China Nutz and Bolts
The Basics
Country: China
Where is it?: China is in eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Why do people go here?: With over one billion people, China is its own world, with millions of other worlds (and people) inside it. Right now China is slowly given up its communist roots and it slowly, although they don’t admit it, pursuing capitalism. It’s booming right now and wherever you head, there are amazing sites to see. You could take one year of traveling and barely get a taste of it.
What are the main entry points?: There are hundreds of ways to get into China. Most people fly into Shanghai or Hong Kong. If you’re traveling overland, there are countless ways, both easy and very difficult.
Currency used: Yuan
Country Code for Phones: 86
Area codes for Major Cities: Bejing 10, Shanghai 21,
Other Phone Tips: Most of China’s cities have have separate city codes
Religion: Athesist
Population: 1,298,847,624
Ethnic Groups: Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%
Government: Communist State
Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin, Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages.
Travel Information
Major Cities: Bejing, Hong Kong, Shanghai
Attractions: Xi’an, Beijing, Shanghai, plus hundreds of other places
Accommodation: China Hostels
Tourism Office locations and links: China Tourism Office
Tips for Visiting
Off-the-Beaten-Path: Tibet, Longgong Caves, Turpan
Health Issues: Rabies, Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), Dengue Fever, Malaria, Cholera
When to go: China is huge and depending where you’re traveling, the weather can vary. Ideally, the best times to travel are September through November
Specific Events/Holidays: Chinese New Year: February. Guanyin’s Birthday: Late March to late April, Mazu’s Birthday: May or June, Ghost Month: Late August to late September, Mid-Autumn Moon Festival: October. Birthday of Confucius: September 28
Getting Around: China has a host of ways to explore the enormous country. Bus and train are the cheapest options and can get you into some very remote parts of the country.
Good to know: It’s impossible to characterize China. It’s a bunch of different worlds all working together to survive.
Did you like this article?
Share it
Place a comment| Now you can also comment with your Facebook Account |
Rate this story
Follow Us
Subscribe to the BootsnAll articles RSS feed
Related articles found in:
Asia, Asia Nutz and Bolts, China, China Nutz and Bolts, NE Asia, NE Asia Nutz and BoltsRead similar items found across the BootsnAll Travel Network:
Chinese Teenagers – Shanghai, China, Asia
48hrs – Chengdu, Sichuan to Shanghai, China
If you are wondering whether it would be worth it to bring your young children on a trip with you, reading Rachel Denning’s experiences and advice will likely convince you.
[Read more]
Somali pirates and Halloween pirates seem to get all the press these days, but there is a rich history out there of the real thing. Steve Bramucci takes us to five places where pirate tourism is easy to find.
[Read more]
Would you like to pretend you are Michael Palin, or perhaps someone else who gets to stay in historic colonial hotels in the East? Here’s a cheaper way, as Inga Kastrone takes us on a tour if 8 of the finest of these landmark properties.
[Read more]
You are probably aware of the big wine industries in Argentina and Chile, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Eileen Smith lives in Chile and here she explains where to look and what to taste throughout the continent.
[Read more]
There are plenty of creepy castles out there, but some really stand out and are actually said to be haunted. Cherrye Moore takes us on a tour of six of the most notorious of these.
[Read more]
