Jeroen (Sem 2, 2024)

My Exchange at Peking University

I initially found out about the semester exchange opportunity through an information session hosted in the Law Faculty by 360 International. There, the team introduced a variety of universities participating in the exchange programme, and the website provided some brief information about each host university.

My first impression when arriving in Beijing was that the size of the city and the university was beyond what I initially imagined. I also realised that the city is very densely populated, making it hard to get around during rush hour, the weekends, or public holidays. However, this dense population has opened up many businesses all over the city, making purchasing necessities and food very easy.

Accommodation would be the most challenging part for me during this programme. The host university did not provide accommodation, so I had to find accommodation myself. I rented a studio apartment from an agent and was fortunate enough to have the apartment within walking distance of the campus. This ordeal could be incredibly challenging for people who do not speak Mandarin as it is highly unlikely that the agents speak English and would have to rely on translation software, which may not be entirely accurate.

The cost of living is extremely low when compared to Auckland. The rule of thumb I live by here is that approximately 1 New Zealand dollar has the same purchasing power as 1 Chinese Yuan, despite the currency conversion difference. On average, I would say that the cost of living is approximately four times less than in Auckland.

Although I did sign up for various extracurricular activities (such as the badminton and hiking clubs), I found it challenging to keep up with club activities due to my plans to travel around China. Travelling in China is comparatively cheap, and the country has much to offer.

Campus life is a very unique experience compared to New Zealand. The campus has access control, so the general public cannot enter. Various services are available on campus, such as cafes, printing shops, barbers, canteens, convenience stores, and supermarkets. The campus also houses an impressive range of architecture, from modern to traditional Chinese-style buildings. The campus is very close to nature in the sense that there is a dense layer of greenery all around and a lake on campus.

Food in China is incredibly diverse, reflecting the country’s vast geography and rich culinary traditions. One of the biggest draws for food lovers is how affordable it can be; local restaurants, night markets, and street vendors offer delicious meals at just a fraction of the cost compared to New Zealand. The on-campus canteens also boast a variety of food from all parts of China and can cater to people with specific dietary restrictions. Canteen food is typically cheaper than eating at a restaurant by about 20%.

A significant highlight for me was interacting with a range of people from different countries. Each individual brings a unique perspective to discussions, and their input has allowed me to consider many issues from various perspectives. Another highlight for me is the travelling I have done around China. I visited 10 major cities in China and managed to squeeze in at least one major tourist destination within Beijing every fortnight. These travel experiences have led me to understand the rich Chinese culture and modern societal development.

My key challenge was writing my research papers as part of the course requirements. The legal resources available in China are minimal; this starkly contrasts with New Zealand, a common law country, where precedent cases are crucial to legal research and litigation. Furthermore, many of the articles and journals I found using the Host University database were in Chinese. I ended up using the University of Auckland database for most of my research due to the lack of local information.

Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

• Learning Chinese law was a very unique experience, given its comparatively short judicial history. It is interesting to see how rapidly the legislative system and judicial structures have shifted in such a short amount of time to adapt to societal changes. Furthermore, being a civil law country, the law is highly prescriptive, attempting to cater to a wide range of situations.
• In contrast, as a common law country, New Zealand relies heavily on judicial precedents and case law, allowing for a more flexible and evolving interpretation of legal principles. This difference made studying Chinese law particularly fascinating, as its codified nature emphasizes legislative intent and detailed statutory provisions. In contrast, New Zealand’s system often grants courts significant discretion in shaping legal outcomes. 

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

• The campus has a wide range of clubs which hold regular activities and meetings. In particular, I found the hiking club and badminton club very enjoyable. However, those who do not speak or understand Chinese may find it difficult to engage in club activities.
• The campus has a wide range of facilities available for students to book through the university’s portal. These facilities include badminton courts, basketball courts, tennis courts, table tennis courts, and gymnasiums.

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

1. Learn some basic conversational Mandarin, this would be very useful when navigating around China as well as completing any administrative tasks and using local mobile applications.
2. For the fall semester, Autumn is comparatively short in China. When packing, prioritise more winter gear. Autumn temperatures are comparable to a New Zealand winter. Winter in China ranges from -10 degrees at night to a high of 6 degrees during the day.
3. Make sure that you download all necessary apps before departing New Zealand (especially VPN apps). Although Apple App Store works in China, people with Android phones will find that Playstore does not work.

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

As I lived off-campus and in an area close to campus, rent was relatively high. Accommodation would cost approximately 7,000 CNY per month (including utilities). 80 CNY daily is sufficient for food expenses as I mainly ate at the school canteen or local restaurants. High-end restaurants would be significantly more expensive and Western food may be comparable to New Zealand in price. In total, 10,000 CNY per month is sufficient to live a comfortable life in Beijing.

Shopping is a huge expenditure for me. Goods are extremely cheap in China, and delivery is very fast (usually about 12 hours). I initially budgeted approximately 1,000 CNY per month for shopping, but this was extremely optimistic.

Travel is another huge expenditure for me. For each trip, I would set aside 3,000 CNY. This would include return flights or high-speed rail tickets, accommodation, attraction tickets, and food.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

One of the most significant aspects of my exchange in Beijing was witnessing firsthand China’s rapid technological advancement and how deeply integrated technology is in daily life. From cashless transactions and AI-driven services to high-speed rail and smart city infrastructure, China’s technological ecosystem is years ahead of what I have experienced in New Zealand. The seamless use of digital payments, facial recognition for public transport, and highly efficient logistics networks highlighted how innovation can drive convenience and efficiency on a national scale. Compared to China, New Zealand still relies heavily on traditional banking systems and physical infrastructure, and there is much to learn about adopting technology to streamline public services and business operations.

Ultimately, my exchange broadened my perspective on the role of technology in shaping the future of law, business, and governance. While New Zealand prides itself on innovation, there is a significant gap in the adoption and integration of cutting-edge technology compared to China.

Is there any advice you could share about accommodation options at your host university and/or in the local area?

I lived off-campus as the host university did not provide any accommodation. There is a portal where you can apply for on-campus accommodation, but this is strictly on a first-in, first-serve basis, and spaces are extremely limited. When I attempted to apply, the available rooms disappeared within a minute of them being released.

I arrived in Beijing a week in advance to sort out my accommodation arrangements. I stayed in a hotel before starting to look for an apartment. I found my apartment through a listing. I got in touch with the listing agent, and I saw the apartment the same day. In China, rent is paid on a monthly basis. Typically, agents require a month’s rent as bond and 1 or 2 months of rent in advance. Agents would also charge a monthly agent’s fee which is about 10% of the monthly rent.

When seeking off-campus accommodation, you must register your accommodation with the local police station. The agent will provide the necessary website information as well as any documents you may need to submit.

Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?

Avoid travelling in tour groups if possible. Tour group prices tend to be high, and the schedule is incredibly packed. Furthermore, some tour groups are known for pressuring their customers into purchasing merchandise at markets, on which they earn a commission.

Do you have any advice on what mobile phone apps and/or phone plans that were useful in your host country?

• MeiTuan for bike rentals, food, groceries, and other goods delivery (usually delivered within half an hour).
• WeChat for communication, payment, and scanning QR codes. All payments are handled digitally by scanning QR codes. QR codes are also used to launch WeChat mini-apps. These mini-apps may be used by restaurants for you to order food for dine-in or by tourist attraction offices for you to book tickets.
• AliPay for payments. This is similar to WeChat for payment for scanning QR codes, but they offer a more convenient payment platform for merchants as there is a feature where you can tap your phone to pay. You can also use the AliPay platform to launch mini-apps for ordering at restaurants or purchasing tickets. AliPay can also be used for transport as the app can generate QR codes for you to take the subway or bus. Alipay can generate these QR codes for any city in China so long as you change the location settings. AliPay also supports bicycle rentals.
• DianPing for finding restaurants and coupons.
• RedNote for travel itinerary planning.
• Trip.com or ctrip.com (Chinese version) for buying plane or train tickets, booking hotels, and purchasing attraction tickets. They also offer some itinerary planning services.
• Amap for navigation. Google maps does not work in China. Amap is highly advanced and caters for China’s highly developed infrastructure and public transport.
• DiDi for booking taxis. Essentially, this is similar to Uber. DiDi also offers bicycle rentals.
• JD for online shopping.
• TaoBao for online shopping.
• PKU app for University-related matters (such as booking facilities, checking grades, etc).
• LetsVPN for VPN connection. I personally found that this worked better than Surfshark.

China currently does not support eSIM; only physical SIM cards are available. About a week before the semester starts, phone companies near the school campus begin offering special deals for students. These phone companies also have branches on-campus which offer the same deals.

For 500 CNY, you are able to get a year-long plan with about 50GB of data and 200 minutes per month. At the end of a semester exchange, you can have the other half refunded to you, however, you would lose your number.

For many apps and services, your phone number would be bound and would be used to log in. For those people returning to China in the future, I would advise that they keep their number for the entire year (it is still cheaper than paying monthly) and change to a cheap plan (about 8 CNY per month) to keep the number.