As 2013 draws to an end, it’s time for a bit of retroflection here at eChinacities. This past year has seen a number of big stories that we’ve written about to provide our readers an insight into Chinese society and culture. To best understand the past year, here are eChinacities’ top 10 Expat Corner articles on as determined by most read by our readers:

Anti-radiation maternity wear. Photo: typepad.com

10. Surprising Things You Didn’t Know Were Once Banned in China – China has come a long way in just the twentieth century alone. These past hundred years has seen many tumultuous changes as regimes fall to new orders that have their own rules. As such, throughout its history China has placed bans upon various items and things deemed as “spiritual pollution” to the Chinese people. These banned items include mahjong, fireworks and dogs and other things that may prove to be surprising to you.

9. 7 Common Scams in China and How to Avoid Them – As wonderful as China is as a place to explore for new arrivals, it remains a place fraught with hidden dangers and pitfalls. Visitors new to China must learn to avoid scams that target tourists and prey upon the good nature of such travelers. This eChinacities repost describes a few of the scams that you must stay on guard against including the teahouse scam, the airport taxi grift, pickpockets and dodgy tour guides.

8. Breaking Your Contract in China: New Consequences for Pulling a “Midnight Run” – We’ve all seen the telltale signs - a sudden disappearance after the last paycheck with no way of keeping in touch. Yes, it’s another expat who has pulled a “midnight run” by bailing upon their employer and leaving before their contract is up. If you are thinking about pulling a similar stunt, here are some points to consider with an article that explores the ramifications of what happens when you break your contract in China.

7. Beginners Guide to Dating in China – New to China and untested in the local methodology of love? Want to know what a relationship in China is like? This article explains the basics of engaging in a romantic relationship with a Chinese person and some of the issues that are involved in such an affair. Do Chinese have sex on the first date? What will her parents think? Are foreigners as “unstable” as many Chinese believe them to be?

6. What’s the Worst that Can Happen? Dumb Things Expats do in China – Notorious acts of misbehaving Chinese tourists came to an apex this year when a Chinese teen defaced an Egyptian relic that is thousands of years old. To provide a balanced perspective, here is a list of dumb things that expats do in China including urinating in public and overstaying your visa.

5. Chinese Beauty Standards and the Pretty Problem – eChinacities author Micah Steffes explores the reigning beauty myth of China and dissects the drive that compels Chinese woman to place such emphasis on their physical looks. Steffes assertion “In China, a young woman's money may be better spent on a new face,” is complemented by the respondent in a survey who summarized a woman’s fear of not being beautiful by saying "Being good-looking is capital." While beauty may be wasted on the youth, everyone seems to be wasting lots of money on being beautiful nonetheless.

4. Why oh Why? 5 Bewildering Chinese Activities Explained – Being a newcomer to China can be bewildering when faced with new phenomenon that you don’t understand. eChinacities author Alisa Zheng explains for us why Chinese bathrooms don’t have toilet paper, why pregnant women are often seen wearing aprons, the appeal of crickets to Chinese, why old people walk backwards in the morning, and why there is an old guy yelling at the top of his lungs in the wee hours of the morning.

3. Q&A on China’s New Exit-Entry Administration Law and Regulations – Want the skinny on the new laws governing foreigner entrance and residence to China? Confused by the ever-shifting sands of legal lingo and immigration ignorance? Here’s a handy guide by Gary Chodorow from the blog Law and Border. Chodorow gives simple answers to your many questions of “Am I allowed to stay here?” and even to the dreaded question “Do I need to make another border run to Hong Kong again?”

2.  Chinese Smartphone Buyer’s Guide for Q1 2013 – Living in China will make us all frugal consumers, and so here is a guide to help you choose the best Chinese cell phone. While many may be enamored with the brand-name offerings that are so popular on the current market, Chinese phones have proven to be resilient on the market with their budget prices and robust features. Worth a look if you are interested in researching Chinese phones for an alternative.

And the #1 pick for most read eChinacities’ Expat Corner article of 2013 is:

10 Habits I Picked Up in China That I'll (Probably) Keep for Life – The top Expat Corner story this year for eChinacities has to do with the long lasting effects that China has imprinted upon our expat souls. China is a country and culture in which extremes often occur from so much moderation; like it or not, China is a “love it or hate it” country. So no matter what your opinions are, here are some of the lasting impressions that stay with us long after we no longer call China our home.

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: best stories of 2013 top eChinacities articles Top 10 Expat Corner Articles for 2013 top 10 list