China

Travel tourism China, attractions in China, leisure China, China rest, China leisure

Official Language: Mandarin

Capital: Beijing

Population: 1,313,973,000. Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%

Currency: Chinese Yuan

Religion: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%

About country:

Beijing is the capital city of China. At present, China has 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government, and two special administrative regions. Major cities of China are Shanghai, Chongqing, Tianjin Wuhan, Harbin, Shengyang, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, Changchun, Xi'an and Dalian. Beijing is the country's commercial center and the storehouse of Chinese culture boasting of many superb historical legacies, such as the Tiananmen Gatetower, Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world; the former Imperial Palace and the Great Wall of China. Shanghai is one of China's largest cities on the estuary of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River. European-style architecture, traditional Chinese buildings and modern skyscrapers are all found in this city. The Yuyuan Gardens offers great sight seeing with intricate design, pavilions, rockeries, ponds and a complete traditional theater. Hangzhou is one of China's seven ancient capital cities. Known as 'Paradise on Earth', Hangzhou is famous for its excellent silk and tea products. Nanjing the former capital of China lies on the Yangtze River at the foot of Zijinshan (Purple Mountain). It attracts the tourists with its innumerable temples, tombs, parks, lakes, museums and monuments.

Tourist Attractions of China

The vast expanse of China is a land of innumerable tourist attractions that are really difficult to cover in a single tour. Visiting the magnificent Great Wall of China - one of the eight wonders in the world is an enchanting experience. Various dynasties in the early 14th and 17th centuries built separate walls to protect themselves from the nomadic tribes. These walls were joined together and came to be known as The Great Wall of China. Presently the wall extends from Shanhai Pass on the Bohai Sea in the east, Manchuria in the northeast and Lop Nur in the southeastern portion of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is a striking tourist's attraction for its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses excavations in the east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum, Lintong County, Shaanxi province are really exotic carrying out the rich history of China. The Banpo Museum located in the eastern outskirt of Xian City, Shaanxi Province are divided into separate halls exhibiting tools used by the Banpo people including axes, chisels, sickles, and stone and pottery knives. China's classic Silk Road in the western region draws tourists from various parts of the world for its historical significance. This transcontinental route linked the Roman Empire in the west with the imperial court of China in the early 200 AD. Ancient travelers left behind many historical records and invaluable relics along the routes.

Forbidden City of Beijing with numerous buildings and Chinese architectural layout overwhelms the tourist with its mysterious palace complex. The capital of Shandong Province, Jinan also named as the 'City of Springs'; possesses ancient Buddhist relics, parks and lakes. Of particular interest is the Square Four Gate Pagoda, the oldest stone pagoda in China. Outside the city, Mount Taishan's 72 peaks is a beautiful park with ancient pine and cypress trees, spectacular waterfalls, and long mountain stairway known as the 'Ladder to Heaven'. Laoshan, east of Qingdao, is a beautiful mountain region with a famous monastery, the Taiqing Palace. In Qufu, close to Qingdao, the Mansion of Confucius and the enormous Temple of Confucius, with its many pavilions, display important historical records, art and cultural artifacts. From the treeless Mountain Tanggula of Upper Qinghai, the Yangtze River meanders through the country from west to east with some wonderful scenic beauties.

Accommodation in China

China is considered one of the safest countries in the world providing complete security to the tourists. Crime is very low throughout China, and the Chinese people are regarded to be friendly and hospitable. Beijing Capital International Airport located in northeast of Beijing, is the major international airport of China. Major airline of China are Air China, Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Southern Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Xiamen Airlines. Various luxurious buses offer wonderful tours to the various site seeings of china. Buses named as kongtiao (air-conditioned) gaosu (high-speed) haohua (luxury) buses, are used by various travel agencies to organize tours on multiple routes. There are numerous tourist lodges and hotels in the major cities of China including the capital city Beijing. The hotels provide comfortable accommodation with modern amenities. But they should be booked in advance.

Transport in China

Getting There

Despite the fact that there are about one hundred and twenty points of entry and exit in China, only a small number of foreign airlines are allowed access to the country’s airspace. As a result most visitors to China arrive via Hong Kong, Shanghai or Beijing. The country’s official carrier is Air China which is run by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The other alternative airline is Dragonair, a joint venture between the CAAC and Cathay Pacific.

Flying to China can prove quite expensive as a result of the policies exercised by the CAAC. For a cheaper option, you should fly to either Hong Kong or Macau and travel to the rest of the country by one of the alternative modes of transport on offer. When departing the country you should also not that you will have to pay a departure tax of Y105 and this must be paid in the local currency.

If you travel overland to China the most popular connections include the Trans-Siberian Railway which travels from Moscow to Beijing, the Nepal-Tibet, Pakistan-Sinjiang, Kasakhstan-Xinjiang, Macau-Zhuhai and Islamabad-Kashgar routes as well as many more.
Finally, if you arrive in China by sea you will do so from Hong Kong, Japan or Korea. There are several boat connections between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shekou or Shenzhen. From Japan there is a luxury boat service between Osaka and Shanghai as well as a weekly service between Kobe and Tanggu. And, those of you travelling from Korea will depart from Inch’on and travel to either Weihai, Tianjin or Qingdao.

Getting Around
With a rail network which consists of almost fifty three thousand kilometres of tracks, trains reach every province in China with the exception of Tibet. While they are usually quite crowded, they are comparative in price to bus travel and are a much safer mode of transport. It is worth noting, however, that since they can be busy it is a good idea to book your ticket at least two to three days in advance to ensure that you get a seat. Many stations, particularly in the bigger cities have special booths for foreigners where you probably won’t have to queue as long but prices are more expensive.

While long-distance buses are the most popular means of getting around the country and are both frequent and cheap, some of the private services can prove quite dangerous. While this is probably the exception as rather than the norm, it is recommended that you avail of government-operated services which are safer and more reliable. They do travel to several areas not served by train, however, as well as taking you through some wonderful scenery which you probably wouldn’t see otherwise and should not be disregarded as a means of getting around the country.

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