Specialized study abroad programs sometimes offer locations outside of the big cities in smaller towns or rural areas, but Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong remain the most popular study abroad destinations.
Shanghai is the country’s largest city by population (22 million) and has historically developed as the main commercial and financial life vein of mainland China.
Beijing is the country’s capital and has served as China’s political center for hundreds of years (the royal Forbidden City, built at the beginning of the fifteenth century, still remains impressively intact at the city’s center).
Hong Kong, a former British colony and current Special Administrative Region of China, is ranked as the world’s third most important international city and over the past two centuries has developed as a beacon of modern globalization.
Other popular study abroad locations in China include Chengdu, Tianjin, and Kunming, among others. China is a huge country which governs over 22 provinces and five autonomous regions, many with their own distinct culture, dialect, and way of life. Anywhere you go will offer something unique and different - so research carefully, choose wisely, and travel a lot while you study abroad in China!