The ABC's of Tourism in China

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 choices for souvenirs areTraditional Chinese medicine, Cloisonne enamel,Four treasures of the study,Lacquer ware,Chinese fans,Tea,Liquor,Carvings, 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.