<p>I am trying to decide between 3 CIEE programs for next semester. 2 are in Beijing and 1 is in Nanjing. Which city would be better to see the real China? I don't want to be around many Americans/international students/tourists who will speak English a lot. I want total immersion and then some :P Will I find that in Beijing? Or would Nanjing be the best choice? </p>
<p>The only thing about Nanjing is that you only take 3 courses (2 on Chinese language and 1 on the culture), and I want more options (plus they speak Mandarin with a different accent). One of the Beijing programs only gives you one language class, instead of 2. </p>
<p>Would I still improve my language skills regardless of the number of Mandarin classes because of the setting? What would you do?</p>
<p>having studied abroad in china, i can tell you the best way to improve your mandarin is when you actually go out and start doing stuff on your own in the city, or when you start hanging out with locals. no class, language exchange, or practice with your study abroad friends can make you fluent faster than real-life application of the language. </p>
<p>beijing has tons of americans/internationals, but it's up to you if you want to hang out with them or not. i'm not sure what you mean is the 'real china' but i would say beijing should be better than nanjing in this regard.</p>
<p>My son teaches English in China, and moved this year from Shanghai to a more remote city, as he wanted less contact with foreigners and expat activities. He really prefers his interactions with the locals in his current location, as well as more reason to use his Chinese. Yes, the Beijing accent is more pure. Depending on your language level, is that really important at this point?</p>
<p>Beijing. it's the capital of China and it really does give u a good glimpse of the country, with the most historical sites and traditional chinese culture. (I lived in China for 7 years, back in England now)</p>
<p>Uh, I am Hispanic. Would I be heavily discriminated against in Beijing? Or Nanjing?</p>
<p>Oh and I have now limited my choices to Beijing University (mostly language courses, maybe one course on the culture) or Nanjing University (language classes plus one area studies course where you complete a research project and interview Chinese citizens on a topic of your choice). Which would be the best place to make friends, learn a lot of Mandarin Chinese, and see the real China (no McDonalds!)?</p>
<p>Also, my language level is at low-intermediate to intermediate.</p>
<p>I haven't been to Nanjing, so I don't know whether it's as prevalent there. Shanghai is very nice, though.
And you'll probably run into a McDonald's at every major city. The cool thing, is that in American restaurants - like Pizza Hut in Beijing, they serve entirely (and sometimes weird) food than they do in the U.S., like custard and corn pizza, or shrimp and ketchup pizza.</p>
<p>Beijing! I have never experienced a visit like the one to Beijing! Every building is Monumental! It is a more accessible city. Also you can go on day trips to parks, cultural spots, and, why not, the biggest 10 floor mall I have ever seen!
Despite our percetion of a run-down city, I can only describe it as an unbelievable experience. The only thing I would avoid there is Mc Donalds, disgusting, dirty. Starbucks, great!</p>
<p>Beijing.
the academic climate is better.
Nanjing is a southern city, which is more beautiful. But as college...Beijing is the best choice no doubt. There're the best academic resource throughout the country, maybe except for HKU/HKCU.</p>
<p>from what i've heard, nanjing has a really big international student population so if you want to see the "real" china, you might be better off in beijing.</p>
<p>NJU is the home to foreign students and also to the Johns Hopkins program, so its immediate area is the hub for foreigners in Nanjing. But when you get away from that area, you're going to be in a city with very few international people. Nanjing hasn't attracted the level of ex-pats that Shanghai and Beijing have.</p>
<p>I lived in Nanjing for 12 months, and have visited both cities a lot, and can recommend either very strongly. At either campus, you will be among thousands of Chinese students, and most average Chinese - who you have daily contact with in shops, on transport, while travelling, etc. - won't speak any English. Both have incredible historical and natural sites, and strong Chinese culture. Beijing is a growing boom town, but still the epicentre of much of China's unique identity - read up on hutongs and the old areas around the Forbidden City that are still remnants of the traditional capital.</p>
<p>Feel free to ask me more Qs about Nanjing or Beijing from a foreign perspective.</p>
<p>Nyriki, I am Hispanic as well and I spent the summer in Beijing. I did not experience any racism, though. Most people just assumed I was American (I have a fair/tan skintone). Don't let race stop you from going to one of the most amazing places on earth!</p>
<p>yeah ive never heard of racism there, i asked my friends who have been there and none of them were ever aware of racism, and my one friend is REALLY tan and looks nearly hispanic</p>
<p>Welcome to China~~I am Chinese, both cities are not quite good because of too metropolitan. One of my friends who is from England can speak fluent and extremely natural mandarin, he told me he reached the Chinese level merely within one year as a result of his complete immersion in a small city where he could be totally surrounded by Chinese and even have no chance to communicate in English. Of course, if you don't have any fundamentals of Chinese, Beijing is a better way in terms of its more experiences of teaching foreigners Chinese.</p>
<p>Besides, most Chinese are very friendly with foreigners, but you need to be careful about some sensitive topics such as Tibet and Taiwan etc., Chinese general public have their own opinions which are quite different from the western medias, sometimes you may think some events are ridiculous while Chinese general public not due to cultural differences, if you can't understand Chinese side, do not spend too much time on those topics.</p>