TongRen Living
Living as a Laowai
There are not many foreigners in Tongren. In fact, according to the police bureau, there are exactly 7 laowai in Tongren right now, all of whom are teachers. Life in Tongren is pretty relaxed. The tough part about living in a small rural community is that very few people have ever met, let alone seen, a laowai before. Therefore when you are walking down the street, riding the bus, or having dinner in any given restaurant, you can expect consistent stares and an occasional "hullo" from a brave passer by. There is one known blog about life in Tongren. Tongren blog
How to Arrive / Leave
Tongren does have an airport, but you can only arrive from Guiyang and Shanghai. The train station in town was built in 2006 and is very small, however, there are daily trains to Shanghai to the east and Chengdu to the west. To go south by train, you have to travel by bus to the town of Yuping or take the train one stop east and transfer in Huaihua.
Where to workReally the only jobs for foreigners in Tongren are teaching jobs. There are two universities in the town, but the salary at both is small, especially when compared to schools in more affluent provinces or autonomous regions. There are several private English training schools who offer competitive salaries that include housing, water, and electricity.
There are not many foreigners in Tongren. In fact, according to the police bureau, there are exactly 7 laowai in Tongren right now, all of whom are teachers. Life in Tongren is pretty relaxed. The tough part about living in a small rural community is that very few people have ever met, let alone seen, a laowai before. Therefore when you are walking down the street, riding the bus, or having dinner in any given restaurant, you can expect consistent stares and an occasional "hullo" from a brave passer by. There is one known blog about life in Tongren. Tongren blog
How to Arrive / Leave
Tongren does have an airport, but you can only arrive from Guiyang and Shanghai. The train station in town was built in 2006 and is very small, however, there are daily trains to Shanghai to the east and Chengdu to the west. To go south by train, you have to travel by bus to the town of Yuping or take the train one stop east and transfer in Huaihua.
Where to workReally the only jobs for foreigners in Tongren are teaching jobs. There are two universities in the town, but the salary at both is small, especially when compared to schools in more affluent provinces or autonomous regions. There are several private English training schools who offer competitive salaries that include housing, water, and electricity.