For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, out pacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation.
After World War II, the Communists under Mao Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China’s sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor Deng Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.
Visa
Most nationals will need a visa. It is best obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate before departure.
Hong Kong and Macau have different visa requirements. If you plan to travel to Hong Kong or Macau during your China trip and return back into Chian afterwards, you will need either a multiple entry visa for China or apply for a new one.
Residents of Singapore, Brunei and Japan do not need a visa to visit China if they intend to stay less than 15 days.
Famous Cities in China
Beijing is the capital city of China and also it’s cultural center. Here the 2008 Olympics will take place.
Guangzhou, famous for beiing the most liberal city in China and the place where economy boosts.
Guilin famous for it’s scenery.
Hangzhou, a beautiful city, is the center for the silk industry. It is also another former capital.
In Kunming tours to the villages of the ethnic minorities start.
Nanjing is another former capital, popular for it’s many historic relics.
Shanghai is the ideal destination for a shopping spree. It is China’s largest city with a beautiful river front.
Suzhou often refered to as “Venice of the East”, with a famous for it’s old city, canals and gardens.
Xi’an is a major tourist destination because of the terracotta warriors excavated here. It is also a former capital.
Public Holidays
Official national holidays:
- January 1, New Year’s Day,
- Lunar Year, Spring Festival or Lunar New Year,
- May 1, Labor Day , and
- October 1 - 2, National Day.
Also commemorated are
- March 8,International Women’s Day,
- May 4, Youth Day,
- Children’s Day (June 1),
- July 1, Chinese Communist Party Founding Day,
- August 1, Army Day, and
- December 10, Teachers’ Day.
Telephone
country code - 86
Domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use but still unevenly distributed. Best developed is the domestic system in principal cities and industrial centers. China continues further to develop its telecommunications infrastructure.
Mobile services are available in all cities.
Language
The official language of China is standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, which means standard speech, based on the Beijing dialect).
There are other major dialects:- Yue (Cantonese),Wu (Shanghaiese),
- Minbei (Fuzhou),
- Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese),
- Xiang,
- Gan, and
- Hakka (Kejia).
Because of the many ethnic groups in China, numerous minority languages also are spoken.
All of the Chinese dialects share a common written form that has evolved and been standardized during two millennia and serves as a unifying bond amongst the Han Chinese.
The Pinyin System
The Pinyin system was introduced in 1958 and was approved by the State Council in 1978 as the standard system for the romanization of Chinese personal and geographic names. In 2000 the Hanyu (Han language) Pinyin phonetic alphabet was written into law as the unified standard for spelling and phonetic notation of the national language.