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anonymous
Q: Is dongguan a nice city to live in?
I know this city has quite a reputation. But if sleaze is not really a main attraction for you, are there other things to do? How is the pollution? is it safe? Also, will it be possible to find girlfriends who aren't in the biz if you know what I mean. Is there an expat community ?
Thanks
And there's me ready to unload all the typical Dongguan jokes but it seems you know about what it's famous for. I know it has a few expat bars like Helen's, which is a dirt cheap chain bar where students (in Beijing) gather - so that might be a start. Otherwise Shenzhen and Guangzhou are just down the road I guess.
I think Donguan is not a good choice for a newbie expat to live in ....
BHGAL:
I say it because of the reputation Dongguan has.... it has a bad rep for criminal activity and floozies and ...ah whatever, it just has a bad, well deserved reputation ... first timer .... don't go there ... unless of course you want to experience the low life before the good life.. up to you!
Dongguan is a very large city, so like most big cities depending on where you live you will get a very different experience. Some of the factory towns are very sleazy, dirty, smelly and unpleasant to live in, but there are some new developments, such as around Songshan Lake where a new mall with Starbucks, Costa and many other western companies and restaurants now exist. It's also very green out that way, and a couple university campuses nearby. Only downside is the subway won't be open for a couple more years, and the bus system is real shitty and you have to buy a ticket on the bus to get anywhere, they don't yet have working Lingnan Tong/Octopus style cards to swipe to pay.
They do have an expat community, but I don't know if they have an online resource. I've seen foreigners when I have visited hanging out at Starbucks or Helen's. As far meeting women, the best advice anywhere is to not meet women in a bar or KTV and you'll be fine. Plenty of women there live locally and have white-collar jobs, it's not just factory girls and whores like the city has become known for.
sofarrell1:
ya they have the swipe cards for the bus, just go to bus station to buy...
also has a large expat online also, huge amount of Brazilians in dongguan, someone told me 10,000 Brazilians if you include all the towns
As a Chinese,DongGuan is a place I avoid to go,Let alone to live in,Just forget it,honestly.
Pick other cities If you can.
Good luck.
xinyuren:
Is this advice from personal experience or just from how you feel or what somebody told you? If it's not from experience, it's not really helpful advice and probably not even accurate.
maggiegirly:
It's an advice from my personal experience and my friends experience too.
Actually,a lot of Chinese people know Dongguan is not a very safe place to go.
Especially some towns like Hou jie.It's just a crap town.
xinyuren:
Good to hear you have been to there. So why not share your experience instead of giving such an empty answer? I often get this kind of answer from a Chinese person when I ask for details. They only say, "don't go there" or "don't do that", but give no good reason. This is extremely unhelpful. Anyways, your second answer was a little better. I'm also interested in Dongguan.
maggiegirly:
Yes,I have been there a few times for work mostly and only once I went there to see a friend and I did not enjoy it as we were almost in trouble.
Sorry,I choose not to share the details with you guys earlier cause It's not a good experience at all,that's the main reason.
Since you asked me ,I don't mind to share.
Several years ago, I was still a college student,I went to Hou jie to visit a friend and we walked around the town after lunch,Suddenly a few guys came and asked us for a coffee,we said NO,they kept following us ,then we went to a shopping center ,they still kept following us which's so annoying,We told them go away ,they still don't go away.'then I whispered my friend to go to bathroom and she called some of her male friends to meet us.those guys finally left after they saw our male friends came.This never happened to me before in other cities even when I was alone except DongGuan.
one of my female friend went to DongGuan twice and she lost two phones.guys just robbed her phones instead of stealing.
I have only been to the industrial areas and they were distinctly unpleasant.
If you are seriously considering living in Dongguan, check out this site..some useful info for newbies.
Hello i lived in DG for over 2 years, yes there a some very dodgy areas but no more then any other city i lived in china, there are a few expats there but most of them(non teachers) are are very well off and hang around the dongchen area mainly at bar street and a pub called one for the road, there really isnt much u can do in DG to be honest things are a little better now but still not very exciting, the bus's are ok a little crowded at rush hour but again no more then any other city in china and u cvan ride the bus from point a all the way around the route back to piont a again for 2 rmb, the expats there are no where near as stuck up as the expats i have meet in other citys, i would try for dong chen nancheng areas if i was you its still a very chinese city and round eyes are still rare in some parts,
as for the place being full of gangsters and whores, u can find that any where in the world and i think its no more common there then any where else,
the air quality is very bad there!!! very bad!!!
its not the living hell most people make it to be but you will get bored then say SZ or GZ but living cost are cheaper,
Yes it famous for KTV girls but its no where near as bad as people make it to be and nothing like Thailand or Malaysia for that matter,
i had a very good social life there in DG most expats have a lot of house parties and i got invited out a lot and the locals that do speak english often took me out to bars and clubs for beers and when i want toi bar street it was very rare that a local didnt buy me/us a drink it does have a bit of bad rep but i found thye place to be friendly if youre not acting dick looking for trouble it very unlikely trouble will find you,
food wise there is not much choice, some of the bars do a decent meal but its not cheap , there is just co and walmart and the normal stuff there,
there is a local monthly magazine called HERE DG google that and that should give you a good insight into DG,
DGH is not best city in the world but its ok u will get bored quickly if youre looking for the western style night life,
maxwell888:
as a side note, most of the chinese people i have meet will always tell you not to go to anther city unless it is famous for the "clean beaches or country side", DG is probably a very different place for chinese people then us, i think peoples preception play a very large part in what they experience,
Shenzhen is very expensive? depends on where you go, DG full of whores ? depends on where you go?
Shenzhen full of whores ? depends on where you go, i have seen a lot more and more blazon street whores in shenzhen then in DG.
Harpo:
Is the air quality really that bad? I've been checking the air quality index and it seems to stay in the 50s for the most part and it doesn't go over 100 often. thats not that bad for China. I'd be living in the songshan lake area. Maybe the air quality is a little better there?
sofarrell1:
I live in Dongguan and the air pollution isnt that bad compared to other places, its normal for standards for china i think.
Also there is a large night life if you look for, new big clubs like MG and Master clubs are ok, but Batou with 50 or more bars and small cafes is a really cool place to hang out.
I have seen very little crime here really .
But generally i think its really friendly place,
