Moving to Guangzhou – HOUSING

There are a number of districts where expatriates tend to live. How to rent apartment often depends on whether you prefer to be in the city area, or further away where it is quieter. Or you may make your decision based in proximity to one of the several international schools. 

Baiyun District is ideal for those wanting to get away from the city as it is a very green area with Baiyun Mountain in the vicinity. This district has both apartments suitable for couples and villas suitable for families with children. 

Yuexiu District is close to the American School on Ersha Island, and is suitable for families with higher budgets. The area has both villas and apartments available. It conveniently located in the center of the city with easy access to everywhere – one of the reasons it is chosen by people who enjoy the hustle and bustle of this southern city, it’s shopping and its restaurants. 
Tianhe District is a good choice for those who wish to be close to the downtown area with good proximity to their workplace. An advantage of the area is it’s proximity to shopping malls, cinemas and food outlets. A disadvantage is that the district only has smaller houses for rent, and only apartments not villas are available. 

Panyu District, south of the Pearl River, includes mostly villas, but is about 45 minutes from downtown Guangzhou. The air quality tends to be better here and more greenery can be expected within the landscaped compounds of the properties. Rentals for villas are considerably lower than those in the city.

Moving to Guangzhou – schooling

There are a number of very good international schools in Guangzhou catering to the children of expatriates. Most are located either in or close to expatriate residential areas, and most schools have school buses that will take the children to school in the mornings and back home in the afternoon. Class sizes are typically smaller than in schools in the UK or US. Demand for places is quite high, so it’s best to apply early. Fees also tend to be higher than in the West. 

As the application procedure for international schools can be tricky and long, APA is here to provide you with all the necessary details for schooling and we can also help you with the decision as well as help you with the application process and liaise with the school on a family’s behalf to monitor availability. 

Some examples are: 

American International School of Guangzhou: Oldest and largest international school in the city. Offers an IB diploma. From elementary to high school. 

British School of Guangzhou: Follows the English National Curriculum. Currently from pre-nursery till Year 11. As the current student body matures to Advanced Level study, Year 12 and 13 will be introduced. 
Guangzhou Grace Academy: Based on Accelerated Christian Education, from Kindergarten to year 12. 

Guangzhou Nanhu International School: IB World School, an international school that offers British National Curriculum from pre-nursery to Year 13. 
Utahloy International School – Guangzhou: situated at the forested hillsides, 20 minutes from the center of Guangzhou. Offers IB programs from K to Year 12.

Moving to Guangzhou – medical facilities

Standards of medical care in Guangzhou are generally not as high as you would find in the West, but there are western facilities available which cater specifically to expatriates and their families. These include the Guangzhou Can Am International Medical Center, Guangzhou Concord Medical Centre, Changjiang Global Doctor Medical Centre and Eur Am International Medical Centre. 
Expatriates also have the option of using local hospitals, some of which are Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangdong First Municipal People’s Hospital and the Red Cross Hospital. Language and cultural barriers may make effective treatment of expatriate patients difficult so it is advised to bring a Chinese speaker.

Do you enjoy greenery and flowers all-year around? Then you will enjoy moving to Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province in Southern China and also known as the “Flower City” of China. A prosperous, liberal and quite cosmopolitan city, it is not only quite a comfortable city to live in but it also offers a wide range of good housing and schooling plus a range of museums and historical and cultural sites to enjoy in your leisure. Also known as Canton, you will find exquisite Cantonese fine dining here in Guangzhou. And you will be able to enjoy a lovely dim sum brunch on your weekends! 

The city is located at the mouth of the Pearl River, and is only a couple of hours from Hong Kong and Macau (Hong Kong for excellent shopping and Macau for its Portuguese architecture and cuisine and also for its casinos). The Pearl River (Zhu Jiang) runs through Guangzhou and is China’s third longest river. Once very polluted and smelly, it was cleaned up for the recent Asian Games, and is now pleasant and sweet-smelling! 

In Guangzhou the local dialect is Cantonese, however many people, except perhaps some members of the older generation, can also speak Mandarin. Few people speak English, so it would be a good idea to learn the basics of the language to help you go shopping or get around the city!