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1. COUNTRY
Before traveling to
China, you must know all the important facts
about China first so that you will be able to
understand the country more in details. Known as the
People's Republic of China, it has a land area
about 9.6 million sq km which is about one
fourth of Asia, and one fifteenth of the total
land area in the world. China is the third
largest country in the world.
Since 1949, China
has been divided de facto between the People's
Republic of China (governing mainland China and
numerous other islands, Hong Kong since 1997 and
Macau since 1999) and the Republic of China
- governing Taiwan Province and several outlying
islands of Fukien (Fuchien Province).
2. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
China lies in the eastern part
of Asia on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. The vast
territory of China extends 5,500 km from the centerline of
the main navigation channel of the Heilong River north of
the Mohe Town in Heilongjiang Province to the Zengmu Reef of
the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea. From west to
east, it measures about 5,200 km, stretching from the Pamirs
in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the place where the
main navigation channels of the Heilong and Wusuli rivers
meet.
3. AREA
9,600,000 sq km
4. POPULATION
China is the most populous
country in the world with a population of over 1.3 billion
people which makes up a fifth of the world's population
and is overwhelmingly of the Han Chinese ethnicity. The
highest population density is at the plains on the lower
reaches of the Yangtze River and the Qiantang River, the
Zhujiang River Delta, the Sichuan Basin and the Huanghuai
Plain.
5. CAPITAL
Beijing is the capital city of the
China, as well as the political, cultural, and international
exchange center of the country. Use this travel tips to
China to learn more about China. Situated in the north of the
North China Plain, Beijing has a temperate semi-moist
climate and also boasting of a long and colorful history. As
early as 700,000 years ago, 'Peking Man' lived in the
Zhoukoudian area near Beijing. Beijing is one of the famous
historical and cultural cities, and one of the ancient
capitals in the world. In recent years, along with the rapid
development of the economy and culture, Beijing has been
marching toward the world, and has become a world-renowned
modern metropolitan.
6. PEOPLE
China is a united multi-ethnic
nation of 56 ethnic groups, such as the Han, Mongolian, Hui,
Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Bouyei, Korean, Manchu,
Dong and Yao people. The residents of China is commonly
refer to as Chinese.
Consisting 92% of the country's
total population is the majority Han ethnic group. China's
other 55 ethnic groups are customarily referred to as the
ethnic minorities. No matter how big the population is, all
ethnic groups enjoy equality in China.
7. LANGUAGE
Chinese is the most commonly
language of China today, and one of the five working
languages designated by the United Nations. Now the official
language in China is Mandarin (putonghua in Chinese).
8. RELIGION
China is a country with various
religions. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and
Christianity have all developed in China. The Chinese
government adopts the policy that the Chinese people enjoy
freedom of religious belief, and normal religious activities
are under the protection of the Constitution and law.
9. GOVERNMENT
China experienced about thirteen
more dynasties after the Qin Empire unification whereby many
of which continued the extensive system of kingdoms,
principalities, dukedoms, earldoms and marquisates. But
eventually the Emperor had the centralized authority and
also consulted civil and martial ministers in particularly
the prime minister. There are times when the political power
fell into the hands of the officials, eunuchs or relatives.
Political relations with dependencies (tributary kingdoms)
were maintained by international marriages, military aids
and gifts.
The historical capitals of China
were mostly in the east. The four most commonly designated
capitals are Nanjing, Beijing, Chang'an (Xi'an) and Luoyang.
Official languages used then included Chinese, Mongol and
Manchu.
The Republic of China (ROC) was
established on the first of January 1912 and this signals
the end of the Manchu-dominated Qing Empire. Sun Yat Sen of
the Kuomintang (also known as the KMT or Nationalist Party)
was proclaimed provisional president of the republic.
However, Yuan Shikai, a former
Qing general who had defected to the revolutionary caused,
soon forced Sun Yat Sen to step down and took the presidency
for himself. Before Yuan Shikai could proclaimed himself as
the emperor of a new dynasty, he was quickly disposed off.
China was politically fragmented after Yuan Shikai was
defeated. China was then left with an internationally-recognized
but virtually powerless, national government seated in Beijing.
Warlords in different regions exercised actual control over
their respective territories.
In the late 1920s, the KMT under
Chiang Kai Shek, was able to reunify the nation under its
own control, moving the country's capital to Nanjing and
implementing 'political tutelage', an intermediate stage of
political development outlined in Sun Yat Sen's program for
transforming China into a modern and democratic state.
Effectively, political tutelage
meant one-party rule by the KMT. In 1947, constitutional
rule was established but due to the ongoing Chinese Civil
War between the KMT and the Communist Party of China (CPC),
many provisions of the 1947 ROC constitution were never put
into actual practice on the mainland.
By early 1950s, the CPC had
defeated the KMT on the mainland, and the ROC government
retreated to the island of Taiwan. Due to the communist
threat, implementation of full, multi-party, representative
democracy in the territories still under ROC control (i.e.
Taiwan province and some offshore islands of Fujian
province) was further delayed until the 1990s.
Today, the political scene in
the ROC is vibrant, with active participation by all sectors
of society. But rather than the usual conservative-liberal
policy distinctions that are the hallmarks of most
democracies around the world, the main cleavage in ROC
politics is the 'unification with the mainland against the
independence' issue.
Mao Zedong, the leader of the
communists, proclaimed the People's Republic of China (PRC)
on the first of October in 1949. From the beginning, the PRC
has been a one-party state under the Communist Party but
post-1978 reforms have led to the relaxation, in varying
degrees, of party control over many areas of the society.
10. CLIMATE
Due to the fact that China is so
vast, spanning nearly 500 latitude, its climate
varies. Most of China is in the temperate zone.
Its southern part is in the
tropical and subtropical zones, and its northern part is
close to the frigid zone. Temperatures differ rather
strikingly across the country. The northern part of
Heilongjiang Province has long winters but no summers; while
the Hainan Island has long summers but no winters.
The Huaihe River valley has
distinctive seasonal changes but in the south of the
Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, it is spring all year round. The
northwest inland has hot summers and cold winters. The
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in southwest China has a low
temperature all year round due to its location in the frigid
area in China; and some deserts are dry in the four seasons.
China's variety of topography
and climatic types has given rise to abundant scenic spots
and places of cultural interest.
11. HISTORY
AND CULTURE
Having one of the world's most
ancient civilization, China has a recorded history of over
5,000 years. The time-honored history has become China's
profound cultural accumulations, and created China's
splendid historical sites and remains.
In remote antiquity 'Yuanmou
Man' of approximately 1.7 million years ago, 'Lantian
Man' of 800,000 years ago, and 'Peking Man' of 700,000 years
ago lived here in China. At the ruins of 'Yuanmou Man', 'Lantian
Man' and 'Peking Man', tourists can feel the early
civilization of the Chinese Stone Age.
After a long-lasting primitive
society, China entered the slave society in the 21st century
B.C. In 221 B.C., Emperor Qin Shihuang founded the Qin
Dynasty (221-207 B.C.). This ushered China into feudalism
under a succession of dynasties, such as the Han (206
B.C.-220 A.D.), Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), Yuan
(1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911). During
this period China created the world renowned civilization of
the slave and feudal societies, which are the pride of
humankind.
Even today when the modern
civilization is fairly advanced, people cannot help gasping
in admiration at the Chinese ancient technology, handicrafts
and architectures, such as the high casting technology of
bronze wares, incomparable pottery and porcelain wares, the
majestic Great Wall, the solemn and splendid imperial
gardens, and civilian residences in various styles. The People's Republic of China
was founded on the first of October in 1949. Since then China
has started its brand-new course. Along with the passage of
time, China has undertaken tremendous changes. In China, the
ancient and the modern are blended with each other
perfectly, adding radiance and beauty to each other. Now
China is spreading its unique charm and attractions to the
people all over the world.
Chinese culture is extensive and
profound and the Chinese people are warm-hearted and
hospitable. Philosophies that have a major impact on the
Chinese culture stem from Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism
while some of the religious belief associated with China
includes ancestor worship, Buddhism, Chinese folk religion,
Confucianism, Islam and Taoism. Chinese literature has had a
long and prolific history mainly due to the development of
printmaking during the Song Dynasty. Prior to that time,
manuscripts of the classics and religious texts were
manually written with ink brush. For centuries, the
opportunity for social advancement in China is to excel in
the imperial examinations where applicants are required to
write essays and demonstrate their mastery of the Confucian
classics. Those who achieved the highest level became elite
scholar (officials known as jinshi - a highly revered and
esteemed position). Chinese philosophers, writes, and poets
are highly respected and played a key role in preserving and
promoting the culture of the empire.
With a time-honored history,
Chinese cuisine is one of the Chinese cultural treasures.
Chinese cuisine has developed and matured over the centuries
forming a splendid cultural content and a strong and solid
technique basis. A variety of local cuisine, special dishes
and snacks in China are attracting more and more foreign
tourists with their unusual charm. Each local cuisine has its own
characteristic, but Chinese cuisine as a whole is divided
into four major schools - Shandong, Sichuan, Huaiyang and
Guangdong cuisines. To these four schools can be added four
more - Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan and Anhui cuisines.
Sometimes, Beijing and Shanghai cuisines are also counted.
12. MAJOR HOLIDAYS
New Year's Day (January 1), Spring Festival (The first day of the lunar
month, three days off), International Labor Day (May 1,
three days off), National Day (October 1, three days off)
National Festivals
Spring Festival - Each
year, when winter is at its end and when spring around the
corner, people throughout China enthusiastically celebrate
the first traditional holiday of the year - the Spring
Festival (Lunar New Year).
Lantern Festival - The
Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar
month, the night of the first full moon after the Spring
Festival. Traditionally, people eat sweet dumplings made of
glutinous rice flour and appreciate lanterns during this
festival.
Mid-Autumn Festival - The
Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eight lunar
month, which comes right in the middle of autumn, hence its
name. In ancient times, people would offer elaborate cakes
as sacrifices to the Moon Goddess on this day. After the
ceremony, the family would enjoy sitting together to eat the
pastries known as 'moon cakes'. The festival came to
symbolize family reunion, as did the 'moon cakes' and the
custom has been passed down until today.
13. ECONOMIC PROFILE
Under Mao Zedong, the leader of
the communists, China's economy was a prisoner to ideology
and incompetence. From 1977 to 1997 under Deng Xiaoping's
tenure, reform was being carried out and it was continued in
perhaps a less dramatic way by Jiang Zemin.
Rural earnings still
lag far behind urban incomes whereby 70% of the
nation's wealth is in the cities but only 17% of
the population lives in the cities. Deng
Xiaoping's reform program saw spectacular growth
in the eastern and southern seaboard provinces,
while the interior trailed behind. The Chinese
government is now attempting to swing investment
to China's west, partly by sponsoring huge
projects in that region.
After two decades of
high growth, China's economy is now slowing and
unemployment is on the rise. Stimulating
domestic demand is also a high priority
especially in rural areas, but consumers,
worried about lay-offs or uncertain about the
future, are holding on to their money.
14. ENTRY
REQUIREMENTS
Visa
Foreign tourists wanting to
travel in China can register at travel agencies in their own
countries or in China to make the necessary arrangements for
their trips. They can also make arrangements on their own.
In accordance with the relevant
provisions of the law of China on Control of the Entry and
Exit of Aliens, foreigners should apply for entry visas at
Chinese diplomatic representative agencies or consulates
stationed in their own countries, or other Chinese
organizations authorized by China's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs with this function. A tourist group consisting of
five or more tourists may apply for the group tourist visa.
The travel service that organizes the tourist group shall be
responsible to apply for the group tourist visa.
Visiting different places in
China requires different visas. Foreign tourists who wish to
travel in Tibet should apply for separate visas. Travelers
wanting to visit Shenzhen, Zhuhai or Xiamen special economic
zones may apply directly with visa authorities that are
approved by the Ministry of Public Security for 'tourist
visas to the special economic zones'. Foreigners who plan to
stay in Hainan Province for less than 15 days for the
purposes of business, tourism or visiting relatives can
apply for entry visas in Haikou or Sanya.
In addition, travelers whose
government has signed a visa agreement with the Chinese
government can simply follow that agreement (such as the
visa exemption agreement for tourists group of both
countries). Foreign tourists groups from Hong Kong SAR shall
be exempted from the visas if they stay in the Shenzhen
Special Economic Zone for less than 72 hours. The residents
of the Chinese nationality from Hong Kong and Macau can
visit the Chinese mainland on the strength of the 'Home
Visit Permit for the Hong Kong and Macao Residents', and do
not need to apply for visas.
The Taiwan residents may apply
for the 'Permit for the Taiwan Residents to the Chinese
mainland' at the port. Visitors from Japan, Singapore and
Brunei to China for the purpose of business, tourism,
visiting relatives and friends, and transit for less than 15
days starting from the date of entry are exempted from visa.
The tourists groups and
individuals from the countries or regions with diplomatic
relations or official trades with China may still apply for
the landing visas.
Customs
The following is a brief
introduction to the relevant regulations of the Chinese
Customs as follow:-
Custom Clearance
In accordance with
the relevant laws and regulations, the luggage
of inbound and outbound passengers must be under
the supervision and control of customs.
Passengers should make a factual declaration to
customs on the actual contents of the luggage
they are carrying into or out of the Chinese
territory.
Restricted
Inbound and Outbound Items
Gold, silver and articles made
of these metals - Inbound passengers with gold, silver and
articles made of these metals, each exceeding 50 g should
make declaration to the customs, and should carry them out
of the Chinese territory. Gold, silver and their products
(including inlaid ornaments, household utensils and other
new handicrafts) bought by tourists at the designated shops
in China with foreign currencies shall be released by the
customs on the strength of the 'special receipts' issued by
the People's Bank of China.
Foreign Currencies
There is no limit to the amount
of foreign currencies, travelers' checks and credit cards a
visitor may bring in. However, an inbound passenger who is a
resident of China carrying more than USD2,000.00 (USD5,000
or more for a non-resident passenger) or an equivalent
amount in other foreign currencies should make a declaration
to customs. When the passenger leaves China, the customs
shall release the remaining foreign currency after an
examination of the declaration form issued by the customs
upon entry. Outbound travelers with foreign currencies
exceeding the limit shall have their foreign currencies
released on the strength of the 'Foreign Currency Carriage
Permit' issued by the State Administration of Exchange
Control.
Renminbi
The limit of Renminbi for an
inbound or outbound passenger is 6,000 yuan. An inbound or
outbound passenger with more than 6,000 yuan shall not be
allowed to enter or leave the Chinese territory.
Cultural Relics
(including the works of dead
famous contemporary calligraphers and painters)
The inbound passenger with the
cultural relics, which will be carried out of the Chinese
territory again, should make declaration to the customs.
The cultural relics to be taken
out of China must be appraised by China's cultural
administrative departments. When taking out cultural relics,
a passenger must declare them in detail to the customs. As
for the cultural relics bought from the shops within the
Chinese territory, the customs should check and clear them
according to the appraisal mark stamped by China's cultural
administrative departments and the invoices for the cultural
relics that can be sold abroad.
As for the cultural relics
obtained through other channels within the Chinese
territory, the customs shall check and clear them on the
strength of the appraisal mark stamped by China's cultural
administrative departments and the export certificate. The
cultural relics that have not been appraised shall not be
taken out of the Chinese territory. Tourists who carry
cultural relics out of the country without declaring them to
the customs will be punished according to the related laws
and regulations.
Raw and Prepared Traditional
Chinese Medicines
For a traveler bound for foreign
countries, the limit to raw and prepared traditional Chinese
medicines is 300 yuan; and for a traveler to Hong Kong and
Macau is 150 yuan. To mail to foreign countries, the limit
is 200 yuan; to Hong Kong and Macau is 100 yuan.
Outbound tourists carrying a
reasonable amount of raw and prepared Chinese medicines for
personal use, that were bought with foreign currency, can
pass through customs by showing the relevant invoices and
foreign exchange receipts. Musk, as well as raw and prepared
traditional Chinese medicines exceeding the customs limit,
shall not be allowed to leave China.
Tourist Commodities
There are no restrictions on
tourist souvenirs and handicraft articles purchased in China
with foreign currency, except for any possible duty or
export permits that be required. Customs will also check the
invoice and foreign exchange receipts.
Quarantine Service
Inbound and outbound passengers
must accept health quarantine inspections by frontier
quarantine services if so required.
Those carrying such objects as
microorganisms, tissues from the human body, biological
products, blood, or blood products must declare to the
health quarantine organ, and clearance shall be given upon
quarantine inspections. If the luggage and goods that are
carried about or consigned for shipment may spread
infectious diseases, they should be subject to the health
examination. Various foods, beverages and aquatic products
from the epidemic areas, or those that probably have been
polluted by infectious diseases shall go through sanitary
treatment or be destroyed.
Persons from the area infested
with yellow fever must present the valid certificates of
inoculation against yellow fever to the quarantine
departments when entering China. Any person not having such
certificates shall be detained for observation until the
sixth day after leaving the infested area, or such person
may be inoculated and detained until the time when the
inoculation is deemed effective.
Health quarantine services are
obliged by law to prevent any foreigner from AIDS, sexual
diseases, leprosy. mental diseases and active tuberculosis
from entering China.
Animal and Plant Quarantine
Tourists are forbidden to bring
the following items into China:-
a) animal and plant pathogens
(including bacterial and venomous), pests and other
injurious organisms;
b) animals and plants, their
products, and other objects that needs to be quarantined
from the countries and regions infested by infectious
diseases;
c) animal carcasses; and
d) soil.
Persons intending to bring
animals, plants, and related products or other objects that
needs to be quarantined into China must submit application
forms to the customs, and they should be examined by the
frontier quarantine department. Those who bring animals into
China must present quarantine and other certificates issued
by the country (or region) of origin.
As for the passengers to China
accompanied by their pets, each passenger is allowed to take
a dog or a cat. Those who come into China with their dogs or
cats must show the quarantine certificates and the
hydrophobia immunity certificates issued by the official
quarantine organs of the export countries (or regions).
15. CURRENCY
The unit of Chinese currency is
the Renminbi, issued by the Central Bank - the People's Bank
of China. The unit of Renminbi is yuan; and the subsidiary
unit is jiao and fen. One yuan can be divided into 10 jiao.
There are paper banknotes and coins for yuan and jiao. There
are denominations of coins: one yuan, five jiao and one jiao.
The denominations of paper banknotes of yuan include: one
yuan, two yuan, five yuan, 10 yuan, 20 yuan, 50 yuan and 100
yuan, in addition to the paper banknotes of jiao: one jiao,
two jiao and five jiao. The abbreviation for the Renminbi is
RMB.
Currency Conversion
To provide convenience to
tourists from foreign countries, Hong Kong and Macau to
consume in the Chinese mainland, the Bank of China and other
designated banks can convert foreign traveler's checks,
foreign credit cards, and 22 types of foreign currencies and
New Taiwan dollars into RMB.
In addition, tourists to China
can also convert foreign currencies into RMB at some hotels
and shops. Before leaving China, they can change any
leftover Chinese money back into their own currencies on the
strength of the exchange receipts within the six months.
The following currencies can be
converted into RMB: U.S. dollar, British pound, European
euro, Japanese yen, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong
Kong dollar, Swedish krona, Norwegian krone, Singapore
dollar, Malaysian ringgit, Macau pataca, etc.
16. BANKING
HOURS
Open from Monday - Friday: 8.00am to 5.00pm
with one hour for lunch at noon.
Credit Card
At present, the following
foreign credit cards are accepted in China: MasterCard, Visa
Card, American Express Card, JCB Card and Diners Card.
Holders of these cards can draw
cash from the Bank of China or use the cards for payment in
shops, hotels and restaurants designated by the Bank of
China.
Traveler's Check
For the convenience of tourists,
the Bank of China can cash traveler's checks sold by
international commercial banks and travelers' checks
companies in the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong
Kong, Japan, Britain, France, Switzerland, Germany and other
countries and regions. Also the Bank of China sells
travelers' checks of such banks as the American Express
Company, the First National City Bank and the Swiss Bank
Corporation.
17. POST
OFFICES
Open from Monday - Friday: 8.00am to 5.00pm
with one hour for lunch at noon.
18. TIME
China uses 'Beijing time' as the
standard time for the entire country, which is the time of
the o Eighth Eastern Time Zone designated according to the
time zone division system adopted at the 1884 International
Longitude Meeting. Beijing time is eight hours earlier than
Greenwich Mean Time.
19. ELECTRICITY
Voltage is 220-240 volts A C at 50 cycles
per second.
20. WEIGHTS
AND MEASUREMENTS
China follows the metric system
in weights and measures.
21. TELEPHONES
In general, hotels in China have
IDD telephones for guests to make phone calls to other
countries as well as to Hong Kong and Macau. The
four-and-five-star hotels are equipped with the Broadband
Internet Access, the phonetic message system and the video
system. offering convenient and quick telecommunications
services.
22. GETTING
THERE
By Air
At present, China has opened 30
international and 24 regional air routes. The international
air routes takes Beijing as the center, and radiate to the
east, west and south through the airports in Shanghai,
Guangazhou, Urumqi, Dalian, Kunming and Xiamen. Scheduled
planes fly from Japan, North America, Middle East, Europe,
South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and other countries
and regions regularly to China.
By Rail
Railways in China have developed
rapidly and many new domestic and international lines have
been opened. International trains from Ulan Bator, Moscow,
Pyongyang, Hanoi and other cities goes to China regularly.
By Sea
With a vast sea area, China
borders the Bohai, Yellow and East China seas in the east,
and the South China Sea in the south. Along the
undulating coastlines there are Shanghai, Tianjin Xingang,
Guangzhou Huangpu, Yantai, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Dalian,
Beihai and Hong Kong ports.
China has many international
port cities where ships can come in from other countries.
Regular ships come in from Kobe, Osaka, Yokohama and Inchon.
Many luxury ships come and go along these international sea
routes.
23. GETTING
AROUND
By Air
At present, China has opened 980
domestic air routes. Domestic air routes are mainly
distributed in the areas east of the Harbin-Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Kunming
line, with Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou as the hubs,
linking all large and medium-sized cities in China, totaling
135 cities.
By Rail
There are several kinds of
trains for domestic rails, for example high-speed trains,
quasi-high-speed trains, express trains, tourist trains,
special expresses and through expresses. The trains in China
have two soft upper berths and two soft lower berths in each
private room.
For the convenience of visitors,
all the major cities in China have express trains, which
leave in the evening and arrive in the morning; and tourists
trains which go to all the main tourists cities regularly.
By Road
China has advanced highway
networks, which radiate to all directions with Beijing,
Shanghai and Guangdong as the centers. Now China is sparing
no effort to develop expressways and the first-class and
second-class highways. The work has made great achievements
in many tourist cities up to now, providing great
convenience for tourists. The main highways include
Shenyang-Dalian, Beijing-Tanggu, Beijing-Shijiazhuang,
Nanjing-Shanghai, Shanghai-Hangzhou, Hangzhou-Ningbo,
Xi'an-Lintong, Xi'an-Baoji, Guiyang-Huangguoshu,
Yichang-Huangshi, Jinan-Qingdao, Guangzho-Shenzhen,
Guangzhou-Foshan, Guangzhou-Shantou, Chengdu-Chongqing,
Fujian-Xiamen, round Hainan Island, Guilin-Liuzhou and
Luoyang-Kaifeng highways.
By Sea
Domestic Sea Routes
Domestic sea navigation routes
connect a variety of port cities in China. Main routes
include: Shanghai-Dalian, Dalian-Tianjin, Dalian-Yantai,
Shanghai-Guangzhou, Beihai-Guangzhou, Shenzhen-Zhuhai and
Zhuhai-Hong Kong.
Inland River Routes
China's mainland is
crisscrossed by 226,800 km of rivers, of which
136,000 km are navigable. Famous inland river
routes for sightseeing include:
-
Tourists may
travel by pleasure boat along the section of
Grand Canal between Suzhou and Hangzhou,
146.6 km long, where tourists can feast
their eyes on the beautiful scenery of south
China.
-
Tourists may get
on a dragon boat or a pleasure boat at
Nanjing, Wuxi or Yangzhou to take the Grand
Canal-Yangtze River-Taihu Lake Tour, full of
poetic flavor. Tourists can taste delicious
local cuisine on the boat while appreciating
the beauty of the scenery.
-
Tourists may
take a 83 km long tour along the Lijiang
River from Guilin to Yangshuo, enjoying
picturesque scenery and many historical
sites.
-
Wuhan has more
than 50 luxury pleasure trips. Tourists can
appreciate the fascinating scenery of the
Three Gorges on the Yangtze River by these
trips.
24. ACCOMMODATION
China has more than 8,000
star-rated hotels spread all over the country. Beijing,
Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Jinan, Wuhan and
Kunming has a large number of hotels which is known for
their excellent service, in addition to various kinds of
lodging facilities such as hostels and youth inns.
Except accommodating tourists,
the star-rated hotels also provide various services such as
food and newspaper delivery, laundry. haircut, beauty
treatment, information, taxis and personal attendants. With
perfect communication and telecommunication facilities, and
business meeting equipment, star-rated hotels provide
advanced business services.
All hotels' guest rooms are
equipped with television sets. Guests can watch English
programs on CCTV as well as local TV stations. Foreign
television programs are also available in many hotels.
Guests can find the music bar, teahouse, bowling hall,
electric game room, cinema, gym, sauna room, massage room,
swimming pool and ballroom in the hotel.
Hotels also offer tourist
services too whereby you may join a tourist group at the
hotel, and do sightseeing according to the itineraries
carefully arranged by the hotel.
25. DO'S AND
DON'TS
Don't touch a person's head, nor
ruffle his hair. The head is the noblest part of the body. A
sincere apology should be offered immediately if you touch
someone's head unintentionally.
Always use both hands when
presenting your namecard as this gesture implies respect for
the person receiving your namecard.
A negotiated settlement of
differences that provides benefit to both parties is always
preferable to confrontation.
It is always good manners to
bring gifts when visiting people at their homes.
When offering a cigarette to
someone, you must extend the open pack with a cigarette
protruding from it as it is considered impolite to remove a
single cigarette from the pack and hand it over.
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