Living in Nanjing: Why Nanjing
Every year, we ask YISA students what is their favorite city in China to live. Every year, students agree that Nanjing offers many advantages over cities such as Beijing or Shanghai. With a population of only six million, this “medium” sized city is the perfect combination of a rich history, modern economy, and livability.
Beijing and Shanghai, each with over 14 million residents, have become symbols of urban sprawl and bottleneck traffic. Many study abroad programs in Beijing and Shanghai are located on college campuses on the edge of the cities. Unless you happen to be along a subway line, just getting to the city center can involve long commutes and expensive taxi fares.
YISA’s home on the campus of Nanjing Normal University brings our students into the heart of downtown Nanjing. Our student apartments, classrooms, and many key locations are within walking distance. Hundreds more restaurants, historical sites, department stores, parks, and other places to visit are within a short ($1.10) taxi ride or a $.40 subway ride away.