Shijiazhuang at a Glance

Shijiazhuang can be pronounced in three parts [ shœ-jyah-jwahng ]. Shijiazhuang, abbreviated as "Shi", was formerly known as Shimen. Shijiazhuang was founded as a city in the 14th year of the Republic of China (1925) and was named "Shijia City" at that time. In 1947, "zhuang" was added and it was renamed "Shijiazhuang". In 1968, the capital of Hebei Province moved to Shijiazhuang City.

Where Is Shijiazhuang?

Shijiazhuang is the capital of Hebei Province and in North China and the south-central part of Hebei Province. It is between 37°27′～38°47′ North latitude and 113°30′～115°20′ East longitude.

Population of Shijiazhuang

According to Shijiazhuang Statistical Bulletin of 2019 on National Economy and Social Development, at the end of the year, the city's population was 10.3942 million. The urbanization rate of the population was 65.05%. Besides, the urbanization rate of the registered population was 47.5%.

Weather in Shijiazhuang

Shijiazhuang has a temperate monsoon climate, with four distinct seasons. Rainfall is concentrated in summer and autumn. According to timeanddate, the hottest month is July when the average temperature is 28°C. The coldest month is January and the average temperature is -1°C. There is little precipitation in spring, and the temperature rises rapidly in March and April. In autumn, it is sunny with little rain, moderate temperature and pleasant climate.

How to Get to Shijiazhuang

Shijiazhuang is in the southwest of the capital Beijing and is 264.59 km (164.41 miles) away from Beijing. It takes around 2 hours from Shijiazhuang to Beijing by train.  

Shijiazhuang is one of the railway transportation hubs in China. The Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, Shi-Tai Railway, Shi-De Railway, and Shuo-Huang Railway converge here and the Jing-Guang Railway is the main artery connecting China and foreign countries.

Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport is 32 kilometers away from downtown. Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport an important part of the capital economic circle.

Teach English in Shijiazhuang, Hebei

According to Shijiazhuang Statistical Bulletin of 2019 on National Economy and Social Development, there are 422 high schools with 183,000 students, 547,000 students and 173,000 graduates. There are 138 secondary vocational schools with 76,000 students, 219,000 students and 61,000 graduates. There are 1,445 primary schools with 171,000 students, 942,000 students and 118,000 graduates. There are 24 special education schools with 548 students enrolled, 2,139 students and 168 graduates. There are 1,744 kindergartens with a total of 32 million people. The consolidation rate of nine-year compulsory education is 98.54%, and the gross enrollment rate of high school is 94.7%.

International Schools Jobs in Shijiazhuang

According to 'Shijiazhuang City&Salary 2020 Research Report', there are about 10 international schools in Shijiazhuang. 

International schools' job openings account for 45% of all foreign teachers' job opportunities. ESL teachers account for the largest number of all the categories of jobs looking for foreign teachers in international schools and the percent is around 38%. 

Click and check more information about these top international schools with TTJ:

• St. Bees School Shijiazhuang

Kindergarten Jobs in Shijiazhuang

The demand for foreign teachers as kindergarteners in Shijiazhuang is relatively small. Only one kindergarten is registered in TTJ's system which is called SAINTACH Kids. It is a kindergarten that builds its system based on Montessori. Besides, the aim of this kindergarten is to shape kids to become responsible, confident, tolerant citizens. The total amount of job opportunities from kindergartens in Shijiazhuang only accounts for  11% of all job openings for foreign teachers.

Training Centre Jobs in Shijiazhuang

According to 'Shijiazhuang city&salary 2020 research', three training centres have been included in TTJ. Compared with international schools and kindergarten, the kinds of jobs from training centres mainly focus on ESL teachers. All of the job openings collected by TTJ are ESL teachers. Training centres job opportunities account for around 45% of all foreign teachers' job opportunities. The numbers of jobs for ESL teachers in training centres account for 73% of all ESL teaching opportunities in Shijiazhuang. For example, Ellson English Training Centre Shijiazhuang is a training centre in Shijiazhuang that is registered in the TTJ system, which aims at offering high-end ESL courses to kids aged from 3-15.

How Much Do You Get Paid to Teach in Shijiazhuang?

According to 'Shijiazhuang City&Salary 2020 Research Report', the average monthly basic salary of international schools in Changchun is the highest among the three school categories. International school jobs pay around ¥22,000 ($3,143) a month, and the average maximum monthly salary reaches ¥25,000 (＄3,571). Subject teachers such as Science&Engineering teachers, Music&Arts teachers and Sports teachers can on average earn more per month than ESL teachers and Homeroom teachers per month.

Jobs from kindergartens offer an average lower salary than from international schools. The payment per month in international schools ranges from ¥14,500 ($2071) to ¥21,500 ($3,071). On the high end of the scale, some jobs from kindergartens could pay around ¥21,500 ($3,071) a month for ESL teachers with 3-5 years' experience.

On the low end of the scale, many jobs at training centers pay around ¥16,063 ($2,295) a month for a freshman teacher or an entry-level English teacher with two years experience. 

Shijiazhuang ESL jobs requirements

According to 'Teach in China:36 Cities&Salaries 2020 Research Report', compared with ESL jobs in Tier 2 Cities, the standard of recruitment in Shijiazhuang is not very strict. ESL jobs in Changchun do not ask for applicants to be experienced, but they prefer to choose native English speakers or those who have a great English accent. These jobs may not require a teaching license but a bachelor's degree is necessary. 

Furthermore, around 88% of international schools prefer to accept entry-level teachers who have 1-2 years of teaching experience. One-half of kindergartens require English-native teachers. Moreover, even though training centers are not strict with work experience, they still prefer to choose English-Native speakers. Around 63% of training centers need applicants from English speaking countries.

Living in Shijiazhuang, China

Shijiazhuang is one of the central cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of China. It is the political, economic, technological, financial, cultural and information center of Hebei Province. Coming to Shijiazhuang is a good choice for those who want to practice Mandarin because Shijiazhuang is one of the few cities in China which does not have any accent. There are also many attractions such as the Longxing temple to visit.

Things to Do in Shijiazhuang

There are many places that worth visiting in Shijiazhuang.

Village of Stone 

Location: Jingxing county. 

90% of the villagers in the Village of Stone have the same family name: Yu. They say they are the descendants of Yu Qian, a famous loyal minister in the Ming dynasty.

Rongguofu, where the TV series “A Dream of Red Mansions” was produced in the late 80s.

Temple of Zhaoyun. An old temple in memory of Zhaoyun, who was born in Zhending.

The ancient city of Zhengding. In fact, back in the Han dynasty, it is called zhendin, which was one of the three most important military sites in North of China, the other two were Baoding and Beijing. 

The wheat field. You can find lots of wheat field in the suburbs of Shijiazhuang, in the harvest weeks in every summer (late July or early August), it’s so beautiful to see the vast lands change in the harvest season.

Where to Live in Shijiazhuang

There is no settled place where foreigners prefer to live in Shijiazhuang. Generally, foreigners in Shijiazhuang are international students who study there. They are mostly around universities such as Hebei Medical University and Hebei Normal University. It is also convenient to rent an apartment in Shijiazhuang because there are a lot of agencies for renting apartments there. 

Cost of Living in Shijiazhuang

According to Numbeo, one meal in an inexpensive and local restaurant in Shijiazhuang costs around ¥20. The price of a meal for two people in a middle range restaurant with three courses is about ¥150. It costs ¥2.5 for a one-way ticket. Furthermore, an apartment with one bedroom in the city center costs around ¥1,750 but an apartment with the same size outside of the city center only costs ¥1,300. Normally expats who work here just for a settled time would not choose to buy an apartment here. The price per square meter to buy an apartment in the city center costs ¥19,000.

Shijiazhuang Subway Map

Shijiazhuang City&Salary Report