I believe I was a colleague of asd's at Baicheng, so want to briefly respond. Being excluded by other teachers' issues is not how I would characterize the situation, but I'll leave it at that. Yes, Baicheng is isolated but that should come as no surprise. I was there for two semesters, was supposed to be there a third, but had to request early leave for health reasons. The big plus for me was the students. They were tremendously welcoming and helpful, and I became good friends with some, still keep in touch with a few. Wei Li Ying was a great boss, couldn't ask for better. And I had good camaraderie with several of the foreign teachers over 2 semesters. Availability of hot water was a problem, but I became a master of the 2 minute shower - great way to wake up for 8:00 a.m. classes! Other plusses: Baicheng is a frontier city where the old rural China meets the new China changing at the speed of light, probably won't be much of the old left in 5 years so go now if you want to experience it. Clear blue skies most of the time, can be bitterly cold in winter but gloriously warm and dry in summer. Windy, very windy at times. The locals are very curious, and if you're open to them, you can meet a lot of people in a very short time. A younger colleague - I'm late 50's - stayed on for a second year and has had some amazing experiences. A big plus if you can speak some Chinese or are willing to learn whatever you can while there. Hope this gives you a small taste of Baicheng.