China

China is the cultural treasure-house of East Asia: its social riches and 5,000 years of tumultuous history place it among the world’s greatest travel destinations. The Great Wall, X’ian’s Terracotta Army, the Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square: the very names reverberate with history and legend.

China’s paradoxes are many: Shanghai’s skyscrapers contrast with Beijing’s historical treasures, while in rural provinces, mechanisation is slow. Its history is one of turmoil in between periods of stability.

The civil war in 1945 defined the China of today. Defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan, while victorious Communists founded the People’s Republic of China. Prior to that, China endured eight years of brutal occupation by the Japanese imperial army from 1937, souring relations between the two countries to this day. 

The convulsions of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s preceded major economic reforms but little political liberalisation prompted widespread protest. In 1989, thousands occupied Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, the army clearing the square with great loss of life and the government reasserting political control.

History and politics aside, China is a land of superlatives, encompassing the Yangtze River, the Silk Road, the bamboo forests of the giant panda and misty peaks immortalised in traditional ink paintings. China has 33 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Chinese food ranks among the world’s great cuisines. From acrobatics to martial arts, calligraphy to Chinese opera, the vibrant, distinctive culture of this great land is everywhere to be seen.

Spectacular Tibet(Xihang) has been open to tourists since 1980. Occupied by China since 1950, the Cultural Revolution seriously damaged its cultural identity, yet Tibet’s way of life and historically important Buddhism traditions have endured. Now linked by train to the rest of China, Tibet’s unique culture faces renewed threats, from hordes of immigrant Han Chinese settlers and tourists.

China is set to become the world’s major economic power within 20 years. Growth has come at great environmental cost. However, it has also spurred on China’s rapidly improving tourism infrastructure. Beijing is currently undergoing a huge investment programme for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Flexibility and patience are still required to travel around China but, in return, China rewards visitors with memories to treasure for a lifetime.

East Asia.

Area

9,572,900 sq km (3,696,100 sq miles).

Population

1.3 billion (UN estimate 2006). Roughly a quarter of the world’s population lives in China.

Population Density

135.8 per sq km.

Capital

Beijing (Peking). Population: 15.2 million (2005), expected to reach 16 million by 2008. Chongqing is the largest urban area, with a population of more than 31 million. Shanghai has a population of over 18 million and, as of 2004, 11 other cities had a population of over 2 million and 23 cities had a population of 1 to 2 million.

Government

People’s Republic. China comprises 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, two special administrative regions and four municipalities directly under central government.

China is bordered to the north by Russia and Mongolia; to the east by Korea (Dem Rep), the Yellow Sea and the South China Sea; to the south by Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Nepal; and to the west by India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. China has a varied terrain ranging from high plateaux in the west to flatlands in the east; mountains take up almost one-third of the land. The most notable high mountain ranges are the Himalayas, the Altai Mountains, the Tian Shan Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains. On the border with Nepal is the 8,848m (29,198ft) Mount Qomolangma (Mount Everest). In the west is the Qinghai/Tibet Plateau, with an average elevation of 4,000m (13,200ft), known as ‘the Roof of the World’. At the base of the Tian Shan Mountains is the Turpan Depression or Basin, China’s lowest area, 154m (508ft) below sea level at the lowest point. China has many great river systems, notably the Yellow (Huang He) and Yangtze River (Chang Jiang, also Yangtze Kiang). Only 10% of all China is suitable for agriculture.

Language

The official language is Mandarin Chinese. Among the enormous number of local dialects, large groups speak Cantonese, Shanghaiese (also known as Shanghainese), Fuzhou, Hokkien-Taiwanese, Xiang, Gan and Hakka dialects in the south. Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang, which are autonomous regions, have their own languages. Translation and interpreter services are good. English is spoken by many guides and in hotels. Many taxi drivers do not speak English, even in big cities.

Religion

China is officially Atheistic, but the stated religions and philosophies are Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism. There are 100 million Buddhists and approximately 60 million Muslims, 5 million Protestants (including large numbers of Evangelicals) and 4 million Roman Catholics, largely independent of Vatican control.

Time

GMT + 8. Despite the vast size of the country, Beijing time is standard throughout China.

Social Conventions

Cultural differences may create misunderstandings between local people and visitors. The Chinese do not usually volunteer information and the visitor is advised to ask questions. Hotels, train dining cars and restaurants often ask for criticisms and suggestions, which are considered seriously. Do not be offended by being followed by crowds; this is merely an open interest in visitors who are rare in the remoter provinces. The Chinese are generally reserved in manner, courtesy rather than familiarity being preferred. 

The full title of the country is ‘The People’s Republic of China’, and this should be used in all formal communications. ‘China’ can be used informally, but there should never be any implication that another China exists. Although handshaking may be sufficient, a visitor will frequently be greeted by applause as a sign of welcome. The customary response is to applaud back. Anger, if felt, is expected to be concealed and arguments in public may attract hostile attention. 

In China, the family name is always mentioned first. It is customary to arrive a little early if invited out socially. When dining, guests should wait until their seat is allocated and not begin eating until indicated to do so. If using chopsticks, do not position them upright in your rice bowl as the gesture symbolises death. Toasting at a meal is very common, as is the custom of taking a treat when visiting someone’s home, such as fruit, confectionery or a souvenir from a home country. If it is the home of friends or relatives, money may be left for the children. 

If visiting a school or a factory, a gift from the visitor’s home country, particularly something which would be unavailable in China (a text book if visiting a school, for example), would be much appreciated. Stamps are also very popular as gifts, as stamp-collecting is a popular hobby in China. A good gift for an official guide is a Western reference book on China. 

Conservative casual wear is generally acceptable everywhere and revealing clothes should be avoided since they may cause offence. Visitors should avoid expressing political or religious opinions. 

Photography: Not allowed in airports. Places of historic and scenic interest may be photographed, but permission should be sought before photographing military installations, government buildings or other possibly sensitive subjects.

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin sockets and some three-pin sockets are in use. However, most 4 to 5 star hotels are wired for the use of 110 volt appliances.

Head of Government

Premier Wen Jiabao since 2003.

Head of State

President Hu Jintao since 2003.

Note

Those wishing to visit Tibet are strongly advised to join a travel group. Individual travellers need an Alien’s Travel Permit issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau (see Contact Addresses). Applicants will need to show their Chinese Visa also.

Passport Note

(a) China does not recognise dual nationality (eg US-Chinese, Canadian-Chinese). (b) HIV-positive travellers are not permitted to enter the country.

Passports

Required by all nationals referred to in the chart above. Passport must be valid for at least six months for a single or double entry within three months of the date of visa issue; at least nine months for multiple entries within six months.

Visas

Required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
(a) transit passengers (except nationals of the USA, who always require a visa) continuing their journey by the same or first connecting plane to another country within 24 hours who hold valid onward documentation and do not leave the airport.
(b) some passengers (not including nationals of USA or UK) who transit through Pudong or Hongqiao airports only, with all necessary documentation, within 48 hours.

Visa Note

Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Types of Visa and Cost

Tourist/Business/Transit (UK nationals): £30 (single-entry); £45 (double-entry); £60 (multiple-entry for business visas only; six months); £90 (multiple-entry for business visas only; 12 months and two to five years). Group (at least five people): £24 per person. Visa charges for other nationals vary; check with embassy for further information.

Validity

Tourist, Business and Group visas are normally valid for three months from the date of issue (single- and double-entry). Multiple-entry visas are normally valid for six months, 12 months or two to five years. The validity of Business visas varies. Transit visas are generally valid for up to seven days.

Applications to:

Consulate (or consular section at embassy); see Contact Addresses. Group visas will usually be obtained by the tour operator or travel agent.

Working Days Required

Four. Two weeks for Group visas. Applications should be made one month in advance. A same-day service may be available at an extra cost of £20 per person, or a 48-hour service at £15 per person. Visas, however, cannot be issued on the same day unless the same-day airline ticket or itinerary is presented.

Currency

1 Renminbi Yuan (CNY; symbol ¥) = 10 chiao/jiao or 100 fen. Notes are in denominations of ¥100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1, and 5, 2 and 1 chiao/jiao. Coins are in denominations of ¥1, 5 and 1 chiao/jiao and 5, 2 and 1 fen. Counterfeit ¥50 and ¥100 notes are commonplace.

Currency Exchange

CNY is not traded outside China. Foreign banknotes and traveller’s cheques can be exchanged at branches of The Bank of China. In hotels and Friendship Storesfor tourists, imported luxury items such as spirits may be bought with Western currency. Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes cannot be exchanged.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in major provincial cities in designated establishments. However, the availability of ATMs is often limited to airports, large tourist hotels and major shopping centres, and credit cards are often unlikely to be accepted away from the major cities.

Traveller's Cheques

To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in US Dollars.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1600/1700. Some banks close for lunch from 1200-1300.

Exchange Rate Indicators

Getting Around By Air

Most long-distance internal travel is by air. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) oversees air travel in China and operated as the country’s sole civil airline until it divided into a number of regional airlines in the late 1980s, since consolidated into the three major state-owned groups of Air China (website: www.airchina.com.cn or www.air-china.co.uk), China Southern (website: www.airchina.com.cn/en) and China Eastern Airlines (website: www.ce-air.comorwww.chinaeastern.co.uk). They operate the bulk of domestic flights in China, China Southern being the largest airline in fleet size and passengers carried. Since the beginning of 2005, several private airlines have also begun to spring up, including some budget carriers.

China’s airlines operate about 1,000 domestic routes, serving nearly 150 cities. Tickets will normally be purchased by guides and the price will be included in any tour costs. Independent travellers can also book through the local Chinese International Travel Service (CITS), which charges a small commission, or alternatively buy tickets in booking offices or at some hotel travel desks. It is advisable to purchase internal air tickets well in advance if travelling during April, May, September or October. There are many connections to Hong Kong from Beijing and Guangzhou as well as other cities. Flights are always overbooked so seats must be confirmed before travel. Inevitable delays in services must be taken into account. Airport announcements are generally in English as well as Chinese these days.

Note: Safety records have improved greatly in recent years, and Chinese airlines now almost exclusively operate aircraft from Western companies such as Boeing and Airbus with average fleet ages of six to eight years. 

Getting Around by Water

All major rivers are served by river ferries, especially the Yangtze. Coastal ferries operate between Dalian, Tianjin (Tientsin), Qingdao (Tsingtao) and Shanghai. There are regular ferry services between mainland China and Hong Kong, conditions on which vary.

Getting Around by Rail

Railways provide the principal means of transport for goods and people throughout China. The routes are generally cheap, safe and well maintained. Routes operate between major cities; services include Beijing to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Harbin, Chengdu and Urumqi. There are three types of train, of which Express is the best. There are four types of fare: hard seat, soft seat (only on short-distance trains such as the Hong Kong to Guangzhou line), hard sleeper and soft sleeper. Children under 1m (3ft) tall travel free and those under 1.3m (4ft) pay a quarter of the fare. Generally rail travel is comfortable but time-consuming due to vast distances between destinations.

The first passenger train on the 1,142km (710-mile) Qinghai to Tibet railway from Golmud in Qinghai to Lhasa in Tibet completed its two-day journey in July 2006. It is the most elevated rail route in the world, reaching an altitude of up to 5,072m (16,640 feet). Services now operate to Lhasa from Beijing and Xi’an, Chengdu and Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.

Getting Around by Road

Traffic drives on the right. It is possible to reach 80% of settlements by road. Roads are not always of the highest quality and driving standards are erratic. Distances should not be underestimated and vehicles should be in prime mechanical condition as away from the cities China is still very much an agricultural nation without the mechanical expertise or services found in the West. From Beijing to Shanghai is 1,461km (908 miles), and from Beijing to Nanjing is 1,139km (718 miles). A superhighway links Beijing and Tianjin, and a 138 km (86 miles) four-lane toll highway links Hangzhou and the port of Ningbo in the Zhejiang province. 

Bus: Reasonable services are operated between the main cities. Buses are normally crowded, but reach parts of the country that trains do not. There are some more expensive luxury buses. The main long-distance bus station in Beijing is Liuliqiao (tel: (010) 8383 1717). In Shanghai, the new Zhongxing Road long-distance bus station is at the northern end of the main train station (tel: (021) 6605 1111).

Car hire: Available, but a three-month residency permit and examination are required to gain a local licence which makes self-drive car hire impossible in practice for visitors. Cars with a driver can be hired on a daily or weekly basis.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

There are metro systems in Beijing, Shanghai and several other cities including Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing. Hong Kong has its Mass Transit System, and tramways and trolleybuses operate in a number of other cities. New lines are under construction in Beijing and Shanghai. A new system is under construction in Chengdu and there are plans for others in Xi’an, Harbin, Qingdao and other cities. Guides who accompany every visitor or group will ensure that internal travel within the cities is as trouble-free as possible. Most cities have public transit systems, usually bus. 

Taxi: Taxis are available in large cities from most hotels and shopping districts, and are permitted to stop at the passenger’s signal. It is best to check if the taxi is metered. If not, then it is important to agree a fare beforehand, especially at railway stations where it is best to bargain before getting into the taxi. Drivers are not normally tipped. Visitors should have their destination written down in Chinese characters before starting any journey as most drivers do not speak English. Hotels often provide cards with the hotel address and that of several key attractions or points in the city. Taxis can be hired by the day. 

Most people travel by bicycle or public transport. In most cities, bicycles or other types of rickshaws are available for short rides.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Beijing to other major cities/towns in China.

Food and Drink

Chinese cuisine has a very long history and is renowned all over the world. Cantonese (the style most Westerners are most familiar with) is just one regional style of Chinese cooking. There are eight major schools of Chinese cuisine, named after the places where they were conceived: Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang. China’s cuisine breaks down into four major regional categories:

Northern cuisine:
Beijing food has developed from the Shandong school of cuisine.
Specialities:
• Peking duck (roasted and eaten in a thin pancake with cucumber and a sweet plum sauce).
• Mongolian Hotpot (a Chinese version of fondue; it is eaten in a communal style and consists of simmering soup in a special large round pot into which is dipped a variety of uncooked meats and vegetables, which are cooked on the spot).
•Shuijiao (pasta-like dough wrapped round pork meat, chives and onions, similar in idea to Italian ravioli; these can be bought by the jin (pound) in street markets and small eating houses, and make a good snack).

Southern cuisine
Guangdong (Cantonese) food is the most exotic in China. The food markets in Guangzhou are a testimony to this, and the Western visitor is often shocked by the enormous variety of rare and exotic animals that are used in the cuisine, including snake, dog, turtle and wildcat.
Specialities:
•Dim sum served at lunch.
• Shrimp wonton noodle soup.

Eastern cuisine
Shanghai and Zhejiang cooking is rich and sweet, often pickled. Noted for seafood, hot and sour soup, noodles and vegetables.
Specialities:
•La Mian (pulled noodles) served with curry beef soup.
•Xiao Long Bao (pan fried pork buns eaten dipped in vinegar).

Western cuisine
Sichuan and Hunan food is spicy, often sour and peppery, with specialities such as diced chicken stirred with soy sauce and peanuts, and spicy doufu (beancurd).
Specialities:
• Sweet and sour chicken.
• Orange beef.

National drinks:
• One of the best-known national drinks is Maotai, a fiery spirit distilled from rice wine.
• Local beers are of good quality, notably Tsingdao, which is similar to German lager.
• There are now some decent wines, which are produced mainly for tourists and export, such as Great Wall and Dynasty red wines and Qingdao white wine.

Legal drinking age: Although China has no minimum legal drinking age, a ban on the sale of alcohol to under-18s was introduced in January 2006.

Tipping: Still not officially approved of, tipping is becoming more commonplace in China. It is usual in tourist hotels and restaurants, and with tour guides and drivers. A service charge is often added by restaurants in large hotels.

Nightlife

Visitors generally sample the nightlife of the larger cities with prearranged restaurant meals and visits to Chinese opera, Chinese state circus, ballet and theatre. Local Chinese tend to only drink socially with a formal meal so bars and nightclubs are usually only found in the more cosmopolitan cities and major towns. 

Karaoke (written OK+ on Chinese signs) is a popular form of evening entertainment. Traditional local music and dancing is often found in areas where there are strong ethnic minority groups, notably in provinces including Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Sichuan.

Shopping

Prices in Friendship Stores, set up by the government, are fixed and there is generally no bargaining in most shops and department stores. However, haggling is all part of the buying process in outdoor markets (of which there are many) for items such as jade, antique ceramics, local hand-crafted items and silk garments. All antiques over 100 years old are marked with a red wax seal by the authorities, and require an export customs certificate. Beijing’s fascinating Panjiayuan antiques and bric-a-brac market was once only open at weekends. It now opens every day, although it is still best at weekends. 

China’s booming economy has led to an explosion of shops in towns and cities. Once fairly uninspired places where you might buy inexpensive souvenirs, Chinese work clothes, posters and books, you can now find shops selling everything from chic fashion to high-tech electronics. Shopping is easier if accompanied by an interpreter, although in big cities and tourist towns English is often spoken by shop assistants. You can usually make yourself understood by pointing, otherwise someone nearby will generally speak a little English. 

In Beijing, Shanghai and many other large cities, there are big department stores with several floors, selling a wide range of products. The best shopping is in the major shopping streets like Shanghai’s Nanjing Road or Beijing’s Wanfujing, in shopping centres and in markets. You can also get handicrafts direct from shops at local factories, or from shops specialising in the sale of handicrafts. Arts and crafts department stores also offer local handicrafts. Special purchases include jade jewellery, embroidery, calligraphy, paintings and carvings in wood, stone and bamboo. 

Shop personnel often pack and arrange shipping for bulky items. Keep receipts, as visitors may be asked to produce them at customs prior to departure. Hotel shops are more expensive than local shops. 

Shopping hours: Mon-Sun 0900-1900, although times vary across the country.

• Visit Beijing’s crowning glory, the Forbidden City (website: www.dpm.org.cn), officially the Palace Museum. The imperial palace of the Ming and Qing emperors for 500 years, it is China’s greatest surviving historical site with fabulous halls, palaces and gardens. 

• Take in other Beijing sites including Tiananmen Square, the world’s largest public square; circular 15th-century Temple of Heaven; the Summer Palace imperial resort(website: www.summerpalace-china.com); the old city wall gates; traditional hutong alleys and courtyards; and beautiful Beihai Park. 

• Stop off on a day trip from Beijing to the Great Wall to see the Ming Tombs (website: www.mingtombs.com.cn), where most of the Ming emperors were buried. They lie just outside Beijing.

• Marvel at the Great Wall, built over 2,000 years and stretching over 5,400km (3,375 miles). The restored stone and brick Badaling section stands 8m (26ft) high and 6m (20ft) wide, and is the closest to Beijing, 70km (44 miles) away. 

• Wonder at Xi’an’s Terracotta Army - 6,000 life-sized warriors and horses buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di, who first united China in 200 BC. Also visit the Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas and the old city walls. 

• See the monumental carved Buddhist effigies of Yungang Caves, near Datong, or carved effigies and monuments in Luoyang’s fifth-century Longmen Buddhist Caves. Visit the 34 early Buddhist caves at Bingling Lamasery, near Lanzhou. Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves have some of China’s oldest Buddhist shrines. 

• From Chengdu, visit the holy Buddhist mountain of Emei Shan and the spectacular Grand Buddha of Leshan, carved out of a cliff. At 71m (225ft) high, it is so enormous that 100 people can fit on its instep.

• Explore China’s oldest wooden pagoda, the Yingxian Pagoda, Kaifeng’s Iron Pagoda and Fan Bo Pagoda (AD 1049 and c. AD 977), Jinan’s Square Four Gate Pagoda (China’s oldest stone pagoda) and Guangzhou’s Huaisheng Mosque (built by Arab merchants in AD 650).

• Pay homage in Qufu at Confucius’ Tomb, Temple and Mansion. Shenyang’s North Imperial Tomb is where the Qing Dynasty’s founding father is buried. Nanjing possesses the Xiaoling Tomb of Ming Dynasty founder Zhu Yuanzhang, and the mausoleum of China’s first president, Dr Sun Yat-sen.

• Soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere of economic powerhouse Shanghai, where soaring skyscrapers contrast the European-style Bund waterfront and traditional delights like tiny Yuyuan Gardens and the Yuyuan Gardens Bazaar, a touristy warren of lanes and stalls housing the Temple of the City God.

• Shop for silk and tea in ancient China capital Hangzhou, described by celebrated traveller Marco Polo as ‘the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world’. Popular with Chinese and foreign tourists, its main attraction is the beautiful West Lake scenic area. 

• See China’s own Venice, 2,500-year-old Suzhou. Its streets lining the Grand Canal and famous water gardens are a delight. Gardens include the Humble Administrator’s Garden and the Garden of the Master of the Nets. Buy exquisite Suzhou silk fabrics and embroidery. 

• Spot unique wildlife. Sichuan province’s ancient parks and bamboo forests are among the last strongholds of the endangered giant panda. View them close up in Chengdu’s panda breeding and research centre and on a day trip to a mountain sanctuary at Wolong.

• Touch the sky at Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, which stands at 3,700m (12,000ft). The iconic seventh-century Potala Palace, home to successive Dalai Lamas, houses exhibits include frescoes and gigantic bejewelled Buddhas. Also visit the Norbulingka (Summer Palace) and Jokhang Temple, with its golden Buddhas.

• Trace the ancient Silk Road trading route, which ran from Xi’anthrough deserts and mountains to the Caspian and Mediterranean seas, bringing Buddhism and Islam into China. The main sights include Dunhuang’s Buddhist grottoes at Dunhuang, the ruins ofJiaohe city near Turpan and Kashgar’s lively Sunday market.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

•Get on your bike to enjoy China’s great outdoors. Some 300 million Chinese use bicycles to get around. Hire shops are everywhere. Popular cycling routes include alongside sections of the Great Wall and Guilin and Yangshuo, in Guanxi province.

• Enjoy China’s scenic natural wonders. They include Tibet’s Qomolangma Nature Reserve around Everest and UNESCO World Heritage Sites (website: http://whc.unesco.org) including Mount Taishan mountain park, Huangshan Mountain’s fog-shrouded rocky precipices, Buddhist mountain Emei Shan and Jiuzhaigou Valley’s lakes and waterfalls.

•Hike or trek amid spectacular scenery. Everest Base Camp is Tibet’s most popular trekking destination. There’s also great hiking in other areas of the mountainous Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Yunnan’s threatened Tiger Leaping Gorge and along the Great Wall.

• Conquer the world’s highest mountains. Mighty Himalayan peaks form Tibet’s southern border, among them Mount Everest (or Qomolangma), at 8,848m (29,021ft), and Namcha Barwa, at 7,756m (25,445ft), around which the Brahmaputra River carves a fantastic gorge to enter India.

• Go rock climbing, a fast-growing sport in China. The sheer-faced limestone karst mountains around Yangshuo in Guangxi province have become a climbing Mecca, offering many marked routes for everyone from novice to expert climbers. Some bars even have practice walls.

• Go river cruising. The Three Gorges Dam will raise levels of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze) by 175m (574ft) by 2009, although the spectacular gorges will still tower high above. See striking limestone formations on a Li River cruise from Guilin.

• Explore caves. Head underground to Zhangjiajie’s Yellow Dragon Cave, Asia’s largest, or more popular caverns including Guilin’s Reed Flute and Crown caves and Yangshuo’s Silver Cave - their stalactites and stalagmites lit by garish multi-coloured neon. 

• See forests of stone. Take a day trip from Yunnan capital Kunming to see one of southwest China’s most celebrated natural attractions. The Shilin Stone Forest’s limestone rock columns resemble petrified trees (website: www.chinastoneforest.com). 

• Relax on a tropical beach. Sanya, on the southern coast of China’s most southerly province, Hainan Island, is one of China’s newest holiday areas and has international resort hotels, fine sand beaches, golf courses, coconut palms and watersports (website: www.sanyatour.com).

• Try the ancient ‘shadow art’ of tai chi, a series of linked, slow movements using the entire body while focusing the mind. Traditionally practised early in the morning throughout China, good places to see it include Beijing’s Beihai Park.

• Enjoy festivities surrounding the Spring Festival, the Chinese calendar’s most important date. Families get together to celebrate Chinese New Year, festooning homes with banners and pictures to bring good fortune. Festival activities often include parades, lantern shows and lion dances.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Statistics

• GDP: US$2.7 trillion (2006 estimate).
•Main exports: Machinery and equipment, plastics, optical and medical equipment, iron and steel.
•Main imports: Machinery and equipment, oil, mineral fuels, plastics, organic chemicals, optical and medical equipment, iron and steel.
• Main trade partners: USA, Hong Kong (SAR), Japan, Korea (Rep) and Germany.

Economy

China’s economy has seen rapid and consistent growth since economic reforms in the 1980s, with current growth exceeding 10% per year. There is a significant industrial base with pockets of advanced manufacturing and high-technology enterprises, concentrated on the eastern coast and the Pearl River Delta, including Special Administrative/Economic Zones such as Hong Kong and Macau.

With huge disparities between the prosperous coastal cities and Special Zones and socially and economically-deprived inland areas, there has been a major population shift from the countryside to cities. Massive engineering schemes include the Three Gorges Dam hydro-electric project, due for completion in 2009.

China is the world’s largest rice producer and a major producer of cereals and grain. Large mineral deposits, particularly coal and iron ore, underpin an extensive steel industry. Self-sufficient in oil, China has its own petrochemicals industry. Under the ‘socialist market economy’, foreign companies are encouraged to establish joint ventures with Chinese partners. 

China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. In 2005, its central bank allowed a modest revaluation of the Yuan against the US Dollar, tying it instead to a basket of international currencies. There are demands to further relax currency controls with China enjoying a US$180 billion current account surplus in 2006.

Business Etiquette

Suits should be worn for business visits. Appointments should be made in advance and punctuality is expected. Business cards should be printed with a Chinese translation on the reverse and should be presented with both hands, while cards received should be studied and perhaps commented on. It is rude to put a business card directly into a pocket without giving it due attention, and a cardinal sin to put it in a back pocket. Business visitors are usually entertained in restaurants where it is customary to arrive a little early and the host will toast the visitor. Guests should always wait for their host to assign their seat. It is customary to invite the host or hostess to a return dinner. Business travellers in particular should bear in mind that the United Nations recognises the Government of the People’s Republic of China as being the only government of China. Best months for business visits are April to June and September to October. 

Office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700, midday break of one to two hours.

Commercial Information

China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)
London office: 40-41 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5JQ, UK
Tel: (020) 7321 2044.
Website: http://english.ccpit.org
Beijing office: 1 Fuxingmenwai Street, Beijing 100860, People’s Republic of China
Tel: (10) 8807 5617.
Website: www.ccpit.org

Conferences & Conventions

China hosts numerous international conventions each year, hosting them in extensive facilities in Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities including Guangzhou, Xiamen and Kunming.

Telephone

Country code: 86. Public telephones are available in post offices, hotels and shops displaying a telephone unit sign and at roadside kiosks. Domestic calls are cheaper to make between 2100 and 0700; it is also easier to get a connection during this time. It is often easier to make international phone calls from China than it is to make calls internally. There is a three-minute minimum charge for international calls.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with most major international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good in towns and cities throughout the country, with sporadic coverage in rural areas. Almost one-third of the country has coverage.

Internet

Internet is available in many areas of China; there are Internet cafes in Beijing and many other main towns and cities. Beijing routinely blocks access to sites run by the banned spiritual movement Falun Gong, rights groups and some foreign news organisations. Postings by bloggers are now being actively curbed.

Media

China’s media are tightly controlled by the country’s leadership. The industry has been opened up in the areas of distribution and advertising but not in editorial content. Access to foreign news providers is limited and re-broadcasting and the use of satellite receivers is restricted; shortwave radio broadcasts are jammed and websites are blocked. In general, the press report on corruption and inefficiency among officials, but the media avoid criticism of the Communist Party’s monopoly on power. Hong Kong so far has retained its editorially free media. Each city has its own newspaper, usually published by the local government, as well as a local Communist Party daily. 

Agreements are in place which allow selected channels (including stations run by AOL Time Warner, News Corp and the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV) to transmit via cable in Guangdong province. In exchange, Chinese Central TV’s English-language network is made available to satellite TV viewers in the USA and UK. Beijing says it will only allow relays of foreign broadcasts which do not threaten ’national security’ or ’political stability’. All foreign-made TV programmes will be subject to approval before broadcast.

Post

Service to Europe takes from between two days and one week. Tourist hotels usually have their own post offices. All postal communications to China should be addressed ‘People’s Republic of China’. 

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1900.

Press

• National newspapers include The People’s Daily and The Worker’s Daily, with many provinces having their own local dailies as well.
• News agencies include the state-run Xinhua and Zhongguo Xinwen She (aimed mainly at overseas Chinese nationals).
• The main English-language daily is the China Daily.
• There is also the weekly news magazine Beijing Review, with editions in English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

Radio

• China National Radio is state run.
• China Radio International is a state-run external broadcaster with programmes in more than 40 languages.

China has a great diversity of climates. The northeast experiences hot and dry summers and bitterly cold winters. The north and central region has almost continual rainfall, hot summers and cold winters. The southeast region has substantial rainfall, with semi-tropical summers and cool winters. Central, southern and western China are also susceptible to flooding, China is also periodically subject to seismic activity.

Required Clothing

North– heavyweight clothing with boots for the harsh northern winters. Lightweight clothing for summer. South– mediumweight clothing for winter and lightweight for summer.

Below are listed the Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year.
18-20 Feb Spring Festival, Chinese New Year.
1-3 May Labour Day.
1-3 Oct National Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year. 
7-9 Feb Spring Festival, Chinese New Year.
1-3 May Labour Day.
1-3 Oct National Day.

Note

In addition to the above, other holidays may be observed locally and certain groups have official Public Holidays on the following dates:

8 Mar International Women’s Day.
4 May National Youth Day.
23 May Tibet Liberation Day.
1 Jun International Children’s Day.
1 Aug Army Day.