Living in China

A WhatsApp Group Name That Does Not Make Everyone Cringe You have booked the flight, joined the university offer-holder chat, or perhaps just agreed to meet a few mates in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou or Chengdu. Then somebody creates a WhatsApp group and asks the question that stops a plan dead in its tracks: “Right, what are we calling this?” It sounds daft until you have seen the usual results. “China Trip” is functional but painfully beige. “The Lads Abroad” becomes awkward when the group includes flatmates, course friends and somebody’s cousin. “British Invasion” is best left in 1964, frankly. ...

Xiaozhu App: A Sensible First Stop for a Short Stay in China You have landed in China, or perhaps you are still in the UK staring at twenty browser tabs, a university offer letter and a growing suspicion that sorting accommodation should not be this fiddly. Fair enough. For international students, new hires and visitors, finding a decent short-term place can be one of the first proper tests of living here. ...

Your WhatsApp Group Is Handy — But China Runs on WeChat For a UK student arriving in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu or one of the many university cities in between, a WhatsApp community group can feel like a small piece of home. It is where someone asks whether a landlord seems dodgy, another person shares a second-hand desk, and a fresher wonders which app actually works for ordering a late-night meal. Fair enough. Moving countries gives even confident people a bit of wobble, and a familiar group chat is often the quickest way to find your feet. ...

AI Apps in China: the bits that actually matter for UK newcomers If you’re a Brit living in China, or packing your bags and trying to get your head round the place before you land, the AI app scene can feel a bit like being dropped into a busy station with no signs. There’s lots of noise, lots of options, and everyone seems to already know which app does what. For day-to-day life, though, the useful question is not “what’s the fanciest model?” It’s “what helps me get through the week without faffing about?” ...