An internship abroad gives you the opportunity to get a feel for a city or nation before committing to a long-term role. After all, where you live has a significant impact on how happy you are in your career. Internships in China may be found in the top cities listed by Forbes for business and internships for recent graduates and college students. These cities may or may not be a good place to look for work in your field of work, but they are worth a look for their expat ratings.
Explore the Best Places for Internships in China
Shanghai
Since the reforms of the early 1990s, Shanghai, with its long history as a trade port, has been thriving. Its cityscape lives up to its status as one of Asia’s leading financial hubs and the world’s largest cargo ports.
Shanghai’s employers pay the best wages in China, but the city’s cost of living is somewhat expensive, particularly if you adopt the expat way of life. As a result of Shanghai’s international bubble, foreign nationals may reside in the city without ever having to learn Mandarin or be exposed to the city’s unique vernacular.
Beijing
Foreigners who have learned Chinese in advance and have a passion for Chinese history and culture go to Beijing, which is also home to the country’s top businessmen and diplomats. So Beijing has more than one international bubble where expatriates can hide and pretend they’re not in China, and several culturally rich areas where hipsters can demonstrate exactly how much they love China—to each his or her own, I guess. No matter where you reside in Beijing, you can rest certain that it is one of the most secure cities in China because of the tight rules and high levels of security.
Beijing offers a wide range of work options, both local and international, and is among the top five in the country in terms of pay and perks.
A foreign institution will commonly teach Mandarin as a standard dialect with a Beijing accent if it is being taught in one of China’s major cities.
Even though Shenzhen is now a special economic zone, it used to be a rural town. As a consequence, despite the dearth of “local Shenzhenese” among its 12 million citizens, the city makes up for it in cultural variety. Shenzhen’s main selling point is its proximity to Hong Kong, which you can reach at any time through a 45-minute boat ride.
Although Shenzhen used to be a popular destination for foreigners due to its high income and cheap cost of living (similar to Beijing and Shanghai), the latter has recently risen to the level of Beijing and Shanghai. In spite of its less polluted air and beachfront location, Guangzhou remains a popular choice for foreigners looking to settle in China.
Guangzhou
Except for its Cantonese food and language, Guangzhou is likely the least well-known of the four cities on our list. Despite the fact that Guangzhou and Shanghai both have a long history of being international ports, Guangzhou retains more of its local culture than Hong Kong. Production, manufacturing, and commerce make up the bulk of the country’s economic base..
Guangzhou is the cheapest city to live in, but it also has the lowest wages, which is still above the national average. The majority of the people in the area speak Cantonese, although they can also understand and speak Mandarin.