TOP 5 XI’AN WECHAT ACCOUNTS

Article By XIANEASE

It’s September again; the summer sun is finally tired of frying us and autumn is slowly but surely creeping in. This time of year, it’s not unusual for the city to see an influx of fresh meat bright and shiny new foreigners ready to seize every Xi’an day. Some of you are students, some of you are teachers, and some of you are here doing your own thing. If you’ve just arrived (or if you’ve been here a little while and weren’t aware) we’ve got you covered with a couple of information streams to help get you up and running and full of knowledge about what’s going on around Xi’an. Of course, these are all Official accounts on WeChat, so if you haven’t already downloaded what is going to be THE most important app you use while in China, do that first. Also note that several (but not all) of these accounts will be light on English and heavy on Chinese, but there are usually enough pictures, videos and the like to fill in the blanks. 1

1 Midi Bar

One day the music scene is thriving, the next it’s hibernating, but someone is always trying to make it happen. Such is life in the underground, and people always underestimate how much music comes through the city just because there’s no Coachella or Kanye West pop up show every weekend (regardless of this fact, it’s always Yeezy Season at Xianease headquarters). Midi has quickly become one of the premiere livehouses in the city, and a lot of concert news goes through their account.
WeChat ID: xianmidie
Runners up:
DJ Collective the Boring Room: theboringroom
Aperture Club: aperture_clubxa
Imagine 16 Club: GYMusic162

2 The Hash House Harriers

Xi’an’s self-professed “drinking club with a running problem” has ably anchored their corner of the Xi’an expat scene for years, and you’d be surprised by just how many people have met and networked at one of their events. On the outside they might seem a little cult-ish, but on the inside…well some might still consider it a bit cult-ish, but it doesn’t change the fact that their members are some of the most enthusiastic and outgoing people around. You could try trolling bars to jump start your social life here, or you could show up to a Hash, meet a few dozen people right off the bat, have a beer, and get familiar with Xi’an as you explore some of its most interesting locales.
WeChat ID: HashHouseHarriers3

3 Xiao Cui Die Xi’an

We love the local food here, but don’t always get the chance to highlight it in our issues as much as we’d like. Xiao Cui Die highlights a new restaurant every couple of days, from noodles to hot pot to cafés and beyond. It’s filled with pictures and every post ends with the complete information of every featured restaurant, and would be a great way to get new ideas for your gastronomic adventures in Xi’an.
WeChat ID: xiaocuidiexian

4 TEFLlemon

There are more than a few English teachers in Xi’an, and for them this account ain’t no lemon—it’s more like lemonade. Both veteran teachers out of ideas and newbies trying to make a good first impression are bound to find something to shore up their lesson plans, and with the account frequently offering entire bundles of lesson ideas for free there’s literally no downside. WeChatID: TEFLlemon4

5 Xianease

Come on, you didn’t think we’d leave ourselves out, did you? This plug is shameless, to be sure, but every once in a while we like to remind everyone that we’re out here grinding it out to help you live a better life in Xi’an. Just as an example: every Friday we aggregate as many events as we can find and post them together in a little thing we like to call Xi’an Weekend. You can also expect a sprinkling of news about the city, reminders for big events in the expat community and occasionally a contest. We do all of that great stuff and all we ask in return is your undying loyalty and affection. Pretty good deal, right? Oh, and we love when you guys post our stuff on your Moments too.
WeChat ID: xianease5