# Air Quality in China



## Matilonatt

Hello,

I am interested in teaching English in China. However, I would like to know how bad the air quality actually is? Is it higher in some areas of China, than others? If so, can you let me know which areas are considered safe/safer.

Thanks.


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## cschrd2

The quality (I am afraid to use the word quality here) is bad and my feelings it will take a couple of years before it gets better. There are apps for iOS and android that show where the pollution is higher/lower and a 30 days average. In the part I posted the address of a website on the forum.


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## Matilonatt

Thanks for the response. I guess now may not be the right time for a China move. I should wait a couple of years first.


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## cschrd2

Inland like Yunnan, Tibet or Xinjiang are OK if your away from the big cities. People are very friendly but salary will be low. Those local places will appreciate the teaching efforts most as the government more or less neglects them.


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## Matilonatt

Thanks again for the response, but I think I'll wait it out.


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## Eric in china

Matilonatt said:


> Thanks again for the response, but I think I'll wait it out.


Unless you try west China then you will have to wait most of your natural life.:drum:


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## Matilonatt

I see.......well in that case, I guess I'll check out available jobs/salary for west China. See if it's workable.
Thanks


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## Eric in china

Matilonatt said:


> I see.......well in that case, I guess I'll check out available jobs/salary for west China. See if it's workable.
> Thanks


Look at Sichuan Province, ie Chengdu or Chongqing. I will be moving from the east coast to Chongqing later this year as it is close to my wife's hometown and become a partner in a business there. The air quality is good.


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## Matilonatt

Oh great! Good luck to you  I'll definitely check it out.
Thanks again


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## bean481

There's an iPhone app for checking air quality in major cities around the world called pm25. I found it useful to compare London with Changsha where I'm now living. The reality is that you live with what you've got. People in London complain about the air quality and it's usually under 50. No problem. Most places in China seem to be above 150 most of the time. Today Changsha is 164 & London is 61.


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## Matilonatt

Ohh, cool. Thanks, I'll check it out


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## bean481

Sorry I got the name of the app wrong: it's : iairquality.


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## Matilonatt

No worries . Thanks.


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## sidneyfromsydney

The air quality is bearable...just. It is ordinary most places that you go, ordinary in the sense that, if you carry a canary around in a cage with you and it doesn't fall off it's perch and die then the air is breathable


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## bean481

😷😷😷😋


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## bean481

Smiles!


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## sidneyfromsydney

yep, the app I use is called the" canary in a coal mine" app. Download it on :have you got any humour.com


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## Dragonchan

It's a big trade off - the bigger and more exciting the city the worse the air. Sure there are areas where the air is cleaner, but you won't see another foreigner for miles...


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## Matilonatt

Cool, thanks


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## Eric in china

terezajechova said:


> Actually, we're conducting research into the air quality in China and what people do/can do to protect themselves and we would like the view of some expats. As such we kindly ask that you take the time to complete the survey on the following URL:
> 
> http://www.researchnowsurveys.com/survey/VOP12081412000002CSPP/enter.asp
> 
> They survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete and will give us a better understanding of air pollution in China and the measures people take to protect themselves.
> 
> Many thanks in advance,
> 
> Tereza


Are you sure about the 30 minutes to complete? It took me 4 minutes, is something wrong?


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## bean481

*Get the app!*

Download the app iAirQuality Free and follow the pollution indices in any city of your choice. In London the value is normally <50; in most places in China it's >150. Beijing earlier this year it went up to over 500 and people were told not to go to work, school or outside. (Today: London:30; China quite clean today: Changsha:85; Guangzhou:85; Shanghai:59; Beijing:91)



Matilonatt said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am interested in teaching English in China. However, I would like to know how bad the air quality actually is? Is it higher in some areas of China, than others? If so, can you let me know which areas are considered safe/safer.
> 
> Thanks.


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## AndrewBly

*AQI Blues*

HI,
We've lived in China for thirteen years and only in the last year or two has it really become a concern. We live in Shanghai and it is definitely bad in this area. Surrounding cities that are bad off are Suzhou, Wuxi and Nanjing, all of which over this last year were worse than Shanghai. The South is much better, like Guangzhou. Xian is bad too, and has a pretty harsh climate in the summer as well as the pollution. Talking numbers, when I say bad I mean consistently 190 or above for period of weeks. Worse is in the high 200s averaging. Here in Shanghai last year we reached above 500. To compare that to back home in Greenville, South Carolina, most of the time the AQI is around 3.


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## LaowaiLulu

AndrewBly said:


> HI,
> We've lived in China for thirteen years and only in the last year or two has it really become a concern. We live in Shanghai and it is definitely bad in this area. Surrounding cities that are bad off are Suzhou, Wuxi and Nanjing, all of which over this last year were worse than Shanghai. The South is much better, like Guangzhou. Xian is bad too, and has a pretty harsh climate in the summer as well as the pollution. Talking numbers, when I say bad I mean consistently 190 or above for period of weeks. Worse is in the high 200s averaging. Here in Shanghai last year we reached above 500. To compare that to back home in Greenville, South Carolina, most of the time the AQI is around 3.


We moved to Hong Kong from Raleigh, NC, and can totally relate to this!! Although HK is "Not THAT bad", it's still hovering around 100 most days. Some days (about 50%) it goes to 150-70. Only had aqi of 200 once since we came here a couple months ago.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE HK but the pollution is a HUGE bummer because we have a 2 year old daughter


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