Let me weigh in on this. I've been here in China quite a while and have had my share of relationships, one of which came close to culminating in marriage. Looking back on it I'm very thankful that didn't happen. All of these folks telling you to avoid hooking up with a teacher are absolutely correct. It's tempting because they speak English and that's one less thing to worry about, true. Teachers, in general, are very status conscious and constantly worried about what others think of them. Trying to "change" that way of thinking will drive you insane if you let it. It is my experience that finding a Chinese girl who simply doesn't care what others think of her is absolutely essential. Barber shop girls pass that test. If your snooty colleagues don't like them, who cares? Seriously. Many of those girls have had a pretty tough life and know what "struggle" really means. Teachers, on the other hand, spent years with their noses in a book cramming useless "gaokao" prep into their heads while seeing very little of the real world and caring even less about it. Many are little more than fleshy robots programmed to do exactly what they see as their "duty": Marry a dude with a house, of whom their parents approve, pump out a child shortly thereafter and slip boringly into middle age. Keep in mind it is the school system here that PREVENTS Chinese from learning, in a perverse way. Teachers are a big part of this. Even the few who dare think divergently dare not express these thoughts out loud very often. Teachers are among the most conformist people I've met here. They don't see their job as teaching students to "think for themselves." They view themselves as folks who keep the country "stable." And stability is king here. Women here speak of "love" quite frequently but don't really seem to get what it really means. A barber shop girl will be so happy to have a guy who doesn't get piss drunk and smack her around on a regular basis and instead treats her like a person that she cares very little how old or "unattractive" he is. My present girlfriend is 30 years younger than me and we've been together for a year and a half. I'm by no means ugly (or so I tell myself) but I'm hardly GQ material either. My 7000 yuan a month salary seems enormous to her and we live pretty well. We're about as "happy" as is probably possible here in our little city.

I'll give you the same advice I've given lots of guys. The first question you should ask a girl is "Where are you from?" If she is a local person, politely move on. No matter where you are in China a local girl will be a hassle to deal with. Their family is a constant presence and NOT in a good way. She will never truly be "herself" in her hometown. She'll live in a constant state of anxiety that she'll be seen by someone who knows her. She won't go home with you and spend the night. (I'm painting with a broad brush...there are obviously exceptions.) After you've been with her a while and if you think you're ready to take a step toward formalizing your coupling, you'll need to go home with her, generally around the time of Chinese New Year.

One strong piece of advice I can give you is to learn Chinese. You'll miss out on many girls if you're unable to talk with them. You don't need to be fluent. Conversational, "survival" level is good enough for a start. They'll teach you. They like that.

As far as girls from the North being "no good," well, that's utter nonsense. It's where you are when you meet them that matters. If you meet a northern girl in the south she'll be just fine. I had a GF from Heilongjiang and she was great. Tall, buxom, athletic in the bedroom, the whole nine yards. Met her in Guangdong when she was far from home and letting it all hang out, so to speak. (She eventually married a foreign guy, not me.) I met another woman from Liaoning, again while I was living in Guangdong and she was, well, pretty OK as well. A tad "older" and divorced with a high school age daughter.

Good luck! You'll be fine.