China - Facts Sheet
China - Facts Sheet (2014)
China Overview Fact Sheet National Anthem China Travel FAQ
Formal name: People's Republic of China (PRC)
Capital: Beijing
Biggest city: Shanghai
Location: in the east of Asia and west of Pacific Ocean.
Area: 9,600,000 sq km.
Population: 1.3 billion.
Religion: Buddhism, Taoism, Muslim, Christianity.
Ethnic groups: 56.
Languages: Standard Chinese (Mandarin), Cantonese, and other dialects.
Literacy Percent: 93.98% for the ages above 15.
Ruling Party: the Communist Party of China (CPC)
Head of State: Xi Jinping
Top legislative power: The National People's Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee.
Top administrative body: The State Council.
GDP per capita: $9,100 (2012)
Currency: RMB (yuan)
National Flag: five-starred red flag
National emblem: Tiananmen Square under five stars.
National anthem: March of the Volunteers.
National Day: October 1, the date of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Traditional holidays: Spring Festival (celebrated in January and mid-February and lasts 15 days) and International Labor Day (May 1), Middle Autumn Festival, etc.
National treasure: Giant Panda, which can be mainly found in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
National Flower: Peony.
Military: The People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Second Artillery Force.
Administrative division: 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities directly under the Central Government, and two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macao).
China City Guide
Essencial Info of China
China Travel FAQ
- How to get a visa?
It can be quite easy to obtain a China visa, which usually permits you to stay in China for one month.
For citizens of the United States of America or Canada, there are several ways of obtaining a China Visa:1) Contact the China National Tourist Office in New York or Los Angeles.
2) Contact your travel agent or visa services.
3) Obtain it directly from the Chinese embassies or consulates.
4) You can contact us. We can give you detailed instruction to help you process your visa application after you booked your tour to China with us.
5) For tourists from other countries, please inquire with your nearest PRC embassies or consulates, or contact with us, we can help anyone with a valid passport to process applications for a China visa. For more information, please refer to the Visa & Passport page.More info about this FAQ please visit: https://www.chinaodysseytours.com/faq/necessary-travel-document.html
- What documents are needed for visiting China? 1) All foreigners to China must have a valid passport and a China visa. Note that the passport should be valid for a minimum of 6 months after your visit to China and the visa should be approved before you enter China. The most common type of visa is single-entry visa which is usually valid for 3 months and allows a maximum stay of 30 days.
2) Visit Tibet: to enter Tibet, foreigners must hold a Tibet travel permit which shall be obtained 15 days before entering Tibet. A Tibet permit is sufficient if you only stay in Lhasa, however, if you want to extend to the "unopened" areas, an Alien's travel permit issued by the PSB of Tibet is required. In addition to a travel permit, a fitness certificate from a registered doctor is also required to show that you're fit to travel and your blood pressure and heart condition are normal to acclimatize the high altitude of Tibet.
3) Visit Hong Kong: People from most countries are exempted from applying for a China visa if only travel and stay in Hong Kong.
4) Just in case of need, we suggest you bring your medical record attached with your doctor's name, address and phone number, emergency contact name and phone number, and your insurance company's name, address and phone number. - Do I need tour guides when traveling in China? If it is the first time for you to come and travel in China or the first time to visit new areas, we suggest that you have tour guides, because, without tour guides, you are on your own, while our guides are professional and experts in local areas, who can give you more information and knowledge about the places you are going to visit.
- What vaccinations do I need to take before going to China?
Routine vaccines include: measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.
For most travelers, it's suggested take Hepatitis A and Typhoid before their trip.
For more details, you can check out what the CDC says: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/china
- What are the luggage regulations for taking a domestic flight?
Luggage allowance for adult or children passengers is 40KG for first class, 30KG for business class and 20KG for economy class. An infant with an infant ticket enjoys a luggage allowance of 10KG. The size requirement is 100cm*60cm*30cm maximum. Oversized and overweight luggage will be charged 1.5% of the adult economy far per extra KG of luggage. Sporting equipment is allowed to be checked if within the weight requirements and within 158 total linear dimensions.
More info about this FAQ please visit: https://www.chinaodysseytours.com/faq/health-issues.html
Regulations on luggage may vary on combined transport service with different airlines. Confirm with your travel consultant before you set off.
- When is the peak season, shoulder season and low season in China?
According to our past experience, the peak season refers to April to May and September to October, the cozy weather of which ensures a pleasant trip. The flipside is that relevant tourist resources like hotels and flights are in greater demand than in the low season. It’s advised to make your bookings at an early stage.
The shoulder season starts in June to August, and November while the low season takes place in December and ends at the beginning of March.
Tibet finds its peak season from July to October.
More info about this FAQ please visit: https://www.chinaodysseytours.com/faq/private-tour-design.html
Culture Tidbits
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Acrobatic Art of ChinaDating back to the Warring States Period (475-221BC), acrobatics in China enjoys a history of over 2000 years. It is one of the art forms most popular among the Chinese people. By 300 BC, such skills as walking on 3-meter high stilts and juggling 7 daggers at a time had been developed in China.Read More - Softness of SilkWhen one thinks of China, silk is one of the first things that come to mind. China is the birthplace of silk, and still produces some of the finest silk in the world. In all of China, the best place to discover the wonder of silk is the city of Suzhou. It was there that some of the first silk embroideries originated, and Suzhou is still producing the best silks in China.Read More
- Chinese Kungfu and WushuWushu is the Chinese word for all forms of traditional Chinese martial arts. Wushu is characterized by its dynamic and fluid motions. It can be practiced with bare hands, or with an assortment of weaponry. Originally created for military applications, it has, over thousands of years, grown into a sport, and performance art.Read More
Special Topics about China
- Silk Road of ChinaThe Silk Road was a trade highway that began in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–9 AD) and connected the eastern and the western worlds. It is usually defined as the transportation and trade road that traversed Central Asia and the Pamir Plateau to reach Western Asia.Read More
- Sichuan FoodCentrally placed in China, Sichuan is a province with many mountains. During the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-265AD), the kingdom of Shu was located in Sichuan. Known as the land of plenty since ancient times Sichuan produces abundant domestic animals, poultry, and freshwater fish and crayfish. Mountain produce and river fish are the main ingredients in Sichuan cooking. As a unique style of food, Sichuan cuisine was already famous more than 800 years ago during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).Read More
- Chinese Royal ArchitectureWith vivid characteristics, Chinese royal buildings, especially the most popular tourist attractions in Beijing, are mysterious to today's people. Here we take the Forbidden City as an example and collect something interesting about this imperial palace. If explore it without a guide, you will never know the secrets. Let's feel it more than just watch it!Read More
