Hey Guys we are 45% funded for our TV show, Conquering Northern China! Please help us make this happen! Conquering Northern China Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.com/projects/205422728/conquering-northern-china-adventure-travel-series?ref=category
ADVChina the thing is people say you guys are wrong about China but you make videos and travel plus have lived in China all these years I think people just like to think they are always right when they aren't. Btw how much was that "western meal" ? Lol
ADVChhey Matt. if i got really bad off for home food, can you find an 8 pack Nathan's kosher hotdogs in Shenzhen? I pledged $22 the first day, I challenge everyone to match.
yea cause it is probably pretty fdifficult to find good quality stuff and when, then it is rather expensive. i would say 15dollar the burger and 10 the salad, maybe too high, well see:D
I just donated £5.00 to the cause, it's not much but its what I can afford while recovering on disability from my heart surgery. I believe in you guys and can't wait to see the finished product in October.
I'm from Jiangxi province, now I work and holiday in Alice Springs, Australia. Sorry for that bad experience you had in our province, however, no matter where you go, you will have something you would have not expected. I am glad that you two guys forms a team, travel together and wish you go further.
Beau Salwin Hey, there. The dish I miss about actually is quite simple. That is the fried vegetable. Yeah, I love Aussie as my treasures. Aussie changed my life
Cmilk and winston are really nice dudes!thanks for all of your videos .i discovered your channel about a month ago since then ive been watching your videos everyday.when people say mean things on the comment section don’t pay attention to them !they probably feel lonely that’s why they say mean things .
Well one difference is death is not spoken about in China. Even the number four sounds like death so it is not used (no floor 4, 14 or 44) And another difference is colour. In the west, black is used for death (burial families wear black) but in China it is white that is used instead.
Another great video! We live in Shekou so know the area well. It is hysterical that we ate at Baia Burger Concept in Seaworld the night before I saw this video! Too bad I could not meet Winston there. Well done on the video. The owner is an interesting German guy. My wife and I keep trying to spot Winston in Shenzhen. It is similar to Whale watching but this is on land and it's South African instead of whale. One day we will spot the elusive Winston in the wild.
Great video guys. It's completely true that China is very different depending on where you choose to live, so choose wisely! The first year I came to China, I worked with an American in a small city on the outskirts of Hubei Wuhan called Huanggang. This was a typical small city in central China-no McDonalds, no Starbucks, no western food to speak of, no Western nightclubs. This guy thought he was actually going to a similarly name city in Guangdong on the outskirts of Shenzhen. Surprisingly enough he made it through the year.
Thank you and c milk for your regular free content it's high quality as someone who paid to watch conquering southern China I'm looking forward to the next series
Because of you am now eating and then looking to drink a coffee. this is a very relaxed video it's fun to watch these kinds of videos in the weekend. Thank you for making our life more fun.
Moving to China in a few months and will likely live in one of these expat communities, videos like these from serpentza and laowhy86 are a reminder to make sure to get out and explore. Thanks for posting these vids. Looking forward to a new adventure, and all the ups and downs that come with it.
I'm an American who lived in Chengdu pretty recently for about 2 years and still visit all parts of China frequently and Chengdu is definitely getting up there with the 1st tier cities and has some quality western food restaurants now but the city still feels more rural that places like Guangzhou, really interesting. Keep up the good work and videos would love to meet up with you guys one of these days!
I've taken bicycle rides while on business in China and would agree it's amazing the differences you see when you get just a few miles out of the bubble surrounding the high end hotels. I would love to ride a motorbike on future trips to see more of the country, can you guys do a video on the challenges to get motorcycle and license?
I just love watching your shows!!! I will never visit China simply because I would starve within a week lol. Thank you SO MUCH for taking all of us with you and bringing China to me. My only complaint is I wish you posted new videos more often lol, like every day. I know that's not feasible obviously, you have to live your lives too! I just really enjoy your content and can never get enough honestly.
Been there very delicious burger thanks guys for the videos. I have been coming to China for the last four years and your videos help me learn even more thanks
Over the past couple of years I've made quite a few Chinese friends, and it's really increased my interest in going to China. I'll have a friend or two to guide me through their part of the country, but I have no idea how I'll get around the rest of it!
After watching ummm... dozens of your videos, I have to say... I am changing. My mind is being opened, and my biases disappearing. It's not that we are better than they are. We are just different. I am beginning to appreciate the many differences. Thank you, guys.
Bizarre Love Triangle kicking in at 8:50 in the background synced up really well to the conclusion of the video. I thought you guys added it in yourselves for a second.
Hell yeah, you guys are halfway to the goal with thirty days to go. I got a feeling that you're gonna make a stretchgoal or two. Keep up all the great work!
I just discovered you guys and have been binging on a lot of your videos. Keep up the good work! Watching your bike tours and listening to your conversations is so interesting and also very relaxing. It really makes me want to visit China again, though :)
Thanks for reminding us about the Kickstarter. I went over to the project and decided to go with the 18 pound pledge. I think you guys are doing great work and I hope you make your goal.
Hey guys, great show again. I got so excited about seeing a box of corn flakes in Beijing back in 2009 another Aussie mate laughed and said, "shit mate, you have been living out in the provinces for a while." I was living in Ningxia, Yinchuan on the weekends but working further North than Alashan, Inner Mongolia. Funny to laugh about now. Keep doing your thing. I like watching your shows and have travelled most of China since 2007 so probably have seen some more back water places than most of the complainers.
I've been living in NYC my whole life. Some Chinese(NOT ALL OF THEM) but many of them would stay in their chinese bubble. They live in Chinatown and flushing which are predominant chinese areas. In school they would only group with their chinese friends. I have absolutely no problem with staying cultural but life Is extremely difficult to live a life in a bubble when you live is such a culturally mixed city.
bird718 Let me clarify. I'm talking in a student point of view. I'm currently in high school. In my perspective the people who stay in bubble make it difficult for others to work with them. I live in queens and my high school is very diverse meaning that sometimes it's good to communicate and work with someone who is not chinese. They would often avoid making contact with non chinese people. You aren't even understanding the point, the problem isn't the places they frequent, the problem is the lack of exposure to other things. I'm not talking about a tired 35 year old worker who goes straight home after work just to get some rest but I'm specifically talking about those who try too hard to avoid anyone who isn't chinese or who only look for employment where only chinese people work despite how inconvenient it is. I apologize for not being clear and I'm sorry for offending you. Ps my family and I do take yearly road trips from nyc to L.A stopping by many places along the way.
bird718 I get what you are saying. Flushing=chinese people Corona=Hispanics Certain parts of the bronx=Black people. I get it. I'm talking about just avoiding everything else that isn't your own. What made you think I only hanged out with people with my skin color or such. I have black friends, white friends ( I'm not white myself), Hispanics. I am friends with all types of people. I'm not saying "go eat Mexican food because you have to get cultured". Just don't plainly avoid everyone else who isn't your race just because you want to stay in your bubble. There is a difference between having chinese friends because you are chinese and being friends with Chinese people because you only want chinese people. May I ask which part of nyc do you live in?
bird718 o don't think he's arguing for diversity but integration. it's actually pretty stupid that we don't make integration mandatory. everywhere outside the West requires integration to be successful. the problems that come with not integrating are a lot worse then the discomfort of telling immigrants to learn English and follow the American way of life.
At least online shopping is extremely popular here in China so you might just order coffee online when you don't live in a large city. However, keep in mind that if you don't live in urban area you'll have to go miles away to grab your order and even if you are in urban you might still have to walk a bit in order to get what you ordered. That's at least better than having to travel to another city, of course.
Just an FYI, I just got back from Dalian, Yantai, and Qingdao. Those cities all had plenty of western goodies like coffee and burgers. But you can go just 20 minutes out and you guys are exactly right.
How about an episode on the "Best Chicken Feet" offered (if chicken feet can be classified as "real food")? FYI, love your videos, stay awesome and interesting.
Are you going to put out CSC or CNC on DVD? Many of us have limited bandwidth and can not download a large video. I would be more than happy to order a DVD. Up in the mountains where I live bandwidth is limited to what your 4G phone provides.
Very accurate video.I really think that this is something often missed by a lot of people. If you add the populations of all tier 1 and tier 2 cities together you get around 250 million people. The rural population of a lot areas are in those numbers, but ignoring that, you are still left with over a billion people in china living in tier 3 or below. The overwhelming majority of china's population lives in the rural areas and "urbanized" truck cities Winston and C-milk drive through on their bikes. I live in a city of 5 million people in central china and I see goats, chickens, and cows everyday here. Despite it's "urban population" it is still very, very rural. Edit: And no, you are not going to get starbucks, heineken, or good western food in these places.
You guys need to do more travelling. Tier 2 and to some extent Tier 3 cities will have places like that. I live in Nanjing and before that Suzhou and they have loads of places like that. I lived in Foshan in Guangdong and there are loads there too. Before that I was in Jiaxing, Zhejiang and there are less western style things there but still some. Hangzhou has loads. Ningbo too. My point being is that claiming that you can only get that sort of food in tier1 cities simply isn't true.
that's right, such foreign things even exist in 4tier cities..there is also many kfc starbucks nike pizzahut etc..maybe not many high quality western food restaurant, but they can't say it doesn't exist, of course few than 1 or 2tier cities, maybe they just travel in 1tier cities and rural areas..
I think you know that mentioning kfc and pizzahut as examples really doesn't help make your case that there is decent western food available in 4th tier cities. It isn't even decent food here in America. I've traveled a bit in China and if decent western food exists in 4th tier cities I never saw it. I'm not saying it doesn't exist but it is rare enough that I would have to work really hard to find it. Which I wouldn't do because Chinese food is so awesome.
Exactly, I don't hate these guys, but sometimes they speak with such ignorance... Like if somehow Shengzhen is the center of China. They seriously need to start traveling to other Chinese cities and not pretending like it's only Shengzhen and the rural country.
Whoa I'm blown away China actually has a burger restaurant like the one you're eating in. All my experiences in Nanjing so far have been Chinese-ified Western food and I just didn't think it was possible to have a good Western food experience whatsover. I guess that's the power of first tier cities, such a big difference from the second tier lol
My 7 years in China can been divided roughly as 10% in 1st tier cities, 60% in 2nd tier cities, and 30% in rural towns and villages far away from any city. I totally agree with what you guys say about the difference between 1st tier cities and rural China. However, you seem to have missed the fact that 2nd tier cities in China today can have many of the same amenities (and quality Western food) as 1st tier cities. That burger you're eating, for example, can definitely be found in cities other than just Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
I used to live just a 10-15 minute walk away from Sea World, and until you mentioned that Subway, I completely forgot about it, but now I remember having gone there once or twice. Mostly I at Sea World though I just went to McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts. I haven't been there in more than 4 years, and I know there's been a lot of redesigning, so I don't know if they're still there, but I bet they are. I pretty much grew up in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, but living in Shekou I didn't get as much of an immersed experience as I could have, I think. I'm still working on my Chinese back in the US though, so I haven't lost it all yet. I love your videos
I am a German guy living in Harbin, and I have to say there are not many Germans here, not even foreigners. Most of them are from Russia! Is anyone watching from Harbin? Just curious ;). 我是德国人住在哈尔滨。 在这儿外国人很少，大多数是俄罗斯人。 这里有哈尔滨人吗。我也有一些哈尔滨的视频。 Best wishes from Harbin, love your vids guys!
Checked out the American visit this morning with the In & Out, and now with that amazing looking burger, I have In & Out double double on the way for dinner!
This video shows one aspect of "The Two Chinas" .. Thanks for sharing this with us, it was nice to see that for the Westerners who have dedicated their lives to living in China there are reminders of what they might be missing "from home". Damn you Winston that Burger made me hungry. Its after 2am here In San Francisco and I am going to go fry one up and eat it watching more ADVChina videos! :) :)
Second tier cities have this sort of stuff too! I lived in Xiamen for a month and there were plenty of nice Western style restaurants, cocktail bars, bakeries, even a Canadian guy running a waffle stand on the street. I think it's a nice balance in a second tier city like that because it's hard to get stuck into a foreigner bubble due to the low foreign population and catering/pandering but there's good choice available if you want it. The Swiss bakery we found downtown was just amazing, definitely a godsend for those who get homesick...
I think the reason why Winston and C milk think this kind of western restaurants only exist in several first tier cities is because Winston lives in a first tier city of course and C milk lives in a third tier city, that's why I think they have no idea what a second tier city is like. I'm taking about cities like Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan etc. I think the main difference between first tier city and second tier city is the level of internationalization. Because I began to dine in this sort of restaurant when I was in elementary school. And right now I can't think of how many this kind of restaurant has opened in my city.
I've spent some time in Wuhan, Chengdu, and Chongqing. I didn't remember many western restaurants besides McDonald's, Starbucks, Burger King, etc. Chengdu has some Australian steak bars at their malls? That's not really what they're talking about. I'd prefer zero western restaurants.
There used to be some really good foreign owned restaurants in Qingdao. Not sure if they're still there, but after living in rural Jiangsu for a year (Xuyi County), they were bleeding amazing. You'll never understand how good McDonalds is until you haven't been able to have it for 2 years
ADVChina, What happens if the kick started doesn't get funded, would you start a new kickstarter to gather as much funds as possible and then plan the trip accordingly to the funds?
Well, I think it's the same in a lot of countries. In the north part of my country they have a celebration kind of 'Día de los Muertos' which the rest of the country doesn't share. The southern part of my country is different also in many aspects and the same goes for the place I live. Good video guys!
You can get good coffee in China but you have to go to Hainan to get it. In Hainan they grow very good quality coffee and also serve it in some places.
I think you're right. I had always assumed it was Tier 2, but I saw something recently where it said Suzhou was Tier 3. Clearly got mixed up somewhere. Tier 2 definitely makes more sense.
Guys, nice video. Really enjoyed it. What is your guys take on how these western restaurants in Shikou, or Laowai Jie in Shanghai will be impacted when the new class ABC visa rules take place? Might we see a drop in quality, of both food and service.
I live in Jilin and we have 2 foreign restaurants owned by foreigners and they are amazing. Jilin is a tier 3/4 city but we have some access to foreign food here. It is really nice to have a solid burger and some bourbon after work. Shopping for foreign food however is a chore.
1st AND 2nd tier cities have foreign owned (or at least foreign managed) western restaurants and loads of cafes with decent coffee. Maybe 10 years ago it was only the 1st tier but these days I'm pretty sure you can find 'bubbles' in all the tier 2 cities as well.
Hey Guys we are 45% funded for our TV show, Conquering Northern China! Please help us make this happen!
Conquering Northern China Kickstarter:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/205422728/conquering-northern-china-adventure-travel-series?ref=category
ADVChina the thing is people say you guys are wrong about China but you make videos and travel plus have lived in China all these years I think people just like to think they are always right when they aren't. Btw how much was that "western meal" ? Lol
I know c milk always says it's cheap to eat in China unless you want something western !
ADVChhey Matt. if i got really bad off for home food, can you find an 8 pack Nathan's kosher hotdogs in Shenzhen?
I pledged $22 the first day, I challenge everyone to match.
yea cause it is probably pretty fdifficult to find good quality stuff and when, then it is rather expensive. i would say 15dollar the burger and 10 the salad, maybe too high, well see:D
I just donated £5.00 to the cause, it's not much but its what I can afford while recovering on disability from my heart surgery. I believe in you guys and can't wait to see the finished product in October.
Nice shot of the western waitress, boys. Well played, well played.
+OnlyTheHeroDies because the topic is foreign bubbles....
Hahahaha dammit I laughed so hard at that fuckin' bubbles comment. Nice one!
pawg in China
why do westerner wanna work as a waitress in china? i dun get it.
WenjayTew they probably get a lot of money
I think the place is gone now, but I had the best hamburger of my life in Chengdu, back in 2009. It was amazing.
Which area? I lived there, and judging by the year it sounds like it would have been in Tongzilin
You two really show every part of China and I love watching the adventures you both go on. Thank you
i'M ACTUALLY IN LOVE WITH THIS CHANNEL
Love that Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order is playing in the background!
Keep it up guys. Hard not to binge watch these.
I'm from Jiangxi province, now I work and holiday in Alice Springs, Australia. Sorry for that bad experience you had in our province, however, no matter where you go, you will have something you would have not expected. I am glad that you two guys forms a team, travel together and wish you go further.
蔡太九 I bet you are dying for some good chinese food. I hope you enjoy Australia.
Beau Salwin Hey, there. The dish I miss about actually is quite simple. That is the fried vegetable. Yeah, I love Aussie as my treasures. Aussie changed my life
Cmilk and winston are really nice dudes!thanks for all of your videos .i discovered your channel about a month ago since then ive been watching your videos everyday.when people say mean things on the comment section don’t pay attention to them !they probably feel lonely that’s why they say mean things .
This might sound morbid, but could one of you guys do a video on death? Rather, in what ways do death and funerals differ from western ways?
Well one difference is death is not spoken about in China. Even the number four sounds like death so it is not used (no floor 4, 14 or 44) And another difference is colour. In the west, black is used for death (burial families wear black) but in China it is white that is used instead.
Another great video! We live in Shekou so know the area well. It is hysterical that we ate at Baia Burger Concept in Seaworld the night before I saw this video! Too bad I could not meet Winston there. Well done on the video. The owner is an interesting German guy.
My wife and I keep trying to spot Winston in Shenzhen. It is similar to Whale watching but this is on land and it's South African instead of whale. One day we will spot the elusive Winston in the wild.
Great video guys. It's completely true that China is very different depending on where you choose to live, so choose wisely! The first year I came to China, I worked with an American in a small city on the outskirts of Hubei Wuhan called Huanggang. This was a typical small city in central China-no McDonalds, no Starbucks, no western food to speak of, no Western nightclubs. This guy thought he was actually going to a similarly name city in Guangdong on the outskirts of Shenzhen. Surprisingly enough he made it through the year.
Thank you and c milk for your regular free content it's high quality as someone who paid to watch conquering southern China I'm looking forward to the next series
Because of you am now eating and then looking to drink a coffee. this is a very relaxed video it's fun to watch these kinds of videos in the weekend. Thank you for making our life more fun.
Moving to China in a few months and will likely live in one of these expat communities, videos like these from serpentza and laowhy86 are a reminder to make sure to get out and explore. Thanks for posting these vids. Looking forward to a new adventure, and all the ups and downs that come with it.
3:18 I see a nice western bubble right there.
I'm an American who lived in Chengdu pretty recently for about 2 years and still visit all parts of China frequently and Chengdu is definitely getting up there with the 1st tier cities and has some quality western food restaurants now but the city still feels more rural that places like Guangzhou, really interesting. Keep up the good work and videos would love to meet up with you guys one of these days!
Woo, just contributed to the kickstarter! Love you guys and what you do! Can't wait for the northern China shenanigans. Keep it up!
+HandgripsRaise fantastic! Thank you!
This is a great summary video that makes a clear distinction of how different China is in different urban & rural areas.
I've taken bicycle rides while on business in China and would agree it's amazing the differences you see when you get just a few miles out of the bubble surrounding the high end hotels. I would love to ride a motorbike on future trips to see more of the country, can you guys do a video on the challenges to get motorcycle and license?
Conquering southern China was incredible, think I'll be contributing to the next one. Just waiting for pay day... stay awesome
I just love watching your shows!!! I will never visit China simply because I would starve within a week lol. Thank you SO MUCH for taking all of us with you and bringing China to me. My only complaint is I wish you posted new videos more often lol, like every day. I know that's not feasible obviously, you have to live your lives too! I just really enjoy your content and can never get enough honestly.
Now you have plenty more reasons not to go to China
Been there very delicious burger thanks guys for the videos. I have been coming to China for the last four years and your videos help me learn even more thanks
I love these candid conversations you guys do. Keep speaking the truth about it here.
Over the past couple of years I've made quite a few Chinese friends, and it's really increased my interest in going to China. I'll have a friend or two to guide me through their part of the country, but I have no idea how I'll get around the rest of it!
After watching ummm... dozens of your videos, I have to say... I am changing. My mind is being opened, and my biases disappearing. It's not that we are better than they are. We are just different. I am beginning to appreciate the many differences. Thank you, guys.
Bizarre Love Triangle kicking in at 8:50 in the background synced up really well to the conclusion of the video. I thought you guys added it in yourselves for a second.
I love you guys. Always coming up with new stuff that I didn't realize I wanted to know!
Interesting and a relevant video topic keep up the good work and nice job finishing your vegetables C Milk you can have some desert.
great topic to cover so please keep coverage on this topic
Yoooooo at 1:44 I can see my old apartment building in the background! I used to always go to see world until I moved to Canada. Awesome place though!
Your vids are so addictive fellas, I’m just loving them,! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍👍🇬🇧
Hell yeah, you guys are halfway to the goal with thirty days to go. I got a feeling that you're gonna make a stretchgoal or two. Keep up all the great work!
I just discovered you guys and have been binging on a lot of your videos. Keep up the good work! Watching your bike tours and listening to your conversations is so interesting and also very relaxing. It really makes me want to visit China again, though :)
you guys are really awesome to join and watch.
Thanks for reminding us about the Kickstarter. I went over to the project and decided to go with the 18 pound pledge. I think you guys are doing great work and I hope you make your goal.
Amazing, thank you!
been binge watching your videos for a few days, mainly just out of curiosity about the culture. great work, keep it up! love it!
you guys make me feel hungry. but I am amazed that these videos are done in one take.
Love the channel, awesome work guys! Can you explain the funny nicknames or link to another vid? Good stuff.
You guys always put a lot of effort in your videos.
Hey guys, great show again. I got so excited about seeing a box of corn flakes in Beijing back in 2009 another Aussie mate laughed and said, "shit mate, you have been living out in the provinces for a while." I was living in Ningxia, Yinchuan on the weekends but working further North than Alashan, Inner Mongolia. Funny to laugh about now. Keep doing your thing. I like watching your shows and have travelled most of China since 2007 so probably have seen some more back water places than most of the complainers.
Great vids guys, as a foodie always like seeing these parts of your experiences over there. cheers
6:45 what video is this from? I'd love to see it.
Same here
I can tell just by looking and listening that that burger is amazing :D
I've been living in NYC my whole life. Some Chinese(NOT ALL OF THEM) but many of them would stay in their chinese bubble. They live in Chinatown and flushing which are predominant chinese areas. In school they would only group with their chinese friends. I have absolutely no problem with staying cultural but life Is extremely difficult to live a life in a bubble when you live is such a culturally mixed city.
I'm not in America, but I would guess they are from Fujian, those guys are low class both in China and within Chinese community in America.....
bird718 Let me clarify. I'm talking in a student point of view. I'm currently in high school. In my perspective the people who stay in bubble make it difficult for others to work with them. I live in queens and my high school is very diverse meaning that sometimes it's good to communicate and work with someone who is not chinese. They would often avoid making contact with non chinese people. You aren't even understanding the point, the problem isn't the places they frequent, the problem is the lack of exposure to other things. I'm not talking about a tired 35 year old worker who goes straight home after work just to get some rest but I'm specifically talking about those who try too hard to avoid anyone who isn't chinese or who only look for employment where only chinese people work despite how inconvenient it is. I apologize for not being clear and I'm sorry for offending you. Ps my family and I do take yearly road trips from nyc to L.A stopping by many places along the way.
bird718 I get what you are saying. Flushing=chinese people
Corona=Hispanics
Certain parts of the bronx=Black people.
I get it. I'm talking about just avoiding everything else that isn't your own. What made you think I only hanged out with people with my skin color or such. I have black friends, white friends ( I'm not white myself), Hispanics. I am friends with all types of people. I'm not saying "go eat Mexican food because you have to get cultured". Just don't plainly avoid everyone else who isn't your race just because you want to stay in your bubble. There is a difference between having chinese friends because you are chinese and being friends with Chinese people because you only want chinese people. May I ask which part of nyc do you live in?
@scariot: chinese come to school to study, not to hang out. Because after graduation they need to get to Harvard and Yale
bird718 o don't think he's arguing for diversity but integration. it's actually pretty stupid that we don't make integration mandatory. everywhere outside the West requires integration to be successful. the problems that come with not integrating are a lot worse then the discomfort of telling immigrants to learn English and follow the American way of life.
Damn, that Burger looks amazing...
It was
Your best sit in video! Nicely done! Stay awesome! :)
At least online shopping is extremely popular here in China so you might just order coffee online when you don't live in a large city. However, keep in mind that if you don't live in urban area you'll have to go miles away to grab your order and even if you are in urban you might still have to walk a bit in order to get what you ordered. That's at least better than having to travel to another city, of course.
Just an FYI, I just got back from Dalian, Yantai, and Qingdao. Those cities all had plenty of western goodies like coffee and burgers. But you can go just 20 minutes out and you guys are exactly right.
Where in Qingdao have you found good western food, I have tried a few places, but not anything quality yet.
Thanks guys awesome work...
Just purchased Conquering South China from Vimeo. Can't wait to watch it.
Great truths. Awesome video about the foreign bubble concept.
How about an episode on the "Best Chicken Feet" offered (if chicken feet can be classified as "real food")?
FYI, love your videos, stay awesome and interesting.
Are you going to put out CSC or CNC on DVD? Many of us have limited bandwidth and can not download a large video. I would be more than happy to order a DVD. Up in the mountains where I live bandwidth is limited to what your 4G phone provides.
1:23 what is that "hand" that is hanging in the background at the meat disk? Eh...?
you two blokes turn out some really good videos
I was in Hangzhou in 2012 and they already had amazing Western food over there, including a very impressive Spanish restaurant.
Very accurate video.I really think that this is something often missed by a lot of people. If you add the populations of all tier 1 and tier 2 cities together you get around 250 million people. The rural population of a lot areas are in those numbers, but ignoring that, you are still left with over a billion people in china living in tier 3 or below. The overwhelming majority of china's population lives in the rural areas and "urbanized" truck cities Winston and C-milk drive through on their bikes. I live in a city of 5 million people in central china and I see goats, chickens, and cows everyday here. Despite it's "urban population" it is still very, very rural. Edit: And no, you are not going to get starbucks, heineken, or good western food in these places.
You guys need to do more travelling. Tier 2 and to some extent Tier 3 cities will have places like that. I live in Nanjing and before that Suzhou and they have loads of places like that. I lived in Foshan in Guangdong and there are loads there too. Before that I was in Jiaxing, Zhejiang and there are less western style things there but still some. Hangzhou has loads. Ningbo too. My point being is that claiming that you can only get that sort of food in tier1 cities simply isn't true.
that's right, such foreign things even exist in 4tier cities..there is also many kfc starbucks nike pizzahut etc..maybe not many high quality western food restaurant, but they can't say it doesn't exist, of course few than 1 or 2tier cities, maybe they just travel in 1tier cities and rural areas..
I think you know that mentioning kfc and pizzahut as examples really doesn't help make your case that there is decent western food available in 4th tier cities. It isn't even decent food here in America. I've traveled a bit in China and if decent western food exists in 4th tier cities I never saw it. I'm not saying it doesn't exist but it is rare enough that I would have to work really hard to find it. Which I wouldn't do because Chinese food is so awesome.
C-milk lives in a 3rd tier city
Maybe the two guys are living inside their own bubbles. Anyway, China is such a big country that pretending to know all about China is a little silly.
Exactly, I don't hate these guys, but sometimes they speak with such ignorance... Like if somehow Shengzhen is the center of China. They seriously need to start traveling to other Chinese cities and not pretending like it's only Shengzhen and the rural country.
Nice watch Winston. May I ask what brand it is?
The view of the city at night... Incredible! (2.33)
Is the western owned restaurant by the old Churchill garage still open?
Whoa I'm blown away China actually has a burger restaurant like the one you're eating in. All my experiences in Nanjing so far have been Chinese-ified Western food and I just didn't think it was possible to have a good Western food experience whatsover. I guess that's the power of first tier cities, such a big difference from the second tier lol
Pet Shop Boys playing in the background near the ending. Pretty cool.
love the new order in the background from the 9min mark
My 7 years in China can been divided roughly as 10% in 1st tier cities, 60% in 2nd tier cities, and 30% in rural towns and villages far away from any city. I totally agree with what you guys say about the difference between 1st tier cities and rural China. However, you seem to have missed the fact that 2nd tier cities in China today can have many of the same amenities (and quality Western food) as 1st tier cities. That burger you're eating, for example, can definitely be found in cities other than just Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
What's the name of the video they're talking about at 6:30?
I used to live just a 10-15 minute walk away from Sea World, and until you mentioned that Subway, I completely forgot about it, but now I remember having gone there once or twice. Mostly I at Sea World though I just went to McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts. I haven't been there in more than 4 years, and I know there's been a lot of redesigning, so I don't know if they're still there, but I bet they are. I pretty much grew up in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, but living in Shekou I didn't get as much of an immersed experience as I could have, I think. I'm still working on my Chinese back in the US though, so I haven't lost it all yet. I love your videos
I am a German guy living in Harbin, and I have to say there are not many Germans here, not even foreigners. Most of them are from Russia! Is anyone watching from Harbin? Just curious ;). 我是德国人住在哈尔滨。 在这儿外国人很少，大多数是俄罗斯人。 这里有哈尔滨人吗。我也有一些哈尔滨的视频。 Best wishes from Harbin, love your vids guys!
I'm in Daqing, but I'm not German I'm Canadian. lol
I like your variation of topics
Checked out the American visit this morning with the In & Out, and now with that amazing looking burger, I have In & Out double double on the way for dinner!
Is that a Mass Effect leather jacket at 6:43?
Any restaurant that has New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" playing in the background has to be a seriously cool place!
+ADVChina:
Can I get a burger like that in Hong Kong, still? Or can you still find British foods like: Bangers and Mash in Hong Kong?
This video shows one aspect of "The Two Chinas" .. Thanks for sharing this with us, it was nice to see that for the Westerners who have dedicated their lives to living in China there are reminders of what they might be missing "from home".
Damn you Winston that Burger made me hungry. Its after 2am here In San Francisco and I am going to go fry one up and eat it watching more ADVChina videos! :) :)
Second tier cities have this sort of stuff too! I lived in Xiamen for a month and there were plenty of nice Western style restaurants, cocktail bars, bakeries, even a Canadian guy running a waffle stand on the street. I think it's a nice balance in a second tier city like that because it's hard to get stuck into a foreigner bubble due to the low foreign population and catering/pandering but there's good choice available if you want it. The Swiss bakery we found downtown was just amazing, definitely a godsend for those who get homesick...
+Hyderomastgroningem that's only because Xiamen is a massive tourist city
That seems like a nice place. Great drone footage in this one.
I think the reason why Winston and C milk think this kind of western restaurants only exist in several first tier cities is because Winston lives in a first tier city of course and C milk lives in a third tier city, that's why I think they have no idea what a second tier city is like. I'm taking about cities like Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan etc. I think the main difference between first tier city and second tier city is the level of internationalization. Because I began to dine in this sort of restaurant when I was in elementary school. And right now I can't think of how many this kind of restaurant has opened in my city.
Z. Wei I
I've spent some time in Wuhan, Chengdu, and Chongqing. I didn't remember many western restaurants besides McDonald's, Starbucks, Burger King, etc. Chengdu has some Australian steak bars at their malls? That's not really what they're talking about. I'd prefer zero western restaurants.
Huizhou is not even a 3rd tier city.
There used to be some really good foreign owned restaurants in Qingdao. Not sure if they're still there, but after living in rural Jiangsu for a year (Xuyi County), they were bleeding amazing. You'll never understand how good McDonalds is until you haven't been able to have it for 2 years
Can you guys talk about 2nd tier cities? You have talked about 1st and 3rd, but what's in between?
You can get some pretty nice burgers & great coffee in Suzhou, too!
Though I guess that's kinda close to Shanghai...
New order, Bizarre love triangle - extended dance remix playing in the background towards the end. Love it
ADVChina, What happens if the kick started doesn't get funded, would you start a new kickstarter to gather as much funds as possible and then plan the trip accordingly to the funds?
6:25 ... and Chengdu. You do get a burger like this in Chengdu, at Red Beard Burgers.
Well, I think it's the same in a lot of countries. In the north part of my country they have a celebration kind of 'Día de los Muertos' which the rest of the country doesn't share. The southern part of my country is different also in many aspects and the same goes for the place I live. Good video guys!
You can get good coffee in China but you have to go to Hainan to get it. In Hainan they grow very good quality coffee and also serve it in some places.
I seriously love your Mass Effect N7 jacket....
How much did the food cost? I noticed the ad outside of a restaurant for 100 RMB or $14.55 US. How much were your meals?
What was the cost of that meal?
Probably 100-150 RMB. I am guessing 60-80 RMB for the burger, and 40 RMB for the salad.
The Burger was 90RMB and the coke was 30RMB so 120RMB per person basically
Salad was 78, burger was 90 coke was 30 each
So like 220 rand
Doesn't sound too bad for the quality.
just one thing, about 55% Chinese citizens live in the cities.
Yes, but only about 10% of Chinese citizens live in a highly developed "1st tier city". The other 45% live in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th tier cities.
Your description of the Tier 3 that C Milk lives in makes me think Suzhou is overdue a tier upgrade.
isn't Suzhou Tier II?
I think you're right. I had always assumed it was Tier 2, but I saw something recently where it said Suzhou was Tier 3. Clearly got mixed up somewhere. Tier 2 definitely makes more sense.
are condoms safe to buy or are they almost all knockoffs like western alcohol
Mighty Gorge they are knockoffs, each condom has a hole poked through the tip
I liked the scene where local people stare at you setting up the drone.
Guys, nice video. Really enjoyed it. What is your guys take on how these western restaurants in Shikou, or Laowai Jie in Shanghai will be impacted when the new class ABC visa rules take place? Might we see a drop in quality, of both food and service.
I live in Jilin and we have 2 foreign restaurants owned by foreigners and they are amazing. Jilin is a tier 3/4 city but we have some access to foreign food here. It is really nice to have a solid burger and some bourbon after work. Shopping for foreign food however is a chore.
You guys ever go to Changsha, i would advise you to try Crave deli and bar, or Mega, both have great burgers, both foreign owned and run.
1st AND 2nd tier cities have foreign owned (or at least foreign managed) western restaurants and loads of cafes with decent coffee. Maybe 10 years ago it was only the 1st tier but these days I'm pretty sure you can find 'bubbles' in all the tier 2 cities as well.
Dude! I used to perform (music) at Baia Burger! 2nd level near the boat in SeaWorld. Crazy
You guys live in different cities... how far apart are you guys? Thanks
is there a 'good fellas' bar nearby?