Actually Doug, this recruiter is offering you some good advice.

I have been teaching here in China for 7 years and what Golden Staffing is suggesting is a good idea in the current climate. China is a huge country so the quality of school can vary quite significantly from good schools and really really bad ones. So his suggestion of coming first on a tourist or business visa is a good idea. You should check out the school, check out the city and check out the culture. So many Americans come her expecting China to be exactly like the US. Well, it not the same... AT ALL.

I have nowt against even working illegally in China, but as long as your employer has undertaken to pay for your medical (and other costs to do with converting Z visa to residence permit) and you are not obliged to pay for an expensive medical in your own country then you'd be far better off to arrive in China with a Z visa. A Z visa will be the same difference as an L visa to accomplish the main reason you give for arriving with an L- to see if the culture shock is too much. You can be more certain if the inviting employer goes to all the trouble of supplying the paperwork to redeem Z visa that he is prepared to employ you 'culture shock' allowing.'

Is that okay SB? hahaha!