Living in Yichang?

[jlobkowicz]

Has anyone here lived in Yichang, or known anyone who has? I am considering a job offer there and would like to know a little bit about the city.

Is there an expat community there?
Are the recommended areas for expats to spend time?
What is the cost of living like? Will I be comfortable on 900 USD - month?

Are there any specific things to see or visit in the city or nearby?

I look forward to any and all responses.

-Josh

[jlobkowicz]

Originally Posted by jlobkowicz

Has anyone here lived in Yichang, or known anyone who has? I am considering a job offer there and would like to know a little bit about the city.

Is there an expat community there?
Are the recommended areas for expats to spend time?
What is the cost of living like? Will I be comfortable on 900 USD - month?

Are there any specific things to see or visit in the city or nearby?

I look forward to any and all responses.

-Josh

Unfortunately it seems like noone has ever been to yichang. Apparently, that answers the "is there an expat community there" question.

[Matt88]

Originally Posted by jlobkowicz

Has anyone here lived in Yichang, or known anyone who has? I am considering a job offer there and would like to know a little bit about the city.

Is there an expat community there?
Are the recommended areas for expats to spend time?
What is the cost of living like? Will I be comfortable on 900 USD - month?

Are there any specific things to see or visit in the city or nearby?

I look forward to any and all responses.

-Josh

I've not lived in Yichang, but I was recently travelling through China and it was one of the nicest cities in the country. The air is really clean (due to the three gorges dam) which is pretty rare for China, the food is also very nice (again, not always guaranteed in China) and is very cheap- you can buy a few good quality chicken kebabs and some fried potatoes from a street vendor for less than £1, whilst a pretty indulgent meal with starters and two beers cost £6 each. Admittedly there are not many foreigners there, which can be kind of fun in some ways as you become a bit of a celebrity, we met three guys from the U.S and a girl from Australia who were teaching there, but they said that they hadn't encountered many other people. If you have any time for excursions, the three gorges cruise goes from Yichang to Chongqing, and is an amazing experience, although I would definitely recommend a foreign owned cruise ship. Zhangjiajae national park is about 4 hrs bus journey away as well, which is definitely worth seeing, though as one of China's premier domestic tourist sights, can get busy in the peak season. Further afield, there are some picturesque villages such as Fenghuang which could also be worth exploring over a long weekend. Yichang girls are also quite pretty- not quite Chongqing standard, but pleasant enough. One word of warning though- never be tempted to visit Changsha!

What job offer do you have? Because if you don't want it, I could be tempted to take it up...

[jlobkowicz]

Originally Posted by Matt88

I've not lived in Yichang, but I was recently travelling through China and it was one of the nicest cities in the country. The air is really clean (due to the three gorges dam) which is pretty rare for China, the food is also very nice (again, not always guaranteed in China) and is very cheap- you can buy a few good quality chicken kebabs and some fried potatoes from a street vendor for less than £1, whilst a pretty indulgent meal with starters and two beers cost £6 each. Admittedly there are not many foreigners there, which can be kind of fun in some ways as you become a bit of a celebrity, we met three guys from the U.S and a girl from Australia who were teaching there, but they said that they hadn't encountered many other people. If you have any time for excursions, the three gorges cruise goes from Yichang to Chongqing, and is an amazing experience, although I would definitely recommend a foreign owned cruise ship. Zhangjiajae national park is about 4 hrs bus journey away as well, which is definitely worth seeing, though as one of China's premier domestic tourist sights, can get busy in the peak season. Further afield, there are some picturesque villages such as Fenghuang which could also be worth exploring over a long weekend. Yichang girls are also quite pretty- not quite Chongqing standard, but pleasant enough. One word of warning though- never be tempted to visit Changsha!

What job offer do you have? Because if you don't want it, I could be tempted to take it up...

I found it through Network ESL, the school is the Yichang International School, and they are offering a nice package. Lack of expats and the impossible task of connecting with current or former FTs to talk about their experiences are making me hesitate.

-Josh