Whether you’re attracted by the culture, the history, the heritage, the arts or the simple idea of having a new and exciting employment experience, making the move to China will be a decision you won’t regret.
Athena Academic English centers are located in some of China’s most interesting and important cities. Find out about our locations below.
As China's biggest city, Shanghai is one of the jewels of Asia. The two sides of the Huangpu River present stark contrasts. The Western side of the river, Puxi, shows Shanghai’s historic past with the French Concession, the Bund, and the many ancient gardens and temples that still attract thousands of tourists each year. The Eastern side across the water, Pudong, shows the modern high rises; the Pearl Oriental Tower, the Jing Mao Building and the Shanghai Tower. The futuristic skyline is an iconic image that represents the growth that China has been experiencing during the last decade.
Our Athena centers are located in some key areas of Shanghai. Our downtown center is located near the ancient Jing'an Temple and the West Nanjing Road, and our Pudong center is in Tangqiao, within easy reach of the bustling financial center of Shanghai and Century Park. We also have locations in Songjiang, an area known to be the cultural root of Shanghai, with history dating back almost 7,000 years.
As China's biggest city, Shanghai is one of the jewels of Asia. The two sides of the Huangpu River present stark contrasts. The Western side of the river, Puxi, shows Shanghai’s historic past with the French Concession, the Bund, and the many ancient gardens and temples that still attract thousands of tourists each year. The Eastern side across the water, Pudong, shows the modern high rises; the Pearl Oriental Tower, the Jing Mao Building and the Shanghai Tower. The futuristic skyline is an iconic image that represents the growth that China has been experiencing during the last decade.
The city is split into several districts. Our centers are located in Nanshan District, where the port and many foreign businesses, bars and residences are located. The main CBD is located in Futian and Luo Hu Districts, and you’ll find that the small villages and beaches in Yantian District and Dapeng are great places to explore on your off days. There are several suburbs in the North of the city, while Hong Kong, Macau and the nearby Zhuhai are easy escapes from if you want to get away from Shenzhen for a weekend.
One of China’s oldest cities, Ningbo has had one of the busiest ports in China since the Tang Dynasty, and during the Qing Dynasty was labeled as a center for craftsmanship and industry. 140 miles south of Shanghai, and on the Southern edge of the Yangtze Delta, the city has grown into one of the most competitive economies in modern China. The outer regions of the city hold beautiful mountain ranges, lakes and historical sites, while the centre of town holds interesting museums, galleries, shopping plazas and the busy bar and restaurant area, Lao Wai Tan.
Ningbo is the birthplace of Athena Academic English, and 2 of Athena’s centers in Ningbo are located on campus at our affiliated HD International Schools. The first is on the HD campus in the Haishu district, near the lively Tianyi Square, and the second is at the Yinzhou campus. Also in Yinzhou we have an off-campus center in the quickly developing Cultural Plaza area.
Hangzhou is situated at the head of Hangzhou Bay and at the Southern tip of the Grand Canal. The host of the 2016 G20 and soon to be the host of the 2022 Asian Games, the city is developing quickly and moving more and more globally renowned. One of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China, it was the capital of both the Wuyue Kingdom and the Southern Song Dynasty. The city has been attracting tourists for so long that Marco Polo even wrote a description of the city as "greater than any in the world".
Our Athena center is located just a few metro stations away from the most recognizable site in Hangzhou, the UNESCO World Heritage site, the West Lake. The center is within easy reach of sites such as the Six Harmonies Pagoda, the Xixi National Wetland Park, and the Zhejiang Museum, and for excursions outside the main city you can go to the Tangqi Old Town in the north of the city, or travel on the bullet train to canal city Suzhou or nearby Shanghai within a couple of hours
The experience of living and teaching in China can be a life changing one. You may be here for 1 year or 10, but throughout your time in China you will find that the people you meet and the experiences you have here are full of surprises.
Your employment with Athena will give you a chance to meet interesting people both from China and from other native-English speaking countries. They can help you in your first few weeks with finding a place to live, getting to know the area, trying local foods and generally getting comfortable with the job and with your new surroundings. Your center will hold a range of events for students or for staff that can give you new experiences and allow you to venture out into your cities to try new things, whether it’s trying traditional Chinese teas, or having a go at cutting edge virtual reality technology.
Chinese New Year and the China’s National Day provide staff with our longest holidays of the year, and if you’re into travel, there are a wealth of opportunities to tick off places on your bucket list both within our Athena cities and throughout the rest of China, and with Asia on your doorstep there are plenty of places to fill up your vacations.
Yoman
Coming to China means getting to experience a bit of the old and new. There’s not many places where you can eat freshly shucked grilled oysters while sipping on a beer on a street corner at 2:00 am. Or if you prefer, ordering the same oysters and beer from your smart phone and having it delivered to your home. Coming to China means living on the forefront of the future, while maintaining many parts of its past. There’s only one place where this yin and yang exists, and that’s China.
~ (Associate Head Teacher)
Matt
"I intended to come to China for a couple of years, to see new places and to grow in my career. I've been here for nearly a decade, and now China feels like my home. To me, China is more than just the sites and the places. The people and way of life can get under your skin and the more you get to know of the language, the culture and the food, the more lifelong friendships you'll build, and the more comfortable and relaxed you'll be here. My local friends now tell me 'you're so Chinese', and I take that as a compliment"
~ (Academic Operations Manager)
Jack
"I have spent nine years in China and thoroughly enjoyed them all. The mixture of history and modernity is an appealing contrast and it's easy to have a gregarious and fun social life. The cost of living is an appealing plus and for language lovers the chance to tackle and master mandarin is an enticing and worthwhile challenge. The career path I have chosen has given me years of joy and reward. Education is held by all Chinese in high regard and the sense of job satisfaction is what has kept me here through almost a decade. However my journey here is still not done and I encourage you to take the jump for yourself. You won’t regret it."
~ (Head Teacher, Hangzhou)
Megan
"China is a country of diverse cultures and traditions. I feel I can learn something new about the place I'm living in every day. Even though Chinese food is popular in most countries, nothing beats the real thing and you won't be stuck searching for variety! The country is truly colossal and has so many beautiful locations you can travel to. I challenge anyone to come here and not be able to experience something new."
~ (Teacher)
Living costs in China can vary from city to city. Here are some of the approximate average living costs in Shanghai, which is generally regarded as one of the most expensive cities in China.
Typical Supermarket Costs
Other Typical Costs
(Based on January 2019 prices and exchange rates)
