Life in China

Finding Your People on WeChat Without Making It Awkward For UAE students, workers and families arriving in China, WeChat is rarely “just an app”. It can become your noticeboard, lunch plan, ride-share chat, class reminder, second-hand marketplace and emergency help line — all before dinner. That is useful, obviously. It can also feel like walking into a busy majlis where everyone already knows the inside jokes. You may see dozens of groups with names you cannot read, QR codes that expire in minutes, and a flood of messages at 2am about a flatmate searching for a rice cooker. Bit chaotic, but that is how many useful connections start. ...

Meeting the Han Chinese Ethnic Group: Start Curious, Stay Respectful You land in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, or Chengdu with your suitcase, your student documents, and a WeChat account that is still looking a bit lonely. Within a week, somebody in class, at a café, or in the dorm group may mention “Han Chinese”. If you are from the UAE and new to China, it is fair to wonder: what does that mean in everyday life, and do I need to say anything differently? ...