Life

Finally living in a place with a comfortable climate

If remote work becomes possible in the future, it would be quite nice to continue living in Ueda

After living in Ueda for over four months, it's clear that its climate is superior to the other five cities where I've resided. Ueda offers comfortable weather, excellent air quality, and manageable temperatures, especially at night. Compared to the harsh climates of Karamay, Xi'an, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Nagano, Ueda stands out as the most livable place, surrounded by mountains and water.

  1. #city climates
  2. #Ueda
  3. #lifestyle
  4. #air quality

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A serene mountain landscape with lush greenery, houses, and a city in the distance, with a cloudy sky overhead.A serene mountain landscape with lush greenery, houses, and a city in the distance, with a cloudy sky overhead.

After living in Ueda for more than 4 months, one obvious feeling is that compared to other cities I have lived in before, the climate here is much better.

Counting on my fingers, I have lived in a total of 5 cities. The climates of the first four are somewhat uninhabitable.

Karamay

The place where I have lived for the longest time so far.

It belongs to a temperate continental climate, hot in summer and cold in winter, extremely dry. Summer temperatures often reach above 40°C, and winter temperatures stabilize at -15°C, occasionally rising to -20°C. The annual precipitation is less than 200mm, yes, the amount in a year is less than a single rain in the south.

An aerial view of a desert landscape with a white airplane wing in the foreground, a vast expanse of sandy terrain, and a cloudy sky above.An aerial view of a desert landscape with a white airplane wing in the foreground, a vast expanse of sandy terrain, and a cloudy sky above.
典型的戈壁地形

Maybe it's because I'm used to it, the climate in Karamay is not particularly unbearable for me. But there will be a long season of rhinitis here, not sure if it's dust or pollen.

Objectively speaking, Karamay is uninhabitable from a climate perspective. Obviously, if it were habitable, no one would have settled here for thousands of years. After all, the reason it exists is oil.

Xi'an

I lived here for 4 years during university. Typical temperate monsoon climate, hot and humid summers are unbearable, winters are not very cold, and it basically doesn't snow.

During the years I was in school, the biggest problem in Xi'an was not the heat of summer, but the extremely poor air quality.

At least during those years, after entering winter, Xi'an would enter a stable Silent Hill mode. It was basically very difficult to see things 500 meters away. The pollution index was above 200 every day. Now it should have improved. But at that time, air pollution was indeed one of the important reasons why I decided not to stay in Xi'an.

A cityscape under a hazy sky features a large construction site with cranes, a tall building, and trees in the background.A cityscape under a hazy sky features a large construction site with cranes, a tall building, and trees in the background.
西安的普通一天

Shenzhen

The worst climate among the 5 cities. That's right, I hate Shenzhen's climate the most.

For me, Shenzhen is only livable between late October and early April, and the rest of the time is completely inferno mode.

During the six-month-long summer, it is hot and humid throughout. Daytime high temperatures can reach 38°C, combined with 80% humidity, the perceived temperature easily exceeds 40°C. It is actually more uncomfortable than 40°C in Xinjiang. Because this sauna-like air surrounds you entirely, your clothes can never stay dry unless you hide in an air-conditioned room.

So, during these six months in Shenzhen, outdoor activities are extremely painful. You can only stay in air conditioning all day, and the AC can't be turned off 24/7.

However, the air quality in Shenzhen is very good, and visibility is also high, which is a positive.

Chengdu

Chengdu's climate is quite comfortable.

The hottest time in summer is relatively humid. But back then, I would ride my electric bike everywhere, so even if it was hot outside, riding and getting some wind didn't feel that hot.

However, Chengdu's winter is quite cold. This cold is not freezing to death type of cold, if you put on a coat and go outside, at most it feels cool. You don't need a down jacket, and you don't need gloves.

I'm talking about the indoor cold. In Chengdu, there are only about three days each month in winter when you can see the sun directly, and it's only for a two to three-hour window. After this time, or after crossing a few streets, the sun disappears again. So, the indoor environment in Chengdu in winter tends to be mostly damp and cold. If a room is not regularly occupied or has no air conditioning, the temperature can drop to 10°C.

I know many places have colder indoor temperatures in winter than this, but this is my limit of tolerance.

Besides the lack of sun, another unbearable aspect of Chengdu in winter is the air quality. Although it doesn't reach extreme levels, maintaining around 200 every day also significantly affects one's mood.

Other than this, the climate in Chengdu is very comfortable. Especially in spring and autumn, blue skies, white clouds, clear and dry air, with temperatures around the golden 25°C.

An aerial view of a city with tall buildings, a river, and a park, with a blue sky and clouds.An aerial view of a city with tall buildings, a river, and a park, with a blue sky and clouds.

Nagano

In some ways, Nagano's climate is a bit like Xinjiang's, but a milder version.

Because Nagano also has an inland climate, but since it’s on an island, the climate isn't as extreme as the central part of the continent. The climate in Ueda compared to the eastern coastal areas of Honshu has a much larger temperature difference between day and night and is much drier.

Even now, which is the hottest time of the year, daytime high temperatures can still reach the 30s, which is still hard to bear. But at night, the temperature drops quickly, reaching as low as 20°C, so I rarely need to use air conditioning at night.

A map of a city with temperature and humidity data, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed.A map of a city with temperature and humidity data, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed.

Ueda often has clear or partly cloudy days, with rarely any overcast days. A rain shower comes occasionally, and the next day returns to partly cloudy to clear.

A cityscape with a mountain range in the background, surrounded by parked cars and buildings, with a clear blue sky above.A cityscape with a mountain range in the background, surrounded by parked cars and buildings, with a clear blue sky above.
A parking lot filled with various cars, including a blue one, is surrounded by mountains and a tall building.A parking lot filled with various cars, including a blue one, is surrounded by mountains and a tall building.
A bustling cityscape with a mix of modern and traditional buildings, surrounded by mountains and a cloudy sky.A bustling cityscape with a mix of modern and traditional buildings, surrounded by mountains and a cloudy sky.
A bustling city street with parked cars, a bus, and a truck, surrounded by buildings and mountains in the background.A bustling city street with parked cars, a bus, and a truck, surrounded by buildings and mountains in the background.

The air quality needs no mention; it is always excellent. The only time visibility decreased was during the recent fireworks festival.

Overall, Ueda is the most comfortable place I've lived in so far, and if possible, I don't want to move to Tokyo. Living in a place surrounded by mountains and water is really nice.

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