Moving to China
As a bustling metropolis in the heart of Northern China, Beijing is one of the most exciting cities to be an expat worker in. With a huge wealth of opportunities, a huge selection of historic sites to visit and easy access to all of China’s best festivals, there are a huge number of reasons why more than 70,000 expats have already moved to Beijing.
One of the things that you can look forward to when moving to Beijing is the fantastic quality of life that comes hand in hand with an expat job in the city. As the capital of the world’s second largest economy, Beijing is home to the Chinese branches of dozens of Fortune 500 companies, a large number of international pharmaceutical companies and several well-known IT companies. As a result, Beijing often serves as an exceptional step up a blossoming career ladder for expat workers from around the world. With foreign companies constantly trying to break into the lucrative Chinese market, past experience of living and working in the heart of China’s ever-growing economy is something which looks attractive on any resume.
Daunting though it can be, immersing yourself in a radically different culture, moving to Beijing will teach you many, many things. Not only will you learn the basics of overseas business operations and the finer details of networking and guanxi, moving to Beijing will expand your horizons more than you can possibly imagine. You will come across local customs and social etiquette in Beijing which you will find strange and exotic, and you will come across food, festivals and cultural riches that you have only dreamed of. Unfortunately, moving to China isn’t as simple as picking up a bag and buying yourself an airline ticket. You will need to start planning your move at least three months in advance – the time investment in obtaining the right visas, work permits and other paperwork can be quite considerable.
Once you get to Beijing however, you’ll quickly realise that the months of preparation were all worth it. Life in Beijing oscillates so quickly between the modern and the ancient that it’s quite unlike most other places on Earth. Whether you’re heading to the Forbidden City or the Great Wall of China, you can rest assured that the cultural and historical significance of this great city are always close at hand. The neo-futuristic side of this 6,500 square mile megalopolis alongside the ancient temples which look like they have been taken straight out of a time capsule make for a truly fascinating backdrop to any expat adventure.
If you have any questions about moving to Beijing, or what life is like living in the heart of China’s massive economy, please feel free to contact a member of our Beijing team today.
