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China Tour Information

Brief Introduction of China

1. China, a land of beauty and fascination, is a massive landmass spanning 60 longitudes and 4 time zones. China, "The Middle Kingdom", the third largest country in the world, has the world largest population of 1.3 billion people. Experience our incredible country with us, experience all the many prominent sights, enchanting natural landscapes, the blazing history and culture. From Pre Qin Dynasty(about 2000B.C–259 B.C.), to the first Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di (259 B.C– 210 B.C.) of the Qin Dynasty, to Han-, Tang-, Song-, Yuan-, to the famed Ming- and Qing Dynasties evolved today's China over millennia and Centuries.
   
   Official Political Name of the Country: People's Republic of China
   
   Area: 9.6 million square kilometers (3.70656 square miles)
   
   Population: 1.3 Billion
   
   Capital: Bejing
   
   Ethnical Composition: 56 Nationalities (Han-Chinese 93 %, in addition: Mongols, Zhuang, Manchu, Uyghur, etc.)
   
   Language: Putonghua (Mandarin is the official language)
   
   Religions: Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism
   
   Government of Peoples Republic of China: The National People's Congress of the P. R. of China is the highest organ of state power.
   
   Head of State: Hu Jintao

Population and Nationalities

1. China is a unitary, with 56 ethnical nationalities populated country. By the end of 2008 the Chinese Mainland population accounted for 1.328 billion people. The special administrative zones Hongkong and Macao as well as the Province of Taiwan are not accounted for.
2. Since the Han people are representing the predominant majority, 91.6 % of the total population that is, the remaining 55 ethnical groups are considered national minorities. Within these minorities, the Zhuang people account with 15 million people for the most numerous minority and the smallest number of people is credited to the 2.300 member strong Luoba minority.
3. China has successfully harmonized all affairs between the different nationalities. The basic principle is definitely clear: Equality, Unity, the mutual understanding to support each other while aspiring to prosperity and to retain this achievement. The active political system is the National Regional Autonomy, which is under the leadership of the National People's Congress and has to be founded wherever ethnical groups are living to establish the respective autonomous administrative elements for the local minorities, for the purpose to exercise all their rights and the local administrative works of the region. There are 5 autonomous regions in China: the autonomous region Inner Mongolia, the autonomous region of the Ningxia Hui Minority, the autonomous Region of the Xinjiang Uyghur minority, the autonomous region of the Guangxi minority and the self – governed region Tibet.

Geography of China

1. China is situated in the south-eastern part of the Euro-Asian Continent. The borders of the P. R. of China add up to a total length of 20.000 km and a coastal line of 18.000 km, totalling a landmass of 3.70656 million square miles. Only Russia and Canada have a larger geographic area. Whole of China expands in North-South direction over 50 lines of latitudes, covering the equatorial zone, the tropical, sub-tropical, the mild tempered zone and the cold tempered zone. From East to West the landmass spans 62 longitudes displaying diversities in landscapes, forests, meadows, deserts, plains, hill countries and high mountains.
2. Chinese mainland neighbours are Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and North Korea.

Climate of China

1. China has a lot of it. Spread over such a vast area, the country is subject to the worst extremes in weather, from the bitterly cold to the unbearably hot. There isn't really an 'ideal' time to visit the country, so use the following information as a rough guide.
2. North
3. Winters in the north fall between December and March and are incredibly cold. Beijing's temperature does't rise above 0℃(32F ), although it will generally be dry and sunny. North of the Great Wall, into Inner Mogolia or Heilongjiang, it is much colder with temperature s dropping to -40℃, and you'll see the curious sight of sand dunes coverd in snow.
   Summer in the north is around May to August. Beijing temperatures can rise toto 38℃ or more. July and August are also the rainy months in this city. In both the north and south most of the rain falls during summer.
4. Central
5. In the Changjiang (Yangtze River) valley area (Including Shanghai) summers are long, hot and humid. Wuhan , Chongqing and Nanjing have been dubbed 'the three furnaces' by the Chinese. You can expect very high temperatures any time between April and October. Winters are short and cold, with temperatures dipping well below freezing-almost as cold as Beijing. It can also be wet and miserable at any time apart from summer. While it is impossible to pinpoint an ideal time to visit, spring and autumn are probably best.
6. South
7. n the far south, around Guangzhou, the hot, humid periods last from around April to September, and temperatures can rise to 38℃. This is also the rainy season. Typhoons are liable to hit the south-east coast between July and September.
   There is a short winter from January to March. It's nowhere near as cold as in the north, but temperature statistics don't really indicate just how cold it can get, so bring warm clothes.
   Autumn and spring can be good times to visit the south, with day temperatures in the 20℃ to 25℃ range. However, it can also be miserably wet and cold , with perpetual rain or drizzle, so be prepared for all weather.
8. North-West
9. It gets hot in summer, but at least it's dry. The desert regions can be scorching in the daytime. Turpan, which sits in a depreeion 150m below sea level, more than deserves the title of the 'hottest place in China', with maximums of around 47℃.
   In winter this region is as formidably cold as the rest of northern China. In Urumqi the average temperature in January is around -10℃, with minimums down to almost -30℃. Teperatures in Turpan are only slightly more favourable to human existence.
10. Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
11. In Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is easy to get the impression that all four seasons have been compressed into one day. Temperatures can vary from below zero during the evening and early morning to a sizzling 38℃ at midday, but it always feels remarkably cool in shade. Winter brings intense cold and fierce winds. Snowfall is far less common in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau than the name 'Land of Snows' implies—it's an arid place and the sun is quick to melt off snowfalls. Rainfall is scarcest in the north and west of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Northern monsoons can sweep across the pains for days on end, often whipping up dust storms, sandstorms snowstorms, or (rarely) rainstorms.

12. Städte	Jan	Feb	Mär	Apr	Mai	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept	Okt	Nov	Dez
    Beijing	-1.6	2.1	4.7	14.4	19.3	25.3	28.0	25.5	20.9	12.9	5.9	-0.7
    Xi'an	2.4	6.0	9.4	16.7	20.9	24.4	26.5	26.3	22.2	14.3	7.9	2.7
    Shanghai	6.2	7.3	9.5	14.8	20.9	22.1	25.3	26.9	25.8	19.9	12.9	7.4
    Guilin	9.9	12.5	12.8	19.8	22.8	27.1	27.5	27.0	25.7	21.2	15.9	11.1
    Hangzhou	6.1	8.0	9.2	16.1	21.4	22.8	26.0	26.7	25.8	19.4	11.8	6.8
    Wuhan	6.5	9.2	9.4	17.5	22.6	24.9	28.0	27.3	26.4	18.0	12.1	7.5
    Chongqing	8.5	11.3	13.2	18.7	21.4	25.1	27.0	27.6	25.8	18.8	14.5	8.4
    Kunming	9.6	14.2	16.3	19.8	17.7	21.5	20.3	19.4	19.1	17.1	12.7	8.1
    Lhasa	-1.4	3.9	7.0	12.4	13.4	16.4	15.7	14.9	12.5	10.3	3.8	-0.8
    Nanjing	4.3	6.6	8.6	15.4	21.0	23.0	25.9	26.0	24.6	17.5	10.4	4.8
    Luoyang	2.7	6.1	8.0	16.4	21.4	25.9	26.8	25.8	22.8	14.9	9.4	4.0
    Pingyao	-3.1	-0.2	5.4	14.4	19.2	23.4	24.3	23.0	19.0	10.9	4.1	-2.6
    Qingdao	2.0	3.7	6.0	11.9	17.4	20.7	24.6	25.5	22.9	16.3	9.5	3.5
    Guangzhou	15.0	16.7	17.8	23.9	24.2	28.7	28.7	27.6	27.1	25.3	20.0	14.0
    Zhangjiajie	6.0	10.5	13.5	17.4	21.5	26.7	27.4	27.2	25.4	18.0	12.3	8.1
    Huhhot	-9.5	-4.5	1.4	11.1	17.6	23.0	24.6	23.0	16.3	6.8	-0.3	-9.1
    Dalian	-1.1	0.6	3.3	10.0	16.9	21.5	25.4	25.1	21.5	14.2	6.5	-0.1
    Nanning	13.8	16.4	17.7	24.1	24.4	28.0	28.1	26.9	26.1	23.4	18.5	12.5
    Haikou	17.9	20.2	22.6	26.4	26.7	28.9	29.4	28.1	27.6	26.2	23.1	17.3
    Chengdu	7.2	9.7	11.5	18.3	20.7	23.7	24.9	24.3	22.8	17.7	12.9	6.7
    Guiyang	6.2	9.5	11.0	16.9	19.1	22.7	23.4	22.9	21.8	17.4	12.5	7.7
    Xining	-7.5	-3.1	2.3	8.5	12.3	15.0	16.9	16.1	12.7	6.1	-0.2	-6.3
    Lanzhou	-3.4	1.2	6.7	14.1	17.4	21.0	22.4	23.1	19.1	11.0	3.9	-3.5

    
    ** Notice: Temperature in C°.

Best time to visit

1. 1. What is high season? What is the definition for high season, shoulder season and low season?
2. High season marks the most popular times of the year for travel in China, due to the weather, holiday periods or other reasons. Therefore hotels, airlines and travel agencies are heavily booked, and prices are higher than at other times.
   The seasons are usually defined as follows:
   High season: April 1 to May 31, Sep 1 to Nov 15.
   Shoulder season: June 1 to Aug 31.
   Low season: Nov 16 to Mar 31.
   However, there may be some variation to these dates by different hotels, airlines or travel agencies in different regions. For example, high season in Tibet is from July 1 to Oct 15 and the rest of the year is considered to be low season.
   Travelers should also be aware that the peak holiday periods: first week in May, first week in October, Chinese Spring Festival (often takes place in late January or early February) are particularly busy. Prices and bookings will be even higher than usual.
   Top China Tours reserves the right to vary prices as a result of seasonal charges being imposed.
3. 2. When is the best time to visit China?
4. Choosing the best time to visit China depends on which places you wish to visit, what type of weather you enjoy. May, September and October are the peak tourist months at China's most popular destinations when the weather is most comfortable, but prices are higher, and everywhere is more crowded. Prices drop a bit in the shoulder season, which runs from late March through April and from June through August. The low season arrives in late November, and continues through the winter when there are fewer crowds and the prices are lower.

National Festivals

1. Spring Festival
2. Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is the reunion day of family members, just like Christmas in the West. The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1100 BC). At that time, this festival was held to show people's sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one. In fact, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the next year. Among them, the Spring Festival Eve and the first three days are the most important days.
3. Lantern / Lampion Festival
4. Lantern / Lampion Festival is celebrated in the evening of the 15th day of the first lunar month. Streets, narrow lanes and places are decorated with an array of different, festive lanterns. After the especially delicious meal is eaten – round, sweet flour dumplings from swelled rice flour stand for the feeling of togetherness – the people go out to enjoy the exciting nightlife or to play the letter puzzle under the lanterns.
5. Festival of the Pure Brightness
6. this fest is celebrated on the day of the pure brightness in spring and is one of 24 designations of the altitude of the sun. During this day excursions are made, people pray to their ancestors and play traditional games like kite flying and tug-of-war.
7. Dragon Boat Festival
8. Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. On this day all over Chinese people eat"Zongzi", pyramid shaped flour dumplings made of gluten containing rice, participate in dragon boat races, some commemorate also Qu Yuans, a patriotic poet, who lived during the age of the"The Warring States Period" (476 B. C. – 221 B.C. ).
9. Qixi
10. Qixi takes place at the 7th evening of the 7th lunar month, the time also, when the cowherd and the spinning girl like to meet, once a year. One looks up to the Milky Way and abroad river, which separates the two lovers and all brindled magpies are asked to help, to build a bridge over the river to prepare the annual lover's reunion. That's the Chinese Valentine's Day.
11. Middle of Fall/Autumn
12. Middle of Fall/Autumn happens on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. At this evening all family members sit together, eating moon pie and enjoy with this symbolic act the beautiful, round, free and bright moon, together.
13. Chongyang
14. Winter Solstice: Proclamation of the cold season. The Chinese belief, if they eat warm flour dumplings in this particular day, they shall endure the bitterly cold winter to come.

Calendar

1. The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures. It is often referred to as the Chinese calendar because it was first perfected by the Chinese around 500 BC. In most of East Asia today, the Gregorian calendar is used for day-to-day activities, but the Chinese calendar is still used for marking traditional East Asian holidays such as the Chinese New Year (the Spring Festival), the Duan Wu festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival, and in astrology, such as choosing the most auspicious date for a wedding or the opening of a building. Because each month follows one cycle of the moon, it is also used to determine the phases of the moon.

Transportation System

1. At over nine million square kilometers, China is a force to be reckoned with by anyone wishing to see as much as possible. Fortunately, there are a number of transportation options.
2. Urban Mass Transit
3. - City Buses
4. Chinese buses are generally comfortable and affordable, and go just about everywhere you'd want to.
   To pack light-there's not a lot of room to stow luggage. All cities have local buses that will take you around the city for a nominal fee (anything from five jiao to a few yuan). Don't be shy to ask people which bus to take, or to ask on the bus where to get off. In the big cities these buses are almost always impossibly crowded-push and shove along with the Chinese to get on.
5. - Taxis
6. Taxis are now widely available in most Chinese cities. If you have trouble hailing one on the street, check at upscale hotels. There will likely be plenty of taxis lined up outside, or the concierge can make arrangements for one.
7. Intercity Transportation
8. - Boats
9. Boats are one of the cheapest forms of transportation in China and often can be a welcome respite from trains and buses. Passenger boats sail the Yangtsi River, Li River, Xi River and others. There are also a few interesting options for reaching China from Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan by sea. There are plenty of other, shorter trips too, and they are well worth a try.
10. - Long-distance Buses
11. Long-distance buses and minibuses are useful to take you places where trains don't go. Watch carefully to see how much the other passengers are being charged and make sure you're charged the same rather than some bogus "foreigner fare." Overnight buses are not fun, but the more popular routes sometimes have sleeper buses, which ease the pain slightly.
12. - Trains
13. China is home to one of the most famous transportation options of all: the Trans-Siberian Railway. Train tracks go nearly everywhere in China, and long hauls are common. Train travel is usually comfortable(except in overcrowded hard seat class) and usually on time, but tickets can be a little difficult to get.
14. There are four price ranges for train passager:

15. *Soft sleeper	Definitely the most comfortable class, this will get you a nice, soft bunk in a closed compartment of four beds. These tickets are almost always available, but run as high as a plane ticket.
    *Soft seat	This is a nice, comfortable, cushy seat. These are not available on every journey.
    Hard sleeper	This gets you a padded bench-like bed in an open compartment of six beds, plus pillow, sheet, and comforter. This is perfectly comfortable, however, these tickets are notoriously hard to come by.
    Hard seat	This gets you a seat on a padded bench. This is the cheapest option, and you certainly get a taste of the real China! This is okay for a day journey, but not recommended for overnight trips.

16. - Planes
17. China is served both by numerous major international flights to most countries of the world and a host of domestic regional airlines. Air traffic within mainland China is often connected through Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou. They are, respectively, the main hubs for Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.
    It is true that the Chinese have a less-than-perfect record on air safety, that the flights are often delayed, and that service on the planes is nothing to write home about; however, China is a huge country and flying is the only way to get anywhere quickly. More Chinese are flying each year and as a consequence, airplane tickets are difficult to secure during tour and holiday seasons, such as the Chinese New Year.

Emergency numbers

1. Keep this handy list of the main emergency phone numbers handy just in case.
2. 110 (free) -- Police
   119 (free) -- Fire Department
   120 (free) – Ambulance
   122 (free) -- Traffic Accident
   114 -- Directory Assistance
   117 -- Time (talking clock)
   121 -- Weather

Making a call

1. Cell phone
2. The prepaid SIM card for China with a world cell phone is the most convenient and economical solution for staying in touch while in China. All incoming calls while you travel China are no more than $0.19 USD per minute (Only $0.07 in Guangdong province), regardless of where they originate. Pay the local rate for local calls and use your cellular phone in China like you do at home. And unlike home, your China SIM card and cell phone service is prepaid so there is no need for a contract.
3. Please Note:
4. Your China SIM Card (China Mobile) will require a SIM-unlocked GSM 900 compatible international cell phone. If you do not have your own international cell phone, we have several models available for rental or purchase.

Water drinking

1. Generally speaking, Fresh, clean, bottled water is everywhere in China. It costs between 1-2 RMB per bottle.
   Hotels will provide guests with bottled water (free) for drinking. In larger hotels there may be a little sign in the bathroom that reads something along the lines of "tap water not potable," but don't take the absence of this notice as an indication that tap water is safe to drink. Nowhere in China is it advisable to drink tap water without boiling it first. But it is okay to use tap water to brush your teeth or wash your face.

Health Concern

1. 1. Medical Treatment in China
2. Hotels usually have access to a doctor.
   In the event of a serious condition which requires hospitalization, your tour guide will do everything possible to ensure that you receive that best treatment possible. Please call your Top China Tours Advisor so that we can help in any way possible.
   The major cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have hospitals that will reach the Standard of foreign hospital, however the hospital systems differ considerably. Hospitals in other cities may not offer the same standards of hospitals in foreign countries.
   On entering hospital all patients are required to pay a substantial deposit before any treatment will be administered. Nursing care in hospital is strictly limited to medical treatments so patients will require a person who can assist with all other activities. No food is supplied.
   We highly recommend that all travelers buy comprehensive travel insurance in their home country before departure.
3. 2. Health Precautions while travel in China
4. Drink only boiled or bottled water or carbonated drinks in cans or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks and ice cubes.
   Don't eat food purchased from street vendors.
   Don't drink beverages with ice.
   Don't handle animals (especially monkeys, cats, dogs), to avoid the risk of rabies.
   Don't swim in fresh water (excluding well-chlorinated pools) in some parts of China to avoid infection with schistosomiasis.
   Don't share needles with anyone.
   Eat only thoroughly cooked food, or fruits and vegetables that you have peeled yourself.
   Never eat uncooked meat, raw eggs, or unpasteurized dairy products. Raw shellfish is dangerous for people who have liver disease or compromised immune systems.

Electrical adaptor

1. Electricity in China is 220V, 50 cycles, AC. Two-pin sockets and some three-pin sockets are in use. Most of the hotels have a socket in the bathroom for both 110V and 220V. Most hotels have built-in convectors in bathrooms for shaving, hair dryers, etc. Outside of the bathroom, only 220V sockets are provided so a converter will be required to change the voltage from 220v to 110V and well as an adopter to allow different pins to be used. Most hotels will have adopters but it is always wise to be prepared if you have some piece of electrical equipment which is essential to operate.

Postal Service

1. Tourist hotels provide postal services. If you want to send important items such as antiques and cultural relics that are under customs control, you will have to ask for the help of the local branch of the international post office, instead of the small post office in a hotel.
   You can also send their postcards, letters and express mail to any place in the world via China Post, FedEx or China Air Express, etc.. However, any form of publication (such as books, magazines and newspapers) and parcels must be sent from an authorized post office.
   Faxes can generally be sent from any hotel business center.
2. Express mail can be sent to:
3. Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brukina Faso, Canada, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Cote d’lvoire, Cyprus, Czech, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Macao, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Portuguese, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, , Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and United States.
4. Airmail can be sent to:
5. Amsterdam, Bangkok, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Karachi, Kiev, London, Madrid, Manila, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Pyongyang, Rome, San Francisco, Seoul, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Taiwan, Teheran, Tokyo, Ulan Bator, Vancouver, Vienna, Warsaw, and Zurich.

Money and Currency

1. China's legal tender is Renminbi (RMB). Foreign currencies can not be used directly in China, though some shops illegally accept foreign currencies.
   The basic unit of RMB is yuan. 1 yuan (or kuai) =10 jiao (or mao). RMB is available in both paper notes and coins. The denominations of paper notes are 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao. The denominations of coins are 1 yuan; 5 and 1 jiao. Hong Kong uses HK dollars.
   The official exchange rate at this time is 6.65 yuan to 1 U.S dollar. Keep the receipt of the transaction as you might need when you leave China to change your US dollars back in Bank of China at the airport.

weights and measures

1. China uses metric system in weights and measures, but many people are still using traditional Chinese system which is more commonly applied in markets.The following conversion table between the old Chinese system, metric system and the other Western systems is made for your easy use.

2. 	Metric System	Traditional Chinese System	British-American System
   Units of Length	1 kilometer (1,000 meters)	2 li	0.621 mile
   	1 meter	3 chi	3,281 feet; 1.094 yards
   	0.1 meter	3 cun	0.328 foot; 0.109 yard
   	1 centimeter	3 fen	0.394 inch
   Units of Area	1 square kilometer	4 square li; 1,500 mu	0.386 square mile; 100 hectares; 247.1 acres
   	1 square meter	9 square chi	10.764 square feet; 1.196 square yards
   Units of Weight	1 kilogram	2 jin	2.205 pounds
   	50 grams	1 liang	0.110 pound
   	0.454 kilogram	0.907 jin	1 pound
   Units of Capacity	1 liter	1 sheng	1.760 pints 0.220 gallon
   	4,546 liter	4.546 sheng	1 gallon

Shopping and Souvenirs

1. Shopping tips and shopping opportunities
2. The small hotel shops within a hotel are normally limited to a kiosk-like selection (films, cigarettes, drinks, post cards, etc.). In stores and shopping malls prices are fixed, bargaining is not an option. In metropolitan areas like Beijing, Shanghai stores and malls are open from Mon. – Sun. 09.00h (9 a.m.) – 20.00 h (8 p. m.) , some are open until 21.00 h (9 p. m.)
   Small presents can be found in regional factories and / or businesses which are specialized in craftwork. They usually offer a colourful mixture of Silk, Jade, Porcelain, Chinese picture rolls, handicraft products with lacquer, stones and wood. Besides all of that, dragons, stamps of stone and traditional medicine are quite often precious memorabilia.
   The free and open street markets have no fixed pricing – here you can, or better, you have to bargain!