Your City Match: Changchun

  Population: 7.5 million

  Average Wage: $10,659/year

  Air Quality Index: 78 (Moderate)

  Migrant Percentage: 16.3%

The provincial capital of Jilin, Changchun is known as a pioneer of the domestic auto industry. The city is the home base of the First Automobile Works (FAW) Group Corporation, the first auto manufacturing plant in modern China. The state-owned auto manufacturer has expanded significantly and established joint ventures with foreign producers such as Audi, Volkswagen, and Toyota. By 2017, the FAW produced more than 2 million vehicles, making Changchun a top auto manufacturer in the country. The auto industry offers numerous employment opportunities to local residents and migrants.

Despite being considered part of China’s rustbelt, Changchun has also earned the moniker “Northern Spring City” due to its urban greenery and landscaping. Visitors tend to frequent the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo Museum and Changchun Movie Wonderland. Social life in the city often revolves around Guilin Avenue where there are countless street food vendors and a growing night life scene.