About China

China, (People's Republic of China), is situated in eastern Asia, bounded by the Pacific in the east. It is the third largest country in the world, next to Canada and Russia, it has an area of 9.6 million square kilometres, or one-fifteenth of the world's land mass.

Towering mountains and dramatic landscapes make up China's wealth - background scenery to the fall of dynasties, the rise of emperors and the turning of the revolutionary wheel. Unless you have a couple of years to tour, it's best to follow a loose itinerary while visiting. Some suggestions would be; Beijing to Tibet via Xi'an's terracotta warriors, following the Silk Road route, sailing down the Yangzi River, or exploring the Dr Seuss landscape of Guangxi Province.

China's imperial jewel in the crown is of course Beijing. It has been the capital of China for around 500 years and is home to sights such as the Forbidden City, the off-limits palace of Ming and Qing emperors, their eunuch servants, princesses and harems. The Summer Palace in Beijing was established in the late Qing period, but is also a major attraction. Beijing is the starting point for China's most famous imperial legacy - the Great Wall. The wall can easily be viewed from many places, but most visitors approach it from Beijing.

With a population of close to five million, Tibetans make up one 'of China's largest minorities. There are large Tibetan communities in parts of China, that once belonged to Tibet. In the south-western Gansu Province, the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is very much a little Tibet.

China's sacred mountains have been pilgrimage destinations for centuries and all have well marked trails to the summits. More often than not there are stairways carved into rock faces, and sights en route include poems and inscriptions and numerous temples. The chief attraction is, inevitably, sunrise at the summit, where camera toting crowds gather to gaze on the , sea of clouds'. The most popular mountains with foreign visitors are Huangshan, Taishan and Emeishan.

The Grand Buddha at Leshan (Sichuan Province) is the largest buddha in the world. At 71m high and carved into a cliff face overlooking the meeting of the Dadu and Min rivers it is well worth the visit.

China's most famous collection of European architecture is lined up facing the sea on the Bund in Shanghai. Xiamen (Fujian Province) has one of China's most charming collections of colonial architecture, on Gulangyu Island. The fact that there are no motorised vehicles on the small island makes this one of the only places in the country where it is possible to take peaceful walks and appreciate the buildings at leisure.

China isn't a country - it's it's own world. From shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the epic grasslands of Inner Mongolia - with deserts, sacred peaks, astounding caves, and imperial ruins - it's a land of cultural and geographic schisms.

Culture

Despite the ravages of time, war and ideology, there's still a lot to see architecturally. Traces of the past include the imperial structures of Beijing, the colonial buildings of Shanghai, the occasional rural village and Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist temples. Funerary art was a feature of Chinese culture in Neolithic times, ranging from ritual vessels and weapons to pottery figures, jade and sacrificial vessels made of bronze.

China's language is officially Mandarin, however the Chinese call it Putonghua. About 70% of the population speak Mandarin. The country is awash with dialects, and dialects within dialects - and few of them are mutually intelligible. Of the seven major strains, Cantonese is the one most likely to be spoken in your local Chinese takeaway.

Chinese cuisine is justifiably famous, memorably diverse - and generally not for the squeamish. For the most part, however, it's a case of doing ingenious things with a limited number of basic ingredients. The cuisine can be divided into four regional categories: Beijing/Mandarin and Shandong (with steamed bread and noodles as staples), Cantonese and Chaozhou (lightly cooked meats and vegetables), Shanghainese (the home of 'red cooking' and wuxi spare ribs) and Sichuan (spicy, with lots of chilli). Tea is the most common nonalcoholic beverage on sale, although Coca-Cola (both original and bogus) is making inroads, while beer is by far the most popular alcoholic drink. 'Wine' is a loose term which can cover oxidised and herb-soaked concoctions, rice wine and wine containing lizards, bees or pickled snakes.

Local_Currency

Transport

Trains cover every province except Tibet. They are often crowded but this is the best way to get around. The added extras are what make this the best option, clean bathrooms, tea facilities and often air conditioning.

Tourists are not permitted to rent cars except if they have a Chinese licence. You can however hire a driver, this would be the better option should you wish to tour the sights by car.

Bicycles are by far the easiest way to get around the city and hire companies are everywhere. Bicycles can be hired by the hour or 24 hour rentals.

Long-distance buses are a good means of getting around the country on the ground; they're frequent and cheap and pass through interesting towns and villages en route.

Visa_Information

A new visa policy allows foreigners from 17 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain and the United States) to enter Shanghai (through Pudong or Hongqiao airports) without a visa and stay up to 48 hours.