Living abroad in any different culture is a balancing act, China being no exception. Expats living in China face a daily tightrope-walk between antipathy and assimilation: some people refuse to leave the expat bubble at all, frequenting only the narrowest slivers of China that seem most like home, whereas others are engulfed so completely that they never emerge. Most strike a balance, but it takes effort. One of the best ways to making Chinese friends is organized sport.

Think about it. You have a ready made team of friends, the competitive element allows you to bond more closely than other social relationships, the rules of the sport are essentially a universal language that does away with the need for you to even speak the language and it gets you out of the house. Here are the best:

1) Basketball. If you play basketball in China, you are made. In Leslie Chang's book Factory Girls, she details how many job descriptions in China for young males specifically ask for basketball players ("School guard, 1.7 meters or over, those playing basketball strongly favored"), and if all of a sudden the local team gets a giant foreignerto play for them, you will be greeted with the most hearty welcomes.

Most schools have teams, there are courts all over the country where you can just rock up and play, and failing that, your local sports center or park will most certainly have a team. Go ask.

2) Football. This is a more omni-gender sport than basketball and so long as you have a particular talent – speed, accuracy, goalkeeping, impenetrable defending – you will find yourself included. Many school teachers play football, and there are plenty of inter and intra-city leagues that you can get in on. The best way is to just turn up, ask to just have an informal kick around and then stun them with your top-left corner strike. Or just seem keen; and people will ask you to play. Once this has happened the set-up will be exactly like a basketball team; ready-made friends, regular fixtures, good exercise.

3) Bowling. This technically might not be a sport and in the lower-tiered Chinese cities you might struggle to find bowling alleys, but once you do you have hit serious gold. It is quite a niche sport in China. The best people to play are the regulars at the alley. Games are cheap (around $3 per person) and if you go frequently, sharing the odd beer and challenging the regulars to a game now and again, you can make really good friends. It is much less strenuous than basketball or football, and in a much more relaxed atmosphere, which is perfect for people who perhaps aren't particularly competitive. At the very least, it's a good night out.

4) Badminton. If you can play ping-pong, and play it to the level that you don't get ritually thrashed by every Chinese person you've ever challenged, then well done. You truly are special. For the rest of us, badminton is the only option. It is also the go-to-street sport for Chinese people. Don't think it strange to see people play in the middle of a fairly bustling sidewalk, or off-duty bank clerks whacking a shuttlecock back and forth between a row of ATM machines. Apparently, it's the done thing. This is less of a team sport, but if you have a couple of rackets and an acquaintance who you'd like to know better, perhaps a quick knock-around in the park is all you need to cement the friendship. Racquets are cheap, and even if you can't book a court, all you really need is an open space.

5) Snooker. This is for those who really want to experience China. Snooker is huge here, far bigger than it ever was in the UK where it began. Unfortunately, the rules are a little tricky, but many expats have a decent working knowledge of pool, and graduating upward needs but a little study. There are snooker halls everywhere in China. There are special buildings (usually with built-in KTV clubs), parks have roped off areas dedicated solely to snooker tables and occasionally you will just see tables down the side of random buildings. If you have the gumption to go up and challenge someone to a game (especially if you win), then you will get instant respect. Handily, snooker is also a smoker's and a drinker's game, so the social side of things can be helped along nicely.

In each of the sports/games mentioned above, your level of talent will obviously vary. Being spectacularly gifted with help get you into any team, but if you are useless that can sometimes be equally beneficial. As long as you go in with an open mind, you needn't be good to make some real friends.

(Source: eChinacities.com )