Culture Shock in Beijing
People around the globe find the Chinese stunningly admirable for preserving their rich culture through the centuries, even among worldwide globalization. And even at the heart of urban Beijing, the traditional way of living can still be observed. The lifestyles and gestures of each local give the impression that locals remain conservative and traditional despite Western influence.
The friendliness and warmth of locals make living in Beijing easy for newly-arrived expats to adjust to the city vibe. Although the language barrier is bound to become a major setback for expats, it should not be a deterrent to mingle with the locals and discover the culture.
One can observe that Beijing is a city of colors. Even taxi cabs roaming around the city are painted in different colors. Expats in Beijing can enjoy riding one of the three-wheeled cabs that are quite commonly seen in the streets.
One popular thing in Beijing that expats often love to do is go to flea markets or night markets where everyone haggles for cheap items. There are also street vendors that offer Chinese exotic foods which include delicacies made of snake, frogs and scorpions.
Moving to Beijing may be daunting, but immersing oneself in the daily dynamic life of the city is a delight to every expats, there may be hiccups along the way, but any expatriate in Beijing can say that it's all part of the journey.
More Expat Resources
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
