Should you move to China when you Retire I'll give you my opinion after retiring and moving to China 

I am a solo guy ( 64 , Australian ) retired in China ( near Beijing ) the last 4 years . I don't speak much Mandarin but I manage ok . You have to love China though . There are many glitches but everything works out ok because people are very easy going . That said , I live as the only foreigner for miles around in a village of 2000 people . My house is a traditional courtyard house and I live like the locals do . Not really hot in summer but VERY cold in winter ! My advice would be try it for a year and you will get to love it . I DO like to travel though , get away 6 to 8 times a year for a week or so . AND there are charities that you can help out at that will give you a community connection and purpose .

Hi Gweilo60 from Shanghai. I have been working here for 3 years, married to a wonderful woman from Huangshi and between us we have 4 children. We have just bought a house in Huangshi which we will retire to eventually but we are still a few years away from that- (12-17 years) . I agree with everything you said- learning basic Chinese is essential to just get on by and although it's great when your wife can help you with things I hate feeling dependent on people all the time. So I'm putting the effort in now! We have family now both in the UK and here so the eventual plan is to spend time in both countries each year with lots of side trips to other places in between. You do have to a flexible mindset though as like you say 'bad china days' do happen- but I also find that when I lived for a couple of years in Oman. Some things you can't change and you have to accept that. The main reason though why I intend to eventually use China as my base when I retire is because of my wife, children and wider family. Looking forward to watching more videos and thank you for this one!

it's very social in china. if you enjoy the atmosphere,you will have a happy life

Well said. Like you married in 2004 in Nanning to a great wife and a large family. We worked through that 2 year crunch with the best understanding of each other! Next June it will be 16 years. Flexibility and the family life is great. We enjoying our granddaughter in primary school. We take those holidays each month and we return stateside during summer vacation. It's been a wonderful journey in China!

Totally agree with you. I've been thinking the same so fingers across.

Superb video my friend. I am 71 years old and have been living in Northern Thailand for the past 4 years and can say that much of what you talk about applies to Thailand as well. If you plan on staying long term you need to have or develop that human support system. Thailand is rife with stories of older foreigners who run off the rails here after a few years and end up as drunks and/or suicides. I appreciate you intelligent talk and I'll be looking for more of your videos. Winston's latest video sent me here, BTW. Cheers

Hello Gweilo ( sounds like a sitcom). I'm 53 and grew up in Alberta but left for Australia in 1991. I met my wife in Nanning in 2002 and studied martial arts in Yangshuo back then. There are some very attractive women in Nanning. My wife is Zhuang and was a successful businesswoman. Now we have a daughter and live in Brisbane. Every once in a while the wife brings up "let's retire in China". There are a few things that you failed to mention: mainly lifestyle, health, food and companionship. Food: hygiene is relaxed and people in Guang Xi use chillies and oil on everything...it turns my stomach. You are correct about home cooking though. Language: if you can't read anything and can't speak the local dialect of Nanning Cantonese then it gets harder. I am fortunate in that my in-laws are good to me. Health: service is good in China if you have the money...but if you can't speak Mandarin how can people help you? Having a family there helps. Climate: I live in a subtropical zone slightly warmer than Nanning. I can drive to a beach in under an hour. China has the advantage that it's size breeds different climates. I prefer humidity and heat so Nanning is okay. Remember that some Chinese cities are very polluted . Crime: not too big of a problem in China if you stay away from drugs. Cost of living : It is actually cheaper to buy a house in Brisbane than an apartment in Shanghai. Food is a little cheaper but hygiene...I can still drive the same car that I have had since 1982, go hunting, fishing, shooting and a few other hobbies that are almost non-existent in China. Again, what would a foreigner be giving up and what do you gain by living in China. The honeymoon period lasts a couple of months at best. I was lucky to marry a good woman from Nanning. Nanning is known as the friendly city for good reason. The traffic, the noise, the food, the language can all be a bit daunting for someone from a rural or suburban upbringing. For anyone thinking about living in a Chinese city: try it for a few months and see how you cope compared to a western lifestyle. Personally I would be climbing the walls.

China is a vibrant place. In a few more years when I retire, I like to spend a few months traveling around there every year.

Been in North America over 35 years, wanted to retire in China. Man you are honest, to the point and I love your way of....

Gweilo I love your video!

I'm 74 years old and would be quite happy to retire in Southern China... I've been in and out of China since 2005, buying for import to the U.S. and China is a wonderful place... each province... even town, is different than the others. It's like living in a dozen countries... each separated only by a bus ride. A visit to a local doctor is very cheap and often includes any medication you need. Hong Kong has one of the highest ratios of doctors per capita... same with hospitals. The spoken language isn't very hard to learn... no weird verbs or gender or past-present-future issues. (The written language is a different story.) Don't be afraid to at least try China.

very objective analysis

Hi guys I'm going to Nan Ning soon. Looking forward to explore the place

A low volume of music background may make your video better, I think. Looking forward on your next trip introducing.

Hi Gweilo, Love your videos, we have watched 6 or 7 of them, I agree with almost 100% of what you discuss. I am also married to a wonderful Chinese girl, and spent 4 years living in Shandong China, and I can say, it's not called Friendly Shandong for nothing. Now we both live and work in England. We will return to live back in China in the next few years. We have been to Nanning a few times to visit friends, possibly you may know them, or have heard of their names. We had great New Year party in Nanning a few years ago, complete with Scottish bag piper. But it does rain a lot :) Graham

I don't have any close family, and I worked expat for a large part of my career. I lived in Thailand for five or six years. I learned to speak and read (to some extent) Thai, I rented an apartment from a Thai friend. Life was good. I'm an author so I'm on the computer most of the day, plus I can cook, so restaurant food isn't a problem. But you're right. You have to be the kind of person who can survive in unfamiliar surroundings or have a base of friends and family if you want to live in a foreign country. Right now for personal reasons I'm in Singapore, where I own an apartment. I have a girlfriend in Finland and I may eventually move there.

your facial expression is funny when you were looking out at the noise~

There's so many parts of China with different seasons, it's like living in differ parts of the world. Like Chinghai, Hainan, etc.

There must be some area of China that has good weather, I've lived in DaNang Vietnam which is extremely hot but it depends where you are.I live In Pleasanton CA now and half of Asia has moved here.

People frequently retire somewhere with a low cost of living, a safe place with good hospitals etc. SE Asia is full of retired expats. How would China compare with Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam etc?

As a young guy, with fearless adventure running through your blood, just being dropped off anywhere with a different language n culture would be perfectly fun n mind blowing. In fact, that’s exactly what young guys want. The more challenging, the better! but as you get older, moving to retiring ANYWHERE that speaks a different language would be daunting, especially with a different culture! Because your mindset at an older age is not to explore and go where the wind takes you, take on challenges and planting a seed to settle down as your wild heart dictates. When you are older, you are looking for security and comfort, not adventure and eye opening life experiences, so you’re right, to just pick up n go to a place like china to live out the rest of your life without any sort of social network would be crazy Good vid to remind old guys not to get ahead of themselves and get too crazy with fantasies

It is almost 33 C with RH of 95% ALL year round here in Singapore. So, weather wise if OK for most ASEAN. Do share what you do daily. Thanks

Yes! I’d move to China then I can go back and forth to the a Philippines, it’s only two hours away and depending on where you are in China!!!

You live in southern China only one season, if you live in north China 4 season. You and your wife going over China have of lots fun together, both of you eating different kind of foods and every part of China culture different. I think you going enjoy fun.

Its difficult for a foreigner to get a resident permit. 60 day tourist visa and have to report to police where you are living. No driving without resident permit. You have to get married to a Chinese National. In apartment building there is always sound of renovations, especially jackhammer and hammer drill. The people are nice, mostly. Public Transportation is good. You definitely need a translator. Its awesome there.

the only thing that i felt in canada and US is lonely even i was living with my family. i just felt so bored.

Wished we could.

You should discuss with your Chinese wife. The first, You should fully understand why your wife said : I don't want to back to China. Don't just focus on Chinese food (sometime unsafe food).

I respectfully submit that I did the same in Thailand, Came here learned the language became independent even to the point of raising a family with my Thai wife and became the Dad of her brothers and sisters. You are underestimating the ability of others to take care of themselves. Hey I get it everyone takes care of you and thats cool but I am your age and take care of others, not everyone is the same.

the bottom line is money the more the merry. the question is how do you think the Asians manage to live overseas cos myself a viet-canto that living in NYC for 43 yrs?

Welcome!

do you miss the snow in SK though? :p

I see your wooden "sofa" and I can remember "looks great" but it's so uncomfortable(hard) to sit on ;-)

hahaha, you are the man! Tijuana of Mexico is a good place, and la Havana is too, but, as you said, not for 75, hahaha.

Why don't you buy an air conditioner and install it. You live in a very poor neighborhood. But still you can improve your conditions here and there. You gotta do something and it is all your own decision.

Yeah....I think I'll stick to plan A...Boca!!!

Retire in China is not for me. I do not even want to go there, it's too busy. I am happy in slow paced Canada with occasional trips elsewhere but always happy to return.

If you need a lot of medications from the pharmacist, I’m not sure that they would all be available in China.

greetings from Shanghai.

How do you work online in China? Can you still get on different internet sites?

Greeting from UBC

Same. I have a lonely heart.

What about the cost of health care in China? Do you have health insurance?

how about medical if you move to china?you must be very health，no need to go to hospital，otherwise......

Hey good video. But please use mono audio. The audio now only comes out from one side of the headset.

Will China one day accept Medicare of US? If so, I think many will retire there.

if i wanted to retire in china what are the legal requriements

i think if you add more information like how safe to retire and medical cost/insurance in China, that will help more people. One thing, not all people like you and your wife need social life. LOL! Many retirees prefer to be left alone.

China is a diversity in cultures

What kind of visa you get to retire in china? How about healthcare. Cost of living. Chinese is friendly? Thanks

China has universal health care, every month to pay a certain amount of money,

HOW IS THE COST OF LIVING? DOES CHINA ALLOW FOREIGNERS TO LIVE IN CHINA? HOW MANY US $ ARE RQUIRED PER MONTH TO RETIRE? HOW DO YOU MANAGE WITHOUT KNOWING MANDARIN?

I will be in China for 60 days in April anyone renting a room?

How can u post a yt? Video with Chinese censorship

If you love china , love its people than you are compatible to china environments !!!

Please don’t go and retire in China. There already have too many old people. Chinese government also encourage more and more people immigrant.

mono channel sounds uncomfortable

it's called controlled chaos.

Oh. Pls we do not need them.

The most difficult part of moving to China is learning Chinese

Retiring in China is a very big risk.

OMG! This is the most long-winded video about nothing informative!