Beijing vs. Shanghai: A Few Notes on Their Different Vibes
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It's rare to see a post that doesn't drag anyone down. This definitely deserves a manual 'like'!
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As a Beijinger living in Shanghai, I couldn't agree more!
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Beijing: a tense kind of relaxation. Shanghai: a relaxed kind of tension.
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Beijing is like New York, Shanghai is like Tokyo.
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The author put it perfectly; this really captures how I feel. I'm from Northeast China and lived in Shanghai for seven years. Initially, I wasn't great with personal boundaries, but the environment gradually shaped me into someone who never wanted to bother anyone. If I got sick, I'd hire a caregiver. I wouldn't meet colleagues outside of work, never gossiped, and even close friends would just head home separately after dinner. After over seven years of this, I had hardly any friends beyond professional connections. When I moved to Beijing, it felt so much more relaxed, and there was an immediate sense of warmth and community. People here are genuinely willing to help if they see you're struggling. In Shanghai, however, if you offer no direct benefit to someone, they wouldn't spare you an extra word or a minute of their time. The difference is truly striking.
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You make Shanghai sound almost like a foreign country.
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Shanghainese people seem more defensive than Beijingers. If you say something negative about Shanghai, even objectively, a swarm of Shanghainese (or those who 'spiritually identify' as Shanghainese) will rush to argue. But if you point out Beijing's flaws, as long as you're not aggressive about it, Beijingers will usually acknowledge them. That's just my observation, and I'm not debating it.
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Isn't that a sign of lacking confidence?
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My impression of Beijing is that it's very polarized: some parts are extremely unstylish, while others are incredibly fashionable. Shanghainese people aren't necessarily super trendy in their dress, but they generally have a more refined and polished look. Anyway, most of the super stylish women I knew in Shanghai were actually from other cities; Chengdu and Hangzhou have tons of fashionable girls.
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What's so special about watching movies at Xiao Xitian? I lived nearby for seven or eight years and never even went to that cinema!
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It's the China Film Archive. They screen art films that don't often get a wide public release.