[ronyeh]

If you're worried about your Chinese withering away, you should definitely study abroad in China (e.g., Shanghai).

If you want to go to a different/interesting/pretty city, study in Kyoto. I've met folks who studied at Kyoto University. There's a tech industry there, since Nintendo is in the area (and small game startups have grown up around senior folks who have left Nintendo). Or you could live in Tokyo or Osaka (big cities with tall buildings).