Experiences in Jiangsu

I had visited China before and was excited to come back to teach English, I came a few years ago on holiday to Beijing and fell in love with the country. I decided when this opportunity came up to try another part of the country a little off the beaten tourist path and I decided to go to Jiangsu.

I was going to teach at a school in Nantong city, it’s a massive city with over 7 million inhabitants and known for being China’s first modern city and the birthplace of the countries modern industry. While the place is big it definitely has a different feel than Beijing as it’s fast becoming very cosmopolitan while minimising the western influence.

Getting around the city is not too bad the taxis are cheap and while it might be a bit of effort to wade through the street crowds to catch the bus it’s not that different the getting public transport in London.

Nantong is situated on the north bank of the Yangtze River and is known as the pearl of the River and Sea, the views on a night boat ride are breathtaking.  If shopping and entertainment is your thing (as it is for me) A walk around The Clock a Tower area of the city could take you anywhere between 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on how extensively you wish to browse. These range from the Sunken Square, the Clock and Watch Tower, and a Map of Bronze Cross Street to the Dry Fountain, exhibition walls featuring murals of Nantong’s history, and the Leisure Promenade.