A question for anyone who can help… Has anyone ever been to a city in China where you thought, “Wow, this place is great! It’s relatively clean, orderly, polite, and cheerful.” Does such a place exist? I haven’t traveled too much in China–Beijing only, which I thought was pretty good–so I’d kind of like some more perspective on Chinese cities and perhaps a good recommendation about a place to visit or live. So… Anyone want to wax lyrical about your favorite city in China?
I’ve never been to Dalian, but I’ve heard good things about it.
I did enjoy my visit to Huian in Fujian Province, although I had diarrhea the whole time and it cleared up as soon as I left. Huian is north of Xiamen and not far from Quanzhou. I visited Xiamen only very briefly but people I know who stayed longer liked it. Also in Fujian Province, I went through Nanping on the train heading inland from Fuzhou. If I hadn’t been in a hurry to go to Beijing, I might have got off for a visit.
I liked Hangzhou and Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province, but I went there a very long time ago (1982).
I got a good impression of Jinan, Taian and Qufu in Shandong Province. Other places in Shandong rumoured to be good include Qingdao and Weihai.
My brother went to Yangshuo and enjoyed it.
oxymoron. nice place, really.
Sounds a bit like Lijiang.
I think Xiamen is a very nice city. I am not sure whether all the construction and development in the last few years has changed it for the better or worse though. It is about four years since I was last there.
Hangzhou is supposed to be beautiful, I hate Beijing. Shanghai is cool buut not much to see and quite dirty. Taipei is nice (controversial)
I lived in Hangzhou for six months in 1992, and all I can say about that is that it must have been something back in the Song dynasty, because it sure wasn’t much in 1992 and I’m damned sure it hasn’t gotten any better.
I think Taiwan has the nicest cities in China. 
HG
Hangzhou is one big stinky lake - and that is the best part of it!
I’d agree with HGC, that is if Taiwan were part of China
Elegua
I’m quite sure it is. Everyone I know here thinks so anyway. 
Currently in Shanghai for a week of work, and yet there’s so little argument when I stress, as I do several times a day when told, “Oh, but you must have lived in China for a long time” “Nah, never lived much in China, but I spent quite a few years in Taiwan.”
HG
Of all the places in the PRC I visited when living in the PRC, I probably liked Xiahe the best. But it’s most definitely not a Chinese (i.e., Han) city but rather a Tibetan town – which is part of its allure.
I was there 15 years ago, so it might be ruined by now. And even if it weren’t I probably wouldn’t want to live there. The cold and the Tibetan food (the taste of yak butter loses its novelty pretty fast) wouldn’t be to my liking for long.
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Currently in Shanghai for a week of work, and yet there’s so little argument when I stress, as I do several times a day when told, “Oh, but you must have lived in China for a long time” “Nah, never lived much in China, but I spent quite a few years in Taiwan.”
HG[/quote]
Yeah, they do a bit of a double take when you do that. Yet conversely, (and interestingly), if you play it like Taiwan is a part of China, then they start to differentiate. 
If you can ignore little kids following you around for 10 blocks begging, then Guilin is pretty nice.
It’s a trick question. There aren’t any nice cities in China.
[quote=“cranky laowai”]Of all the places in the PRC I visited when living in the PRC, I probably liked Xiahe the best. But it’s most definitely not a Chinese (i.e., Han) city but rather a Tibetan town – which is part of its allure.
I was there 15 years ago, so it might be ruined by now. And even if it weren’t I probably wouldn’t want to live there. The cold and the Tibetan food (the taste of yak butter loses its novelty pretty fast) wouldn’t be to my liking for long.[/quote]
i 2nd that emotion…was in xiahe in 1990, was the highlight of the best trip i ever took…
i got a soft spot for dali too; been there 7 or 8 times, always had a riot…but it’s full of local tourists now, shame…
Chinese cities can be interesting, worth visiting, etc., but they are rarely or never ‘nice’ in the way the OP defines it.
I saw this article the other day and remembered this thread.
The nicest Chinese city that I’ve been to (after Hong Kong) was Nanjing. Easily. Yes, there were some crummy back lanes, etc., but there were trees and a nice, new cobble stoned shopping area, broad boulevards, and a shiny new subway, albeit with only one line as I remember. The surrounding Purple Mountain is nice, too, although it ought to be; it’s where Sun Yat-sen is buried. There were also a few OK western restaurants, some Taiwanese owned places (which are comparatively upmarket in China) and so on.
I went to Hangzhou and kept thinking: It’s the same as any other city except there’s a lake. Where I come from, there’s a nicer lake 2km away and probably less than 3000 people even know it exists. Hangzhou is nice because everyone says it’s nice, not because it really is nice, if you know what I mean.
I thought Xiamen was a dump, too, although the island that everyone goes to visit (I don’t remember its name - Xuelianggu or something) is quite beautiful.
I actually thought the colonial districts of almost every city I went to - and I went to a lot of them - were far more attractive than the other sections of the city. And where the gov’t should have restored some old neighgborhoods (or at least part of them) it’s just glass towers and KFCs.
I would say lots of Chinese cities are interesting (Beijing is quite fascinating), but aesthetically pleasing? Hmmmmm.
[quote=“Ed Lakewood”]The nicest Chinese city that I’ve been to (after Hong Kong) was Nanjing. Easily. Yes, there were some crummy back lanes, etc., but there were trees and a nice, new cobble stoned shopping area, broad boulevards, and a shiny new subway, albeit with only one line as I remember. The surrounding Purple Mountain is nice, too, although it ought to be; it’s where Sun Yat-sen is buried. There were also a few OK western restaurants, some Taiwanese owned places (which are comparatively upmarket in China) and so on.
I went to Hangzhou and kept thinking: It’s the same as any other city except there’s a lake. Where I come from, there’s a nicer lake 2km away and probably less than 3000 people even know it exists. Hangzhou is nice because everyone says it’s nice, not because it really is nice, if you know what I mean.
I thought Xiamen was a dump, too, although the island that everyone goes to visit (I don’t remember its name - Xuelianggu or something) is quite beautiful.
I actually thought the colonial districts of almost every city I went to - and I went to a lot of them - were far more attractive than the other sections of the city. And where the gov’t should have restored some old neighgborhoods (or at least part of them) it’s just glass towers and KFCs.
I would say lots of Chinese cities are interesting (Beijing is quite fascinating), but aesthetically pleasing? Hmmmmm.[/quote]
Goddam it Ed, can’t you say anything nice about the world?
Actually, all this talk of Xiahe has convince me to take a detour there when I am in Qinghai in May.
Yeah, I know. I’m hopeless.
Never heard of Xiahe. That’s in Qinghai? What’s the Tibetan name?
Lijiang Old Town and Dali Old Town are lovely, but they’re not cities, wuh? OK, I’m thinking. Something nice, something nice (it’s all part of my 12 step ‘I must look on the bright side program.’) Parts of Qingdao are pretty attractive:
Estates and very nice apartment buildings (seriously), Pudong is stunning, but that’s Western style architecture, parts of Harbin are nice - parts - oh, what else…? I’ve heard that Nanning is nice, but I’ve also heard it isn’t. Chengdu scared me and so did Chongqing. Ai you. Shanghai is all, “I’m going to work. Get outta my way!” and Beijing is culture, culture, culture. There. You don’t even need to travel there now.
Yunnan Provice is really something, but, well, it’s a province. I’ve heard Qinghai is mind blowing, but never been.
You see? I’m trying.