What is it really like living in Jiading (Santu area) as a foreign intern? Worth it or too isolating?
Hi everyone,
I’m a French computer science engineering student and I might spend 4 months (September–December) doing an internship near Shanghai, most likely in Jiading, around the Santu area, and I’m trying to understand what daily life there is actually like.
The company would provide a private room in a Holiday Inn Express and a shuttle bus to/from work, but the internship is unpaid.
I’m seriously considering it because it feels like a rare international experience, but I’m struggling to picture what my life would realistically look like there.
Some context about me:
I’m French and my whole life is currently in France (friends, apartment, routine, comfort zone, etc.)
I’ve already lived abroad alone before (US exchange year at 17)
I also solo traveled around Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia)
I love international experiences and traveling
I’ve been to China before as a kid, but my memories are vague (pollution, huge city, very different atmosphere from Southeast Asia)
I’m half Vietnamese, so Asia doesn’t feel completely unfamiliar to me
What worries me is that this would obviously be very different from backpacking.
I’m scared it could turn into:
work → shuttle → hotel → sleep
for 4 months in an industrial area far from central Shanghai.
So I’m wondering:
What is the Jiading / Santu area actually like for a foreigner? Is it dead/boring or still enjoyable?
Is it realistic to go into central Shanghai often on weekends (or even some evenings), or is it too exhausting?
Is it easy to meet people there as a foreign intern?
Does it feel isolating if you don’t already have a strong social circle?
Is life there modern/convenient enough that daily life feels easy?
Does Shanghai/Jiading still feel polluted/depressing in autumn/winter, or is that an outdated image?
Basically:
Would this feel like a genuinely exciting life experience, or more like being stuck in a business hotel near an industrial zone?
Also, as a young woman, how safe does daily life generally feel in Jiading/Shanghai (public transport at night, walking alone, taxis, etc.)?
I’d really appreciate honest perspectives, especially from expats, interns, or people who’ve lived in Jiading / outer Shanghai.