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Have You Been To China Yet?
Author: J Schipper
China is such a large country that it is impossible to see even
a fraction of it in one visit. It is advisable to specialize in
just one area, and get a good guided tour. Ten-day guided tours
are available starting at approximately $1100.
For instance, the ancient civilization of mystical Tibet has
always fascinated travellers. Learn about the history of Tibetan
Buddhism, and visit the Potala Palace. Pilgrims come from every
corner of Tibet to the Heavenly Lake Namtso.
Another popular tour travels along the historic Silk Road,
one
of the world's most famous trade routes. This route features
ancient Islamic and Buddhist civilizations, bustling markets,
exotic folk customs and a faded but glorious history. This
fascinating overland route was once used for transporting silk
to Europe. It covers areas in central China not visited by many
tourists and passes through archaeological treasures such as the
cities of Xian and Dunhuang as it heads into Xinjiang.
Or hike along the Great
Wall of China. Make sure to bring hiking
shoes and warm clothing, as the Wall was built as a military
fortification atop steep, exposed mountain ridges.
China has a population of 1.265 billion, the largest of any
country on earth, and holds about 22 percent of the earth's
total population. It is an extremely diverse nation consisting
of 55 different ethnic groups. The Chinese speak eight major
dialects: Putonghua (Mandarin), Yue (Cantonese), Wu
(Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Taiwanese), Gan, Xiang,
and Hakka and many sub-dialects. In addition, ethnic groups such
as the Mongolian, Naxi, Tibetan, Yi, Uygur, and other ethnic
groups have their own native languages.
The language spoken in Beijing is often
referred to as Mandarin
or Putonghua. Putonghua, which means "common language" is the
country's main language and is spoken by more than 70 percent of
the population. Putonghua is also referred to as the "Han
language" (Hanyu) or simply Chinese. Because of the increased
economic migration across China during the past two decades
years, the use of Mandarin has increased.
In recent years, as tourism to China has grown, the use of
English has increased across the country. In major cities, staff
in stores and hotels can speak fluent or at least basic English.
However, it is best for English-speaking tourists to have a
translator,
as knowledge of English is by no means universal,
especially in rural areas where approximately 2/3 of China's
population lives.
China, officially called the People's Republic of China (PRC),
is the third largest country on earth. Only Russia and Canada
are larger. China has a land area of 9,600,000 square kilometers
(3,700,000 square miles), and a widely varying climate. Before
you leave, find out what seasonal climates to expect in the
region you are going to visit, and pack accordingly. China has a
marked continental monsoon climate with great variety in
temperature and rainfall. The greatest part of China is in the
northern temperate zone while the southern areas are in the
tropical or subtropical zone and northern areas in the frigid
zone.
In most of China there is a clear division between seasons. In
winter, northerly winds from high latitude areas keep the
northern region cold and dry, while in summer, monsoons from
southern coastal areas bring warmth and humidity. In north
China, such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, summer is dry and
sweltering while winter is bitingly cold. Sandstorms often occur
in spring in this area, especially in the Inner Mongolia and
Beijing area. The red dust from these storms can be picked up by
high-altitude winds are travel around the world. In Russia, pink
snow was reported in the winter of 2006 as this far-flung red
dust mixed with local precipitation.
On the Tibet-Qinghai plateau, which has an elevation of
approximately 4,000 meters above sea level, winter is long and
extremely cold while summer is short and moderately warm. There
is little precipitation here and a great temperature fluctuation
between day and night. Visitors to Tibet should bring warm
clothing even in summer.
In central china, such as Yangtze River area, summer is long,
hot and humid while winter is short and cold. In the areas south
of
the Yangtze River, temperature rarely falls below freezing.
In the near-tropical far south, such as the area around
Guangzhou, the summer is long, humid and hot while the winter is
short and mild. The rainy season runs from May through August
and typhoons frequently occur in the southeast coast between
July and September.
Chinese currency is called Renminbi (people's money),
abbreviated as RMB, issued by The Bank of China. The unit of
Renminbi is a yuan and with smaller denominations called jiao
and fen. The conversion among the three is: 1 yuan equals 10
jiao which equals 100 fen. The safest way to bring currency to
China is in travellers' checks. Be sure to keep your currency
exchange receipts because you will need to show them when you
change RMB back to your own currency when you leave China.
Credit cards are often not accepted in remote areas, so be sure
to carry sufficient RMB and travelers' checks to cover your
requirements.
About the author:
J Schipper is
interested in traveling
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