For people in the West, top retirement choices most often include Florida, the south coast of England, or Spain’s Costa del Sol. But as China rises as a superpower, will retirees from abroad flock to settle down here to see out their dotage? We look at the pros and cons of retiring to the Middle Kingdom.

For retirees of the more adventurous kind, moving to a different state and living among other retirees can be akin to a death sentence. If you’re reaching retirement age in the West and are eager for something different, China could be a viable option. Despite China seeming like a foreign, exotic land, parts of the first-tier cities (including Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou) look very much like the West. They have long-standing expatriate communities and excellent facilities including clean, modern hospitals, leisure services and efficient transport systems. There are countless luxury villa compounds and apartment blocks to choose from, and plenty of work teaching English for newcomers who don’t mind working part-time to supplement their income.

Thinking Outside the 1st Tier Box

Outside of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, there are some beautiful parts of China that appeal to retirees. The holiday resort of Sanya on Hainan Island enjoys 25-degree temperatures all year round, and the pretty port of Xiamen has a laid-back atmosphere (the social network retire-in-xiamen.ning.com is a good place to start if you’re considering moving there). Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan Province, is also popular thanks to its temperate climate. However, while more rural parts of China are cheaper and more picturesque, they are also more difficult to navigate without speaking and reading Mandarin, and less geared towards foreigners.

Usually, people who retire to China have either lived here before, visited in the past, or have a long-standing interest in the country and its culture. Even still, arriving as a pensioner can be a challenge. The pace of life is fast in the big cities, and even if you choose to live in a leafy laowai compound in Pudong, you can’t completely escape the chaos. Then there’s the air quality, which is the bane of many an expat’s life. David, a 65-year-old British man who has visited Shanghai and Beijing says: “The thing that puts me off retiring in China is the pollution, the terrible traffic in the big cities, and the healthcare provisions.”

Potential Problems for OAPs

Indeed, although China’s infrastructure has come on in leaps and bounds over the past 30 years, the roads are pretty lawless for motorists and pedestrians alike. Healthcare at Western standards comes with a hefty price tag, as does non-local food if you want to eat it frequently and at good quality restaurants.

The language barrier can be a problem too, especially if retirees are reluctant to pick up Mandarin, or find it difficult to make progress. However, with time and effort, even elderly language students will learn to communicate. One thing most retirees have in abundance is free time, so fitting in language classes either at a school or with a private tutor shouldn’t be a problem.

One of the most significant disadvantages of retiring to China is moving away from your friends and family. Unless your children live there, you forfeit the chance to see your grandkids and extended family. Visits are fun, but will they really be enough? Many people who retire in China are married to a Chinese citizen so their children will grow up knowing their roots.

Bureaucratic Barriers

Legalities are an issue too. Marriage to a Chinese person helps with the official paperwork, but if you’re moving here without a spouse and without a job, securing a long-term visa can be a problem. One way around this is to come on a tourist visa, and apply for an F when you get here using an agency, but this will only be good for six months or a year. If you do part-time work for a company, there’s a chance that they will sponsor you for a work visa, but often the age-limit is 60.

American filmmaker Keva Rosenfeld’s mother-in-law retired to China at the age of 75. Finding it difficult to live comfortably in the USA on Social Security, she moved to Shanghai. Keva made a short documentary called A Trip To Mom to record a trip he took with his wife Karen Murphy to visit her in 2007. Mrs. Murphy has settled well, despite the expected difficulties. About his mother-in-law, Keva says:  “She's gotten used to living in a country where she can't really communicate and doesn't have very many close friends. I would find that really difficult, but she seems not to be so concerned.”

So, really, it all depends on the person. The chances are that a doughty 65-year-old with good health and an adventurous spirit will do well as a retiree in China, as long as they can get a visa. It’s definitely something to bear in mind if you’re pushing retirement age.

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