GENERAL INFORMATION
- Country Quickfacts
- Things to know before you go
- Arrival Guide
- City/Region Descriptions
- Chinese Zodiac
TRAVEL IDEAS
- Small Group Journeys
- Beijing, 4 days
- Best of Korea and China, 14 days
- Shanghai, 3 days
- Xian, 3 days
- Guilin, 3 days
- Guangzhou, 3 days
- Chengdu, 4 days
- Chengdu - Two Mountains, 4 days
- Chengde, 2 days
- Suzhou, 2 days
- Kunming, 4 days
- Luoyang & Shaolin, 3 days
- Tibet, 4 days
- Tibet in Depth, 7 days
- The Roof of the World, 13 days
- China Showcase, 8 days
- Classic China, 11 days
- Trans Mongolia Express, 21 days
- Silk Route of China, 10 days
INDEPENDENT TRAVEL IDEAS -
JOIN-IN TOURS
- Beijing In Depth, 5 days
- Classic Shanghai and Beijing, 8 days
- Taste of China, 10 days
- The Essential China, 13 days
RIVER CRUISES
AIR-LAND INCLUSIVES
- China Odyssey, 11 and 14 days
- Beijing Post Olympics In Depth, 8 days
- Chine
HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME
STAYS OF DISTINCTION
- Peninsula Beijing Hotel, Beijing
- Grand Hyatt, Shanghai
China
COUNTRY QUICKFACTS
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Area: 9,596,960 km².
Population: 1,313,973,000 (May 2006 est. - Approximately 20% of the world's population)
Capital: Beijing
Time: 13 hrs ahead of Toronto/New York and 16 hours ahead of Vancouver/Los Angeles.
Religion: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist,
Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%
Language: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages. Mandarin Phrases
Currency: 1 Yuan = 10 Jiao = 100
Fen.
(CAD$1 = 7.0 Yuan approx.; US$1 = 8 Yuan approx.)
| Average temperature C°/F° | JAN | MAY | JUL | OCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | -5/23 | 14/57 | 26/79 | 14/57 |
| Shanghai | 4/39 | 16/61 | 28/82 | 19/66 |
| Guangzhou | 15/59 | 21/70 | 29/82 | 25/77 |
| Xian | 3/37 | 16/61 | 25/77 | 16/61 |
Shanghai - most rain falls in June.
Xian - rain year round, but most occurring July through early September.
Guilin - weather is subtropical. Rainy season February to May. Best time to visit is fall or late spring.
Guangzhou - weather is subtropical. Humid summers. Best time to visit is between October and February.
Electricity: 220V AC, 50Hz
Country Code: 86, Beijing 10, Shanghai 21, Xian 29, Guilin 77, Guangzhou 20.
Business Hours:
Banks: 0800-1700 Mon-Fri, ATM's are common in major cities.
Shops: 0900-1900 Daily
Tipping: Tour guides and drivers usually expect USD$10 per person each per day, when traveling independently. When traveling in a group, the amount is USD$3.
Driving: International drivers licence required in some cities.
Airport: International airport Beijing, 26 km N of Beijing. One terminal.
Credit Cards: All major credit cards are accepted at most hotels and state-run shops in the major cities.
