According to the latest statistics from the 6th nationwide census, the number of expats living on the Chinese mainland in 2010 had reached 593,832, with Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, and Guangdong Province as particular hot spots for foreigners.

Many Chinese are curious about this growing number of newcomers, but due to limited contact with them, because of language difficulties and cultural differences, most have little understanding of expats. Nanjing native Zhang Jingtian, along with American friends Jordan Miles and James Larsen, has created an internet television series called Nexpats in an attempt to shed some light on the inner lives and motivations of these visitors to China.

Art imitating life

The name of the show, set in Nanjing, evolved from the phrase "next expats," which refers to the transient nature of the community. Unlike previous TV dramas that take the Chinese point of view, the expats are the active narrators in Nexpats, and the Chinese are regarded as "others."

The five major characters came to Nanjing from different parts of the world, and for different reasons. Together, they comprise a veritable cross-section of the expat community in China. Some are straight out of college, some are seasoned, career-minded people, and some are looking to jump-start their lives, which had grown stagnant in their home countries. They go to bars, meet people, talk about their experiences in China, and share their gripes with sympathetic ears.

One character, Nate, played by Miles, came to China because his life in the US had become a dead end: his girlfriend had dumped him and he was unemployed. Over the course of the first two webisodes, we see Nate come to the realization that place has nothing to do with the issues plaguing his life. Like many who come here to start over, he is forced to examine himself in the absence of the comforts and distractions that are so easy to find back home.