That was my experience in Nanning too. I was there maybe 2 years or more years ago and there was a whole lot of foreigners milling around everywhere it seemed. I may well have met some of them you are talking about! Now, 2 years later we are in Nanning for Spring Festival and almost everyone is gone and I dont see any new crowds. Yes, the 'straglers' still there said many were in Thailand or philippines or just went home for good.

One thing I noticed (and seems to be China-wide Im told) but about a year ago visas suddenly became a problem for a lot of those young obnoxious party boys. It seemed that every city including Nanning had that little circle that all hung around a foreigners bar, constantly in sex dramas with Rainy, having fights with locals outside or inside the bar, just dumb arrogant fuckheads here to party and high-five each other and get in fights over some Premier League crap from back home like it mattered. etc.

It was like 'overnight' they were gone. and that might be they all went to Thailand on their own motivations but when visiting a big opening of a new school I noticed something so interesting - all the foreigners I met were married to locals (or in one case a foreigner couple) and none of them were single. Indeed, they all said they were easily processed as 'residents' and z-visas were a breeze. Same was true for me. They greenlit the good and put brakes on the bad.

I think that was the way to do things. China had the right idea. the shithead young drinking-fighting, pregnancy scare morons were gone leaving the more mellowed 'domesticated' foreigners. the semi-retired guys or just retired guys.

but yeah, I had my wechat and qq light up from schools and training centers in Nanning asking in like 'emergency' if i could please contact any and all foreigners in Nanning who wanted jobs.

Nothing. I mean I tried everyone on my list and yep pretty much 9 out of 10 are gone. A few went to other cities in China, others back home, a handful were already finished contracts but did NOT want new ones.

Yes, Id say of about 20 easily 15 are no longer here.

The more important thing though - of course in the past each year X-number leave but then X-number roll in. Not happening now. The ones that left couldn't think of any new people they knew either. In many cases they weren't replaced by anyone that they knew of.

but here's the whole catch twist ending: despite this desperate situation I heard COMPLAINTS Galore from everyone about how Nanning was so mellow but how now the school was being jerks, a-holes, doing that thing where they get off on making the foreigners 'kowtow', disrespecting foreign teachers, cheating them, pressuring them to do more work etc.

again, that baffling chinese trait of 'doubling down' at the very moment and place where they ought to pull back a little. Crazy. Also, Nanning traffic is now an utter nightmare clusterfuck. Enjoy 4 hours of travel for a couple of 1 hour classes folks