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Old Jun 5, 2018, 4:31 pm
  #4  
889
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,090
Since everyone has a different taste, there's no substitute for seeing these places firsthand. As you'll be in Hong Kong, a trip to Shenzhen and Guangzhou will be very easy, and you should be able to find round-trip flights to Shanghai for around US$200 if you're flexible, especially on Spring Airlines from Hong Kong or Shenzhen.

Shanghai, as said, is very large and cosmopolitan -- a world city, certainly -- and if you thrive in that sort of place, then Shanghai it is for you. But remember that Shanghai people tend to have the same big-city airs as Parisians and New Yorkers. They'll keep you in your place. Myself, I don't particularly enjoy Shanghai.

Shenzhen is a new city, new as can be, where it's all about commerce. That is, the city lacks a soul. Comfortable living, with a great metro and shopping. Cosmopolitan in the Chinese sense, since it's populated by immigrants from other parts of China. Easy enough to drop down into Hong Kong, but with the crowds and border crossings that can get tiresome after a couple of trips.

Guangzhou is a large historical city that hasn't progressed in recent decades to quite the extent as other Chinese cities, probably because of the attraction of Shenzhen. I like Guangzhou. It has character. And it's not difficult to reach Hong Kong from Guangzhou if you want an escape.

If climate matters, note that Shenzhen and Guangzhou are subtropical and quite a bit warmer than Shanghai.

Finally, remember that wherever you are in China, you'll find that they speak Chinese of various sorts. Some language skills will make a whale of a difference in the China you experience.

Last edited by 889; Jun 5, 2018 at 4:37 pm
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