Beijing is the capital of China, the political and cultural center of China, and Shanghai is the financial and trade center of China. Both cities are very important in China. So for international students, should they choose to study in Shanghai or Beijing? My mother is Chinese and I have been in China for 8 years. I am familiar with both Beijing and Shanghai so I will compare the two cities from the aspects of the economy, climate, education, dialect, religion, public transportation, population, and so on for your reference!
1. Higher Education
Beijing: As of 2017, there were 92 colleges/universities in Beijing, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University, and other most famous universities in China. Beijing is the center of colleges and universities in China, gathering the largest number of key universities in China. (Top 10 Universities in Beijing)
Shanghai: By the end of the 2020 academic year, there are 63 ordinary colleges/universities in shanghai. Famous universities are Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, Tongji University, etc. (Top 10 Universities in Shanghai)
Which city is better to study, Beijing or Shanghai? Beijing!
2. Economics
Beijing: In 2020, Beijing achieved a regional GDP of 3,610.26 billion yuan and a per capita disposable income of 69,434 yuan.
Shanghai: In 2020, the GDP of Shanghai was 3,870.058 billion yuan, and the per capita disposable income of residents reached 72,000 yuan.
Shanghai people have higher incomes and prices are higher in Shanghai.
Which city is better to study, Beijing or Shanghai? If you wanna work in Shanghai after graduation, then choose Shanghai! If not, Beijing is also okay.
3. Public Transportation
Beijing: There are two large airports in Beijing and international railway transportation is developed there. By the end of 2020, there were 1207 public electric bus operation lines. By December 2020, Beijing has operated 24 rail transit lines, with a total mileage of 727 kilometers.
Shanghai: Shanghai Port is one of the largest hub ports in China. There are two large airports in Shanghai, too. There are more than 1,000 bus lines in Shanghai. By January 2021, Shanghai has 19 rail transit lines including subway, light rail, and maglev, with a total operating mileage of 772 kilometers, ranking first in China.
Which city is better to study, Beijing or Shanghai? Both is okay!
4. Location
Beijing: Inland city. Beijing has a mountainous area of 10,200 square kilometers, accounting for about 62% of the total area, and a plain area of 6,200 square kilometers, accounting for about 38% of the total area.
Shanghai: Coastal city. Shanghai is a part of the alluvial plain of the Yangtze River Delta and faces the East China Sea. The average altitude is about 2.19 meters and the highest altitude is 103.70 meters.
Which city is better to study, Beijing or Shanghai? If you like mountains, choose Beijing; If you like the sea, choose Shanghai.
5. Climate
Beijing: Beijing has a warm temperate semi-humid and semi-arid monsoon climate. It is hot and rainy in summer, cold and dry in winter, and short in spring/autumn. The seasonal distribution of precipitation is very uneven, and 80% of the annual precipitation is concentrated in summer. There is snow in winter, and there is a unified supply of heating indoors.
Shanghai: Shanghai has a subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons, sufficient sunshine, and abundant rainfall. Shanghai has a mild and humid climate with short spring/autumn and long winter/summer. More than 60% of the annual rainfall is concentrated in the flood season from May to September. It seldom snows in winter and there is no unified heating supply.
6. Places of Interest
Beijing: Beijing is an ancient capital with a history of more than 3000 years. It is the city with the largest number of world heritage sites (7 places) in the world. There are 7309 cultural relics and historic sites, 99 National key cultural relics protection units, 5 national geoparks, and 15 national forest parks in Beijing. The famous scenic spots are Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Universal Beijing Resort, Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, Olympic Park, and so on.
Shanghai: By the end of 2020, there were 99 Class A scenic spots in Shanghai, including 3 Class 5A scenic spots and 68 Class 4A scenic spots. Famous scenic spots are Shanghai Bund, Yu Garden, Nanjing Road, People's Square, Jingan Temple, Shanghai Disney, Lujiazui, Chongming Island, Zhujiajiao, and so on.
Which city is better to study, Beijing or Shanghai? Beijing!
7. Dialect
Beijing: Easy to understand, with little difference from Mandarin.
Shanghai: It's hard to understand and very different from Mandarin.
Which city is better to study, Beijing or Shanghai? Beijing!
8. Population
Beijing: The total area is 16,410 square kilometers. At 0:00 on November 1, 2020, the permanent resident population of the city was 21.893 million. The population density is not too large.
Shanghai: The total area is 6,340.5 square kilometers. At 0:00 on November 1, 2020, the permanent resident population of the city was 24.8709 million. The population density is large and crowded.
Which city is better to study, Beijing or Shanghai? Beijing!
9. Healthcare
Beijing: By the end of 2020, there were 11,211 medical and health institutions and 304,000 health technicians in Beijing.
Shanghai: By the end of 2020, Shanghai had 5,905 medical and health institutions and 226,400 health technicians.
Which city is better to study, Beijing or Shanghai? Beijing!
10. Religion
Beijing: There are more than 500,000 religious believers in Beijing, accounting for about 4% of the population in Beijing. There are more than 100 places for religious activities in Beijing.
Shanghai: There are 887,600 people with religious beliefs, 394 registered religious venues, 85 religious groups, 4 religious institutions, and 2 religious publishing institutions.
Which city is better to study, Beijing or Shanghai? Shanghai!
