personal freedom, China ranks 100th and 120th, respectively, which indicates the presence of serious problems in these areas.

As for living-being, it depends on your requests. Of course, you can live on 1.5 thousand dollars. Moreover, this is approximately the average salary rate for a hired foreign worker (we do not take into account any valuable specialists). The chances of finding a good job, as well as any life prospects, always depend only on you !!! You can live on 1,5 thousand dollars and send your child to kindergarten. It all depends on how to live, how to eat, and which kindergarten to give. In general, prices in China are certainly lower than in Russia ...

Alexander Karpenkohttp://liveinchina.ru/kak-pereehat-zhit-v-kitay/

Way of life

Currently, more than 2/3 of China's population already lives in cities. Chinese people who have moved from rural areas are happy to plunge into the frantic rhythm of modern megacities and are happy to pay for a higher quality of life. A significant increase in domestic consumption is noticeable not only in Shanghai, which holds the lead in this indicator, but also in all large settlements. This can be seen even with the naked eye: there are more well-dressed people on the streets, the number of private cars has doubled over the past 5 years, fashionable gadgets are being sold at a frantic pace, and housing construction is actively developing.

As in other countries, people in China are very different. There are rich and poor, and they get along well with each other. A chic skyscraper peacefully coexists with slums, an elite five-star hotel is surrounded by workers' barracks, a brand new Ferrari stands next to a well-worn moped. All the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire are boiling in a single cauldron, apparently, this explains their tolerance towards each other and tolerance towards foreigners.

Video: the whole truth about life in China

Features of the mentality

A person with a Slavic soul who wants to move to the Celestial Empire must learn that its citizens have 3 values: China, the Chinese people, and the family. And it is in this sequence. The public prevails over the personal in literally all spheres of life.

The three aggregate states in which the Chinese usually find themselves: moving, eating and talking. A foreigner's first impression of large Chinese cities is constant movement. Everyone is going, walking or running somewhere. Beijing, like any other metropolis, almost never sleeps. You can go to a cafe at 3 am and it will be more than half full. Traffic on the street at night remains almost the same as during the day. And legends are already circulating about the talkativeness of the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire. The Chinese hold noisy production meetings, discuss politics and family issues at dinner, argue in cinemas and bars. It seems to foreigners that they have lively discussions even in their sleep.

The Chinese do not drink strong alcohol; local beer is preferred. Moreover, it is drunk from small one-hundred-gram cups, and not from one-liter mugs, as is customary in Europe and Russia. At the same time, the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire are actively smoking. You can smoke in vehicles, hospitals, elevators, shops, banks: no restrictions. However, only men are susceptible to this bad habit; Chinese women are not noticed to be addicted to it.

Climate and ecology

China's area is about 9.6 million square meters. km, the territory of the country is usually divided into 7 climatic zones:

• northeastern with damp summers and frosty winters;
• central China with a temperate climate and tropical cyclones in coastal regions;
• tropical and subtropical;
• The Tibetan Plateau;
• southwestern, with a temperate climate in mountainous regions;
• deserted;
• Inner Mongolia with sharp seasonal temperature drops.

Today, the state of the environment is one of the most serious problems in China. The explosive growth of production and complete disregard for environmental measures have done their job: the country is already on the verge of an environmental catastrophe. Among the tasks that the Chinese urgently have to solve are:

• air pollution;
• desertification;
• reduction of arable land;
• soil salinization and erosion;
• pollution and water scarcity;
• damage to river flows;
• degradation and impoverishment of pastures;
• accumulation of debris.

In addition, the risk of man-made disasters is constantly growing, caused by insufficient attention to ensuring production safety and improper storage of waste.

Ecology is a sore problem for the Chinese. Their cities are literally drowning in trash

Russians in China: reviews and real stories

The active immigration of Russians to the Celestial Empire began at the end of the 17th century, when the descendants of the Cossacks, the Albazins, who were dissatisfied with life in the Russian Empire, joined the Manchu imperial guard. Subsequently, the diaspora was replenished at the expense of convict defectors and tradesmen who were captured by the Chinese in the Amur region. Significant immigration began with the construction of the Sino-East railroad in 1897

Twenty years after the October Revolution, the number of Russians in China increased sharply, reaching 125,000 by 1930. However, after the Cultural Revolution, their number declined, and by 1982 less than 3,000 Russians remained in the Celestial Empire. Fortunately, after a few years, relations between our countries improved, and the Russians again reached for China.

Which of the Russians are moving to live in the Celestial Empire?

Today, the bulk of immigrants from Russia are 3 categories of people:

• students and young professionals;
• businessmen;
• pensioners.

According to official data, today about 15 thousand Russians live permanently in China. In fact, there are 25-30 thousand Russians constantly staying here. At the same time, there is no Russian diaspora as such in China, its place was taken by small Russian communities in different cities. However, the number of Russians in the Celestial Empire is constantly growing: according to various estimates, it increases annually by 0.5-1 thousand people.

Where do Russians usually live?

The north and south of China differ noticeably not only in climate, but also in the way of life. Therefore, everyone can choose a place of residence in accordance with their preferences. Today, the main areas of concentration of Russian immigrants are:

• Xinjian Uygur Autonomous Region - Kulja, Chuguchak, Urumqi;
• north of Heilongjiang province;
• south of Hainan Island - Sanya;
• Argun-Yutsi Autonomous Region;
• Beijing near Yabaolu Street - the bulk of Russians live here.

There are still so-called Russian colonies in Harbin and Dalian. There are also Russian communities in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Adaptation of Russian emigrants to new living conditions in China

The speed of getting used to the new environment directly depends on the knowledge of the language. The sooner an immigrant can learn Chinese, the sooner he can get used to the new reality, make friends and get a decent job.

For those living in large cities, adaptation is usually easier and faster, since the pace of life is higher there and there is no time for nostalgia. Those who yearn for their homeland have the opportunity to visit Russian shops, restaurants and clubs.

I studied Chinese for 3 months. When you live here, communicate, go to the market, you gradually begin to understand a lot. Pronunciation is difficult, you need to put emphasis correctly and choose a tone (only 4 tones), otherwise instead of "thank you" it will turn out that you sent away. For example, "mom", pronounced in different tones, can mean "mom", "rope", "horse" and, finally, just a curse, if you say it abruptly and with an emphasis on the last syllable!

Daria WAGNERhttp://www.kp40.ru/news/kp/21565/

Where do Russians work and how much do they get?

The recruitment process should begin with obtaining a Z visa to work. It can be done in your own country. After arriving in China, within a month, you must apply for a labor residence permit. It will not be possible to ignore this issue, since the laws of the Celestial Empire severely punish illegal migrants.

When all the documents are ready, there are 2 options for employment:

• open your own business;
• find a suitable vacancy.

In the latter case, it will not be easy for you, since there are a lot of people who want to find a job in China. However, in Beijing, Shanghai and other large cities, the Russians are quickly looking for a suitable place for themselves. The country is actively developing, and in almost any industry you can get a decently paid job. Of course, there will always be people willing to take a good position, but the level of competition here is much lower than that faced by immigrants in other countries.

It is not difficult to simply survive by paying rent and buying food in China. There are plenty of vacancies for supermarket sellers, waiters, hotel administrators, animators. A job with a salary of $ 400–800 per month can be found within 1–2 weeks.

If you are interested in high-paying positions with a salary of $ 1.50 per month, knowledge of the Chinese language and the presence of a profession in demand in the local labor market is indispensable. Russians are gladly accepted for the positions of fashion designers, IT specialists, engineers, technologists of clothing and footwear industries, scientists, teachers, doctors. Usually, those who have successfully worked in Russia quickly find jobs in the Celestial Empire and almost always receive tangible career growth.

... In China, the main thing is to have a higher education. Therefore, all teachers and teachers are demigods ... The highest salaries are military, police, doctor, university teacher, teacher ...

Iffan VareNel https://lifehacker.ru/2014/05/22/kak-pereexat-v-kitaj/ https://lifehacker.ru/2014/05/22/kak-pereexat-v-kitaj/

China through the eyes of Russian pensioners in exile

In recent years, Russian pensioners have been actively moving to the border cities of the Middle Kingdom. There are especially many of them in the cities of Hunchun and Heihe; more than a thousand elderly Russians have already settled here. The main reason for the massive relocation of pensioners is the cheapness of life. Receiving a Russian pension and renting out an apartment in their homeland, in China they feel themselves more wealthy people.

Among other benefits of moving to China, many cite a mild climate, a stable political situation and the availability of medical services. In the declining years, these reasons become of paramount importance. The opportunity to get high-quality medical assistance, not standing in lines at clinics, not giving bribes to doctors - all this for many becomes a decisive argument in favor of immigration. Well, if nostalgia torments you, you can always visit friends and relatives, since they live within reach.

... half of the Annunciation old women live in neighboring Heihe, having rented out their apartments in Russia. And receiving a pension in China by transfer. They buy their homes, many of them are staying compatriots. Some elderly Russians are completely moving - to Harbin and other cities, where the payment for electricity is only 40 kopecks per 1 sq. The subsistence min in China is only 700 yuan. So that it is possible to live (for a pensioner)!

Iffan VareNelhttps://lifehacker.ru/2014/05/22/kak-pereexat-v-kitaj/

How are Russians treated?

Unlike Japan, where locals always distance themselves from immigrants, in China they are quite loyal to them. Often, people who have not been able to realize themselves in their homeland literally spread their wings in the Celestial Empire and begin to live life to the fullest. Students in China who are cut off at university exams are quite successfully gnawing the granite of science, plain men enjoy the attention of young Chinese women, and girls of ordinary appearance receive a lot of compliments from the opposite sex solely because of the color of their skin, the marble-white shade of which the Chinese really like.

Comparison of Russia and China

What are the Russians relying on when they move to the Celestial Empire for permanent residence? First of all, to improve the standard of living: an increase in disposable income, an improvement in the quality of medical care and social security, the ability to rent or purchase a better housing. In a word, immigrants hope that their life in China will become more comfortable and interesting than at home.

Food and property prices

The myth of the dizzying cheapness of Chinese goods still dominates the minds of foreigners. However, prices for groceries and basic necessities vary greatly depending on the region of residence. Therefore, many visitors are unpleasantly surprised by the price tags in local stores. It turns out that in such large cities as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, the cost of goods is not too inferior to Moscow or Kiev, and in some places even exceeds them.

Table: Comparison of Product Prices

Position, USD	Chengdu	Harbin	Nanking	Beijing	Russia
Drinking water, 1.5 l.	0,44	0,4	0,85	0,65	0,39
Bakery products, 1 kg	1,03	2,37	1,36	1,78	0,32
Chicken breast, 1 kg	3,87	6,27	3,46	4,53	2,85
A pack of cigarettes	2,32	1,3	2,36	3,15	1,05
Lunch at a cafe for one person	2,34	2,85	3,00	3,93	4,38
Traveling by public transport	0,31	0,3	0,35	0,45	0,3
Gasoline 1 l.	1,04	1,2	1,12	1,43	0,65

If you are planning to move to China, be prepared for the fact that at first your expenses will not change significantly. Once you get used to your new location, you will probably find cheaper stores. The advantage in this situation is that with the same monthly expenses in China, you will noticeably use goods and services. best quality... In a shop on the next street, you can buy fresh vegetables and fruits, excellent meat and fabulously delicious fish every day.

Video: what Russians buy in China

The assortment of local clothing and footwear will satisfy even the most discerning fashionista, and their quality will be no worse than that of the goods of popular foreign brands. But there are also difficulties here: the products of the domestic Chinese market are completely focused on their consumers. Therefore, sometimes it is not possible to quickly find clothes that fit well, or buy large-sized shoes. Some are alarmed by the specific taste of local products.

At the same time, it is expensive to buy foreign goods in China. The price of products of European and American brands is practically the same as in Moscow, since all imported goods are subject to high import duties.

The cost of housing in China varies widely. It all depends on the city and the location of the property. The larger the settlement, the more prestigious the area and the better the house, the more expensive the housing will be. In big cities, real estate prices are already comparable to European ones.

Table: housing prices in China and Russia

Those who are thinking of buying an apartment in the Middle Kingdom should keep in mind that in the end only square meters will become yours. The land on which the house stands remains the property of the state, but you lease it for 50 years. What will happen next is unknown. In addition, the footage of the apartment is calculated along the outer perimeter of the walls, and the area of ​​common areas (stairs, storage rooms, areas in front of elevators, panel rooms, common balconies and corridors) is divided proportionally between all residents of the floor. That is, an apartment with an area of ​​100 sq. m according to the documents in reality will be about 80 meters.

China is being built very actively - America is very far from such a pace of construction and such cities. Honestly - imagine a couple of dozen manhatons a year. No kidding. I have traveled many places in China and I will say that everyone around the world envies both technology - and demand - as well as speed. In yus - would dream of such a speed of development.

Sergey Glukhov-Bezukhovhttp://spydell.livejournal.com/584219.html

The modern standard of living in China has grown by leaps and bounds! In cities, you won't just come to visit. Because everywhere there is a level of security or protection. There are security guards at the entrance to the courtyard (day and night), you cannot enter the house without a chip key, only residents of the house can enter the courtyard by car, etc.

RoEhttp://dnevniki.ykt.ru/girlnextdoor/744514

Salaries

The average monthly salary in China at the beginning of 2016 was about $ 750, which is about the same as in Mexico, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, and Russia. In the mainland, salaries are much lower than in the capital and the coastal provinces. Generally wage directly depends on the education and experience of the employee.

Table: comparison of salaries in China and Russia

Profession	Monthly salary in China, USD	Monthly salary in Russia, USD
Engineer	800–1200	600–1000
Waiters, hostess	400–600	300–700
Factory worker	400–700	400–800
Real estate specialist, realtor	750	Up to 1000
Construction worker	600–800	Up to 1000
Sellers, managers	850	Up to 600
Scientists	From 1100	Up to 1000
Teachers, university professors	Up to 1200	Up to 800
Private teachers	Up to 1600	Up to 1000
Financiers, economists	1300–2500	Up to 1200
Translators	Up to 4000	Up to 1300
IT specialists	Up to 4500	Up to 1200
Model	3000–6000	Up to 1500

Education

Key words characterizing the Chinese education system: discipline and competition. These two factors are based on and preschool education, and training in universities. Children from an early age are taught to be the very best: smart, cunning, strong. The winners are honored in every possible way, the losers are encouraged to work on themselves.

In kindergartens, the emphasis is on teaching social skills and discipline. As in Russia, there are not enough public preschool institutions in the Celestial Empire, therefore, children from 3 to 6 years old are often raised by grandparents.

The school system in China is very similar to the one that used to operate in the USSR. Chinese education is divided into 2 stages:

• from 6 to 13 years old - primary education, which provides basic knowledge in basic subjects, patriotic education, development of physical skills;
• from 13 to 17 years old - high school 1 step, which deepens the acquired skills.

Those who have received the right to study in high school are offered 2 options for continuing education:

• 2-year study at a vocational school for specialists Agriculture, industry, economics, jurisprudence;
• in-depth 4-year study in a general education program with the possibility of admission to a university.

Upon graduation, graduates take a state exam, which is an analogue of the Russian Unified State Exam.

Higher education in China follows a standard pattern. As in Russia, it is represented by educational institutions of 3 types:

• colleges provide basic education, which is analogous to the Russian bachelor's degree. College graduates can work in their specialty or continue their studies in a master's degree;
• higher professional schools similar to Russian technological institutes. Here the Chinese receive technical specialties;
• universities providing classical academic education.

Some Chinese universities are happy to accept Russians for training. For enrollment, it is enough to send the results of the exam and pass the competition, which sometimes can reach up to 100 people per place. The presence of marks in the Chinese language in the USE results will significantly increase the chances of admission to a university.

Chinese schoolchildren are some of the most disciplined in the world

Social Security

Unlike Russia, where socially vulnerable citizens are forced to cope with their own problems, China really develops and promotes a system of social work aimed at realizing various programs support of the population. Social insurance is here referred to the sphere of responsibility of the departments of labor and social protection, which oversee the payment of various benefits: maternity, disability, disability.

In the Celestial Empire, the system of ensuring the subsistence minimum of the population operates impeccably. If in Russia the living wage indicator is used to calculate the amount of fines and benefits, in China, on its basis, those in need receive real material support. When the average per capita income of a family is below the subsistence level established in the locality, it is assigned an allowance from the budget to compensate for this difference.

As in Russia, pensions in China consist of a basic part, guaranteed by the state, and a funded part, financed by employee contributions. The right to a pension can only be obtained after paying contributions for 15 years and reaching retirement age. Currently, the level of pensions in the Celestial Empire is not high. In cities, it is approximately 1,300 yuan ($ 190), in rural areas it is lower: from 900 yuan ($ 135). The average Russian pension is slightly higher: by mid-2016 it amounted to USD 220.

In China, citizens who have worked for at least 10 years are eligible for unemployment benefits. The Russians are lucky in this respect: any able-bodied citizen who has worked for at least six months and was unable to find a job on his own within 2 weeks after losing his job can receive unemployment benefits. The amount of state benefits cannot exceed the minimum salary, which in different regions The Celestial Empire ranges from $ 115 to $ 325. In the Russian Federation, this figure is noticeably lower: the Russian unemployment benefit in mid-2016 ranged from 15 to 80 US dollars.

Retirees in China often feel lonely today

Evaluating the Chances of Immigration to China

The fashion for moving to China appeared about 15 years ago. During this time, hundreds of Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians have managed to purchase housing here, find a decently paid job, and arrange their personal lives. However, not everyone succeeds in feeling like one of their own in a foreign country. Often, ignorance of the language and rejection of the peculiarities of the life of local residents become an obstacle to assimilation in the Celestial Empire, and these reasons have been cited more and more often in recent years.

Overpopulation is a big problem for many. More than 1.3 billion people live in the country today, so immigrants must understand that they will have to live in a large human anthill. However, some even like it. The high population density results in environmental problems, high utilization of urban infrastructure and high competition in employment.

However, the nuances of local legislation that make it almost impossible to obtain Chinese citizenship are becoming a more serious obstacle to immigration. The point is that it is given "by blood." In other words, only those who have at least one of their parents were Chinese by nationality can become a citizen of the Celestial Empire.

IN otherwise there is practically no chance of obtaining citizenship. It is quite possible to leave for the Celestial Empire, live and work there, but it will not be possible to fully naturalize. In this case, only those who make a significant contribution to the development of the country can become a citizen of China by:

• multimillion-dollar investment in the economy;
• making significant scientific discoveries;
• achieving outstanding results in other fields.

Table: life in China: pros and cons

Advantages	Flaws
It is easier to achieve positive results in China, as immigrants can apply their knowledge and experience in different fields.	Without knowledge of the Chinese language, there are few chances to get a high-paying job, knowledge of English does not provide an undeniable advantage
The standard of living in big cities is comparable to that of Europe; almost all the benefits of modern civilization are available here.	Career opportunities are concentrated in large cities, in small towns you can only count on low-paying uninteresting jobs
An ordinary lifestyle provides a lot of household benefits due to the cheapness of most products, goods and services.	Pollution in most cities is a serious problem
There is a cult of European appearance in the country, so the chances of arranging your personal life are much greater than at home	There is a certain shortage of organic food
In China, there is a real cult of the family, so the marital relationship of local residents is surprisingly tender and lasting.	In large cities, there is very heavy traffic, complicated by huge traffic jams, driving according to the rules is not strong point Chinese

To become a successful person in the Celestial Empire, it is necessary to completely dissolve in the local culture and accept the values ​​of the people living on its territory. Otherwise, immigration to China will bring you nothing but disappointment. Those who are going for permanent residence in the Celestial Empire should not forget that dual citizenship is prohibited in China. Therefore, you should think carefully before renouncing the citizenship of your state and starting new life in a country with specific laws, a socialist economy, exotic culture and a kind of foreign policy.

How do ordinary Chinese people live?

When I travel, I am always interested to see how local people live. Agree, hotels are the same everywhere, if these are not some concept hotels or interesting hostels. Last year, my relatives came to me and were very pleased to see what ordinary Chinese apartments look like. If you are interested in this too, then read on:

The Chinese economy is now the first in the world, so it is not surprising that new buildings are growing by leaps and bounds. Apartments are sold at every turn, agents and barkers are not asleep. Old houses are being demolished, and a new high-rise is being built in their place. This is especially felt in the center. The owners of the old houses in the center are being relocated to new residential complexes in residential areas with all the amenities. But some residents actively resist this and remain in their homes to the last, living there without water and electricity. And I wondered why this is so? Is it not easier to the sleeping area, but to a more spacious and new apartment? And then I realized that those residents mostly run small shops selling food or repairing bicycles. These shops are transferred to the current owners from their parents, and they received from their parents, and so on. And this man has been repairing bicycles all his life, and everyone there knew him, there was always enough for rice with chicken. He was only doing this all his life, and now a manager in a strict suit comes to him, shoves the keys and says: "Move over, dude!". And where should he go? By the way, many people rent out their apartments on the outskirts, sleep in their own shop or huddle somewhere.

When renting a residential building, they definitely try to make some kind of park or square, so that there is where to walk and relax, and also a school is attached, kindergarten, a supermarket and sometimes a hospital. "Everything for the people" - this is especially felt in China. In China, several houses are combined into compounds or gardena. They have their own security and service.

If you look into the apartment of any Chinese hostess, you will certainly find a double boiler (rice cooker) and a WOK frying pan. In Asia, it is found everywhere. When we first moved to China, I could not understand where they got fried food are so crispy and non-greasy. The whole secret, it turns out, lies in the wok. The classic wok has a curved spherical bottom and is found mainly in cafes and restaurants. The photo shows a more compact home version. Food is prepared in a wok quickly and retains all its useful properties precisely thanks to this bottom. This bottom allows the wok to heat up to very high temperature and reduces the cooking time. With this kind of cooking, it will not be possible to doze off or at the same time solve something, you need to constantly stir and fry quickly and quickly. How do I usually have a cooking process? I covered the pan with a lid, I can read, answer letters or cut a salad. It won't work with such a frying pan! You need to start frying when the oil begins to smoke slowly. What's your favorite Chinese food? By the way, an omelet is being prepared on the left.

In the photo: a variant of a small studio apartment. In general, it is customary for the Chinese to rent out apartments with just such a minimum repair. If the person is undemanding, then it is enough just to bring in the furniture and start living.

This is how the "draft" version looks like. And this standard kitchen... If you wish, you can already change it yourself, but apartment owners usually do not change. For the Chinese, the kitchen is primarily a place for preparing food, it can be microscopic and compact. "Everything is at hand," so to speak. Some of my friends refuse to rent an apartment after the Chinese, because the kitchen there is simply dead. And this is really true if the owners were actively cooking. The entire ceiling and slab, despite the hood, can be very greasy.

They eat and drink tea already in the hall, which is combined with the living room. Therefore, the hall does not count as a room. For example, a two-room apartment is a hall + 1 bedroom + 1 room. One room - hall + 1 bedroom. Very convenient, by the way.

Almost all apartments have such a technical balcony, where a washing machine, dryer or even a refrigerator is installed. So from the loggias, the Chinese arrange a garden with fish or relax there on rattan furniture.

The bathroom is always combined. If the apartment is three-room, then in most cases there are two bathrooms: one in the bedroom, the other in the corridor between the rooms.

I'm already used to the lack of a bathroom as such. Everywhere there is only a shower. These shower rooms with a glass partition are the perfect solution for a small space.

Since Guangzhou is south, there are fans and air conditioners everywhere. There is always a fan in the kitchen and bathroom, due to high humidity there is a risk of mold spreading.

The rental market in China is very developed. Lease terms vary from province to province. I will announce the rental conditions in Guangzhou:

When renting an apartment, an agreement is concluded in which the terms of the lease, the deposit, the condition of the furniture are spelled out. As a rule, the minimum rental period is from 1 year. The deposit is charged in the amount of 2 months of the rental rate. If the contract is terminated ahead of time then the deposit is not refundable. The rent remains fixed for the entire duration of the contract. Some conclude a contract for 2-3 years, the price remains fixed, while the rental market is growing.

It seems to me that it is very good to conclude such contracts, you feel protected, the owners will not ask you to unexpectedly vacate the apartment. And the owners are well: tenants will not flutter from apartment to apartment.

I have never met with restrictions, such as we do not rent to people with children and animals, or we increase the rental price. The walls in the houses are always white, there are no wallpapers, although China is the birthplace of wallpaper. But in the south, during the high humidity season, they just fall off. According to the rules, the owners must return the refurbished and clean apartment... If this did not happen, then you can hire a cleaner and ask to compensate her wages. When we just moved into our apartment, the gas did not work for us, they said that they would turn it on within 5 days. I said, "Ok, no problem. I'll eat in restaurants, keep all the receipts, and you will pay me all this." The gas was turned on the next day. If something breaks in the apartment through no fault of the tenants, then usually you contact the agency or the owner directly, and decide this issue. In fact, everything is always individual. If the hostess lives close, then she herself will come, talk to the master and settle with him. If not, then you can pay at the check-out. The main thing is to know your rights. And then some of the air conditioner at their own expense bought ...

In addition to metering water, electricity and gas bills, there is a separate bill for housekeeping. Calculated based on square meters, regardless of the number of residents. In our compound for an apartment of 60 sq. subway turns out to be about 250 yuan (2500 rubles). For that kind of money, we get a well-groomed area, garbage disposal every hour, garbage cans in a special room on the floor, security at each entrance, cleaning at the entrances. In houses with a concierge, the payment is slightly more expensive. Underground parking is charged separately and costs approximately RMB 450 / month (RUR 4,500)

This is how rich Chinese live: in a separate 3-story mansion. Cost from 1 million dollars. But in such houses it is not very convenient to live, there are too many insects, although pest control is always carried out. You have to constantly process, store all sweets in the refrigerator. Therefore, the higher the floor, the more expensive the rental price.

Of course, each country has its own peculiarities of life. The Chinese economy today ranks first in the world. And yes, this is a developing country, that is, a country where there is development. Being here, I always feel that if they build or do something, they try to do it for people, and not just make money on it.

Many people who come here think that they are going to some very agrarian, backward, unknown country. Yes, in China you still have to go and go to the high standards of Western countries, but China has its own way. And this forms the diversity of our world, but all people are similar in their desire for comfort and safety. And this is actually very good, because the lack of comfort belittles a person's dignity, lowers his self-esteem and undermines self-confidence.

Favorites

The population of China is one fifth of the inhabitants of our planet. According to the 2010 census, its population was about 1.34 billion. Taking into account the annual population growth of 0.5%, the number of inhabitants of the Celestial Empire, albeit slowly, is constantly growing. The entire world is witnessing rapid economic growth in China. Therefore, many inquisitive minds turn their gaze towards our eastern neighbor and ask themselves - how do people live in China?

Demographic situation

Chinese people live 73 years on average. The territory of China is populated unevenly, and most of it lives in the east of the country.

Since 1979, a birth planning policy has been implemented here, known for its slogan "One family - one child". 36% of Chinese families are raising one child. For violation of this rule, the family is subject to a fine and additional taxes. In this regard, in China, there are frequent cases of hiding children.

However, limiting a family to having one child does not apply to all regions and segments of the population of China. This rule does not apply to:

• to Hong Kong and Macau;
• on the national minorities of the country;
• if both parents in the family are the only children of their parents;
• if a girl was born first in the family;
• on parents who lost their children in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

This demographic policy has whole line negative consequences:

• due to the low rate of population growth in the country, it is aging every year;
• the number of men exceeds the number of women by 18%;
• children in families grow up spoiled.

Nationalities and languages ​​of China

The bulk of China's population calls itself Han, and accounts for 91.5% of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. The rest - 55 national minorities specified in the Constitution: Zhuangs, Manchus, Huis, Miao, Uighurs, Tujia, Mongols, Tibetans and other peoples.

The national language has many dialects. It, like culture, differs in different regions of the country.

There are more than 35 million Chinese living abroad, they are called huaqiao. They have close ties to their homeland and live mainly in Southeast Asia.

Those who live in the southern regions of China are called hakka. There are about 40 million of them. They differ from the main population of the country in traditions, dialect, customs and cohesion.

The Hui are in many ways related to the main population of China. But they profess Hanafi Islam.

Writing

Chinese writing is based on hieroglyphs that have received modern look back in the II century BC, during the reign of the Han dynasty. The ancient Chinese language Wenyang was written until the beginning of the last century. Traditionally, writing was carried out in columns from top to bottom, which were located from right to left. The written language had an obscure grammar and was significantly different from the spoken language.

To simplify the recording of the spoken language, during the reign of the Ming dynasty in the 17th century, the Baihua language appeared, in which speech is recorded in lines from left to right. This means that it is convenient to include Arabic numbers and words from other languages ​​in it. It was Baihua that supplanted the ancient Chinese language at the beginning of the 20th century, which contributed to an increase in the literacy of the Chinese population.

In 1964, the most commonly used 2238 hieroglyphs were replaced by simplified forms. They are used in China, Malaysia and Singapore, but in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau they continue to use traditional forms of hieroglyphs.

Religion of the country

The Cultural Revolution left its mark on the religion of the Chinese population. In the country, since 1949, atheism has been the official ideology, and at the moment, according to various estimates, 10 - 59% of the population are atheists.

Chinese wisdom is known all over the world. It also manifested itself in religion. The population of the country has since ancient times followed three religions at the same time: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The Chinese say that these are "three paths to one goal."

Education system

A law passed in 1986 requires all children to receive a nine-year free education. They study from age 6 to 15, the first six years in elementary school and three years in middle school. From 15 to 17 years old, you can continue your studies in high school, as well as enter a school or lyceum. Due to the huge population, it is quite difficult to get a higher education. More than 20 million people study at 2,236 universities in China. The competition for admission is very high.

The country needs highly qualified employees, so the government is reforming the education system.

Health care system

The country underwent a reform of the health care system in 2005 and became multilevel. As a result, 80% of the population takes out health insurance for 50 yuan, paying only 10 of them. If a person is admitted to a local hospital, the state pays 80% of the bill, and if a person is admitted to a large city clinic, it pays 30%.

The health care reform was a great success and allowed:

• improve the quality of treatment through the privatization of medical institutions;
• get rid of cholera, scarlet fever and typhoid fever;
• increase life expectancy from 35 years in 1950 to 73 years in 2008.

Pension

The population of China does not receive old-age pensions from the state. However, the country has a number of other social benefits for people of retirement age, which are difficult to understand for those who do not live in the country.

In addition, China is Confucian and caring for the parents is a duty reflected in the laws. And if someone violates these laws and does not support elderly parents, he has very big legal troubles.

Living standards in China

Many media outlets claim that the living standards of most of the Chinese population are very low. They explain this by the fact that there is no middle class in Chinese society, and the bulk of the population lives below the poverty line.

However, the situation in the country has changed and this is far from the case. According to the report "The Rise of the Middle Class in China," prepared by the Asian Development Bank, there is still a middle class in China. True, the very concept of the middle class differs from the Russian and European ones.

So, according to this report, the middle class in China is considered to be residents of the country, who spend about $ 20 on themselves a day. And if in 1991 40% of Chinese people were poor, then in 2007 about 62% of the population was already enrolled in the middle class category.

As a result, by 2011, about 1 billion people in the country, 80% of the population, were considered the middle class. In 2007, there was a homogeneous distribution of the middle class between urban and rural residents. However, due to the departure of young people to the city, by 2011 the situation had changed. There is now more middle class in cities in China than in rural areas.

China's middle class

The definition of the middle class in China by the authors of the report was built on the basis of opinion polls among residents of urban and rural areas. They analyzed family investments, consumption, sales, labor productivity, land use and agricultural prices. There is another way to define the middle class - by the purchases of durable goods by a Chinese family: a car, computer, washing machine, piano, refrigerator, TV or mobile phone. If a family does not have at least one such item, it is considered poor.

The Chinese, who belong to the middle class, earn from 2.5 to 17 thousand dollars a year. Those who earn more are in the upper class of Chinese society.

Another tendency can be traced in Chinese society. Those Chinese people who are members of the Communist Party are more likely to move into the middle, and even the upper classes of society.

However, there is a very strong gradation in China. For example, a Beijing resident needs to earn at least $ 1,000 to be middle-class. While a Chinese living in rural areas, it is enough to earn 10 times less.

The authors of the report conclude that the middle class includes those Chinese who do not deny themselves basic needs and satisfy them without much difficulty. In this regard, it is incorrect to say that only cheap goods are produced in the country. Both BMWs, Mercedes, and Hummers are produced here for the domestic market.

China is ready to surprise and does it all the time. Therefore, it is likely that the statement that by 2020 the world will be ruled by the middle class of China will also be true.

Instead of an introduction:
Our names are Grigory and Natalie. We're 25 or more. And we are passionate, mobile and gambling. It so happened that we are currently living in China. We live in a small, non-international and almost unknown city on the Southeast coast. Few tourists see China as we see it - not a tourist, everyday, China from the inside. The text below is our notes about life in China, these are the amazing and incomprehensible things that we constantly encounter, this is our real reality. And please read slowly.

Live in China. Like this?
In general, this is interesting. We have been here not so long ago, so everything around us continues to amaze us every day. There is so much mixed up here that the Chinese themselves, as we understand it, often cannot figure it out. This is some kind of incomprehensible territory. There is no need to compare China with any European country at all. It is incomparable. It won't work. Therefore, we do not compare anything - we tell everything as it is. Of course, our view of the world is subjective, but we are not a state. com. statistics ...
So, China through the eyes of a layman:

There is constant movement in China. Everything here moves, moves and moves. Wherever you go and wherever you look, you will see Chinese people doing something. Either they work, which is more likely, or they eat, which is also almost everywhere, or they argue about something. The combination of these three actions is the aggregate state of the Chinese. There are a lot of people everywhere. You can go at night to any open cafe or restaurant - it doesn't matter what time, at four or at five in the morning - and in this restaurant more than half of the seats will be occupied for sure. You can go out to the balcony of your apartment at night and see that the traffic on the street has not decreased at all. Yesterday we returned home late and, passing by the tennis court, in our yard we saw two Chinese playing tennis. In uniform, in white sneakers, with good rackets - at four o'clock in the morning !!
The Chinese are everywhere and always. But they are very different. People are well differentiated by social level. There are many poor people. There are many rich people. All of them peacefully coexist with each other in close proximity. There are no elite neighborhoods and no harlems. A multi-storey skyscraper could stand right in the middle of a slum, while an elite 5-star hotel could be surrounded by poor neighborhoods with two-story shacks and sewers. Just like a brand new Ferrari can stand at the crossroads between cycle rickshaws and three-wheeled dusty scooters. All this is cooked in a single boiler. If you go outside of any city and go along any road - on either side of it you will not see forests and fields - you will see the fences of factories and plants - one replacing the other ... In any direction. There are thousands of them. These can be small factories with a population of up to 500 people, and ultra-modern factories with world names with a generally incomprehensible number. They all work at incredible speed. They all earn money every minute. Any of the owners of these plants is a wealthy person. Any of them can afford a brilliant executive Mercedes and a 500 meter house or apartment. There are definitely more millionaires here than in Austrian resorts. But, with all this, hundreds of workers work at each plant, who receive $ 100 a month. And there are an incredible amount of them too. In general, it is still difficult for us to understand how it all works and harmoniously coexists.
Food is a universal hobby of all Chinese people. In the morning, afternoon, evening and night, all restaurants and cafes are more than half busy. Chinese are everywhere and they eat everywhere. Everyone eats. They eat snakes, toads, worms, scorpions, insects, all animals, including dogs and mice, and all entrails, including fried intestines and deep-fried lungs. You say ugh !? Come on, you can get used to it. In the evening, such glass stalls on wheels come out on the street. They drive into the middle of the sidewalk, the stalls display various parts of the animals and condiments in a glass display case. All this is fried and steamed in front of you over high heat and in a large amount of oil. You can try ears, snout, udder, lungs and much more…. In front of these "pieces of glass" there are usually 5-7 low stools, where you can sit down and eat everything you just bought. At the same time, bones and skin should be chewed well, and then spit out on the floor in front of you. You can chomp without hesitation - everyone chomps - this is the norm. 15 meters from this "glass" is the entrance to a respectable restaurant. There is a soft lange, dim lights, a 46-page menu, and on the tables there are buttons for remote call of waiters. On the menu: steaks, fried potatoes, spaghetti balanese, the best European wines, Carlsberg beer, and great fruit cocktails. Having dinner in such a place you relax and after a few minutes you forget what you just saw on the street. The distance between these two worlds is 15 steps.
Versatility and contrast are everywhere. You can go into the courtyard of a multi-storey new building, such as the one we live in, and see an exhibition of cars downstairs in the parking lot. There are "Mizirrati", "Ferrari", "Kaeny" - this is generally the people's car of the laoban (lao ban - boss in Chinese) 500 and 600 Mercedes, several Jaguars, two Hamers and other Behi -fives ". You can leave the courtyard, walk across the street to the left and get into a two-storey area with the same exhibition, but this time for tricycles. A tricycle is generally one of the symbols of China. They carry everything from garbage to refrigerators.
There are many extremes here, but still they are extremes. We want to tell you about China and the average Chinese.

Chinese people at home and at work. The Chinese work from 8 to 12, then lunch break for two hours. From 12 to 14 they have lunch and have time to sleep. In offices at this time, you can easily find a Chinese sleeping right on the desktop near the computer. The Chinese are working hard. They do everything quickly - that's a fact. Quality is a separate topic. When working with a Chinese in a pair, it is important to constantly make sure that he understands you thoroughly. I didn’t just understand, but understood thoroughly. Otherwise, he will do some of the work "on his own." Chinese discretion is likely to be very different from yours. After work, China has dinner. From 18 to 20, all cafes and restaurants are almost one hundred percent busy. It is not customary to dine at home. Many apartments do not have kitchens. If you go to a cafe in the evening, the first thing that rushes is a powerful din. Everyone talks to each other very loudly - almost shouting. Such a style. After dinner, the Chinese go home or to see friends. At home, he watches TV - and constantly changing channels. This is not surprising - the quality of programs shown on central television is very low. 80 percent of these are locally produced TV shows - it's great to learn the language from them, but you can't delve into the meaning - otherwise the brain will soften, and repeated advertisements where characters talk with cartoon-like washing powders. Visiting friends, a Chinese man argues, shouts loudly and gambles. Gambling is a separate topic altogether. They play everywhere. In shops, on the streets, in parks - everywhere, everywhere ... What we are playing has not yet understood - something in between chess, backgammon and dominoes. They always play for money, while shouting loudly, throwing the dice on the board.

Chinese on the roads: It is not possible for a visitor to understand the logic of traffic in China. The driving culture is simply different than in any other country. A very large number of road users. A lot of cars. There are three to four times more motorcyclists and cyclists. While the red light is on, a certain number of cars accumulate at the intersection, surrounded on all sides by motorcyclists. Lights up green - everything moves smoothly. The distances between cars and mopeds are usually 20-30 cm, regardless of speed. Turn signs are ignored. A double solid is almost everywhere, but no one knows why it is needed. The priorities of the roads are very conditional - often a dusty three-wheeled truck with chickens in the back can fall out onto the main, busy road, along which the stream is moving at an average speed of 70, without worrying that someone might crash into it. The Chinese do not drive very fast, smoothly and constantly rebuilding. It's okay to move from row to row all the time. It is not customary to simply drive while enjoying the road.
Surprisingly, the Chinese never swear at the wheel, they react to all cuts and constant sharp moments with a calm and confident pressing on the brake, while not showing a drop of aggression or even discontent. There are no accidents at all. We haven't seen one. As well as there are no "Zhorikov" on "Dozens" with mufflers in which you can stick your head and there are no old right-handed "Subares" with the words "Sparko" through the entire body.
A motorcycle is folk remedy movement. Basically these are "Suzuki" and "Honda" - 125 cc four-stroke small engines on a simple frame. In appearance, they resemble the Soviet "IZH", only more accurate. In China, motorcycles with an engine capacity of more than 250 cc are banned.
Roads. In cities, traffic is organized very logically. Maximum number of junctions, minimum number of traffic lights. Everywhere "second level roads" are being built - this is when the first floor of the road goes in one direction, the second in the other. All roads are perfectly flat. Auto communication between cities is carried out in two ways: 1 - you can choose a toll road - by paying about 50 yuan (200 rubles) for one hundred kilometers, you will get an excellent road surface, on which you can drive 200 and 250, (but everywhere there is a limit of 110), perfectly trimmed flower beds on both sides and no surprises. 2 - having paid a symbolic fee of 6 yuan (24 rubles) for one hundred kilometers, you go to the "budget" road - and then ... God help you! From personal experience: when you drive along such a road, you feel like a fighter pilot deep behind enemy lines.

If you go to the food department in a supermarket, it can be confusing for an unprepared person. Approximately 70% of products are not identified by a foreigner. How it is, what it is, the first is, whether the second, or the third is not clear. But in any case, whatever you buy - most likely, it will be delicious - the main thing is not to know what it is made of. But, all in turn. Meat - Meat is sold everywhere. Lots of pork, lots of beef, lots of chicken. There is a special kind of chicken in China - black chicken. The taste of the meat is exactly the same as that of the usual meat, just the color is black. Such - chicken-ebony. Along with pork and beef, there may be dog meat on the shelf in the store - in order not to cook it for your lunch, it is important to learn the hieroglyph "dog" well. In China, it is believed that the insides of animals - heart, liver, stomachs - are much healthier than meat - therefore they are more expensive. Fish - we live on the very shore of the ocean - there are many fish in these places and in a great abundance of varieties. If you go to the fish department of any supermarket, you can count at least thirty varieties of fish. All of it is fresh - either live or chilled. In any store they will clean and cut it for you for free, as you ask. Turtles, snakes, frogs, worms, rapanas, snails, molluscs, octopuses and lobsters are sold alive. They float in large filter aquariums until you buy them. We cannot authoritatively say anything about the taste or the methods of preparing these undoubtedly magnificent, exotic dishes. Natalie is not a fan of gastronomic experimentation. And I put up with it, subconsciously realizing that it is fortunate.
In the section with eggs - you will find at least 15 types of eggs. It's hard to say whose they are, but they are all different colors and sizes. Also, eggs are sold already boiled, boiled in soy sauce and rotten, and then boiled. Vegetables. There is a huge amount of vegetables - and many of them are unknown to us. The potatoes are very large (slightly smaller than a volleyball) and gnarled. Carrots are sold only peeled. Surprisingly, there are no beets. Absolutely not. Nowhere. In the fruit section, you will be pleasantly surprised by the variety of choices. Bananas, kiwi, oranges, tangerines, pears, apples, strawberries, pomelo, lychee, and many other fruits, the name of which we only know in Chinese. They all taste different, but are equally ripe and sweet. Among others, you can find the famous "durian". This is a large fruit - the size of a large watermelon, yellow color and with many spikes on the body. It should be eaten with plastic gloves, otherwise your fingers will smell like shit for a week. It is not for nothing that he is called durian. In the white pulp, which is inside, there are large yellow slices larger than orange ones and they are eaten. The taste is unlike anything, very unusual, moderately sweet and pleasant, but it is better to eat such a fruit after a cold, while the runny nose has not yet passed. It smells like a child's shit - it seems not disgusting, but it still smells ... We tried durian visiting our Chinese friends. Natalie would never let me buy and bring it into the house.
Dried food: sold in packages, it can be shrimp, and mushrooms, and carrots, and seaweed, and anything else. Almost everything is sold dried. What it is and how to cook and eat it correctly, we do not know, therefore we do not buy.
There are almost no dairy products. Milk is mainly soy milk. We have forgotten what cottage cheese, cheese and cream are.
Now a few lines about restaurants and cafes. In China, you can eat once for 150 yuan - or you can eat for the same money for a week without denying yourself meat. But in any case, you can afford to never pay attention to the right column in the menu, and it's damn nice! All Chinese public catering can be roughly divided into three types. The first and most picturesque are small eateries with 8-10 seats. They are in every home. I did not make a reservation in every house. We call them chi-fanki (from the Chinese "chi fan" - to eat, dine). These are private establishments that are not certified, do not pass any controls, and they cook there it is not clear what and it is not clear from what, but, we must pay tribute, it is delicious. When you eat in such a place, it feels like you went to some Chinese in the kitchen to dine. Plastic tables, plastic chairs, disposable tablecloths, flies and a permanent TV with serials. I ate in these chifankas a couple of times secretly from Natalie. Interesting after all ... The average check is 6 yuan. (25 rubles). The second type is restaurants and cafes of the average level and above. There are countless of them in China. There will be such a restaurant on any street, in any house. They are purely Chinese, which is more common, and there are also different types of cuisine, for example, Filipino or Japanese, or Korean, etc. It is a pleasure to dine in such restaurants - the food is delicious. It is cooked over high heat and with a lot of oil. It is especially interesting when the kitchen is open - and you can see how your order is being prepared. You can watch for hours - incredibly interesting - the Chinese are unsurpassed virtuosos in this respect. Within a radius of three hundred meters from our house there are a dozen of these restaurants, where we alternate between them. There is usually calm music, pleasant interiors and the owners of establishments with whom we are personally familiar. All of them are a little proud of our presence at their guests and are always glad to our visits. And the third type is elite restaurants. They are more often found in the lobbies of five-star hotels. Large spacious rooms, tables served with knives and forks, well-trained waiters and an impeccably tasty menu. You need to go to such places - first of all, in order to feel “on the level”.
Food in all Chinese establishments has one thing in common - it is very fatty and oily. If a foreigner eats away from home all the time, sooner or later his stomach will fail.
The Chinese have a cult of food. The Chinese always order more than they can eat. This is especially exaggerated if you are their guest. You have dinner with four of you, and you order, for example, ten dishes. The Chinese eat deliciously! They chomp. They burp. They spit bones on the table. (We are talking about the average Chinese, which usually does not apply to directors and tops of factories and international companies). The Chinese are always noisy at the table. They talk a lot and loudly while eating. They argue, joke, discuss politics and family issues. There is always a din in establishments, which is not easy to shout down. Ten minutes later you catch yourself thinking that now you yourself are screaming.
The Chinese practically do not drink strong alcohol. You won't find vodka, whiskey or cognac on the menu in restaurants. Although there is almost always beer. Beer is drunk here from small one-hundred-gram glasses. Such a container is ideal for Chinese beer, because it does not foam at all. Chinese beer is not beer in his understanding - it is some kind of separate drink. Although the green bottle might say Hainiken. The most famous of the local beers is, of course, Jingdao. Served in 1 liter bottles. You can see these on the tables of restaurant diners, but not often, not everywhere. And of course, you will never see a Chinese drinking or walking with beer down the street.
At the same time, the Chinese smoke. They smoke everywhere. There are no smoking restrictions. You can smoke in public transport, in an elevator, in a bank and anywhere else ... Recently we went to a sports store for sneakers - and so, in front of the window next to us, a Chinese man was standing and smoking, choosing a pair for himself. (! In a sports store!) the vendor was kind enough to bring him an ashtray. Only men smoke.

Chinese faces: Who said that the Chinese are all alike? This is wrong. You just don't understand it right away. You need to get used to it and after a while you start to see a little more. And you can already say: "this Chinese woman is beautiful" or "ah, this one only after four Chingdao." But, to be objective, there are not very many pretty, pretty Chinese people. There are more of them in large metropolitan areas and less in small cities. Partly because the modeling agencies and the entire fashion elite are concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. But let's talk about stereotypes ... There is a certain standard of beauty in the world. No one will argue that these are: long legs, moderately large breasts, long neck, big eyes, long eyelashes, even white teeth and it’s quite cool if it’s still a blonde. Now let's look at the Chinese women. Features of the Asian genotype are: short stature, short legs, very short neck, narrow eyes and lack of eyelashes, dark skin color, yellow teeth and black hair. It turns out that the Asian appearance itself contradicts the generally accepted standard. And this contradiction is very cool, as we can see, it puts pressure on the Chinese. Otherwise, where do these ubiquitous skin whitening services in beauty salons and the so popular simple plastic surgery to enlarge the eye cut come from.
In Chinese advertising, most of the time, European faces. Santa Claus in China is also European. The mannequins in the shops are Europeans. But this does not mean that there are no beautiful faces in China. There is.
Despite the fact that the Chinese are constantly eating, fat people cannot be found here. All the girls are slim, all the men are skinny. Although there are exceptions, such as, for example, our fitness trainer is a handsome man.

Chinese hospitality: Chinese hospitality is a brand. Everyone knows that Asians are hospitable, but you can feel it to the end only by living here for some time. We live in a small, by Chinese standards, city with several million inhabitants. You rarely see Europeans here, so we stand out from the crowd. Of course, we are kind of exotic for the locals. And it often happens that you get tired of such attention. But you can get used to it and not notice. Moreover, all this is more than covered by Chinese hospitality. We are welcome everywhere. And this is not a fake, sincere joy. We have discounts and discount cards for almost all establishments within a kilometer radius of our home. And we have never seen the same level of service in the service sector as in China.

Chinese taxi: The red and yellow ushatanny Volkswagen Jetta is a car that was discontinued in Germany thirty years ago. The WV plant in China has made so many of these cars that the Jetta has become one of the symbols of China. In a taxi, the driver is fenced off from passengers with a metal grill. Safety! All taxis use a meter. If you get into the car, the driver must turn on the meter before moving off. This rule is. If the counter is not turned on, you are being bred! You should only sit in the back seat. There are no seat belts on the front. The cost of the trip depends on the mileage - but it is always available. After 9 pm the cost increases by one and a half yuan - the night rate. An alternative to a regular taxi is a motorcycle taxi. This type of private taxi can be found in small towns. In Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Xiamen and other megacities, it was banned due to the high accident rate. For 10 yuan, a motorcycle taxi driver will offer you a sweaty helmet and quickly and dangerously take you anywhere in the city. It's great to ride a motorcycle taxi in the city at night - when you've had a little drink. Fun! Cycle rickshaws are a full-fledged, albeit dying, way of getting around in China. Bicycle with a sidecar, two passenger seats, negotiable price. We went a couple of times - original, but much is debatable.

Modern China is a big construction site. Houses in China are being built in whole blocks. From the window of my office, you can count 17 tower cranes, each of which builds two 30-storey buildings. There is no infill development. If something is being built, then the whole district is being built. Modern residential buildings are complexes of 6-8 30-storey buildings, united by a single infrastructure. Downstairs there is almost always a swimming pool, often a tennis court, a small park, a playground, fitness equipment and underground parking. The inner territory is under video surveillance and round-the-clock security. The entire first floor is reserved for shops and boutiques. In them you can buy everything you need right in your house slippers. In the evening you meet Chinese people in pajamas and with a newspaper in their hands, who went down to the store for soy sauce. Such modern houses- this is a good standard housing. In them large apartments 150-200 meters each. And the neighbors corresponding to this level. But, even here, not without a Chinese flavor, for example, our neighbor in the stairwell - the director of a plant for the production of plastic products - every Saturday morning chops off the head of a live chicken right on the platform near the elevator. She has all the devices for this - a cage, a special clamp so that the chicken does not run, and a basin for blood. Shocked? We, too!
There are two apartments on the floor. There are also two elevators - one internal, the second external - it rises in a glass box mounted on the outside of the wall. The apartment where we live has five rooms - two toilets, a kitchen, a large hall and three balconies. Each balcony has a marble bathroom and a tap for household needs. Washing machine also on the balcony. Air conditioning in every room is not a luxury, but a necessity. In summer, it can be up to +50.
Linen always hangs on the balcony. It is not just dried, it is stored here. In China, you will not see a single balcony on which linen does not hang on clothespins.
The Chinese have no secrets from each other - therefore, the walls and floors in the houses are very thin. It's not just here - it's everywhere in China. Therefore, we know everything that our neighbors live by and in the morning, while still lying in bed, we blush a little, realizing that they, on the hike, also know a lot about us ...

Chinese and green tea: Green tea means a lot to the Chinese. Tea and tea drinking is one of the important components of life and everyday life. Entering any apartment or establishment, you can see a special tray, teapot and a set of cups and tools for the tea ceremony. If you come to visit a Chinese, just like that, chat for 15 minutes, most likely he will offer you to drink green tea with him. If you stopped by a factory or a plant to discuss some operational issues - most likely, you will be offered green tea, if you buy something in the store for a long time and cannot make a choice in any way - they will bring you a tray with a tea set. Teahouses are small shops where you can not only buy, but also taste real green tea, prepared the way it should be prepared. In such shops it is worth big table for 6-8 people, and a pretty Chinese woman will invite you to sit down and taste any tea you wish. All this will be very beautiful, easy and unobtrusive. At the same time, tea prices can vary from 15 yuan per jin (Jin is the Chinese unit of measurement equal to 500 grams) to 15,000 yuan per jin. (for clarity, you can buy an average car for the cost of 1 kilogram of good tea). An uninitiated person will not understand such a difference in price. But, the Chinese are very good at this from birth. How else to explain so many teahouses. Only in our one house there are three of them. Teahouses are more common than grocery stores. And the province we live in is considered the best tea province in China.

Beauty in Chinese: The Chinese have a very peculiar idea of ​​beauty and style. It manifests itself in everything. In architecture, in the decoration of apartments in clothes, etc. Let's start with the most curious thing - women's fashion: what Chinese girls look like can be said in one word - asexual. No mini, no tight-fitting, no emphasizing ... Modestly, grayish, no way. There is no "girl in a little Peugeot". There are no girls here who want to turn around, just because they just want to turn around ... And the point is not at all in external beauty, but in the ability to present oneself. This is neither good nor bad. So it is accepted here.
School uniforms in China are uniform. It's a baggy green and white tracksuit. It is usually a size or two larger than necessary and deprives its owners of any gender differences at all. This costume has nothing to do with the concepts of beauty or style. I think ten years of being in this form leaves an imprint on my future life.
Chinese houses have their own Chinese comfort. The walls are always white. No wallpaper, just white whitewashed walls. There are always red Chinese lanterns in any apartment, usually they hang on the balcony. And there is always a mahogany altar with a Buddha figurine and burning incense. It stands in the hallway of any home.
Most beautiful colour- Red. The rule "the more shiny the better" - works without exception (this is especially read in the designs of the Chinese car industry).

Chinese diploma: The Chinese language is a thing in itself. If you meet someone who says he knows Chinese perfectly, you can laugh in his face. The Chinese language is certainly not meant to be fluent. There are over 50,000 characters in Chinese. No one, of course, counted them exactly, and it is not possible to count them, it is simply accepted that there are about 50,000 of them. At the same time, 2,000 are enough for full-fledged communication for the Chinese. There are four tones (tones) in the Chinese language. The first is neutral. The second - the main stress of the word has an ascending direction. Third - the main stress of the word first goes sharply down, then sharply up. The fourth key (or reverse key) is the word's descending stress. Identical sound combinations in different keys have different, and often opposite, meanings.
So, for example, mai - in the third key means to buy, and mai - in the fourth - means to sell. Moreover, the hieroglyphs for these actions are different. Such examples are endless: Ma - in the first - means mother, Ma - in the third - a horse. Bei zi in the first is glasses, bei zi in the fourth is a blanket. Etc. This is where confusion often arises. That is why the Chinese ask and repeat the words of the interlocutor in a conversation to make sure of their meaning. Chinese in the north of the country and Chinese in the south are, one might say, different languages. Despite the fact that the writing is the same, the pronunciation of the same hieroglyphs differs dramatically. Each of the provinces speaks its own dialect. This causes serious difficulties for translators. But at the same time, there is a generally accepted Chinese pronunciation of characters - Mandarin. This pronunciation, close to the Beijing dialect, is taken as a standard. Central TV and radio announcers speak Mandarin. Mandarin is also spoken by all educated people, regardless of which province they live in. But the workers in the factory and the old people will not understand you, as, indeed, you will not understand them, even if you have a diploma from Xiamen University with honors.
Hieroglyphs are written in a strict sequence. One line after another from top to bottom, from right to left. Any, even the most complex hieroglyph, must be strictly geometric and have a height equal to its width. Chinese is a living, ever-changing language. Hieroglyphs are simplified and modified over time. But in countries such as Hong Kong or Taiwan, the change of hieroglyphs is not accepted at the government level, and therefore they still use the old "non-simplified" characters there. Thus, the language in these countries is increasingly moving away from the common Chinese language.

There is much more to tell. One can spend many days trying to understand this country. But we do not strive and do not even try. We simply dissolve in it and live in the present, not analyzing, but accepting everything as it is.
Come for a visit!
Gregory and Natalie.

Any questions can be easily asked by e-mail.