well i would say you only live once and if you dont try it you may regret it. if your only purpose is to find a gf or wife just remember its a completly different culture and way of life and you can find love anywhere in the world not just China. China fun lifestyle ,food, pretty women, freezing winters.

Life in China will give you the daily headaches just like any other place (sometimes more than other places), but it is a different type than what a normal day offers in the US. It is an adventure of a lifetime that you will regret not trying, but there of course will be days you regret even coming here. So like my previous sentences, there's a mix of good and bad with the idea of moving here ( or yin and yang). My advice, come here for a month and live in whatever area you were thinking about teaching in, then after a month decide if China is right for you.

If you can laugh off the weird things then go for it. Better jump on the English train now before things get crazy.

If you want a GF or wife, why don't you go to Thailand! If you want to teach then come here to teach, that's not to say you can't get a GF or wife here, it is just your mentality that worries me. We don't need anymore idiot foreign teachers in China!

first you shall think what are you coming for in china make your mind clear about that.... like money , sex, experiences, teaching , new environment all that stuff.
secondly please respect the women folk they are not playing stock for men always kindly respect them all women come from good families its the time or their life experiences which make them do bad stuff.
you can earn good money in china but you are already in america and you also have job so why leaving it, if you come to china its completely new life to start here you do know things people friends, back in your home but you will take time in accepting china as your other home, there are many difficulties and situations in china, language, food, living and your life style. though you will get settle over here but needs time. before coming to china take class in chinese language it will give you benefit in coming here...

rest its your choice to come or not...

Go to China, see for yourself if China is good for you. It's different, some things are good, some things aren't and they smell bad too. I could find fault with living in California. Gangs, guns, race things. So there is good and bad every where.
I'd suggest a bigger city where he natives are more used to seeing laowai.

Sometimes i regret that i didn't take the offer i had in Thailand as a teacher......If you want a GF or wife, why don't you go to Thailand!
Thailand is much less complicated...

Firstly, I want to disagree with DaBen's suggestion of coming over for only a month to try it out. DON'T! If you're coming here, you need to stay a year. If it's only a month, a) you'll never get to really see and find out about the place, and b) when you are really hating this place, you can just up and leave... if you're here for a year, you will have to adjust your mentality and be more accommodating. As others have indicated, China really does test your mettle! Some things that the locals take for granted will horrify (and disgust) you. You will get shocked at some of the stupid and ridiculous things that go on, and the attitudes that accompany them. (go look over some expat forums)

Speaking of which - Chinese girls are NOT like American girls. They have a completely different mindset. You want a wife? Awesome! Plenty of those around! You want to move her back to America? Lots of those as well!! But remember - like almost no other community, when you marry a Chinese, you really are marrying her family!

Also, I hope you're 'old fashioned', cos many of the girls here are as well - they will EXPECT you to pay for them - for everything! You will merely be treating her as a fashion accessory, just as she will treat you that way! You are an 'advancement' to her career/lifestyle.

Sure, not all Chinese girls are like this - but you will end up spending a good deal of your time trying to weed them out.

Many Chinese girls don't marry for love (I think many girls don't really know the meaning of true love here...) - they marry for a better, and safer more secure, life.. and they want a husband to provide that... it's almost a business deal! AND children!

One thing that no-one else has touched much on - the city you go to! If you go to a 2nd or 3rd tier city - somewhere off the eastern or southern sea-board, you will be treated as a celebrity, and the girls will be all gaga over you.... but, they are also more traditional... which, TBH, means their parents will NOT like their little girl being with you.. and certainly not marriage! And, trust me, if the parents don't like you (for ANY reason), you will NOT marry that girl! I know girls who will refuse to leave their hometown and parents.

The big cities in the east are easier in that regard... but so is the 'gold-digging' types. Many girls there are after a credit-card for life... and, if they can find a bigger and better credit-card later, after you're married, you're history!

Otherwise, yes, China would be a great place to come to!!! So, as others have mentioned, is Thailand... and probably Vietnam.

Just, don't give your heart away too soon.....

If you're bored, and I mean really bored, feel free to come to China. It's an...interesting experience. If you're coming here just to marry or date someone, I don't think you have any idea what you're getting into. By all means, if you find someone you like, you can date them. However, from what I have read on here, the locals might not like that you date a Chinese woman. Also, the fact that you are a man means you will probably have more unpleasant experiences than if you were a female expat. Definitely think about what type of city and where you want to live, it really makes a difference. Do a lot of research by reading articles on expat sites. Also, consider working in countries other than China. China requires that you get a visa, no matter what length of time you stay here. Many other countries don't require one if you stay for less than 3 months, and they may also have lower living expenses.

Here is my advice for whether or not to come to China.

Come for a trial run of 6 months.

It will be new, different, and you'll get to experience a different culture. You'll not regret doing it no mater what.

In 6 months you'll know if you can deal with China or not. You have to have a certain mindset for it. I've known a few different types of foreigners here. First is the (honestly) idiots that think Chinese culture is the most amazing thing on the planet. If you are in that group, you'll love China simply because it has kung fu and pandas.

Next is people looking for opportunity. I fall into this group. You need to have a thick skin because there is a lot of cultural differences, but you will adapt. Honestly, China is just like everywhere else for the most part. I've lived in a lot of countries and I do like China. There are really bad China days... But overall it can be good. If you go outside of the big cities you will find some of the nicest and most hospitable people in the world.

Third are people who have been "forced" to come here for work. They hate it because it's not 100% like their home country. If you fall into this group, don't bother coming here. If you want everything to be like XXXX home, it's not and you'll hate it.

Anyway, if you are looking for the experience, I would find a smaller city - Dalian, Suzhou, Ningbo, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Kunming, or somewhere like that. Even smaller might be cooler. Most people have never seen a live foreigner so you'll be treated like royalty.

Let everyone here know what kind of experience you are looking for and maybe we can help you decide!

Be careful some Chinese women are only after a ticket out of China,and your money of course be warned I know friends who got caught in both situations Good Luck

Be careful some Chinese women are only after a ticket out of China,and your money of course be warned I know friends who got caught in both situations Good Luck

What do you mean by teach the native English teachers? Teach them what?

Coming to China? haha prepare yourself... for travellin' its alright, for long term stays... welcome to hell... most people talk to much shit here, two face uneducated a-holes, either its lao wai this or they dislike my kind (Chinese Born Canadian)... there are no washrooms its more like the urine-streams or like i say the shit-holes exist on earth.  Are you afraid yet? lol i can go on for hours... the good? there really aint much maybe the massages... oh and dont shop retail overpriced and everything is fake...

If you want to find a wife or gf and teach while doing that...well...there are fine Chinese ladies in the states too. 

I teach at EET-Baotou where I am also the Director of Foreign Teaching Staff and the Foreign Teaching Staff Recruitment Officer.  We have two positions open right now.  If you want to come here to teach, we'd be happy to have you join us.  Contact me at: teachingbaotou@yahoo.com if you are interested. 

Calvin, I just did something backwards.  I should have looked you profile here before suggesting you contact me to discuss employment at EET-Baotou.  If  you are 59, I must apologize.  The official upper age limit for foreign teachers in China is 60.   There ARE schools in China that will...let me say "bend"...that rule but EET-Baotou doesn't.

Im Married to a Chinese, and personally advice you to try Thiland for teachind and finding a life partner. I am lucky i found a good wife here but when i read in this site it sounds there some real gold diggers here...

If you've never been you should go..some things you just have to do before it's too late. Taking a tour to see the Great Wall or learning a new language and learning about the culture is a good way to get international experiences. I knew a lot of people back home were jealous that I got to go abroad and they didn't. If you have the means, the motivation and the way I would say yes.

Come on over, before it is too late!