Living in China

So you’ve been looking for ways to stay in China long-term, and you’ve happened across the D visa. It’s for people who intend to reside permanently in China. Excellent. You can just get that then . . .

Want to type Chinese characters using Pinyin? Then we heartily recommend Sogou Pinyin, downloadable here - look for the big friendly “S” bursting out of the cardboard box if you can’t read the Chinese for ‘Download Now’. It’s streets ahead of Microsoft’s increasingly tired looking input method, and will remember words you type often and [...]

If you’re looking for sample papers for the HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, or Chinese Level Test) exam, they’re available on the official HSK site. Samples for the Elementary / Intermediate exam can be found in PDF format on the HSK site (scroll down . . . ), and you’ll be able to find the others [...]

So you’re set to move to China and you’re wondering how you might make a buck in the process? Reasonable enough. Some ideas . . .

The best Chinese dictionary for PDA is Plecodict, from the lovely people at Pleco.com - it might look a little pricey, but you get an easy to use dictionary engine, a range of dictionaries to choose from, and the best handwriting recognition in the business - oh, and did we mention . . .