TRAVEL GUIDE : GUANGDONG

Guangdong Province is situated in the southern part of China mainland. It adjoins Jiangxi and Hunan provinces to the north, Fujian Province to the east, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the west and to the south across the Qiongzhou Strait is the island Province of Hainan. Guangdong province covers an area of over 180,000 square kilometers (69,502 square miles) and has permanent population of 74,730,000. It also has 3,368 kilometers (1,300 miles) of winding coastline, which is the longest in the country. Rivers from all over the province meandering through the fertile Pearl River Delta discharges into the South China Sea at the half waypoint of the coastline. The Pearl River Delta is one of China's most densely cultivated areas. Situated right at the top of this river delta at the confluence of the North River, East River and West River is the provincial capital city of Guangzhou, which was formerly known as Canton to the western world.
History

Guangzhou is an ancient city with a history of 2800 years. It is named 'the spring city' because with long summer the city is always with green plants and blooming with fresh flowers all years round. Myth legend tells of Guangzhou was founded by Five Immortals riding five rams, each ram planted a stalks of rice grain which symbolizes abundant of harvest or prosperity. And this is how Guangzhou got its nickname, 'Yang Cheng' literally means 'Goat City'. Guangzhou provides traveler with their first taste of mainland China, thus resulting in also been the first place of mainland China where foreign influences enters into the country.
Guangzhou is also the main communication center of Guangdong with generous amount of railways, highways, bridges, multi levels of flyovers and labyrinth of waterways. Ferries are still very much in use as a mode of transport, which also provides river excursion. With so many types of transport, it's not difficult to go to other places, towns and other areas in Guangdong Province.
What to see

Guangdong has many picturesque tourist places of attractions. No matter be it a natural scenic spot, a historical or cultural site, it has its own highlight and interest. Here, each tourist can find what he or she wants to see. If you want to appreciate the beautiful natural landscapes, you can go to climb Guangdong's four famous mountains. They are Danxia Mountain in the north, Xijiao Mountain at the South China Sea, Luofu Mountain in Boluo and the Dinghu Mountain in Zhaoqing. Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Yuexiu Park, Baiyun Shan (White Cloud Mountain) and the Pearl River water front could be enjoyed in Guangzhou.
Up North by the Hunan and Jingling borders is the Nanhua Temple in Shaoguan. Journeying to the east from Shantou you may see much beautiful countryside scenery. To the west may lead you to Guangxi Province with picturesque lakes and hill landscapes. At the south is China's Special Economic Zone with the two well known cities of Shenzhen just north of the former British colony of Hong Kong and Zhuhai on the border with the former Portuguese enclave of Macau. At Shenzhen, you can complete a round-the-world trip in one day by visiting Splendid China and Window of the World. It exhibits collection of scale models of the world's famous structures or monuments such as the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower of France and many others. Downtown in Shenzhen you may find the China Folk Culture Villages. This folk culture village introduces to tourist the different natural conditions and social customs of all the various Chinese ethnic groups. Different colorful ethnic group cultural dances and performances were held at every interval of thirty minutes. Besides that you may also get to see some arches, pavilions, huts and paintings on rock.
For sports enthusiastic people, there are some golf courses built with international standards in Zhuhai, Shenzhen and other cities. You can also have much fun in some excellent beaches existing along the thousand kilometers of coastline.
When to go

Guangdong has a subtropical climate. Summer can be sweltering hot and wet. Typhoon hit this province frequently in summer and autumn. Annual rainfall averages nearly 1500-2000 millimeters and annual temperature averages 19C - 26C. So the best time for travelers to Guangdong is in spring and autumn.Guangdong is famous for its fine gastronomy Cantonese cuisine. Many returning oversea Chinese would enjoy dinning in the various restaurants. All in one words Guangdong is graceful and charming. The bustling markets, the brightly lighted night fair, the Cantonese restaurants and tea house that can be found everywhere and the wholeness of it tells you, the full essence of Guangdong Province. What you have to do is to visit, experience and relish it.
GUANGDONG

• Chaozhou


• Dongguan


• Foshan


• Guangzhou


• Heyuan


• Huizhou


• Jiangmen


• Jieyang


• Meizhou


• Qingyuan


• Shantou


• Shanwei


• Shaoguan


• Shenzhen


• Yangjiang


• Yunfu


• Zhanjiang


• Zhaoqing


• Zhongshan


• Zhuhai

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TRAVEL GUIDE : GANSU

Dear friends, would you like to ramble along the ancient Silk Road and re-enter the historic long river? Come then to Gansu, a memorable tour awaits you.
Located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, northwest China, Gansu is one of the cradles of Chinese cultures. It occupies a total area of 450,000 square kilometers (173,700 square miles) Neighboring provinces are Shaanxi to the east, Sichuan to the south, Qinghai and Xinjiang to the west and Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to the north. With a population of 23.7 million, Gansu has a multinational population which includes ethnic minority groups of Kazak, Mongolian, Tibetan, Hui, Dongxiang, Tu and Manchu. They mutually influence each other in the fields of economics, politics and culture and hold close ties with the Han people. They have thus developed a unique cultural community.
Lanzhou, a well-known ancient city in China, is the capital of Gansu. It is the second largest city in northwest China, and also the political, economic and cultural center of the province.
What to see
With a long history and brilliant cultures, Gansu is abundantly endowed with cultural relics and natural scenery. Vast and graceful natural scenery like endless desert and pure glacial landscape presents an impressive and breath-taking picture before your eyes. Take for example the world-famous Mogao Grottoes. It is the largest and most well-preserved Buddhist art palace and also a post along the ancient Silk Road; the grand Jiayuguan Pass, an important outpost in ancient China, is the western end of the Great Wall; the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe is one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist resorts in China while the Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves in Lanzhou are a treasure trove of Han Buddhism. All of these are commendatory scenic spots for your tour.
When to go

It is important for tourists to be familiar with the local temperatures. The annual average temperature is about 0 to 15C. The lowest temperature occurs in January and is approximately -14 to 3C and the highest temperature is in July between 22 and 25C. Average annual rainfall is between 30 to 860 millimeters (1.18 to 33.86 inches). With plenty of rain, you would be well-advised to take an umbrella along with you for the tour. However, despite the changeful weather, your sightseeing visit from May to October would be uninterrupted.
The traditional handicrafts in Gansu are archaized carpets (using patterns from ancient carpets), luminous cups and the duplicates of sculptures and murals of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang.
GANSU

• Baiyin
• Dunhuang
• Jiayuguan
• Jinchang
• Jiuquan
• Lanzhou
• Pingliang
• Tianshui
• Xiahe
• Wuwei
• Zhangye

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TRAVEL GUIDE : FUJIAN

Fujian Province, with its capital Fuzhou, is on China's southeastern coast. It faces the island province of Taiwan across Taiwan Strait to the east. Neighboring provinces are Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Fujian occupies an area of around 120,000 square kilometers (about 46,335 square miles). Its permanent resident population is slightly above 34.7 million. Many minority ethnic groups live in Fujian province: Hui, Miao and Manchu.


When to go

Fujian has a year-round warm and humid climate. Annual average rainfall ranges from a low of 1400 mm to a high of 2000 mm, and annual average temperature from a low of 17C to a high of 21C. It is hospitable in all seasons for travelers in this province.
What to see

Fujian is blessed with a rich history, famous historical sites and beautiful natural landscapes. These make Fujian a unique tourist attraction. However, it is not yet a much worn traveler's path.
Mount Wuyi (Wu Yi Shan) may enlighten you with its wonderland tour. Its beautiful mountains, vigorous rocks and limpid waters are legendary. Gulangyu Island, also called "the Garden on the Sea" by people in Xiamen, is a world of sea breezes, sunshine and exotic architecture with a Mediterranean flavor.
Nanputao Temple, among the four well-know Buddhist shrines in the prestigious history.

Earth Towers of the Hakkas in Yongding area are the much fabled mountain residences in this world of make believe. The industrious and facile Hui'an women in the south of Fujian add much to their folk customs. The Kaiyuan Temple looks splendid, glittering and grand despite its age. Fujian also is a place where famous national heroes like Lin Zexu and Zheng Chenggong lived and won their seats of honor in history books.
Oolong tea produced in Fujian is famous, so if you have a chance to visit this province, you must taste it there with relish.
FUJIAN

• Fuzhou
• Longyan
• Nanping
• Ningde
• Putian
• Quanzhou
• Sanming
• Xiamen
• Zhangzhou

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TRAVEL GUIDE : CHONGQING

Chongqing is a port city with the largest municipal area and population in China. It is situated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers in southwest China. With an area of 82,400 square kilometers (31, 800 square miles), Chongqing shares borders with the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Shaanxi. Besides the Han who form the majority of its total population of 30.9 million, numerous ethnic groups reside in Chongqing, including Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Qiang, You and Tujia.


Since its founding 3,000 years ago, Chongqing has been called Jiangzhou, Yuzhou, and Gongzhou, before getting its present name nearly 800 years ago. Since the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC), many dynasties have set up administrative institutions that have endowed the city with brilliant cultures. Perched beside the Yangtze, the "Golden River," Chongqing symbolizes Yangtze River civilizations and is the cradle of Bayu culture.
Today, Chongqing is a modern city, China's fourth municipality after Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Within its borders Chongqing encompasses a wealth of water reserves, mineral resources, dense forests, and abundant flora and fauna. The focal point of the unique Yangtze Three Gorges Dam, Chongqing is a tourist attraction as well as a commercial city.
Chongqing attracts visitors from home and abroad for its cultural heritage and other tourist attractions. The city is the starting point for the Yangtze River Cruise, which explores the stunning scenery of the Three Gorges. Other attractions include the Dazu Rock Carvings , valuable works of art carved during the Ninth Century, Gold Buddhist Mountain, a rich repository of diverse animals and plants; and Fishing Town, one of three ancient battlefields in China. Ancient Ci Qi Kou village lures tourists to linger in its streets to buy handicraft souvenirs.
Chongqing is famous for its hot Sichuan cuisine and world-famous hotpot dishes. Street vendors as well as restaurants feature exciting spicy delicacies for the adventurers.
Servicing western China, Chongqing provides convenient water, land, and air transportation. Hundreds of star-ranked hotels provide excellent facilities and services. Chongqing is ready to be the pilot in the Western China Development to usher in more investors and visitors.

• Chongqing Overview
• Chongqing Attraction
• Chongqing Tours
• Chongqing Transportation
• Chongqing Accommodation
• Chongqing Dining
• Chongqing Shopping
• Chongqing Nightlife
• Chongqing Travel Tips
• Chongqing Pictures
• Chongqing Community

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TRAVEL GUIDE : BEIJING

Beijing, Jing for short, is the nation's political, economic, cultural and educational center as well as China's most important center for international trade and communications. Together with Xian, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing and Hangzhou, Beijing is one of the six ancient cities in China. It has been the heart and soul of politics and society throughout its long history and consequently there is an unparalleled wealth of discovery to delight and intrigue travelers as they explore Beijing's ancient past and enjoy its exciting modern development.
As the capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing is located in northern China, close to Tianjin Municipality and partially surrounded by Hebei Province. The city covers an area of more than 16,410 square kilometers (6336 square miles) and has a population of 14.93 million people.
Beijing is a city with four distinct seasons. Its best is late spring and autumn. But autumn is taken as the golden tourist season of the year since there is sometimes in the spring of recent years, a yellow wind. We suggest tourists visit Beijing during the months of May, September, and October when people can enjoy bright sunshine and blue skies. An abundance of international class performances are presented in May. If you like winter, you will have other chances to appreciate another landscape of Beijing. After skiing in Beihai and viewing the snowy sights on West Hill, enjoying the steaming hotpot is the best choice, which is really the fun of tour in Beijing. Please keep warm and remember to bring your down garments and sweaters when you visit Beijing in the winter.


How can one city boast so many phenomenal places? Beijing's long and illustrious history started some 500,000 years ago. It is here that the ancestors of modern Homo sapiens, Peking men, lived in caves. Records show that Beijing has been an inhabited city for more than three thousand years and has endured invasions by warlords and foreign powers, devastating fires, the rise and fall of powerful imperial dynasties and has emerged each time as a strong and vibrant city. For more than 800 years, Beijing was a capital city - from the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) to the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties. Thirty-four emperors have lived and ruled the nation in Beijing and it has been an important trading city from its earliest days.
Although now Beijing is a modern and fashionable city complete with a full 21st Century vitality, you can experience authentic Beijing life and become acquainted with 'old Beijing' by exploring ts many teahouses, temple fairs, Beijing's Hutong and Courtyard and enjoy the Peking Opera. Add any or all of these to your Beijing tour and you will leave with a feeling of special appreciation in your heart for this ancient city that has truly seen it all and tells its story with matchless grace, charm and vigor.
With the biggest central square in the world - Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City that is the largest and best-preserved imperial palace complex, a superbly preserved section of the Great Wall,as well as the largest sacrificial complex in the world - the Temple of Heaven, Beijing attracts both domestic and foreign visitors who all come to wonder at its century-old history and unique cultural relics.
Dwelling too much on the historical past of Beijing may give tourists the false impression that it is little more than an ancient city in style but this is definitely not so! Strolling around Beijing, you'll find it has much in common with any other great metropolis elsewhere in today's world. There are towering skyscrapers; busy shopping malls and an endless stream of traffic that makes the city much the same as others. The most famous and popular commercial circles and commercial pedestrian streets are predominantly located near the Yansha Shopping Mall, Tiananmen and Wangfujing Street, Guomao Shopping Mall, Qianmen Street and Xidan Street, etc. However, although you will find multinational chains with their own brands to offer, nowhere else on earth will you find such a variety of gourmet Chinese restaurants offering the very best of the eight different styles of Chinese cuisine as well as western style dishes. Modern hotels abound, each offering the highest standards of service and convenience.
After a day's Beijing tours, nighttime can hold other surprises for you. These can vary from traditional performances such as the Beijing Opera, acrobatics and martial arts to modern ones ncluding concerts, ballroom dancing, pubs and clubs. Each and every one has its individual enchantment for the tourist. No description of our capital city is complete without mention of the friendly people who throng the streets. Everywhere you will encounter smiling faces and a warm welcome, especially from the children who love to say 'Hello!' All these things add up to truly make your visit a cultural experience of a lifetime.

• Beijing Overview
• Beijing Attractions
• Beijing City Tours
• Beijing Transportation
• Beijng Accommodation
• Beijing Dining
• Beijing Shopping
• Beijing Nightlife
• Beijing Travel Tips
• Beijing Pictures
• Map of Beijing
• Beijing Olympic Games
• Beijing Community

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TRAVEL GUIDE : ANHUI

Anhui, with a population of over 59 million, is an inland province in Southeast China. It stretches over the Yangtze River and Huai River, and is adjacent to six provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Henan and Shandong. Hefei City, the capital of the province, has many attractions as a result of its 2,000 years of history.
What to see
Covering an area of 130,000 square kilometers (50,200 square miles), Anhui boasts of abundant tourism resources, and is a top tourist attraction among many in the Southeast, such as: the amazing Mount Huangshan, famous for its towering pines, precipitous stones, wonderland cloud-sea and hot springs; Mount Jiuhua, one of the four famous Buddhist Mountains in China; Mount Tian Zhu, also a well-known scenic spot. The magnificence of these peaks is simply stupendous. Standing on top of any one of these peaks would overwhelm most trekkers with a sight to behold. In addition to the beautiful mountain scenery, the well-preserved ancient villages in Southern Anhui are derived from the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911). The most impressive ones are in Xidi and Hongcun in Yixian County near Mount Huangshan. It is really a sight worth seeing and a must for visitors who are keen to learn more about life during those years. Shexian County, reputed as Town of Arches, is also a must for each visitor who wants to experience fine examples of residential architecture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the unique Tangyue Memorial Archway.
When to go
Anhui intrigues and astonishes tourists with its marvelous scenery and centuries-old cultural relics. Annual average temperature is between 14C and 17C. The best time to visit these scenic areas is in autumn (September, October, and November) and spring (April, May and June). However, the snow scenery of Huangshan is absolutely fascinating so if you enjoy the snow, it's best to come during the winter.
Anhui is also well known for its various craftworks, such as rice paper, ink stone and Chinese ink. Together, they form the precious Chinese four treasures of literary pursuits.
ANHUI

• Bengbu
• Chaohu
• Hefei
• Huaibei
• Huainan
• Huangshan
• Maanshan
• Suzhou
• Wuhu

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TRAVEL GUIDE : GUILIN

Just as Xian is a must when you travel to China, so is Guilin. The stunning landscape in which the city is situated has a kind of magic that is all its own. The strangely shaped hills, or karsts, with the verdant vegetation ranging from bamboo to conifers together with wonderful caves make Guilin such an attraction for tourists.
Located in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin is considered to be the pearl of China's thriving tourist industry on account of the natural beauty and historic treasures. Covering an area of about 27,800 square kilometers (10,734 square miles), the city is rather compact when compared with other leading cities in the country. However, situated within this area one may find green mountains, crystal clear waters, unique caves and beautiful stones. Major attractions include Elephant Trunk Hill, Li River, Reed Flute Cave and Seven-Star Park that boasts a Stone Museum where amazing geological finds are displayed. Believe that each of these places and many other attractions will leave you the lasting memories.
Guilin is also an important cultural city with a history encompassing more than 2000 years. The city has been the political, economic and cultural center of Guangxi since the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Solitary Beauty Peak is considered to be the oldest place of interest and has been so since the far off days of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The prosperity enjoyed by the city during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is epitomized by the Tomb of Prince Jingjiang.
The many ethnic minorities represented here that include the Zhuang, Yao, Hui, Miao, Mulao, Maonan and Dong enrich the cultural life of the city. Each minority has its own unique customs and festivals and this means that they are much more abundant here than in many other places elsewhere in China. Travelers can enjoy these pageants at the Li River Folk Customs Center.
Guilin is a well-developed tourist center with convenient transportation, communication and accommodation facilities. You can enter Guilin by air, by train or by bus and get around on free buses. From luxury hotels to hostels, from splendid restaurants to local snacks, you are sure to find that your needs will be met beyond your expectations.

• Guilin Overview
• Guilin Attractions
• Guilin Tours
• Guilin Transportation
• Guilin Accommodation
• Guilin Dining
• Guilin Shopping
• Guilin Nightlife
• Guilin Tips
• Guilin Pictures
• Guilin Map
• Guilin Community

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CULTURE

For centuries, opportunity for economic and social advancement in China could be provided by high performance on Imperial examinations. The literary emphasis of the exams affected the general perception of cultural refinement in China, such as the view that calligraphy and literati painting were higher forms of art than dancing or drama. China's traditional values were derived from various versions of Confucianism and conservatism. A number of more authoritarian and rational strains of thought have also been influential, such as Legalism. There was often conflict between the philosophies, such as the individualistic Song Dynasty neo-Confucians, who believed Legalism departed from the original spirit of Confucianism. Examinations and a culture of merit remain greatly valued in China today. In recent years, a number of New Confucians have advocated that democratic ideals and human rights are quite compatible with traditional Confucian "Asian values."[107]
The first leaders of the People's Republic of China were born in the old society but were influenced by the May Fourth Movement and reformist ideals. They sought to change some traditional aspects of Chinese culture, such as rural land tenure, sexism, and a Confucian education, while preserving others, such as the family structure and obedience to the state. Many observers believe that the period following 1949 is a continuation of traditional Chinese dynastic history, while others say that the CPC's rule has damaged the foundations of Chinese culture, especially through political movements such as the Cultural Revolution, where many aspects of traditional culture were labeled 'regressive and harmful' or 'vestiges of feudalism' by the regime. They further argue that many important aspects of traditional Chinese morals and culture, such as Confucianism, Chinese art, literature, and performing arts like Beijing opera, were altered to conform to government policies and propaganda at the time. One example being Chinese character simplification, since traditional characters were blamed for the country's low literacy rate at the time.[108] However, simplified Chinese characters are not used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.[108]
Today, the PRC government has accepted a great deal of traditional Chinese culture as an integral part of Chinese society, lauding it as an important achievement of the Chinese civilization and emphasizing it as vital to a Chinese national identity. Since the Cultural Revolution has ended, various forms of traditional Chinese art, literature, music, film, fashion and architecture have seen a vigorous revival,[109][110] and folk and variety art in particular have gained a new found respectability, and sparked interests nation and even worldwide.[111]
Religion
Most Chinese — 59% of the population, or about 767 million people — identify themselves as non-religious.[112] However, rituals and religion — especially the traditional beliefs of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism — play a significant part in the lives of many. About 33% of the population follow a mixture of beliefs usually referred to by statisticians as "Traditional Beliefs" or just "Other".
About 8% of the Chinese population are avowed Buddhists, with Mahayana (大乘, Dacheng) and its subsets Pure Land (Amidism), Tiantai and Zen being the most widely practiced. With an estimated 100 million adherents, Buddhism is the country's largest organized religion. Other forms of Buddhism, such as Theravada and Tibetan, are practiced largely by ethnic minorities along the geographic fringes of the Chinese mainland.[113] A government official recently suggested that there are 16 million Christians.[114] However, an independent survey by East China Normal University estimated the Christian population at 40 million, much higher than the government's numbers but much lower than numbers favored by some Western observers.[115] Official figures also indicate that there are about 20 million Muslims.[116]
Sports and recreation
China has one of the oldest sporting cultures in the world, spanning the course of several millennia. There is, in fact, evidence that a form of football (soccer) was first played in China in ancient times, leading many historians to believe that the popular sport originated from China.[117] Besides soccer,[118] some of the most popular sports in the country include martial arts, table tennis, badminton, swimming, basketball, and more recently, golf and rugby. Board games such as Go (Weiqi), and Xiangqi (Chinese chess) and recently Chess are also commonly played and have organised competitions.
Physical fitness is widely emphasized in Chinese culture. Morning exercises are a common activity and often one can find the elderly practicing qigong and Tai Chi Chuan in parks or students doing stretches on school campuses. Young people are especially keen on basketball, especially in urban centres with limited space and grass areas. The NBA has a huge following among Chinese youths, with Yao Ming being the idol of many.[119] The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be held in Beijing, and as a result the country has put even more emphasis on sports.
Many traditional sports are also played. The popular Chinese dragon boat racing (龙舟) occurs during the Duan Wu festival. In Inner Mongolia, sports such as Mongolian-style wrestling and horse racing are popular. In Tibet, archery and equestrian sports are a part of traditional festivals.[120]

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PUBLIC HEALTH

The Ministry of Health, together with its counterparts in the provincial health bureaus, oversees the health needs of the Chinese population.[97] An emphasis on public health and preventative treatment characterized health policy since the early 1950s. At that time, the party started the Patriotic Health Campaign, which was aimed at improving sanitation and hygiene, as well as attacking several diseases. This has shown major results as diseases like cholera, typhoid, and scarlet fever were nearly eradicated.
With economic reform after 1978, the health of the Chinese public improved rapidly because of better nutrition despite the disappearance, along with the People's Communes, of much of the free public health services provided in the countryside. Health care in China became largely private fee-for-service. By 2000, when the World Health Organization made a large study of public health systems throughout the world, The World Health Report 2000 Health Systems: Improving Performance the Chinese public health system ranked 144 of the 191 UN member states ranked.
The country's life expectancy jumped from about 41 years in 1950 to almost 73 years in 2006,[98] and infant mortality went down from 300 per thousand in the 1950s to about 23 per thousand in 2006.[79][99] Malnutrition as of 2002 stood at 12 percent of the population according to United Nations FAO sources.[100]
Despite significant improvements in health and the introduction of western style medical facilities, the PRC has several emerging public health problems, which include respiratory problems as a result of widespread air pollution[101] and millions of cigarette smokers,[102] a possible future HIV/AIDS epidemic, and an increase in obesity among urban youths.[103][104] Estimates of excess deaths in China from environmental pollution (apart from smoking) are placed at 760,000 people per annum from air and water pollution (including indoor air pollution).[105] China's large population and close living quarters has led to some serious disease outbreaks in recent years, such as the 2003 outbreak of SARS (a pneumonia-like disease) which has since been largely contained.[106]

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EDUCATION

In 1986, China set the long-term goal of providing compulsory nine-year basic education to every child. As of 1997, there were 628,840 primary schools, 78,642 secondary schools and 1,020 higher education institutions in the PRC.[88] In February 2006, the government advanced its basic education goal by pledging to provide completely free nine-year education, including textbooks and fees, in the poorer western provinces.[89] As of 2002, 90.9% (male: 95.1%; female: 86.5%) of the population over age 15 are literate.[79] China's youth (age 15 to 24) literacy rate is 98.9% (99.2% for males and 98.5% for females) in 2000.[90] In March 2007, China announced the decision of making education a national "strategic priority", the central budget of the national scholarships will be tripled in two years and 223.5 billion Yuan (28.65 billion US dollars) of extra funding will be allocated from the central government in the next 5 years to improve the compulsory education in rural areas.[91]
The quality of Chinese colleges and universities varies considerably across the country. The consistently top-ranked universities in mainland China are Peking and Tsinghua in Beijing; Fudan, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and East China Normal University in Shanghai; Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an;Nanjing University in Nanjing; the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei; Zhejiang University in Hangzhou and Wuhan University in Wuhan.[92][93]
Many parents are highly committed to their children's education, often investing large portions of the family's income on education. Private lessons and recreational activities, such as in foreign languages or music, are popular among the middle-class families who can afford them.[94]

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DEMOGRAPHICS

As of July 2006, there are 1,313,973,713 people in the PRC. About 20.8% (male 145,461,833; female 128,445,739) are 14 years old or younger, 71.4% (male 482,439,115; female 455,960,489) are between 15 and 64 years old, and 7.7% (male 48,562,635; female 53,103,902) are over 65 years old. The population growth rate for 2006 is 0.59%.[79] The PRC officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, the largest of which are the Han Chinese, who constitute about 91.9% of the total population.[80] Large ethnic minorities include the Zhuang (16 million), Manchu (10 million), Hui (9 million), Miao (8 million), Uyghur (7 million), Yi (7 million), Tujia (5.75 million), Mongols (5 million), Tibetans (5 million), Buyei (3 million), and Koreans (2 million).[81]
In the past decade, China's cities expanded at an average rate of 10% annually. The country's urbanization rate increased from 17.4% to 41.8% between 1978 and 2005, a scale unprecedented in human history.[82] 80 to 120 million migrant workers work part-time in the major cities and return home to the countryside periodically with their earnings.[83]
Today, the People's Republic of China has dozens of major cities with one million or more long-term residents, including the three global cities of Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Major cities in China play key roles in national and regional identity, culture and economics.


Largest cities
Shanghai








Beijing






Hong Kong









Tainjin

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TRANSPORTATION

Transportation in the mainland of the People's Republic of China has improved remarkably since the late 1990s as part of a government effort to link the entire nation through a series of expressways known as the National Trunk Highway System (NTHS). The total length of expressway is 45,000 km at the end of 2006, second only to the United States.[76][77]
Private car ownership is increasing at an annual rate of 15%, though it is still uncommon because of government policies that make car ownership expensive, such as taxes and toll roads.[78]
Air travel has increased, but remains too expensive for most. Long distance transportation is still dominated by railways and charter bus systems. The railways are still the vital carrier in China, and until this year steam locomotives were still a common sight. It is thought that some are still in use, especially on industrial networks.
Cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are building subways or light rail systems. Hong Kong has one of the most developed transport systems in the world. Shanghai already has a Maglev system connecting downtown Shanghai to Pudong International Airport

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

After the Sino-Soviet split, China started to develop its own nuclear weapons and delivery systems, successfully detonating its first surface nuclear test in 1964 at Lop Nur. A natural outgrowth of this was a satellite launching program, which culminated in 1970 with the launching of Dong Fang Hong I, the first Chinese satellite. This made the PRC the fifth nation to independently launch a satellite. In 1992, the Shenzhou manned spaceflight program was authorized.[69] After four tests, Shenzhou 5 was launched on October 15, 2003, using a Long March 2F rocket and carrying Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei, making the PRC the third country to put a human being into space through its own endeavors.[70] With the successful completion of the second manned mission, Shenzhou 6 in October 2005, the country plans to build a Chinese Space Station in the near future and achieve a lunar landing in the next decade.[71]
China has the world's second largest research and development budget, and is expected to invest over $136 billion this year after growing more than 20% in the past year.[72] The Chinese government continues to place heavy emphasis on research and development by creating greater public awareness of innovation, and reforming financial and tax systems to promote growth in cutting-edge industries. President Hu Jintao in January 2006 called for China to make the transition from a manufacturing-based economy to an innovation-based one, and this year's National People's Congress has approved large increases in research funding. Stem cell research and gene therapy, which some in the Western world see as controversial, face minimal regulation in China. China has an estimated 926,000 researchers, second only to the United States's 1.3 million.[73]
China is also actively developing its software, semiconductor and energy industries, including renewable energies such as hydro, wind and solar power.[74] In an effort to reduce pollution from coal-burning power plants, China has been pioneering the deployment of pebble bed nuclear reactors, which run cooler and safer, and have potential applications for the hydrogen economy.

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ECONOMY

Beginning in late 1978, the Chinese leadership has been reforming the economy from a Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented economy that is still within a rigid political framework under Party control. The reforms replaced collectivization of Chinese agriculture with privatization of farmlands, increased the responsibility of local authorities and industry managers, allowed a wide variety of small-scale enterprises to flourish, and promoted foreign investment. Price controls were also relaxed. These changes resulted in mainland China's shift from a planned economy to a mixed economy.

China became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2001.[57] China’s accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO) was a goal achieved after nearly fifteen years of exhausting negotiations carrying many legal, political and social implications for all parties. China was finally able to convince WTO members that without China, the WTO is only partially a worldwide trade organization. The road to the signature of the final agreement of accession was long, but these difficulties pale in comparison to the problems that have not yet been tackled in terms of achieving real implementation of its provisions throughout the territory of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). China’s accession surely presents the world trading system with opportunities, but also poses the challenge of integrating a market with strong structural, behavioural and cultural constraints.[58]
The government emphasizes personal income and consumption by introducing new management systems to help increase productivity. The government also focuses on foreign trade as a major vehicle for economic growth, which led to 5 Special Economic Zones (SEZ: Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Xiamen, Hainan) where investment laws are relaxed so as to attract foreign capital. Since the 1990s, SEZs and similar concepts have been expanded to major Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Beijing. The result has been a 6-fold increase of GDP since 1978. Chinese economic development is among the fastest in the world, and has been growing at an average annual GDP rate of 9.4% for the past 25 years.[59] At the end of 2005, the PRC became the fourth largest economy in the world by exchange rate, and the second largest in the world after the United States by purchasing power parity at US$8,158 trillion.[60] But with its large population this still gives an average GDP per person of only an estimated US$8,000 (2006), about 1/5th that of the United States.
Mainland China has a reputation as being a low-cost manufacturer, which caused notable disputes in global markets. This is largely because Chinese corporations can produce many products far more cheaply than other parts of Asia or Latin America, and because expensive products produced in developed countries like the United States are in large part uncompetitive compared to European or Asian goods. Another factor is the unfavorable exchange rate between the Chinese yuan and the United States dollar to which it was pegged.
On July 21, 2005 the People's Bank of China announced that it would move to a floating peg, allowing its currency to move against the United States dollar by 0.5% (effective 18 May 2007, which was earlier 0.3%) a day, while 3% a day against other currencies.[61] Many high-tech American companies have difficulty exporting to China because of U.S. federal government restrictions, which exacerbated the trade gap between the PRC and the US, widespread software piracy and illegal copying of intellectual property (a major US export), and perceived low quality of US goods. On the other hand, China runs a trade deficit with Taiwan and South Korea, importing more from those nations than exports. China runs a large but diminishing trade surplus with Japan[62] (slight deficit if Hong Kong is included).[63][64]
There has been a significant rise in the Chinese standard of living in recent years. Today, a rapidly declining 10 percent of the Chinese population is below the poverty line. 90.9% of the population is literate,[65] compared to 20% in 1950.[66] The life expectancy in China is the third highest in East Asia, after Japan and South Korea. There is a large wealth disparity between the coastal regions and the remainder of the country. To counter this potentially destabilizing problem, the government has initiated the China Western Development strategy (2000), the Revitalize Northeast China initiative (2003), and the Rise of Central China policy (2004), which are all aimed at helping the interior of China to catch up.
China is undergoing major reforms in its financial sector, which has been plagued by nonperforming loans made in the 1980s and early 1990s to inefficient state-owned enterprises. The government has spent five years and more than US$400 billion cleaning bad loans off the books of the big four state-owned banks, helping prepare them to become shareholder corporations.[67] By the end of 2006, China had restructured three of its four largest banks and listed them publicly. China's largest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in October 2006 raised US$21.6 billion in the world's largest initial public offering (IPO) in history. ICBC is now the world's second largest bank in market value, after only Citibank.[68] These highly successful IPOs have helped ease the government's burden and spur further structural reforms in China's nascent banking industry.

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MILITALY

With 2.3 million active troops, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the largest military in the world.[51] The PLA consists of an army, navy, air force, and strategic nuclear force. The official announced budget of the PLA for 2007 was $45 billion. However, the United States claims China does not report its real military spending. The DIA estimates that the real Chinese military budget for 2007 could be anywhere from US$85 to US$125 billion.[52]
The PRC, despite possession of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, is widely seen by military researchers both within and outside of China as having only limited power projection capability; this is, among other things, because of the limited effectiveness of its navy. It is considered a major regional power and possibly an emerging superpower.[53]
Much progress has been made in the last decade and the PRC continues to make efforts to modernize its military. It has purchased state-of-the-art fighter jets from Russia, such as the Sukhoi Su-30s, and has also produced its own modern fighters, specifically the Chinese J-10s and the J-11s.[54] It has also acquired and improved upon the Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, which are considered to be among the best aircraft-intercepting systems in the world,[55] albeit Russia has since produced the new generation S-400 Triumf. The PRC's armoured and rapid-reaction forces have been updated with enhanced electronics and targeting capabilities. In recent years, much attention has been focused on building a navy with blue-water capability.

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GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

China is the second largest country in Asia by area after Russia, and is considered the third or fourth largest[44] in the world by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in respect to land-and-sea area. The uncertainty over size is related to the validity of claims by the PRC on territories such as Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract (both territories also claimed by India), and a recent change in the method used by the United States to calculate its surface area.[45] It borders 14 nations (counted clockwise from south): Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan,[46] Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and North Korea. Additionally the border between PRC and ROC is located in territorial waters.
The territory of the PRC contains a large variety of landscapes. In the east, along the shores of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, there are extensive and densely populated alluvial plains, while on the edges of the Inner Mongolian plateau in the north, grasslands can be seen. Southern China is dominated by hill country and low mountain ranges. In the central-east are the deltas of China's two major rivers, the Yellow River and Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). Other major rivers include the Xi, Mekong, Brahmaputra and Amur.
To the west, major mountain ranges, notably the Himalayas, with China's highest point at the eastern half of Mount Everest, and high plateaus feature among the more arid landscapes such as the Taklamakan and the Gobi Desert.
A major issue is the continued expansion of deserts, particularly the Gobi Desert.[47] Although barrier tree lines planted since the 1970s have reduced the frequency of sandstorms, prolonged drought and poor agricultural practices result in dust storms plaguing northern China each spring, which then spread to other parts of East Asia, including Korea and Japan. Water, erosion, and pollution control have become important issues in China's relations with other countries.
China has some relevant environmental regulations: the 1979 Environmental Protection Law, which was largely modelled on U.S. legislation. But the environment continues to deteriorate.[48] While the regulations are fairly stringent, they are frequently disregarded by local communities while seeking economic development. Twelve years after the law, only one Chinese city was making an effort to clean up its water discharges.[49] This indicates that China is about twenty years behind the U.S. schedule of environmental regulation.
Water pollution has increased as an issue along with industrial production. The Chinese government has chosen a discharge standard measuring the concentration of a pollutant rather than the total pollutant load (as is done in the U.S. and many Western countries). As a result many industrial dischargers in China simply dilute the effluent with river water taken from the same source as the receiving waters. Consequently the outcome has been to create considerable water pollution in many of the country's rivers.
With regard to carbon emissions, China has ratified the Kyoto Protocol but it is not required to reduce carbon emissions because of its status as a developing country. However, with rapid industrialisation, China is fast becoming one of the world's top emitters of carbon gases and possibly a major contributor to global warming.
Part of the price China is paying for increased prosperity is damage to the environment. Leading Chinese environmental campaigner Ma Jun has warned that water pollution is one of the most serious threats facing China. According to Ma the drinking water of 300 million peasants is unsafe and water quality in one fifth of the cities is not up to standard. This makes the crisis of water shortages more pressing, with 400 out of 600 cities short of water.

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