A Touch of Adventure: Guided Tours of China

China is one of the few countries that Westerners still feel a sense of wonder about. Not having traditionally been seen as a tourist attraction, there are not many Western travelers who have ventured into this mysterious land. Today, however, guided tours of China are more plentiful and cost-effective, making seeing China all the rage with adventurous travelers.

Guided tours of China most definitely will take you to Beijing, China’s capital city. You’ll visit the Forbidden City, an ancient city built for China’s emperors, the Great Wall of China, a must for every traveler, and you’ll still have time for bargain shopping with Beijing’s street vendors or at Silk Alley, a bargain hunter’s paradise.

Because China is such a large country, guided tours of China often include several intra-country airline flights. The airplane flights are exactly like those in the US and Europe, with the exception that the in-flight meal is inedible and you won’t understand a word anyone is saying.

The next stop on many guided tours of China is the ancient capital city of Xi’an, the beginning of the historic “Silk Road”—a trading route extending from Asia to parts of Europe. Xi’an is famous for being the site of the “Eighth Wonder of the World”—the famed Terra Cotta Warriors of Xin.

Most guided tours of Xi’an will take you out to the countryside where the archeological site and museum for the life-size terra cotta warriors exist. There are three archeological pits containing thousands of life-sized terra cotta soldiers, horses and carriages. These soldiers have been painstakingly recreated from fragments of pottery and the work at the site is ongoing.

The best guided tours of the Terra Cotta Warriors will tell you a little secret. In the gift shop, there are stacks of a beautiful picture book of the warriors, written in several languages. Next to the stack of books sits one of the original farmers whose well-digging first uncovered the soldiers in 1974. He’ll sign your book for free, giving you a wonderful keepsake to take home.

A recent trend in guided tours of China is to take you on a memorable, multi-day tour on a riverboat down the Yangtze River.

Most guided tours begin in Chong Xing, a sprawling city of 32 million people in South Central China. There, you’ll board a lovely ship and you’ll receive a room to sleep in, many with private decks so you can enjoy the scenery.

A riverboat tour down the Yangtze River should be memorable and relaxing. Guided tours of the river include daily excursions to sites along the way. As you travel downstream, you’ll reach the Yangtze River’s famous three gorges. These are areas of the river with huge mountains and massive cliffs on either side of the river.

Unfortunately, guided tours of the Yangtze River may not be as exciting as they are today or even as they were a few years ago. The Chinese government is building the largest hydroelectric dam downstream from the gorges, raising the water level, displacing millions of people and marring the beauty of the three gorges. While onboard the ship, you’ll enjoy daily activities and fine Chinese dining every night.

Next on your list will probably be Shanghai. Most guided tours of China take advantage of the fact that Shanghai is near the mouth of the Yangtze River and close to where you’ll disembark. Shanghai can be considered the “New York” of China.

It is the center of finance and business in China and, for seasoned travelers, it’s an excellent place to shop before stuffing your bags for the flight home.

Regional Cuisine Of China: Szechuan Style

The Szechuan style of cuisine arose from a culturally distinct area in the central western of part of China, a province known as Sichuan. This area of China came into its own culturally towards the end of the Shang Dynasty, during the 15th century. However, it was also the climate of the area that helped to shape the culinary traditions that were to arise from Sichuan province and make their way into the realm of international cuisine.

The province from which the cuisine that the world knows as Szechuan evolved is often hot and humid, and this contributed to this necessity of preparing foods in ways that differ significantly from other regions of China. Szechuan cuisine is primarily known for its hot and spicy dishes, though naturally there is more to Szechuan food than spice and sauces rich and strong in flavor.

A general overview of culinary history and trends reveals that, for the most part, areas that tended to spice heavily were areas in which the fresh food supply was not as reliable as in places that traditionally used a lighter hand in their use of spices. The climate of Sichuan is conducive to faster food spoilage. This, particularly in the past, made necessary food preservation techniques that themselves left behind a strong flavor, such as salting, pickling, drying, and smoking. Thus, spices served to mask the flavors of less than fresh foods and those that have been preserved by methods that affect their natural flavors. In addition to masking certain flavors, the use of hot spices, such as chili peppers, tends to be more common to hot climates, as the sweat that they can produce is thought to cool the body.

Much of the spicing of regional Chinese cooking is based upon bringing together five fundamental taste sensations – sweet, sour, pungent, salty and bitter. The balance of these particular elements in any one dish or regional cuisine can vary, according to need and desire, especially as influenced by climate, culture and food availability.

In Szechuan cuisine, there are a variety of ingredients and spices used to create these basic taste sensations. These include a variety of chili peppers, peppercorns over various types, Sichuan peppers, which are in reality a type of fruit, not pepper, and produce a numbing effect in addition to their warm flavor. Sichuan peppers, also called flower pepper and mountain pepper, are a traditional part of the Chinese five spice powder, or at least of those that are modeled upon the most authentic versions of the spice combinations common to regional Chinese cooking.

Other ingredients used commonly in Szechuan cuisine to create the five fundamental taste sensations include different types of sugars, such as beet root sugar and cane sugar, as well as local fruits for sweetness. The sour comes from pickled vegetables and different varieties of vinegar. A special bitter melon is added to many dishes to offer the touch of bitterness that complements other flavors. Other spices and flavors include dried orange peel, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and bean paste. Salt is important to Szechuan cuisine, and the area produces uniquely flavored salts that help to distinguish authentic Szechuan cuisine from the other regional cuisines from China.

Szechuan cuisine is marked by its rich traditional flavors, which stem from a culture of hundreds of years and are in part shaped by the natural forces of climate. Authentic Szechuan cuisine offers a unique dining experience made up of adventurous and creative taste sensations.

How To Get Around China’s Second Largest City, Beijing

Whereas Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in the economic field, Peking is widely recognized as the political, educational and cultural centre of the Country, with a jurisdiction over 18 districts and counties. To get around this metropolis you might find useful these brief suggestions on public transports once you land there.

Public Bus and trolley Bus: you need to keep in mind some numbers. Buses Nos. 1-200 and trolley buses run in the city ( 1 yuan per person); buses Nos. 201-212 run at night; buses Nos. 300-599 go to the suburbs, charging according to the distance covered. Air conditioned buses starting with n. 8 are charged according to the distance covered. They usually run through the bustling streets. Buses starting with n. 6 go to the residential areas and so on. (for details see bjbus.com).

Beijing Capital International Airport (010 645 63 604) is one of China's major gateways. It is 28 km from the city centre, about 40 minutes' ride by car. Taxi costs about 100 yuan.

There are 4 railways stations in the city: Beijing Railway Station (ph. 5101 99 99), Beijing West (the largest; ph: 5182 6253), South (ph: 63030031) and North Railway stations. Passengers may buy train tickets from the ticket offices 10 days in advance or book by phone ( ph. 010- 51827188 from 9am-9pm every day) or internet (036.com.cn ) 5 to 11 days in advance.

There are 3 different types of taxi charges (1.2, 1.6, and 2 yuan per kilometer) and they are very convenient to explore the city. ( Call the taxi centre: 010- 683 73399)

Subway: 4 lines criss-cross the city of Beijing . Line 1, Line 2, Line 13 and Batong line. The latter two are city rails. They run from 5am till approximately 10 or 11 in the night. Subway entrances feature a gray cement structure with a symbolized lamp box. A one-way ticket is about 3-5 yuan.

Bikes and bikes! As always we cannot avoid mentioning a healthy, environmentally friendly, convenient, economical, safe and fun means of travel transportation and recreation! The bike! China truly is the ‘Bicycle Kingdom’, producing and using more bicycles than any other nation in the world. Cycling in China is a kind of life style for the Chinese people. Don’t forget that in the traffic and in the narrow alleys of the Hutongs bikes are the best means to explore the city and is a super-individual way of transport by your own pace! Try companies like The Bicycle Kingdom to rent your own bike.

Also, to avoid long stressful researches on where to go and what to do, here we have highlighted for you some of the central Beijing districts divided by main interest. Haidian District is home of China's Silicon Valley -Zhongguancun- and 39 universities including Beijing, Tsinghua and Renmin Universities, so basically good for shopping feaver. Xuanwu District is a good area for everything related to traditional medicine whilst the Chaoyang District is the 798 Art District and flea market district. Dongcheng District is an area where many nice backpackers youth hostels are located. Just to mention some names: the 9 dragons youth hostel, Beijing City Central youth Hostel, the Courtyard Hotel, Beijing Harbour Inn Hostel, the Saga youth Hostel, the Beijing New Dragon Hostel.

Xicheng District hosts some public parks as the Beihai park, Jingshan Park, Yuetan Park and the Beijing Zoo. In the area the famous Zhongnanhai and the popular Houhai bar . If you like this ‘green’ area, we also suggest a very nice boutique value hotel nested in an hold traditional hutong called the Spring Garden Courtyard Hotel. A hotel in a Chinese traditional, deluxe courtyard, comprises a autumn and a spring garden offering a unique cultural connotation. In fact, each of the rooms introduces you to the life of different distinguished emperors in Chinese history and the dynasties that they lived in. In the multifunction hall, there are approximately one hundred photos with English translations depicting Beijing (Peking) past. These include places of interest, culture, religion, and every day life in the city. There is also a staff member available to answer questions and explain the 800 years of Beijing history).

Other central location districts are: Fengtai District; Shijingshan District; Chongwen District.

China Video Travel Beijing

ChinaVideoTravel is a new type of video travel website that provides an instantaneous online visual exploration of locations and tourist attractions around Shanghai and Beijing with more Chinese location videos and articles being added to the site every week. At the click of a mouse you can read informative articles and view interesting videos about China on just about any topic, like its history, people, produce, travel locations, travel tips, astrology, food, and you can even pick up a few easy to cook and very tasty Chinese recipes.

So far China Video travel has created many online video presentations in many locations in and around Beijing and Shanghai. Our Chinese video travel tours take you to places such as The Great Wall of China, The Forbidden City (now known as the Palace museum), Tiananmen Square, The Imperial Summer Palace, the Ming Tombs, and the ultra modern skyline of Shanghai’s new business district Pudong. The many backstreets and Shopping areas of Beijing and Shanghai are a real visual experience and not to be missed and the journey doesn’t stop there as we give you sneak preview video tours of what happens behind the scenes of some of China’s well known industries such as the Jade, Tea, silk, and various Chinese artisan and performance groups, you will be amazed at what the Chinese can do. Care for an online tea tasting?

We are continually updating the site with new articles and many more Chinese travel videos of tourist locations and points of interest around China. If you would like to experience life in China (especially Beijing and Shanghai) from the comfort of your own home log onto chinavideotravel.com now, and take yourself on an unforgettable video travel tour throughout China that will help you experience, get to know, and appreciate some of the most fascinating and beautiful things that the Chinese have to offer.

China Heritage Lauriat

With history and culture as old as civilization itself, China is as complex as the DNA code of each of the 1.3 billion (and counting) Chinese populating the earth. Hence, we will not attempt on a crash course of the Chinese menu, but we will have a taste of its popular and most sought-after offerings.

Forbidden City

Constructed during the Ming and Qing dynasty eras, native Chinese call it Gu Gong while the tourism board and guests alike now call it the Palace Museum. It holds the record for being the largest palace complex in the world, sprawling over 74 hectares of property located at the very heart of Beijing.
A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 1987, it served both as a residence and as a seat of power to a total of 24 emperors, fourteen from the Ming dynasty and ten from the Qing dynasty. An imperial palace for a period of almost five centuries, it is composed of two divisions, namely, the Inner Court and the Outer Court. The former is located in the northern half of the compound and used as the royal residence of the emperor and his family while the latter is the southern half and served as the seat of imperial power of the ruler of China.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is an ancient fortress with its own history of construction that spans across dynasties from the Western Zhou dynasty in 1100 BC to the Qin dynasty in 206 BC. The citadel that meanders through 6,700 kilometers of mountains and valleys, and grasslands and deserts from west to east, was refurbished and fortified by the Ming dynasty from 1368 to 1644.
A UNESCO World Heritage since 1987, it is one of the world’s greatest wonders and believed to be the only human construction on earth that is visible from outer space. A tourist who has never set foot on the Great Wall has never been to China.

Stone forest

Sculpted by nature’s own hands, the enchanting Stone Forest located in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County is acclaimed as the First Wonder of the World. It is a group of several patches of limestone formations interspersed with scenic oasis spots covering an area of 96,000 acres.The fabled Stone Forest has a rich collection of legends and myths pertaining to its origin. However, geologists simply say that it used to be an expansive sea which dried up and the result of millions of years of erosion.

Fishing in China

A fishing vacation is never complete without fishing in the waters of Hong Kong, China. You may explore the fishing realms that the region has to offer. Hong Kong has once been known as an excellent port for fishing enthusiasts. Hong Kong will offer you the kind of fishing that you will never forget.

People may be after the food, shopping and the tourist spots of the region. But for people who are into fishing, Hong Kong can give more than what is expected of it as a city. To fish in Hong Kong is very exciting. You will be able to learn and experience the methods of fishing they have in Hong Kong.

Since it is surrounded by an ocean, this explains why most people fish in saltwater in Hong Kong. Targeting a fish is very simple. The ocean and the harbors are very accessible. You can fish in the harbors of Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kwun Tong or the Hong Kong Island.

In Hong Kong, saltwater fishing is done everywhere in the surrounding ocean. There has never been a scarcity of fish in this region. You will find fish everywhere in the water. Tourists who come to fish can also visit Stanley, which is near Hong Kong. Stanley will be perfect for you if you are someone who wants peace, enjoy fishing quietly and away from the city life.

The Lamma Island and Sai Kung peninsula and are also spots recommended by local Anglers. These two places still have the features offered by a traditional fishing village. They also provide people with charter boats.

The Anglers in Hong Kong use the same saltwater fishing techniques that are used in the US. You can use your own techniques even if it's deep sea fishing or surf fishing. Many people also use bloodworms or shrimps to catch fish.

Hong Kong, also provides fresh water fishing. Carp, Big Head Tilapia, and Edible Goldfish are the types of fish that you will catch in these water reservoirs. Tourists, however, have a difficulty trying the Freshwater fishing since they still need to supply a license to fish in Hong Kong.

Going to Hong Kong to fish does not require much planning for a fishing trip. You will be able to track down easily the hot spots of Hong Kong where you can enjoy fishing. Hong Kong is surrounded by water, which means that fishing is everywhere. You will be surprised that in a matter of hours, you are able to catch a bucketful of pan-sized fi

Vacationing In China

Are you considering a vacation to China? Rich in culture and deeply hospitable, the Chinese people welcome tourists and it’s rich history and colorful traditions are sure to keep travelers well entertained during their stay.

Visiting Shanghai

Shanghai is one of China’s largest cities and is rich with activities for the visiting foreigner. It would be similar to visiting New York City in the United States. Shanghai is home to The Garden of Contentment, a 500 acre garden full of beautiful Chinese horticulture at it’s finest. The garden is divided into six separate garden cells: The Grand Rockery, The Ten ThousandFlower Pavilion, The Lotus Pool, The Inner Garden, The Hall of Heralding Spring and The Hall of Jade Magnificence. Nanjing Lu Road is a shoppers paradise. It features art galleries, shops, and restaurants all overflowing with rich Chinese culture. Be sure to brush up your bargaining skills before heading out to Nanjing Lu. You can often get a bargain price by haggling with the shopkeeper for a price you can write home about. Highly recommended hotels in Shanghai are: Le Royal Miridian on Nanjing Dong Rd., with an average room price of $259,and the Crowne Plaza Hotel Fudan in the Yangpu District for about $94.

Visiting Beijing

Beijing is filled with Chinese history and great architecture. It features the Forbidden City, a 250 acre estate with more than 9,000 rooms. The palace complex was built in the early 15th century. With it’s historic castle and inspiring architecture it’s a wonder to behold.

Tiananmen Square is found in Beijing as well and hosts many colorful parades and massive rallies. It features historic monuments and great architecture. The Great Wall of China is a must see when traveling to China and the most popular place to begin your tour of the Wall is in Beijing. The Great Wall stretches for over 3700 miles and is an awesome site and provides for panoramic photograph opportunities. Near Beijing, cable cars lift passengers onto the Wall where you can begin an exploration hike along the ancient steps and view China from its heights. While booking lodging in Beijing, The Peninsula offers rooms at around $246 a night and The Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing charges around $103. Another popular option is the Shangri La Beijing on Zizhuyuan Road. A room will cost you about $200 a night.

Visiting Hong Kong

Hong Kong has its own Disneyland. While the park is smaller than other Disney parks, the staff’s friendliness more than makes up for the small real estate. This stop is a must for all Mouse fans and will make your trip memorable for the whole family.

Hotels in Hong Kong that come highly recommended by other tourists are: Langhan Place Hotel at $224 a night, The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong at $359, and the Harbour Plaza Hong Kong at around $209 a night.

Tourist Attraction Great Wall Of China

When you said that you have been to China as a sight seeing tourist, invariably people will ask you whether you have you visited The Great Wall Of China.

Why are people so obsessed with this ancient fortress monument? Well, as someone who have taken a sightseeing tour of the Great Wall, I can sum it up in one word. The Great Wall of China is awesome!

I was awestruck by the spectacular scenery and its courageous history. This gigantic monument is considered by many people as one of the wonders of the world. Any tourist traveling to China must definitely make visit the Chinese tourist attraction.

The Great Wall of China is over 2,000 years old and it is a monument rich in history. It was first conceived and constructed by Qin Shi Huang or also known as Shi Huang Ti, who was the first emperor of China. The wall is called "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng" in Chinese when translated literally means 10,000 li long wall which is equivalent to about 5,000 km or 2,272 miles long.

The Great Wall Of China was constructed as a military fortification against intrusion by invading normadic ancient tribes. The Chinese people at that time called these tribes barbarians since the Chinese royalties were living in sprawling palaces and these tribes were living in tents.

After the emperor Qin unified China in 214 BC, he ordered the construction of the wall. It took more than a decade to construct and the great wall stretched from Lintao in the eastern part of Gansu province in the west to Liaodong in Jilin province in the east. The wall not only served as a defensive bastien against invaders in the northern parts of China, it is also a symbol of power for the proud emperor.

From the Qin Dynasty onwards, Xiongnu (translated from Chinese as fierce anger), which was an ancient tribe that roamed Northern China, frequently make incursions and plunder towns and villages along the northern border.

During the Han Dynasty in and around 121 BC, emperor Han Wu Di, ordered three military expeditions to repel and quash the Xiongnu tribe. The military expeditions successfully pushed the Xiongnu tribe into the far north of the Gobi desert, which is a tundra.

In order to secure the safety of the Hexi Corridor (now Gansu province), the emperor also ordered the construction of the extension of the Great Wall westward into the Hexi Corridor and Xinjiang region. The ruins of the tower beacons and debris of the Han Wall are still preserved in Dunhuang, Yumen and Yangguan districts and provinces. There is also a report that more ruins of the Han Wall have recently been discovered near Lopnur in Xinjiang province.

The present day Great Wall Of China in Beijing is mainly the remains from the Ming Dynasty era. During this golden era of Chinese culture, bricks and granite were used when the workers laid the foundation of the wall. Sophisticated designs and passes were also constructed in places of strategic military importance.

To further empower the military's control of China's northern frontiers, the Ming Dynasty government divided the Great Wall into nine zones and placed each zone under the command and control of a Zhen, which is a military garrison headquarter.

The Ming Wall begins at Yalujiang River in what is now in Heilongjiang province, through Liaoning, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia provinces, to Gansu reaching a length of about 12,700 li (about 5,200 km or 2,400 miles).

Although The Great Wall served succeeding dynasties very well for a few hundred years as a defence bastion against invading forces, the invaders from the north in the end were able to advance and conquer China in succeeding dynasties such as Mongolians (Yuan Dynasty, 1271-1368) and the Manchus (Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911) did.

With such splendidly rich history and panoramic views, is it any wonder why the Great Wall Of China is one of the most visited tourist attraction in the world?

Do You Want To See Something New? Then You Should Visit China

A visit to china is like a visit to another world. China has different culture, food and people. It is necessary with some paperwork before you enter the country, among other things you need to apply for a visa. This are some of the reasons why you need some China travel tips before you go visit this vast and beautiful country.

When you are planning your trip to China there are some things you should take care of. Here is a list with the most important things;

* Ensure that you have all necessary paper-documents, you need this in order to entry the country. A Chinese visa you could get at a Chinese embassy in your country, some travel agencies may also be able to arrange this for you.

* For group travel, your travel agency will help you get a group tourist visa, which is acceptable for entry into the country.

* Travel insurance is also recommended to buy even though it is not absolutely necessary.

* Make sure that you bring small amounts of the local currency, named Yuan, and American dollars. American dollars is good to have in case of emergency. Keep the American dollars in your socks or shoes.

* Undergo all requisite immunizations.

* Learn the geography and the different time-zones.

* Memorize the location to one of the embassies that belongs to your country.

Before you leave home, brush up on the country declarations. There are certain rules about what you can bring into the country that may limit you on certain items, especially electronics like cameras, camcorders, laptops and more. Items like these will need to be declared in customs upon entrance to the country.

China has a very large land-areal, it is one of the largest countries in the world, because of this the climate is very different across the country. Some places it can be snow while it is summer and sun in others. A good tips is to choose the time of travel carefully.

The best times to arrive are in May, September and October. Although the country can be visited year-round, these three months are the most comfortable weather wise but you might find some great travel deals in the winter months.

A good advice is not to try to cover all the great tourist-attractions in one trip, the country is simply way to big. Your best bet would be to identify a few areas that you want to explore and then try to plan your itinerary based on these places.

Some nice places to visit may be;

* The great wall of China

* Hainan island

* Beijing

* Yangtze river

* Shanghai

These places are awesome and it is highly recommendable that you visit them, even though it is a great distance between some of them. You can get to them by take the train, bus or plane. I would recommend to take the plane because China is very large country and you don't want to spend all of your vacation on a bus or train, even though bus and train are a cheap way of travel in China.

Be prepared and you will do fine in China. Have a nice trip.

China On A Shoestring

China is not only the largest country in the world with 20% of the world’s people, it is also the world’s oldest continuing culture. Its more popular tourist attractions include the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, and the Forbidden City in or near Beijing, and the ancient cities of Xi’an, Nanjing, and Kaifeng. Natural attractions include the Yellow River, the Long River, the Himalayas, and the unique natural beauty of Guilin. A China tour can be quite affordable if you use a discount tour company.

China tour companies and travel agencies offer group and individual tours. Deep discounts are often available for hotels, rent-a-car, air tickets, and more – discounts can reach 50-70% of normal price. Even during the peak tourist season, hotel rates offered by many China tour operators can be quite affordable for Westerners used to the sky-high costs charged in Europe. Some of the most popular China-related travel agencies include China Comfort Travel, China International Travel Service, and several companies on the web.

Because of China’s large size (about the size of the United States), individual travel over a short time can be a logistical nightmare. Accordingly, China tour companies offer comprehensive tour packages that will allow you to see a lot of China as possible during a short tour. The China Tour Service offers several theme-oriented tours including a Tibetan adventure tour, a Silk Road tour, and a cruise on the Yangtze River Cruise. China Custom Tours offers a few special interest tours to remote or unique locations rarely seem by most tourists. This is only the tip of the iceberg. If you so desire, you can take a martial arts tour of China tour or go trekking in the Himalayas.

Foreigners visiting China should to register with their embassy in Beijing in case of loss of passport, accident, kidnap by a Yeti, or other unexpected difficulties.

Traveling And Money In China

Money: The currency used in China is the Renminbi/RMB Yuan (CNY). The Yuan is divided into 10 chiao/jiao or 100 fen. RMB is not traded outside China and we still cannot exchange £ or $ into RMB easily outside of China.

You can exchange some cash in the airport you arrive. Travellers cheques, preferably in US Dollars, and foreign cash can be exchanged in cities at the Bank of China. Banks are closed weekends. Normal banking hours are Mon-Fri 0900-1200, 1400-1700.

Import and export of local currency is limited to RMBY20000. Import of foreign currency is up to US$1000 (US$5000 for non-residents). Higher amounts should be declared upon arrival. Export of foreign currency is limited to the amount imported and declared.

The larger hotels and the special 'Stores' designed for foreigners will accept most western currencies for purchases. Major credit cards (e.g. visa and master cards) are accepted in the main cities at various establishments, but outside the major cities acceptance is limited. ATMs are scarce outside the main cities. So please do carry extra cash when you are traveling outside of major cities.

Although tipping is not required, gratuities may improve service. For the porters or waiters, 1 - 5 US dollars may be appropriate as the tip. However, local people rarely tip in restaurants as a 10% service charge is always included in the bill. My rule is not to give beggars any changes as a lot of them a professional network; more beggars will appear in front of you once you start giving.

Keep money safe. Always bargain at no price listed shops, local people always quote foreigners 3-4 times more expensively.

If you are staying China for a relatively long period of time, you can open a local bank account.

Foreigners can open accounts in China and the process is fairly straight forward. Initially, it is essential that the bank account is opened with the Bank of China, and in most of larger city branches, there will be an English-speaking member of staff who can assist. A passport is required together with a small deposit. A bank book will be issued with a bank card. Deposits can be made in several currencies such as RMB, US Dollars and UK Pounds, while withdrawals must be in the same currency as the deposit.

Make sure you exchange your leftover Yuan before returning home because this currency can be exchanged only within China's borders. www.58cai.com offers more advices on Money issues in China.

Travel To Xi’an, China

Xi’an is in China’s fertile lowlands. It is most famous for the discovery in 1974 of the Terracotta Warriors, and is one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites. This city is home to one of china’s largest mosques and has been inhabited for over 6000 years.

Xi’an is probably the central most important city in Chinese history and so it is most famous for the large number of historic sites, and museums that outline the rich history of the area. Many dynasties both started and fell from this city.

There are five main museums in Xi’an. The Forest of Stele was setup during the Tang Dynasty and in 1090 during the Song Dynasty was turned into a Confucian temple. This museum now holds the oldest collection of steles in china. A stele is a stone that is stood upright and has been inscribed with calligraphy. There is so many of these stele’s that it is referred to as a forest!

Mentioned earlier in this article was the Terracotta Warriors. Well the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and the Museum of the Qin Terracotta Figures display artifacts from the Qin dynasty including the terracotta warriors. The mausoleum was in fact an underground palace and it is said that 700,000 people worked on its construction of 36 years. The vaults where discovered between 1974 and 1976. In 1979 the actual museum was constructed and the artifacts where put on display.

The three remaining museums that are of interest to tourists are the Big Goose Pagoda, The Small Goose Pagoda, and the Banpo Museum. The Big, Goose and Small Goose temples where built around 653 and 707 AD respectively and feature artifacts from the Buddhist monks and their scriptures. The Banpo museum was built in 1954 to cover and protect the site of five excavations and occupying an area of 33,400 square feet.

Needless to say, Xi’an is an ideal place for those interested in the rich history of China to visit. Anyone wishing to plan tours or vacations to Xi’an would be well advised to consult with a travel agent in order to ensure they get the most out of their visit.

Travel To Suzhou, China

Suzhou is one of the most beautiful cities in china and probably one of the most historically significant cities in the country. The metro area including the city itself is home to over 6.9 million people. The major language spoken in the city is Wu, a Chinese dialect. The city is very much like Venice where the streets and canals are winding, and intertwined. The city is famous for its vast gardens and offers quite a variety of sites for the tourist to explore.

The gardens alone can be traced back to 6 BC and all these gardens have been beautifully maintained in their original splendor and glory. The four top gardens to see in the city are Canglang Pavilion (Blue Wave Pavilion), Lingering Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden and Lion Grove Garden. The garden of Master of Nets is one of the best examples of a small to medium size garden and is also well worth a visit.

The water townships of Suzhou are another interesting set of places to visit. The ancient homes and the lovely views are unlike anything a tourist will have ever seen anywhere else. Three of the most beautiful water townships are Zhouzhuang, Tongli Town, and Luzhi. All are beautiful and once again well worth a visit.

Along with the water townships and gardens Suzhou has a number of other tourist attractions. The Panmen Scenic Area, Water and land city gates, Wumen Bridge, and the Suzhou Amusement Park represent just a few of the huge number of sites that may be if interest to the exploring tourist.

The last major items of interest to most tourists are the famous temples located in the Suzhou area. The Temple of Mystery and the Xiyuan Temple are probably the two most popular tourist destinations though there are many others as well.

The Suzhou area has a vast amount to see and do. It is very rich in Chinese history and well worth the time spent visiting the gardens, temples, and water townships that it has to offer. When planning a trip to china do make sure that the Suzhou area is on your list of things to do.

Travel Destinations To China

Traveling to China will immerse us not only to the top travel destinations. Instead, we can go through a lot of different cultures that symbolizes a long history and spans the age of the Chinese civilization. From the highlands of Tibet, the popularly known Silk Road and the Forbidden City, China has so much in its large nutshell.

The Great Wall of China

China being known for tourism can be attributed to its Great Wall. The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest wonders of the world and China’s greatest travel destination. The Great Wall winds up and through desert and mountains at an expanse of 6,700 kilometers from the East to West of China. This wall was built to ward off Mongol invaders in the north.

Tourists traveling to China take in the history of the country with every step of the Great Wall. Now, different foreign tourist marvel at the Great Wall to a point of invasion making it an icon of all China’s travel destinations.

The Forbidden City of Beijing

In the heart of Beijing lies the Forbidden City. This top Chinese travel destination celebrates the history of different royalties of China. The palace contains exactly 9,999 buildings. Tourists can view the Forbidden City behind each gates found on the four sides. Aside from that, tourists can go up the four towers found in the corners to view the buildings from the top. From this viewpoint, travelers can notice the symmetry of the buildings that coincide with Chinese architectural tradition known as Feng-Shui. As the symbol of the royal family, yellow is the dominant color of the Forbidden City. Foreign tourists to China can see the magnificent architecture, dainty paintings, and the grand halls.

The Silk Road

For foreign tourists who want to take in the economic tradition of China, they go to the famous Silk Road. It is the greatest trading route between the East and the West. The road is named after the product that is most traded between China and the West. The Silk Road is also the route of Marco Polo’s travel to China. Most importantly, it served as the route for knowledge exchange between Europe and China. Today, the Silk Road is reduced to dilapidated houses and structures in the middle of the desert. However, travelers will encounter different ethnic groups such as the Tibetans, Uigur, and the Mongolians. The value of the economic history of the Silk Road represents the merging of civilization that leaves a mark on the heart of a tourist traveling to China.

Travel China - Beautiful Lijiang

Lijiang is an and quaint town in Yunan, a province of China which is well endowed with magnificent and beautiful mountains, rivers and a long history. The ancient Lijiang county was put into the list of world cultural legacy by the World Legacy Committee of the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization in 1997.

The city of Lijiang has a history of 800 years or 900 years dating from the Sung Dynasty. Why is Lijiang one of the most beautiful city in the world? Firstly, it is one of the very few city which is over a mile high above sea level. Smacked in the middle of the Lijiangba Dam, surrounded by snowcapped mountains and a river that runs through an oriental forest with small streams meandering into the town. Some tourists even called the town "Heaven On Earth".

Lijiang experienced an earth shattering 7 on the Richter scale earthquake on February 1996 which killed more than 5,000 people mainly the Naxi community being the major community in Lijiang. Since then, Lijiang caught the attention of the world and tourism growth was unprecedented. As such, Lijiang is now one of the most favoured tourist travel destination in China.

Most residents in Lijiang are of the Naxi tribe. The Naxi community makes a living by herding yaks and doing small retail businesses. The construction of the ancient Lijiang city was quickly developed in the Ming Dynasty. This is especially so because the Ming Dynasty made a large number of people in Anhui Province to migrate into Lijiang in order to station military troops and common people in the boundary areas.

As a result of this mass migration, the buildings of Lijiang ancient city were very much influenced by the architectural style of Anhui Province. The original buildings of the Naxi community can only be found in the rural areas surrounding Lijiang City.

The Yuan dynasty and the Mongol Emperor then, Kublai Khan stationed military troops in Lijiang in 1253. He brought the foreign culture alien to Lijiang and thus Lijiang was then influenced by the culture Central China, such as Buddhism and Taoism, and then affected by the Christianity and Islamic culture in the early 1900s. The Naxi community assimilated all these cultures. As such, Lijiang is also very much appreciated for its cultural landscape not only in China, but the entire Asia.

Millions of tourists travel to Lijiang each year to enjoy Lijiang's primitive simplicity, tranquility and elegant culture.The folks at Lijiang enjoy music too. You can hear the beautiful music from the dwelling houses in Dayanzhen Town. The musicians carry their often home made musical instruments to take part in household parties all over the town.

The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang is perhaps one the most beautiful mountain range in the world, famous for its perilous, beautiful and breathtaking landscapes. The mountain is a world class tourist scenic spot. The peak of the Jade Dragon Mountain is some 5596 meters (about 17,000 ft) above sea level. The mountain's thirteen peaks viewed from south to north look just like a flying giant Chinese dragon. A very formidable view indeed.

So if you are travelling to China, don't miss the quaint city of Lijiang.

There's No One Right Way to Travel to China

A traveler might wonder where to begin in a foreign country that is slightly smaller than the size of the United States with over 5,000 years of recorded history. The wonderful advantage to traveling China is that there is no right or wrong place to start. China's fascinating past is written all over its 23 provinces,* 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities. The Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau are also part of China's government under a "one country, two systems" law.

Greater Than the Great Wall: Travel to China's Many Wonders
China is a mecca for human-made and natural wonders. The southern Tibetan border is home to the world's tallest peak, Mt. Everest. Take in the inspiring Himalayan view then head north and travel through the majestic Three Gorges, a 120-mile stretch of plummeting cliffs along the Yangtze River. Stand in the middle of the largest plaza in the world, Tiananmen Square, at the heart of the capital city, Beijing. While in Beijing, visit the Imperial Palace and find out why it is known as the Forbidden City. Then, venture south to discover a true artistic Qin Dynasty treasure in Xian, where over six thousand Terracotta Warriors are arranged in battle formation on 14,000 square meters of land.

Hong Kong and Macau: Another Way to Experience China
These two regions are governed with a significant degree of political and commercial autonomy and are China's most prominent examples of the fusion of cultures brought about by colonialism. While travel to these provinces provides a very different experience from the rest of China, they are by no means lacking in worldly wonders or the authentic Chinese lifestyle.

Hong Kong came under British rule in 1841 after centuries of British involvement in the silk and tea trade. The expansion and modernization of this global port city attracted commercial and cultural influences from all corners of the world. China regained sovereignty over the British colony in 1997 but agreed to leave the democratic government structure intact. What has resulted is an unparalleled bastion of progressive ideas, pioneering technology and architectural phenomena like the world's three longest bridges.

Thirty-five miles west of Hong Kong across the Pear River delta, the enclave of Macau is perched on a peninsula surrounded by small islands. Portugal had established sovereignty over Macau in 1887 after a history of heavy trade and navigation in the region. The Portuguese finally ceded all authority back to China in 1999. The sophisticated blend of Chinese and Portuguese art, architecture and cuisine define Macau's truly enchanting character. In Macau it is commonplace to enjoy an espresso and pastry for lunch and Dim Sum for dinner, accompanied by a fine Portuguese wine.

Be sure to set aside ample time to explore Hong Kong and Macau as part of your itinerary to travel China!

Begin In Beijing - Beijing Travel Information

The best way to kick off your Asian travels is in China’s progressive and even tragically hip capital city of Beijing. Traditional relics like the Tiananmen gate stand juxtaposed against the imposing modernist architecture of recent history, most notable in the Dashanzi Art District. The People’s Republic of China has its financial industries mainly in Shanghai and Hong Kong, but Beijing remains the nation’s true cultural and political center.

Orange County Meets Ming Dynasty in Beijing

When many travelers think of Beijing, they imagine the dictatorial atmosphere of Mao Zedong or television images of protesting citizens; however, Beijing has a tremendous history beginning as early as the 1st century BCE and has persevered through Kublai Kahn’s Mongols, Japanese invasion, and the Communist Civil War victory in 1949.

The Forbidden City is a fascinating journey through 500 years of Imperial secrecy. The head of state no longer resides here and the beautiful buildings and breathtaking gardens are open to the public year-round. The entrance to the Forbidden City is the infamous Tiananmen Square and gate, protected by four formidable marble lions. Nearby, the Temple of Heaven is another sublime representation of an era of dynasties and royal architecture. With airfare to Beijing, you also have the extra opportunity to see the Great Wall of China, which is only one and a half hours away by bus.

Although there are hundreds of historical sites in Beijing, the rapidly sprawling metropolis is also overflowing with contemporary wonders and luxuries. The National Zoo houses the largest inland aquarium in the world as well as China’s famous pandas. Next to the Imperial Palace, the Wan Fung Art Gallery provides insight into the artistic transition from regal and traditional to cutting edge contemporary. Most interestingly, the suburban sprawl has witnessed the creation of a $60 million American-inspired community called Orange County, complete with town homes and tract housing.

Chinese Cultural Centrifuge in Beijing

Experience two cultural traditions in one at the Laoshe Tea House where you will be both charmed by Chinese opera and soothed by a variety of traditional teas. For world-class shopping in Beijing, visit Wangfujing, or you can find your way into the many enchanting smaller districts for traditional Chinese shops and boutiques. Beijing is also home to several notable temples like the Miaoying, and even a mosque that was built in 996.
With such dynamic experiences to offer and the immaculate preservation of its past, Beijing is truly an international city and there’s no wonder the cosmopolis has been chosen for the Olympics. Get your airfare to Beijing now or wait for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.