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First off, just want to say thank you for a helpful site and forum. After lurking a lot I felt forced to make a thread to ask some specific questions.
I’m moving to Chengdu and have a few questions about staying healthy:
1) Pollution! I like to be outside but I don’t want to get lung infections and all that nasty stuff. What tips do you have to share about avoiding the negative effects of pollution? I’m thinking about getting a Respro mask based on the article on this site but will I look like a crazy person walking around with one on? I don’t really care about how I am perceived, but I do want to make local friends (not just expats) so that is a concern to some degree. Also, I want to get an affordable home air filter and some plants — should I just do SmartAir and get those snake plants I saw mentioned somewhere on this site?
2) Water! I want to remove heavy metals from the water and from what I understand the only/best way to do it is with Reverse Osmosis. Since I will be renting and can’t modify the sink/plumbing, I think I can only get a countertop RO filter, right? Any tips for reliable brands and places to buy one?
3) Food! Is the food relatively safe? I will be on a tight budget, will that mean I have to eat dangerous food or is the food affordable in Chengdu?
4) Fitness! I saw a thread talking about gyms in Chengdu from a while back. Are they still relatively affordable?
Thank you in advance for your help!
Below is my response and thoughts about your questions. They are written with the assumption that you are a single healthy adult. (If you got small kids, then I feel you should be more concerned about these issues.)
I would suggest coming over here with a open mindset and just dealing with things as they go or do not come at all. Things are not as bad as they might seem here in Chengdu.
While your points are all possible points for concern, you in my opinion are being ruled by fear at the moment.
Yes air quality is bad at time, all you can do is get a air filter (I have one) and maybe a mask. But I hardly see anyone wearing a good mask, unless they are riding a bike or so (foreigners and locals). You see plenty of those flimsy mouth covering masks, but they don’t address the pollution issue.
As for water, just don’t drink tap water and buy bottled water. No idea if heavy metals are in there, but just drink it.
Food will contain most likely unhealthy elements in them, no where you go. And the shabbier you go, the more likely. But why care, you got to live.
And how are you going to know if some food is “dangerous”.I feel people with this mind set (so change it before coming) are better off staying in their home country, where things are supposed to be safe…
In China you just got to adjust and shrug your shoulders at certain things, otherwise you’ll start disliking the place and letting the discomforts take over.(Please this is not ment as offensive, but my personal thought and suggestions.)
will I look like a crazy person walking around with one on? I don’t really care about how I am perceived, but I do want to make local friends (not just expats) so that is a concern to some degree. Also, I want to get an affordable home air filter and some plants — should I just do SmartAir and get those snake plants I saw mentioned somewhere on this site?
Don’t worry about it, man/lady. I also felt sort of self-conscious the first couple times I walked around with my mask, but if you’re clear on why you’re wearing it in the first place, you shouldn’t be worried about how you look. Think of it like wearing a helmet when you’re riding a bike: you’re not gonna look cool, but you’ll feel more at ease. And it definitely won’t stop you from making friends.
2) Water!
You don’t need to modify the plumbing to install a proper water filter, however to get the tap portion installed may need to pop a little hole in the metal part of the sink. TBH I don’t think any landlord would oppose it *if* you were to leave it there when you left 😀 I suppose you don’t need to pop the hole and install it properly, and could just have it kinda laying somewhere…but I *much* prefer tap water with my own filter system (they typically run between 1-2k rmb) than any bottled water.
Welcome! To answer your questions:
Pollution: check out this post: How to Handle Chengdu’s Pollution. I wear a mask when the pollution is over 200 (often in January-February but otherwise pretty infrequent). Get air filters for your home.
Water: Everyone pretty much buys bottled water here. I think there’s been a discussion about reverse osmosis on here and I seem to remember it ending with people saying that RO isn’t the best method for getting clean water here.
Food: It’s pretty affordable here. We have an upcoming post about food which will be published soon, it discusses the health of food in restaurants, going to markets, cooking at home, etc. The food is great here, that is one of the perks of Chengdu.
Gyms: Prices vary wildly. They go from around 1,000 rmb a year up to 10,000+ a year. There are a couple of gyms on Chengdu Places which will give you an idea of what kind of facilities are common here.
Good luck!
While these are things that I handle differently than I did in the US, none of them are problems, and I don’t really even think about them now.
Yeah pollution is worse here than back home, but I only experience discomfort if I’m doing a long run on a +200ish day. So I’ve learned to not do that.
Drinking water is less convenient but not that big of a deal. Bottled water is really cheap (1.5 liters for 2 RMB or 33 cents) as is home “tong” delivery to put on the water cooler that comes with your apartment (5 gallon tongs range between 10-15 rmb depending on which water you want). In the long run, a filter is probably cheaper (and maybe safer) but I don’t really want to deal with getting one…
Food, along with water, necessary for life. Fortunately, we live in a place with outrageously delicious food. Most places don’t meet health codes that we’re used to, but that’s not really a huge deal. Adjusting to a different diet will take a few weeks before you’re totally comfortable, but the same will happen when you move back to whichever dairy and bread heavy land it is that you call home. I’m on a tight budget and eat like a king. Lunch is usually $1-1.50 and dinner is rarely more than $5. If you want to eat fancy or western foods, expect to pay a lot more.
I’m really dumb, so when I first got here I would eat ShaoKao (street barbecue) more than I should from guys who don’t really care to refrigerate their meat and end up paying the price. Don’t do that, it’s not comfortable. Otherwise, you’ll be good to go.
I can’t really speak to Gyms
All of the answers have been very helpful so far.
What about crime? Is it an issue in Chengdu (assuming I’m not at bars or in shady situations seeking out drugs, prostitutes, etc.)?
All of the answers have been very helpful so far. What about crime? Is it an issue in Chengdu (assuming I’m not at bars or in shady situations seeking out drugs, prostitutes, etc.)?
No, you will be fine unless you’re looking for trouble. China is very safe but petty crimes (things like pick pockets and bike thieves) are common.
No, you will be fine unless you’re looking for trouble. China is very safe but petty crimes (things like pick pockets and bike thieves) are common.
I carry my wallet, phone and keys in my front pockets out of habit. I’ve never had problems with pickpockets in the past when carrying them this way. What is your experience?
I carry my wallet, phone and keys in my front pockets out of habit. I’ve never had problems with pickpockets in the past when carrying them this way. What is your experience?
I’ve been pick pocketed twice in China, once in Chengdu and once in Chongqing, but both were 5+ years ago. In one instance it was outside of the Chongqing train station (a place notoriously rife with pick pockets) and another was when a Blackberry was lifted out of a thick jacket pocket in the Chengdu winter.
I have also had a few bikes stolen, but most were because of my negligence. I used those experiences to write this article: 5 Steps to Prevent Your Bike From Being Stolen. If you learn the best practices of how to not be a victim of pick pockets or bike theft, you will be fine.
I’ve been pick pocketed twice in China, once in Chengdu and once in Chongqing, but both were 5+ years ago. In one instance it was outside of the Chongqing train station (a place notoriously rife with pick pockets) and another was when a Blackberry was lifted out of a thick jacket pocket in the Chengdu winter. I have also had a few bikes stolen, but most were because of my negligence. I used those experiences to write this article: 5 Steps to Prevent Your Bike From Being Stolen. If you learn the best practices of how to not be a victim of pick pockets or bike theft, you will be fine.
Thanks for the link. Must have been a pretty deft pickpocket if he could lift it out of your jacket pocket (assuming inside pocket here) without you noticing. Were you carrying whatever it was that was stolen in your back pocket in the other case?
Thanks for the link. Must have been a pretty deft pickpocket if he could lift it out of your jacket pocket (assuming inside pocket here) without you noticing. Were you carrying whatever it was that was stolen in your back pocket in the other case?
Both times the items were in outside jacket pockets. Both were pretty thick jackets. I was just not vigilant and didn’t think that I would be targeted by a pick pocket. Naive.
Both times the items were in outside jacket pockets. Both were pretty thick jackets. I was just not vigilant and didn’t think that I would be targeted by a pick pocket. Naive.
That’s awful! That’s why I zip up my jacket pockets if I have anything in them. So it sounds like I’ll be okay with stuff (phone, wallet, keys) in my front pockets? Backpack snatching isn’t a problem here so long as I have it on my back, lap or something?
So it sounds like I’ll be okay with stuff (phone, wallet, keys) in my front pockets?
Yes. If you’re even remotely aware of the potential of theft, you’ll be fine.
The biggest crime I’ve seen is bike theft. All of my classmates and friends (chinese and foreign) have had at least one stolen. If you like it, don’t let it out of your sight. And buy a heavy duty lock (preferably not Chinese manufactured)
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