Life in China
Getting here is one decision. Building a life here is hundreds of smaller ones.
Start with the stage you are in: arriving, learning to live independently, building local relationships or deciding what long-term belonging means.
01 / Arrive
Make the first month work.
The first weeks are full of small dependencies. You need a phone number to open an account, an account to use certain services, and the right apps before many everyday tasks become simple.
The goal is not just to complete the setup. It is to understand the system well enough to use it yourself.
- Chinese phone number
- Banking, Alipay and WeChat Pay
- Residence registration
- Essential apps and first-week sequence
02 / Live
Build routines you can run yourself.
Settling in begins when ordinary tasks stop feeling like projects. That includes seeing a doctor, ordering the right groceries, arranging a repair, travelling across the city and explaining a simple problem in Mandarin.
- Healthcare and emergencies
- Transport and navigation
- Food, shopping and home services
- Practical Mandarin for daily situations
03 / Connect
Move beyond transactions.
It is possible to live efficiently in Shanghai without developing much connection to the city. Apps, delivery platforms and English-speaking services make life convenient—but convenience is not the same as belonging.
Connection grows through language, shared interests, repeated encounters and a better understanding of how relationships work locally.
- WeChat and group etiquette
- Interest-based communities
- Language in real social situations
- Local and international relationships
04 / Belong
Build a future, not just a routine.
Long-term life in China raises a different set of questions. Where should your child study? How does your career develop here? What parts of local life do you want to adopt, and what parts of your own identity do you want to protect?
There is no single correct version of belonging. The goal is to build one that works for you and your family.
- Family and education
- Career and professional identity
- Partner and child adjustment
- Long-term plans across cultures
This is for you if
- You are planning a move and want to understand life beyond the paperwork
- You have just arrived and need the essential systems to work
- Daily life functions, but still depends heavily on other people
- You want stronger language, routines and local relationships
This may not be for you if
- You only need a short tourist itinerary
- You want a guaranteed visa, school place or residency outcome
- You are looking for job placement
- You only want a generic online Mandarin course
When guidance is not enough
Some problems are easier with someone beside you.
- 01First 30 Days
Set up daily life—and learn to run it yourself.
Phone, banking, payments, registration and essential apps, handled with you in your first month. - 02Housing
Find a home that fits the life around it.
Independent apartment search, negotiation, lease review and move-in support—without landlord commissions. - 03Schooling & Learning
Choose for the child, the family and the life ahead.
School shortlists, admissions support and learning help grounded in how your family actually wants to live. - 04Permits & Renewals
Build a stable legal foundation for life here.
Residence permits, dependent permits and work-permit coordination for people living in Shanghai. - 05Full Relocation
Coordinate the move in the right order.
School, home, permits and the first weeks on the ground, managed through one point of contact.
- Client-paid
- No school, landlord or agent commissions.
- Shanghai-based
- Local depth before national promises.
- Independence-first
- We help you need less support over time.
- Honest scope
- Clear about what we can handle—and what we cannot.
Start with where life feels stuck.
Tell us what is happening now. We will point you to a useful guide or recommend the smallest service that fits.