Au pair in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen
Our host families live all over China, mostly in its four biggest cities. Wherever you go, our Shanghai team is with you.
Where our host families live
Waupair China welcomes au pairs to host families across mainland China, all on a legalX1 or X2 student visa. Most of our families live in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen: big, safe and international cities with excellent public transport, plenty of language schools and lots of other young people from abroad. Some families live in other cities, and many take their au pair along on family holidays around the country.
You don't need to choose a city before you apply. When we introduce you to host families, we tell you exactly where each one lives and what the area is like, so you can pick the family and the city that suit you. Below is a taste of everyday life in each one.
Which city suits you?
- Shanghai if you want an international city that feels easy from day one.
- Beijing if you love history and want to hear the clearest standard Mandarin.
- Guangzhou if food comes first and you prefer warm weather all year.
- Shenzhen if you want a young, modern and green city close to the sea.
Whichever you choose, you live as part of a family, not as a tourist, and that is the best way to really get to know a Chinese city.
Au pair in Shanghai
China’s largest city is international, fast and easy to settle into. Shanghai is also where our headquarters is, so if your host family lives here, our team is never more than a metro ride away. Many families live in leafy compounds in Minhang, Changning, Xuhui and Pudong, close to international schools and parks.
- Explore
- Walk the Bund at night, get lost in the plane-tree streets of the former French Concession and see the skyline from Lujiazui.
- Eat
- Soup dumplings (xiaolongbao), pan-fried buns (shengjianbao) and sweet, rich Shanghainese home cooking.
- Weekend trips
- Canal towns like Zhujiajiao, plus Suzhou’s gardens (about 30 minutes by high-speed train) and Hangzhou’s West Lake (about an hour).
- Good to know
- Hot, humid summers and cool, damp winters. English signs are everywhere on the metro, which is one of the largest in the world.
Read our full Shanghai guide: getting around, free museums, parks and outings with kids.
Au pair in Beijing
Beijing is where imperial China and modern China sit side by side. The Mandarin spoken here is close to the standard Chinese you learn in class, which makes it a great city for fast progress. Families often live in Chaoyang and Shunyi, near international schools, or in the old city close to the hutongs.
- Explore
- The Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the narrow hutong lanes around Houhai.
- Eat
- Peking duck, jianbing pancakes for breakfast and hot pot on cold winter evenings.
- Weekend trips
- Hike a restored section of the Great Wall, such as Mutianyu, or take the 30-minute train to Tianjin.
- Good to know
- Four clear seasons: warm summers, golden autumns and cold, dry winters. Pack a proper winter coat.
Read our full Beijing guide: getting around, free museums, parks and outings with kids.
Au pair in Guangzhou
The capital of Guangdong province is one of China’s great trading cities and the home of Cantonese food. People here speak both Mandarin and Cantonese, so you hear two languages every day. Families often live in Tianhe and Zhujiang New Town, the modern centre along the Pearl River.
- Explore
- Canton Tower, an evening boat on the Pearl River, the colonial buildings of Shamian Island and the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall.
- Eat
- Dim sum at morning tea (zaocha), roast goose and slow-cooked soups. Locals say food is the city’s religion.
- Weekend trips
- Foshan, home of Cantonese opera and kung fu legends, is right next door and connected by metro.
- Good to know
- Subtropical: long, hot and rainy summers and mild winters. Light clothes most of the year.
Read our full Guangzhou guide: getting around, free museums, parks and outings with kids.
Au pair in Shenzhen
In just over 40 years Shenzhen grew from a small town into one of China’s most modern cities. Most people moved here from other parts of China, so Mandarin is the everyday language and newcomers fit in quickly. It is clean, green and young, with families in areas such as Nanshan and Futian.
- Explore
- Lianhuashan Park, the creative OCT Loft district and the bay-side Shenzhen Bay Park.
- Eat
- Food from every corner of China, plus Cantonese seafood and Hakka dishes from the nearby countryside.
- Weekend trips
- The beaches of Dameisha and Xichong, hiking on Wutong Mountain, or Guangzhou about 30 minutes away by train.
- Good to know
- Warm almost all year. Hong Kong is just across the border, but please talk to us before any trip outside mainland China (see below).
Read our full Shenzhen guide: getting around, free museums, parks and outings with kids.
Host families across mainland China
Not every family lives in a big four city. We also welcome au pairs to families in other cities across mainland China. Life there is often calmer and cheaper, and you may be one of only a few foreigners in the neighbourhood, which is great for your Mandarin. The program is exactly the same wherever you live: your language school, insurance, flight reimbursement and education subsidy are all arranged in the same way. If you already have a city in mind, tell us when you apply and we will do our best to introduce you to families there.
Our office in Shanghai
TODTOWN Skyline (天荟悦麟), No. 6333-2 & 6333-4, Hu Min Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 201199, ChinaRight above TODTOWN mall and Xinzhuang metro station (Lines 1 and 5). Let us know before you come and we'll be ready to welcome you. Open in Maps
Getting around China
China is easy to explore once you know a few basics. We go through all of this with you after you arrive.
High-speed trains
China’s rail network links all four cities. Shanghai to Beijing takes about four and a half hours, and short trips like Guangzhou to Shenzhen take around half an hour.
Metro and taxis
Every host city has a large, clean metro with signs in English. Ride-hailing apps like DiDi have an English version too.
Paying with your phone
You pay for almost everything with Alipay or WeChat Pay, and both accept foreign cards. We help you set them up when you arrive.
Trips outside the mainland
Hong Kong, Macau and other countries count as leaving mainland China. Whether you can come back in depends on your visa, so always check with us first.
Supported in every city
Wherever your host family lives, you have the same support. Our team in Shanghai is one message away on WhatsApp, WeChat or email, and we help whenever you or your family reach out. Every host family is interviewed and checked before joining the program, and if a match isn't right, we help you find a way forward, including moving to a new family, even in a different city.
Read more about the program, safety and support andspending a gap year in China.
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