China Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

East Asia.

Language

The official language is Mandarin Chinese. Among the enormous number of local dialects, large groups speak Cantonese, Shanghaiese (also known as Shanghainese), Fuzhou, Hokkien-Taiwanese, Xiang, Gan and Hakka dialects in the south. Inner Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang, which are autonomous regions, have their own languages. Translation and interpreter services are good. English is spoken by many guides and in hotels. Many taxi drivers do not speak English, even in big cities.

Area

9,596,960 sq km (3,705,406 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 8. Despite the vast size of the country, Beijing time is standard throughout China.

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin and three-pin sockets are generally in use. However, most 4 to 5 star hotels are also wired for the use of 110 volt appliances.

Population

1.3 billion (CIA, 2008). Roughly a fifth of the world's population lives in China.

Population Density

135.5 per sq km.

Capital City

Beijing (Peking). Population: 16.3 million (2007), estimated 17 million in 2008. Chongqing is the largest urban area, with a population of more than 31 million. Shanghai has a population of over 18 million and, as of 2004, 11 other cities had a population of over 2 million and 23 cities had a population of 1 to 2 million. At China's current rate of urbanization, it is predicted that by 2025, the nation will have 219 cities with more than 1 million inhabitants.

Government

People's Republic. China comprises 23 provinces (China considers Taiwan its 23rd province), five autonomous regions, two special administrative regions and four municipalities directly under central government.

Head of Government

Premier Wen Jiabao since 2003.

Head of State

President Hu Jintao since 2003.

Religion

China is officially Atheistic, but the stated religions and philosophies are Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism. There are 100 million Buddhists and approximately 60 million Muslims, 5 million Protestants (including large numbers of Evangelicals) and 4 million Roman Catholics, largely independent of Vatican control.

Recent History

China is governed by the National People's Congress (NPC), the nation's president and premier of the People's Republic, and the heads of individual ministries. The NPC is held every five years and attended by some 3,000 delegates drawn from provincial administrations, the military and various state organs.

While China's political infrastructure remains solid, its social and economic foundations are shifting rapidly. Having opened up to the world in the 1990s, and joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, China's economy has benefited from significant inflows of foreign investment, so much so that China is now the largest holder of US government debt and owns the largest foreign exchange reserves of any nation in history. Socially, China is now searching for a new identity. Having hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and with the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai and the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou on the horizon, China's urban population is more globalised than at any point in history, and is seeking to combine a penchant for global brands into several millennia of Chinese history and culture. It is also more confident and nationalistic than ever, with events like 2008's first spacewalk by a Chinese astronaut and the development of the world's fastest train (Shanghai Maglev) and longest cross-sea bridge (Hangzhou Bay Bridge) evoking enormous national pride - and setting expectations that the Middle Kingdom is destined to become the world's next superpower.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +86. Public telephones are becoming harder to locate - your best bets are in post offices and at roadside kiosks. There is a three-minute minimum charge for international calls. The cheapest way to call internationally is to buy a pre-paid calling card, available from most convenience stores and in hotels in units of ¥20, 50, 100 and 200. Skype is a further option.

Mobile Telephone

China has the most mobile phone users in the world, backed by a very sophisticated mobile communications system that now covers the entire country. Roaming agreements exist with most major international mobile phone companies. Alternatively, you can buy a prepaid GSM SIM card (from China Mobile Ltd stores) that allows you to use your mobile like a local phone with a new number. You'll need your passport to register.

Internet

Internet cafés can be found in most towns and cities, and Wi-Fi is increasingly available at hotels and cafés in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Hangzhou and other major cities. Access is cheap and usually reliable. The state routinely blocks access to sites run by the banned spiritual movement Falun Gong, rights groups and some foreign news organizations. Postings by bloggers are closely monitored.

Media

China's media is tightly controlled by the country's leadership. The industry has been opened up in the areas of distribution and advertising but not in editorial content. Access to foreign news providers is limited and re-broadcasting and the use of satellite receivers is restricted; shortwave radio broadcasts are jammed and websites are blocked. In general, the press report on corruption and inefficiency among officials, but the media avoids criticism of the Communist Party's monopoly on power. Hong Kong so far has largely retained an editoriall free media. Each city has its own newspaper, usually published by the local government, as well as a local Communist Party daily. All foreign-made TV programs are subject to approval before broadcast.

Post

Service to Europe takes from between two days and one week. Tourist hotels usually have their own post offices. All postal communications to China should be addressed 'People's Republic of China'.Mon-Fri 0800-1900.

Public Holidays

Below are listed the Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2011
1 Jan New Year
2 Mar Spring Festival, Chinese New Year
5 Apr Qing Ming (Tomb Sweeping) Festival
1 May - 2 May Labor Day
6 Jun Dragon Boat Festival
1 Oct - 3 Oct National Day
12 Oct Mid-Autumn Festival

2012
1 Jan New Year
23 Jan Spring Festival, Chinese New Year
5 Apr * Qing Ming (Tomb Sweeping) Festival
1 May Labor Day
23 Jun Dragon Boat Festival
30 Sep Mid-Autumn Festival
1 Oct - 3 Oct National Day
In addition to the above, other holidays may be observed locally and certain groups have official Public Holidays on the following dates:

8 Mar International Women's Day.
4 May National Youth Day.
23 May Tibet Liberation Day.
1 Jun International Children's Day.
1 Aug Army Day.

Contact Information

China Tibet Tourism Bureau

3 Norbulingka Road, Lhasa, Tibet, People's Republic of China
Tel: (891) 683 4315.
Website: www.xzta.gov.cn/yww

China Tibet Tourism Bureau Beijing Office

Room A28F Oriental Kenzo Plaza, Dongzhimen, Beijing 100027, People's Republic of China
Tel: (10) 8447 7899.
Website: www.xzta.gov.cn/yww

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the UK

49-51 Portland Place, London W1B 1JL, UK
Tel: (020) 7299 4049.
Website: www.chinese-embassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1200 and 1400-1700.
Consular and visa section: 31 Portland Place, London W1B 1QD, UK
Tel: (020) 7631 1430 (telephone enquiries: Mon-Fri 0900-1200 and 1400-1600) or 09001 880 808 (recorded visa and general information; calls cost 60p per minute).
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1200.

Chinese Visa Application Service Center

Morely House, 26 Holborn Viaduct, London, EC1A 2AT
Tel: 0207 842 0960
Website: www.visaforchina.org

or

First floor, 75 Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HR
Tel: 0207 842 0960
Website: www.visaforchina.org

China National Tourist Office (CNTO) in the UK

71 Warwick Road, London SW5 9HB, UK
Tel: (020) 7373 0888 or 09001 600 188 (brochure request and general information; calls cost 60p per minute).
Website: www.cnto.org.uk

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the USA

2300 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 328 2500.
Website: www.china-embassy.org
Visa section: Room 110, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 338 6688.

China National Tourist Office (CNTO) in the USA

Suite 912, 370 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10118, USA
Tel: 1 888 760 8218.
Website: www.cnto.org