Networking in Chengdu and Money

[Chin]

Hi Everyone. In a week and a half I will be moving to Chengdu for a study abroad program. After this fall semester, I will be graduating and needing a job. I have been to Chengdu once before, about two years ago. I absolutely loved it. So, I have been creeping on these forums for a few months and decided it was finally time to post something.

My first question is does anyone know of any good networking groups in Chengdu or good organizations to join? I have been on meetup.com and found an entrepreneurial meetup at the Beer nest once a month. I also found some tradeshows happening in late October. So, does anyone  know of any other good groups/organizations/networking events? Any advice on the subject is appreciated too!

Also, I’m debating on the best way to get money into China. I want to avoid as many fees and exchanges as possible. Anyone have any good suggestions? I was thinking of bringing the bulk of the money I will use upfront and exchanging it right away and then maybe opening up a bank account. Or cashing travelers checks. Or using my debit card over there to withdraw cash.

Any help/advice is useful! Thank you!

[Charlie]

Hi,

The expat community in Chengdu is not that large, I don’t think you will have trouble meeting people. This is one of the benefits of Chengdu over larger expat communities like Shanghai and Beijing. Check out Chengdu Places, basically all of the Western establishments there will have an influx of foreigners.

As far as money goes, getting money into China is easy. You can do a bank transfer, bring cash, or withdraw foreign currency from ATMs here. Getting money out of China is much, much more of a hassle.

[squirrel suit]

Because you’re studying abroad for a short period of time, the best bet is to just investigate the fees that your bank will assess you for using a Chinese ATM. I opened a checking account with a bank that doesn’t charge any fees for ATMs, and am able to use ATMs that belong to any of the big “name brand” banks with zero problems.

[Chin]

Thanks for your answers!

[Author]

Posts