I'm want to live in either Shanghai or Beijing for one year how do the cities differ?

Question

How is Shanghai different from Beijing. I'm Korean but I've lived in America since I was 12 and now I'm 19 years old. Which city is better to live in general? Which city is has more foreigners? Do they treat foreigners well? Is it easy to learn Chinese?

Answer 1

Shanghai is more of a business center, where as Beijng is more cultural.  Beijing is easier to undertstand where as Shanghai is a very confusing city.  Beijing has more foreigners (tourists anyway.)  As far as a language goes in Beijing they speak Mandarin and in Shanghai they speak Shanghi-eez (which is useless anywhere else.)  If you want to learn to speak Chinese then you want to learn Mandarin.  I think you would like Beijing better.

Answer 2

Shanghai - has been open to the world for a long time, you get a really good feeling that Shanghai is connected to the world, it is fast paced, modern, clean, very easy to get around, lots of international people and companies

Beijing - Culture, a lot of Koreans live in Beijing, slower paced, traditional, good place to learn the language

I have lived in both cities, 3+ years in each, I would say both are great cities to live in, you get totally different benefits from each, great history in Beijing, great architure in Shanghai, modern styles and fashion in Shanghai, Beijing food is much better, Beijing is slower paced, Shanghai professionals work late, the skyline is awesome in Shanghai, the traffic stinks in Beijing, you can ride your bike everywhere in Beijing, Shanghai is cut in half by a river

both places are great cities, each offering it's own unique experience

Answer 3

If you are korean, it will be a lot easier for you to learn Chinese.

Shanghai (Chinese: 上海; pinyin: Shànghǎi; Wu (Long-short): Zånhae; Shanghainese (IPA): [zɑ̃'he]; abbreviation: 沪; nickname: 申), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of the People's Republic of China and the eighth largest in the world.Widely regarded as the citadel of China's modern economy, the city also serves as one of the nation's most important cultural, commercial, financial, industrial and communications centers.

Administratively, Shanghai is a municipality of the People's Republic of China that has province-level status. Also, Shanghai is one of the world's busiest ports, and became the largest cargo port in the world in 2005.

Originally a fishing town, Shanghai became China's most important city by the 20th century and was the center of popular culture, intellectual discourse and political struggle during the Republic of China era. After the communist takeover in 1949, Shanghai languished due to heavy central government taxation and cessation of foreign investment, and had many of its supposedly "bourgeois" elements purged. Following the central government's authorization of market-economic redevelopment of Shanghai in 1992, Shanghai has now surpassed early-starters Shenzhen and Guangzhou, and has since led China's economic growth. Some challenges remain for Shanghai at the beginning of the 21st century, as the city struggles to cope with increased worker migration, a huge wealth gap, and environmental degradation. Despite these challenges, Shanghai's skyscrapers and modern lifestyle are often seen as representing China's recent economic development.

Beijing is more historic, with The Temple of Heaven,Yonghegong Lamasery,Beihai Park