Tangshan Aston

City:

Tangshan is a major city in Northern China forming a triangle with Beijing and Tianjin.  Here is a classic Chinese city with a vibrant atmosphere, modern downtown area, and numerous regional attractions.

Tangshan is known throughout the country as the site of the great earthquake of 1976.  In the summer of that year the city suffered one of the most devastating natural disasters in all of human history, killing hundreds of thousands and reducing the city to rubble.  Since then the city has rebuilt itself remarkably.   The new infrastructure that was created superseded the original so much so that Tangshan now stands at the forefront among the large and medium sized cities in the country in terms of development.  In 1990 the city received an award from the United Nations for its remarkable achievements in improving the living conditions of its people.

            

The Tangshan of today is one of the most modern metropolises of the North China.  The city has a progressive pulse and incredible energy.  Population numbers around 3 million urban residents, most of who are of Han Chinese decent.  This is a very traditional area of China and the minority population is not high, but very visible in the numerous restaurants and shops run by recent immigrants from Western China.   

Although the physical development of the city is new, traditions run very strong in this city.  This is a great place for enthusiasts of Chinese culture to immerse themselves.  There is incredible opportunity for serious study of language, martial arts, and traditional Chinese arts.  Many of our current and past Western teachers have become heavily involved in these pursuits and it is very easy for new arrivals to benefit from their experience.

Although Tangshan has a relatively low number of resident ex-pats there is a Western style night life in the city.  There are a number of clubs and bars around town which always make for interesting evenings out mingling with the locals.  KTV is everywhere and is a very popular activity in the evenings after dinner.

Tangshan offers traditional Northern Chinese food at its finest.  Lying approximately halfway between Shandong and Beijing, the local cuisine to be found here benefits tremendously from these traditions.  Proximity to the ocean means seafood is also a staple in the restaurants around town.  There are also numerous international restaurants including North American, Italian, and Japanese.  Excellent Korean places are too numerous to count.   

Tangshan is in a well suited location for travel during time off from work.  Beijing, Tianjin, and the beaches of Qinhuang Dao are all less than 2 hours away.  Overnight trains head out to places such as Dalian, Zhengzhou, Shenyang, Hohot, and Shanghai, just to name a few.  There is a major airport servicing the city.

                    


School:

Tangshan Aston began in May of 2004 and continues the Aston tradition of ESL excellence in Northern China.  We are located right in the heart of the city center, just off of the main downtown square.

Our school has a spacious layout and modern design.  As you walk in there is a Reception Area, waiting room, offices, a number of classrooms, and the Teachers¡¯ Lounge.  In the lounge are the teacher¡¯s lockers and storage space, computers, sofa, and plenty of resources to plan and teach lessons.

We have both Chinese and Western management staff.  Currently there are half a dozen Western teaching staff and the same number of professional, full-time Chinese teachers.  


Apartments:

Tangshan Aston has a number of nearby apartments for our Western teachers¡¯ accommodation.  These are all two bedroom, well furnished flats with modern interiors and automatic washing machines.  They come with everything outlined in the contract and internet connection is easily set-up on request.

All of our apartments are located near each other, in a quiet residential area with a relaxed family atmosphere.  Children of all ages play in the streets, old folks gather to play chess, some sit outside practicing their musical instruments, and there is sometimes dancing outside in the evening.  The residential area where we have our flats is a 10 minute cab ride to Tangshan Aston and that ride costs less than a dollar.  The buses takes about 15 minutes and most simply ride their bicycles.