Northerners: Thinking of Shenzhen? Think Again! (Part 3)
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Alright, a friend would like me to share some thoughts about Shenzhen's warmth among people, so here goes my personal take on it:
- Regarding interpersonal relationships...
- You must have heard of the phrase, “once you arrive in Shenzhen, you become a true Shenzhen-ite” (来了就是深圳人). That means the city of Shenzhen is highly inclusive and welcoming towards newcomers (non-local residents).
- But this doesn't mean that you'll automatically adapt to the local social behaviors and culture here.
- Mandarin works just fine here, but culture-wise, since it’s still the southern region, things will most likely be very different from what you may be familiar with.
- <em>Note: Climate, cuisine, dialect, culture and living habits vary greatly between Southern and Northern China.</em>
- Before I go on, let me tell you a little bit about the population composition of the city:
- Only few people here were born and raised in Shenzhen (“old Shenzhenites” 老深圳) or their children who were also born and raised in Shenzhen ("second generation" 深二代).
- Majority of the residents migrated here from different parts of China (primarily the provinces of Guangdong, neighboring provinces of Guangxi, Hunan province, Hubei province, Jiangxi province, and Fujian province).
- One thing to note! When we talk about people migrating here from different places, we often refer to neighboring provinces in Southern and Central regions of China.
- So you see:
- People who come from neighboring provinces like Guangxi and Guangdong might find everything feels quite familiar regarding the customs and culture.
- And even if you come from northwestern regions of China where things get really cold in winter, at least the climate here tends to be warmer than that in your hometown.
- You might like it in Shenzhen too.
- But if you are, like myself, from those pleasant northern provinces (like the Yellow River Basin and cities surrounding the Yangtze River Delta),
- We would rather not force ourselves through the tough adapting process.
- Think back when you were in school,
- Some of us seemed easygoing and friendly if they came from the nearby regions.
- This is just like the old saying that “Water gives shape to the earth; soil gives flavor to the people” (一方水土养一方人), that means the natural environment and culture of a place will indeed influence the locals' personalities.
- Southern Guangdong has developed its own cultural identity. Especially south of the dialect areas there.
- Sometimes, it could be hard to communicate with local people on a regular basis. A joke you find very intriguing might not elicit a reaction from the others.
- Or things that the locals deem interesting or funny might irritate or even offend you due to language barriers and differences in cultures and experiences.
- We grew up under completely different circumstances, and thus, our mindsets and life patterns vary from time to time.
- In the end, this type of minor cultural shock will make you feel like a stranger all the time.
- I am just not capable of addressing the waitress in the local fast-food restaurant (茶餐厅, a cafeteria with Cantonese food) the same way as my Guangdong colleagues. My colleagues would comfortably call her a “pretty lady” (靓女, used to greet female in a service position when using Cantonese) without any embarrassment.
- <em>Note: 靓女 means pretty female in Cantonese, particularly in serving situation, akin to “miss” in English. However, due to our diverse cultural backgrounds, we may not use the term in such instances.</em>
- Living conditions today are much better,
- The bus conductor would greet you when you board a bus with “Hello” (一种更普遍、正式的问候方式 in Chinese, which sounds warmer and more formal to me.
️ Here are some tips before relocating to Shenzhen:
- If you are highly considerate about the tiny details and social interactions in your daily life that you take for granted,
- then you really need to reconsider your options carefully and think twice before making your final decision. Because you might find that interpersonal and social styles here differ from what you're accustomed to.
- You must have heard of the phrase, “once you arrive in Shenzhen, you become a true Shenzhen-ite” (来了就是深圳人). That means the city of Shenzhen is highly inclusive and welcoming towards newcomers (non-local residents).
(Note: The sentence structure and word choice in the translation were slightly adjusted to ensure smooth reading and comprehension.)
- Regarding interpersonal relationships...
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(Part 4) Updated. Let's chat about the four seasons!
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I impulsively moved to Shenzhen last year, and now I'm dying to go back to Jiangsu. I'm finding it extremely difficult to adapt, especially in terms of social interactions.
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Those aren't the real reasons for making a serious choice. Income (for personal development) and family financial strength (for buying property) are the most important factors.
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Exactly. As long as you can make good money, that's what matters. The things the blogger mentioned don't really seem like issues to me. It probably just comes down to adaptability.
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Northerners coming to Shenzhen would probably also be shocked by the 'coldness' here. What Southerners appreciate as a sense of personal boundaries might be perceived as 'impersonal' or 'unfeeling' by others.
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I'm also a Northerner who came to Guangzhou, and I really appreciate the sense of personal boundaries here. Socializing is finally no longer a burden for me.
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I can understand the points about climate, food, and even bugs in the earlier comments – Northerners might indeed find those hard to adjust to. But to say that because people here are more diverse, you conclude 'some hardships aren't worth enduring'... what kind of 'hardship' is that referring to? Is it an unwillingness to find common ground while respecting differences, or an unwillingness to embrace a broader community? It's understandable to have a comfort zone regarding objective living conditions. But it's the 21st century, and it's hard to imagine that within the same country, people wouldn't even want to step out of their cultural comfort zone (the existence of which, in this context, I even question).
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I strongly agree with that! As a Cantonese person, I could relate to the first two posts. But this latest one made me uncomfortable. Describing it as 'enduring hardship' (吃苦) feels a bit mean. Shenzhen is likely the tier-one city where newcomers face the fewest difficulties integrating.
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I'm from Hebei, been in Shenzhen for many years, and I'm practically a 'Guangdong靓仔' (handsome guy) now! I really dislike the social dynamics of the North. Work is much more efficient in Shenzhen, and I've grown professionally. Whenever I go on business trips to the North, it feels like colleagues there drag things out, everyone's constantly watching the boss's mood, you can't leave if the boss is still around, and then there's the awful drinking culture, bragging, and sucking up – I really can't stand it.
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Really? As someone from Hebei, this makes me very interested! Just wondering, are the mosquitoes, bugs, rats, and ants too terrifying?
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Overly sensitive people probably won't feel like they fit in anywhere.
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They'd be better off in a place like New Zealand – far from people and close to nature.
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Shenzhen is the most efficient city I've ever seen for getting things done; you don't need 'guanxi' (personal connections). Isn't that the most beneficial setup for ordinary folks?
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It's impossible to not need personal connections. If you think you don't, you just haven't reached a stage where they become crucial. For instance, parents or relatives getting priority access to top doctors often relies on connections. For getting into the civil service, once you pass the written exam, the interview can be a mere formality if you have the right contacts. And these are just a few examples; there are many, many more.
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The climate in the 'Shānhé Sì Shěng' (Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Hebei) isn't exactly great, is it? Probably similar to Beijing? It's so dry and cold, I really hate Beijing's awful climate.
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You're wondering why Qiu Ju said that, aren't you? Could it be they're from one of the 'Shānhé Sì Shěng' (those four northern provinces)?
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I'm a third-generation Shenzhen native. My maternal grandparents' generation moved to Shenzhen from Xi'an. My maternal grandfather is from Hebei, maternal grandmother from Shenyang, and my paternal grandparents are from Xi'an. They all migrated from the North and really love it here in Shenzhen. My maternal grandmother, in particular, often says how much she dislikes the Northeast.
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Wow! I'm from Xi'an too and planning to settle in Guangdong. I really love the energy and vibrancy here, and I'm working hard to fit in.
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I'm from the Northeast and I've been in Shenzhen for 20 years. I think it's great here; I haven't had any trouble adapting.