How to settle down in Beijing?

Question

This is where I've been dreaming for years.

Sometimes, I imagine my life will be there.

What for example I can do to get closer to Beijing?

Where should I visit in Beijing?

I'm by the way planning a trip after the Olympic games.

I hope to see some trace of the games.

Answer 1

You need a four year degree to work there.And no-one in their right mind would want to move there. Why do you think thousands of Chinese have moved to the US??!!

You could marry a Chinese man.

You will see many traces.Thousands of homeless people put out of their homes because of the games.

Answer 2

It has become very difficult for non-Chinese to settle in China since the Chinese began cracking down on dodgy "gray market" visas during this Olympic year.  In the past, there were visa/travel agents who would sell you an F (business) visa good for 6 or 12 months.  This got you into the country.  Enforcement of residence permit requirements in major cities like Beijing was very lax, so foreigners rented apartments and moved in pretty much anywhere they wanted to.  Many were running their own businesses, conducting research, writing a book, or working as free lance journalists.  Some derived their income from elsewhere and had simply decided that China was a cool, happening place to be, which it is!  

Since the beginning of 2008, however, foreigners who have been living under these types of arrangements have been leaving in droves as it has become impossible to renew visas and difficult to rent places to live.  Others have managed to stay on by finding a legitimate job.

If you want to move to China soon, before the crackdown lets up, then you, too, will need a legitimate job.  There is a lot of demand for English teachers and although these employers have become more picky in recent years it's usually possible to get a post at a school where they give you a free apartment and pay a (low) wage.  

You might also look for jobs in trade and manufacturing at foreign-owned businesses in China.  No matter what you do, it will certainly help to be able to speak Chinese.

Good luck.