Sightseeing
   
  China has many tourist attractions thanks to its vast territory, beautiful
  landscapes, long history, and splendid culture. There are 99 state-class
  historical and cultural cities, 750 national-class cultural relics and
  places of historical interest under key government protection, and 119 major
  scenic spots, 19 of which are listed as world Natural and Cultural
  Heritages.
 
  The long history and brilliant culture of China can be retraced in the
  ancient ruins and relics. Beijing, Xi’an, Nanjing, Luoyang, Kaifeng,
  Hangzhou, and Anyang are the seven ancient capitals, and people can follow
  the traces of Confucius, Qin Shihuang, and Genghis Khan to admire the
  extensive and profound Chinese culture.
 
  China has long been known for its beautiful landscapes. Some of the most
  famous are the Lijiang River in Guilin, the Five Mountains, the Three Gorges
  along the Changjiang River, and the water scenes in southern China. There
  noted tourist attractions include Mount Huangshan in Anhui Province, Mount
  Emei in Sichuan Province, the Huanggoushu Waterfall and Limestone Caves in
  Guizhou Province, the Stone Forest in Yunnan Province, the Grasslands in the
  Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the frost-covered trees in Jilin
  Province in winter.
 
  China’s folklore is especially attractive. There are more than 40 yearly
  festivals. And every ethnic minority group have its own festivals. China is
  also famous for its special arts such as Beijing Opera, acrobatics, songs
  and dances, and calligraphy and painting.
 
  With a long coastline, China’s many fine ports and coastal areas are choice
  destinations for vacationers. China has established a number of national
  holiday resorts, thus offering more choices for vacationers.
 
  China has seen a rapid development in tourism and a great improvement in
  tourist facilities such as accommodations, food, shopping, and recreation. You will enjoy the best
  service during your stay in China.
 
  Transportation
 
  The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is an organization for
  civil air transport in China. Today, the Chinese aviation has opened 750
  domestic airlines, 100 international airlines, and 21 regional airlines,
  linking 58 cities in 39 countries. The domestic airlines serve 136
  municipalities in China. Chinese airlines have reached world standards.
  Constant improvements are being made to the main airports and their
  facilities. Air China has become one of the safest airlines in the world.
 
             
  Main Civil Aviation companies in china
 
  Air China
  Address: Beijing Capital international Airport
  Postal code: 100621
  Tel: (010) 64563220
  Fax (010) 64563831
 
  China Eastern Airlines
  Address: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
  Postal code: 610202
  Tel: (028) 5581466
  Fax: (028) 5582630
 
  China Southern Airlines
  Address: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
  Postal code: 510406
  Tel: (020) 86120000
  Fax: (020) 86644623
  China Northern Airlines
  Address: Xiaoheyan Rd., Dadong District, Shenyang
  Postal code: 110043
  Tel: (024) 8294438
  Fax: (024) 8294432
 
  China Northwest Airlines
  Address: Xiguan Airport, Xi’an
  Postal code: 710082
  Tel: (029) 8701114
  Fax: (029) 5582630
 
  Xinjiang Airlines Ltd.
  Address: Diwopu Airport, Urumqi
  Postal code: 830016
  Tel: (0991) 3801703
  Fax: (0991) 3719084
 
  Xiamen Airlines Ltd.
  Address: Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
  Postal code: 361009
  Tel: (0592) 6022961
  Fax: (0592) 6028263
  Land Transportation
 
  1.Railway
  Railways in China have developed rapidly, and many new domestic and
  international lines have been opened.
  The domestic lines include quasi-express trains, express trains, tourist
  trains, special expresses, and through
  expresses.
 
  The quasi-expresses include the Guangzhou-Kowloon Express and the
  Guangzhou-Shenzhen Express; Expresses trains starting at night and returning
  in the morning run between large municipalities; Tourist trains serve main
  tourist cities, offering convenient transportation or travelers in China;
  Railway coaches in China have two upper berths and two lower berths and two
  lower berths in each private room .
 
  The international railway expresses shuttle between Beijing, Ulan Bator, and
  Moscow, and Beijing, Manzhouli, and Moscow; Beijing and Pyongyang; Urumqi
  and Alma Ata; Beijing and Ulan Bator.
 
  2. Highways
  The highways in China have a total mileage of 1.18 million kilometers. These
  include 70 national highways and1,600 provincial highways. Great efforts are
  being made to construct more expressways and class I and Class II highways
  for motor traffic. The following expressways and Class |and Class || motor
  highways are convenient for tourists: Shenyang-Dalian, Beijing-Tanggu,
  Nanjing-Shanghai, Shanghai-Hangzhou, Hangzhou-Ningbo, Xi’an-Lintong,
  Xi’an-Baoji, Guiyang-Huangshi, Jinan-Qingdao, Guangzhou-Shenzhen,
  Guangzhou-Foshan, Chengdu-Chongqing, Fuzhou-Xiamen,Hainan Island Ring Road,
  Guilin-Liuzhou, Guangzhou-Shantou, and Luoyang-Kaifeng.
 
  The expressway transportation is featured by high grade, quality service,
  quality service, high speed, and
  simple procedure. Most coaches for this transport are comfortable, well
  equipped, either imported or jointly
  made with foreign companies. The average speed is 100 km/h.
 
  3.Getting Around a City
  Taxicab Service Taxicabs of varying types are available in large and
  medium-sized cities. A ride costs one or two yuan per kilometer.
 
  Subway In Beijing the subway consists of two lines:the East-West, which runs
  between Xidan and Pingguoyuan; and the Ring Line, along the 2nd Ring road. A
  subway ticket costs 2.00 yuan.
 
  The Shanghai No. 1 Subway Line runs from Jinjiang Garden to New Shanghai
  Railway Station. A subway ride costs 2.00 yuan.
 
  Bicycles In many tourist cities, such as Beijing, bicycles are for rent in
  hotels. People can also look around in Beijing by a three-wheeled vehicle
  driven by man
     
  Water Transportation
 
  China has a vast sea area with the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, and the South
  China Sea in the south. China's long coastline has ports in Shanghai,
  Tianjin, Guangzhou, Yantai, Qing dao, Qinhuangdao, Dalian, Beihai, and Hong
  Kong.
  These ports are vast and deep with beautiful surroundings, making them
  another choice for sightseeing in China.
 
  International Lines on the Sea
  A regular weekly line of the Sino-Japanese International ferry company runs
  between Shanghai and the Japanese cities of Kobe, Osaka, and Yokohama, A
  one-way trip takes 45 hours.
 
  The Yanjing Luxury Liner of the Jinshen Ship Company shuttles between
  Tianjin and Kobe once a week.
 
  The Daren passenger and cargo liner of the Dalian Daren Ship Company runs
  between Dalian and Inchon in South Korea twice a week. A one- way trip takes
  15 hours.
 
  Every week there are three regular runs between Weihai and Qingdao and
  Inchon by the luxury liners New Golden Bridge and Xiang-xuelan. A one-way
  trip takes 14 hours.
 
  Domestic Sea Lines
  Domestic sea lines link all Chinese port cities. The main lines include
  Shanghai-Dalian, Dalian-Tianjin,Dalian-Yantai, Shanghai-Qingdao,
  Shanghai-Guangzhou, Beihai-Guangzhou, Shenzhen-Zhuhai,and Zhuhai-Hong Kong.
 
  Routes on inland Rivers
  China’s mainland is crisscrossed by 226,800 kilometers of rivers, of which
  136,000 kilometers are navigated.
 
  The main routes on inland rivers include:
  1.The Grand Canal between Suzhou and Hangzhou, 146.6 kilometers long, where
  tourists can enjoy the beauty of regions of rivers and lakes.
  2.The Grand Canal-Changjiang river-Taihu Lake from Nanjing, Wuxi or
  Yangzhou.
  3.Guilin via the Lijiang River and Yangshuo, 83 kilometers long.
  4.The Shanghai-Chongqing line, 2,399 kilometers in length, along the
  Changjiang River. There are 50luxury boats traveling in the Three Gorges.
 
  Hotels
 
  Hotels have proliferated in China to accommodate a growing number of
  visitors from every nook and corner of the world. China has 3,700 hotels for
  foreign guests, half of which are star-star, 600 three-star, 930 two- star,
  and 300 one-star.    
  All star-rated hotels are equipped with the best facilities and offer
  world-class service.
 
 
  Major Travel Services
 
  Travel agencies in china are divided into two groups: international and
  domestic. The international travel agencies specialize in the inbound and
  outbound international travel and can also arrange domestic travel.
 
  There are 1.000 travel agencies operating in various provinces, autonomous
  regions, and municipalities of China. All of China’s leading travel
  services-such as China international Travel Service (CITS), China Travel
  Service (CTS), China Youth Travel Service (CYTS), and china comfort Travel
  (CCT)-have branches in various localities and at major scenic spots.
 
  The business scope of the international travel agencies includes the
  following:
  1. Organizing and arranging tourist activities for inbound and outbound
  individual travelers and tourist groups;
  2. Providing a complete guide service in foreign languages and local Chinese
  dialects;
  3. Reserving airplane, ship, and train tickets, and handling passports,
  visas, and various notarizations.
 
 
  Entertainment
 
  The splendid Chinese culture and the hospitable Chinese people offer foreign
  tourists rich cultural and recreational activities including operas such as
  Beijing Opera, Shanghai Opera, and Henan Opera; acrobatic performances; and
  folk singing and dancing. Foreign Guests can know China better by joining in
  the celebrations of traditional festivals of China’s 56 ethnic groups.
 
  All hotel guestrooms are equipped with television sets where one can watch
  English programs on CCTV as well as local television stations. Foreign
  television programs are also available in hotels with satellite receivers.
  Many
  hotels have music bars, teahouses, bowling alleys, electric-game rooms,
  movie theatres, health centers, sauna and
  massage rooms, swimming pools, and dance halls.
 
  Foreign visitors can take part in sports activities, such as learning
  Chinese martial arts and tai chi, Every day, martial- fans do their morning
  exercise in parks and other open places, offering good learning
  opportunities for foreigners. Foreign visitors can also learn Chinese
  Martial arts at martial-art schools or short-term training classes in such
  places as Dengfeng County, where Shaolin Temple is located, and Chenjiagou,
  which is famous for the Chen-style boxing. Both are in Henan Province.
 
  In addition, there are skating grounds, shooting ranges, golf clubs, and
  other places for sports games in many municipalities. Special activities,
  such as grass skiing, sand surfing, and visiting hutongs, or lanes, are also
  available. Many tourist attractions offer tourist activities with local
  features.
 
   
  Chinese Cuisine
 
  Chinese cuisine has a long history, and is one of the Chinese cultural
  treasures . It is as famous all over the world as French cuisine. Chinese
  cookery has developed and matured over the centuries, forming a rich
  cultural content It is characterized by fine selection of ingredients,
  precise processing, particular care to the amount of fire, and substantial
  nourishment. Local flavors and snacks, and special dishes have formed
  according to regions, local products, climate, historical factors, and
  eating habits.
 
  1.Local Cuisine
  Each local cuisine has its own characteristics, but Chinese cuisine as a
  whole is divided into four major schools--Shading, Sichuan, Huaiyang, and
  Guangdong (Cantonese). To these can be added four more: Hunan, Fujian,
  Anhui, and Zheijiang. Sometimes Beijing and Shanghai cuisine are also
  counted.
 
  Guangdong cuisine: Guangdong cuisine uses a great variety of ingredients
  such as birds, freshwater fish, snakes, and saltwater fish. It emphasizes
  freshness and tenderness. Representative dishes of the Guangdong cuisine are
  three snake dragon tiger meeting, dragon tiger phoenix snake soup,
  stir-fried shrimp, eight-treasure lotus-seed glutinous rice, fresh mushrooms
  in oyster sauce, pot-cooked soft-shelled turtle, and crisp-skin roast
  piglet.
 
  Shandong cuisine: This cuisine uses a wide and fine selection of
  ingredients. The plentiful dishes are cooked in
  many ways. Shandong soups are most famous, and green onion is commonly used
  as sea cucumber braised
  with green onion, braised snake-head egg, crab eggs with shark’s fin, Dezhou
  roast chicken, and walnuts in
  butter soup.
 
  Sichuan cuisine: Sichuan dishes are famous in China and abroad for their
  spicy-hot taste and the flavor of
  Chinese prickly ash. Sichuan cooks select their ingredients with great care,
  use a variety of seasonings, and
  cook each dish differently. Thus Sichuan dishes are known as a hundred
  dishes with a hundred tastes. Most
  common flavors include hot and spicy, five fragrances, mixed spices, chili
  and Chinese prickly ash, and sweet
  and sour. Famous Sichuan dishes include spicy pork shreds, diced chicken
  cubes in mixed spices, bean curd
  with chili and Chinese prickly ash, and fried carp.
 
  Huaiyang cuisine: Huaiyang cuisine includes dishes from Yangzhou, Zhenjiang,
  and Huai’an in Jiangsu
  Province. it focuses on the freshness of ingredients. Huaiyang dishes have a
  light flavor, retaining the original
  taste of the ingredients. They also have pleasant colors and pretty shapes.
  Famous dishes include beggar’s
  chicken, sweet and sour mandarin fish, chicken pieces with egg white, boiled
  salted duck, deep-boiled crab
  meat in clear soup, and steamed shad.
 
  2.Special Cuisine:
  Palace, vegetarian, and medicinal dishes are categorized as special cuisine.
  Palace cuisine originated from the imperial kitchens, where dishes for
  emperors and empresses were cooked. Palace dishes are made from carefully
  selected ingredients and cooked with great care. Different dishes are made
  for different seasons. Cutting methods are exquisite, Diners eat according
  to traditional procedures.
 
  Vegetarian cuisine: Vegetarian cuisine became popular in the Song Dynasty
  (960-1279) and developed further in the Ming and Qing (1368-1911) dynasties.
  Three divisions of vegetarian cuisine-temple, palace, and folk-appeared
  during that time.
 
  Made of green vegetables, fruits, edible fungi, and bean products, and
  cooked in vegetable oil, vegetarian dishes are tasty, nourishing, and highly digestible, and they help the body
  resist cancer. They are cooked in various ways, and some taste like meat. Famous dishes include “chicken,”
  mushrooms and gluten, “meat”braised in soy sauce and spices, “ham” with mixed vegetables, hot and sour
  spices, “fish” with Chinese toon, “shrimp,” and dried “meat” strips.
 
  Muslim dishes became popular at the time when Islam spread to China. The
  most representative dishes include instant-boiled mutton, fried mutton pieces, mutton shashlik, fried
  rice with mutton, dumplings with fillings of mutton, cakes braised with mutton, and beef-entrails soup.
 
  Medicinal cuisine: Also called therapeutic food, medicinal cuisine is an
  important part of Chinese cooking. Master chefs have developed may food therapies by combining cookery and
  traditional Chinese medicine. Famous medicinal dishes include lily and chicken soup, shrimp meat with
  pearl powder, tianfu carp, duck braised with soy sauce and orange peel, and steamed dumplings stuffed with
  minced meat and poria coccos, a medicinal plant.
 
  Other famous cuisine include Confucian dishes, tan’s dishes, and full formal
  banquet cuisine, combining Manchurian and Chinese delicacies.
 
  3.Local Flavors and Snacks  
  China has many local flavors and snacks. The southerners prefer rice, while
  the northerners refer noodles. Beijing flavor is famous for sweetness,
  Guangdong snacks are more Western, and Suzhou snacks have pleasant colors
  and beautiful shapes. The most famous Chinese local flavors and snacks
  include bean curd jelly in Beijing;Goubuli steamed dumplings in Tianjin,
  small steamed soup dumplings with the ovaries and digestive organs of crabs
  in Zhenjiang, small steamed pork dumplings served in the steamer tray in
  Shanghai, dumplings stuffed with crab meat in Guangzhou, and noodles with
  sesame paste and pea sprouts.
 
  In recent years, fast food, such as McDonald’s hamburgers, Kentucky Fried
  Chicken, and pizza have become popular in China.
 
  To let more foreigners know more about Chinese cuisine, many travel agencies
  have opened special services for enjoying Chinese food.
 
 
  Shopping in China
   
  China has a wonderful variety of raw materials due to its vast territory and
  various climates. The tumultuous history of Chinese civilization has left
  behind a rich cultural heritage, which can be found in traditional arts and
  crafts. Shopping is a major activity for tourists who come to China. High up
  on their shopping lists are silk products, embroidery, Chinese calligraphy
  and paintings, Chinese medicine, cloisonne enamel, ceramics, carvings, woven
  arts and crafts, lacquer ware, Chinese fans, the four treasures of the
  study, tea, liquor, folk arts and crafts, and local products.
 
  1.Silk. China is known as the home of Silk. Silkworms are raised in many
  places, such as Jiangsu, Guangdong, Hunan, and Sichuan. Hangzhou is the most
  famous city in China for silk products in great variety, including silk,
  satin, damask, and brocades.
 
  2.Embroidery. The four most famous types of embroidery in China are
  embroideries from Jiangsu, Hunan, Guangdong, and Sichuan provinces. The most
  famous styles of brocade are yunjin from Nanjing, songjin from Suzhou, and shujin
  from Sichuan. There are other well known styles of brocade made by minority peoples,
  such as Zhuang, Dai Li, Dong, and Tujia.
 
  3.Chinese calligraphy and paintings. Chinese calligraphy and paintings form
  a cross-section of the traditional Chinese culture. High-grade calligraphy and
  paintings are the best souvenirs for foreign travelers. Most works are done on
  a kind of paper known as xuan. There are also other forms of art, such as shell
  paintings from Dalian, Qingdao, Beihai, Guangdong, and Fujian; bark paste-ups from
  Jilin; soft-wood paintings from Fuzhou; paintings on bamboo curtains from Sichuan; straw
  patchwork from Guangdong and Heilongjiang and feather paste-ups from
  Shenyang and Shandong.
 
  4.Ceramics. Ceramics is one of the many traditional Chinese handicrafts. The
  best pottery-making sites in China are Yixing in Jiangsu Province, Shiwan in
  Guangdong Province, and Luoyang in Henan Province. Luoyang's tri-colored
  glazed pottery is world famous. It uses red, green and white colors to
  imitate the tri-colored glazed pottery popular in the Tang Dynasty. Yixing
  mainly produces pottery for daily use. Pottery from Shiwan is simple and
  unsophisticated, often used to make containers in the shape of human
  figures.
 
  Other famous products include porcelain from Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province,
  Longquan porcelain from Zhejiang Province, jun and ru porcelain from Henan, and porcelain from
  Tangshan and Xuanhua in Hebei Province. Jingdezhen is known as the Capital of Ceramics.
 
  5.Traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine is famous for
  its large variety and amazing effectiveness. The most popular Chinese medicinal herbs are ginseng,
  saussurea involucrata, Chinese caterpillar fungus, matrimony vine, licorice, root of hairy asiabell, and
  fritillary bulb.
 
  6.Carvings. Many materials are used for carvings, such as jade, stone, wood,
  bamboo, ink slab, coal, crystal, willow branches, roots, and shells.
 
  7.Cloisonne enamel. Beijing is the main producer of cloisonne enamel.
  Popular during the reign of Emperor Jing Tai (1450-1457) of the Ming
  Dynasty, cloisonne enamelware includes vases, bowls, plates, desk lamps, and
  cups.

  8.Four treasures of the study. The four treasures of the study are the
  writing brush, ink, the ink slab, and paper. Regions famous for xuan paper,
  ink, brushes, and ink slabs are Jingxian County in Anhui Province, Shexian
  County in Anhui Province, Huzhou in Zhejiang Province, Zhaoqing in Guangdong
  Province, and Wuyuan in Jiangxi Province. The four treasures of the study
  make up one of the best souvenirs of traditional Chinese
  culture.
 
  9.Lacquer ware. Lacquer ware is a traditional Chinese handicraft. The
  regions best-known for producing lacquer ware in China are Beijing, Fuzhou,
  Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, and various regions in Sichuan Province.
 
  10.Woven articles. Articles. Bamboo, rattan, palm fiber, and wheat straw are
  used as raw materials for woven articles. The most famous woven articles are
  woven bamboo ware from Nanjing, summer sleeping mats from Anhui and Hunan
  provinces, articles made of wheat stalks and plaited com husks, and articles
  of woven rattan, hemp and straw from Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces.
 
  11.Chinese fans. Chinese fans are popular tourist souvenirs for foreign
  friends. They come in a large variety and are of good quality. The most famous
  fan-producing regions are Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Guangdong provinces.
     
  12.Tea. China was one of the first countries to grow and process tea, and
  Chinese tea is famous around the world. Chinese tea can be divided into black tea,
  green tea, scented tea, and Oolong. The famous brands are longjing from Hangzhou,
  biluochun from Dongting Lake, tunlu and qihong from Anhui, maofeng from Mt. Huangshan,
  yihong from Hubei, jasmine from Beijing, and tieguanyin from Fujian.
 
  13.Liquor, china was one of the first countries to brew liquor and today has
  many kinds of liquor, such as white spirits, yellow-rice wine, millet wine,
  red wine, fruit wine, and beer. The most famous types of Chinese liquors are
  maotai, fenjiu, wuliangye, gujinggongjiu, yanghedaqu, jiannanchun, red wine,
  white wine, brandy dongjiu, specially made Beijing brandy, luzhoulaojiao
  tequ, shaoxing jiafan, zhuyeqing, Qingdao Beer, Yantai Red Wine, and
  chengangjiu.
 
  Other choices for souvenirs are blankets, rugs silk umbrellas, New Year's
  paintings papercuts, kites, traditional and ethnic clothes, and traditional
  toys. Famous local products include candied fruits from Beijing, raisins
  from Xinjiang, cashmere and camel hair products from inner Mongolia, caracul
  from Qinghai, sheepskin from Ningxia, and fur from Jilin.
 
  To help tourists buy what they want, many local travel agencies have
  accredited high-quality shopping centers or department stores as "fixed" or
  "reliable." All shopping centers or department stores recommended in this
  brochure have been approved by the appropriate government agencies. The
  tourist can also change money in medium and large-sized stores, which also
  offer other services such as mail-order, consignment, and customs
  applications for customers. These centers will offer the best services and
  goods at fair prices.