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CHINESE INFORMATION

Chineses food, Chinese travel, Chinese holidays and Chinese culture

China features a vast landscape, numerous ethnic groups, different climates

Among the foods are scallions and rich materials, such as Stewed scallion

and Sea cucumber!

Then there's the spicy food, such as Shredded pork with chilli and garlic sauce, or Soup with a mild

and sweet flavour, as in Steamed shad. Other notables include fresh, tender and nourishing

chinese dishes like Roast piglet with crispy skin.

The Chinese prefer to combine gourmet food with festivals and occasions. The most interesting part of cuisine

culture lies in the feasts offered on various occasions, including festivals, birthday parties, weddings and funerals.

During Spring Festival (the lunar Chinese New Year), Han families usually eat jiaozi (dumplings) shaped like

gold ingots, symbolizing good luck. Spring pancake, Eight-jewel rive pudding -

(steamed glutinous rice with bean paste, lotus seeds, preserved fruits, etc.) and Eight-jewel rice porridge

are also served during this period. Theatrical performances and temple fairs are the places where you can find

lion dances, acrobatics and various traditional foods. Other ethnic groups also have their distinct recreational

activities and festive foods, such as the Baked cake of the Man people, the Fried pastry of the Hui people,

the pyramid-shaped Glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo Leaves of the Zhuang people and the

Mutton and rice eaten with fingers of the Uygur people.

Capital city	Beijing - all set for the Olympics in 2008
National flag	Five-star red flag. Everything red signifies good luck in China!
National anthem	March of the Volunteers (lines: Arise, those who do not want to be slaves! We will use our flesh and blood to build another Great Wall. China has reached the brink of national collapse. All the people have been making their last outcry. Arise! Arise! Arise! All our hearts become one.
National Day of China	October 1, the country was founded in 1949.
Top legislature	National People's Congress (NPC).
Location	In East Asia, by the west Pacific Ocean.
Territory area	9.6 million square km, second to Russia and Canada.
Largest city	Shanghai.
Chinese Currency	Renminbi (RMB) yuan.(Y)
Exchange rate	7.3 yuan=US$1 15 RMB=GBP£1. (Eat out for around 80Y - 2 people!)
Weights and measures	metric system .
Gross domestic product	8,940.4 billion yuan (at the end of 2000) .
Topography	High in its west and low in its east: mountain areas 33.3%, plateaus 26%, basins 18.8%, plains 12% and hills 9.9%.

Chinese Islands	Among the 5,400 islands, Taiwan Island (about 36,000 square km) is the largest, Hainan Island (about 34,000 square km) the second island in the south China sea.
Mountains	Among the 19 mountains over 7,000 meters high in the world, seven are in China. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as "the roof of the world", has many high mountains. The Himalayas, with an average elevation of 6,000 meters, have the world's highest peak Mount Qomolangma, 8,848 meters above sea level.
Chinese Rivers	The Yangtze River, 6,300 km long, the third longest in the world after the Nile and the Amazon. The Yellow River, the second longest in China, stretching 5,464 km.
Canyon	The canyon on the Yalu Tsangpo River, the world's largest, 504.6 km in length and 6,009 meters in depth.
Man-made river	The Grand Canal, 1,801 km long, the longest man-made river in the world. Its cutting began in the fifth century BC.
Chinese Lakes	The Poyang Lake on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is China's largest freshwater lake; the Qinghai Lake on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the country's largest salt lake.

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It's more than 2,000 years old, but the Great Wall of China remains one of the great wonders of the world,

an engineering feat rarely matched in the 22 centuries since its construction began. Stretching 4,500 miles,

from the mountains of Korea to the Gobi Desert, it was first built to protect an ancient Chinese empire

from marauding tribes from the north. But it evolved into something far greater -

a boon to trade and prosperity and ultimately a symbol of Chinese ingenuity and will.

The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China

during the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty (221 B.C - 206 B.C.). In Chinese the wall is called "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng"

which means about 5,000 km Long Wall .

After subjugating and uniting China from seven Warring States, the emperor connected and extended

four old fortification walls along the north of China that originated about 700 B.C. (over 2500 years ago).

Armies were stationed along the wall as a first line of defense against the invading nomadic Hsiung Nu tribes

north of China (the Huns). Signal fires from the Wall provided early warning of an attack.

The Great Wall is one of the largest building construction projects ever completed. It stretches across

the mountains of northern China, winding north and northwest of Beijing. It is constructed of masonry,

rocks and packed-earth. It was over 5,000 km long. Its thickness ranged from about 4.5 to 9 meters

(15 to 30 feet) and was up to 7.5 meters (25 feet) tall.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall was enlarged to 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles)

and renovated over a 200 year period, with watch-towers and cannons added.
The Great Wall can be seen from Earth orbit, but, contrary to legend, is not visible from the moon,

according to astronauts Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, and Jim Irwin.

The truth is, though, that the Great Wall is actually a series of walls built and rebuilt by different dynasties

over 1,000 years. And while they often served the same purpose, these walls reflected the worlds -

both natural and cultural - in which they were erected. For all its seeming timelessness, the Great Wall

is an emblem of China's evolution.

The Great Wall is reputed as one of the seven construction wonders in the world not only for its long history

but its massive construction size, and its unique architectural style as well.

The Great Wall of China in a desert region of north-central China, about 700 kilometers (434 miles)

west of Beijing.

Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport is one of China's major gateways. It is 26 km. (about 40 minutes' ride)

from the city center. (Taxis, buses and subway can be used)

Visas
L-visas for single or multiple entry for tourists are valid for 30 to 60 days.
F-visas for business travel can be valid up to 6 months but may require the visitor to leave every 30 days.

They are good for single, double or multiple entry. Those seeking business visas must obtain official invitation

from a business, government office or a company authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Currency
The RMB (Renminbi) is the official currency. The basic unit of RMB is the yuan, also known as kuai,

divided into 10 jiao . Yuan notes come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100.  

Credit Cards
In Beijing, most major credit cards -- including American Express, Diner's Club, Federal Card, JCB,

MasterCard and Visa -- are accepted at major hotels, restaurants and shops but don’t be surprised

to see people with hundreds of notes in paper bags, paper money is used by most locals.

Tipping
Tipping is generally not expected in mainland China. For more information on business and social etiquette in Beijing.

Useful Numbers
Police: 110
Fire Department: 119
Ambulance: 120
Tourist Hotline: 6513-0828
Local directory assistance: 114 (Chinese); 2689-0114 (English)
International directory assistance: 100
Visa Card Hotline: 10-800-110-2911
MasterCard Hotline: 10-800-110-7309 (only in certain provinces)

Electricity
The voltage is 220 volts, 50 cycles. Most luxury hotels have built-in converters in bathrooms for shavers, hair dryers,

etc. Otherwise, come equipped, because a wide variety of plug types are in use.

Health Risks
Usually visitors drink bottled water only. Prior to your trip, consult your doctor on immunizations you might need

(e.g. tetanus, typhoid, cholera and hepatitis A and B) and about malaria suppressants if you're planning to go

to rural areas. Bring all prescription and over-the-counter medicine you might require.

Time Zone
GMT + 8 hours, same as Singapore. The whole of China is set to Beijing Time.

Offices in Beijing generally open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a lunch break of about an hour.

Government-stipulated work days are from Monday to Friday. Banking hours and days vary from bank to bank

in Beijing. However, most Chinese banks are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., and have branches that are open

on Saturdays and Sundays. Shops generally open at 9 a.m. and close between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., and are open

on Sundays. Many tourist shops especially clohes shops are open early and late – later than 11pm,

dependent on demand.

Holidays
Jan 1 New Year
Jan (First or second week ) Spring Festival, Chinese New Year – The main holiday for Chinese,

like an extende Christmas and New year with many firwork displays.
May 1 Labour Day.
Oct 1-3 National Day.

 
Climate
Quite diverse, from tropical in the south to sub-arctic in the north. Beijing has a continental climate with clear-cut

seasons. Spring is dry and a little windy. Summer is hot and a little humid. Autumn offers the best weather,

with generous sunshine. In winter, the city can  affected by freezing winds from Mongolia but without the wind

it doesn’t feel really cold especially if you jump in a taxi then the restaurants, bars and clubs are very warm

and are geared for free coat storage. There is little rain and the seasons are more like Spring –

long hot Summers then Spring again , when it can rain a little at the beginning and end.

(Spring flowers are to be seen everywhere, either side of the summer and Winter)

Slight snow fall can be a delight around Christmas time but only stays for around a week.   .   

Clothing
Normal Western business attire is considered appropriate for doing business in China. In Summer umbrellas

can often be seen – the Chinese fashion is for white skin! All western brands can be purchased in malls,

local shops and the many markets scattered all over Beijing.  

Major Exports
Electrical machinery and equipment, machinery and mechanical appliances, textiles, garments, footwear,

toys and sporting goods, household electrical appliances, telecommunication equipment, pharmaceuticals,

steel products, general metalwares, coal, feeding stuffs

Major Trading Partners
Europe, United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, UK, Singapore, Russia.

Major Industries
Iron and steel production; machine-building; production of coal, armaments, textiles and apparel, petroleum,

cement, chemical fertilizers, footwear, toys, autos, consumer electonics and telecommunication equipment;

food processing

Government
Communist state. President and vice-president elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms.

Administrative divisions: 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 5 municipalities

Teledensity

Most Chinese have the use of a telephone and mobile phone.

Geography
Beijing lies in the north-west of the North China plain, not far from the Western slopes of the mountains of Yanshan,

and about 150km/93 miles from the Bohai Sea. A dense network of roads, railways and airways connects

Beijing with China's other major cities.
China is located in Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea,

between North Korea and Vietnam.

Population
China: 1.28 billion
Beijing: 13 million

Ethnic Groups
Han Chinese (93%), plus 55 ethnic minorities

Language
The official language is Mandarin (or Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect). Local dialects include Yue

(Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects

and other minority languages. Most tourist hotels have staff who are fluent in foreign languages.

Most children especially of college age can speak some level of English. Nearly all tourist shops of all kinds

have at least one English speaker (Tourist English)

Literacy Rate
90.6%

Religion
Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism (no stats available); Muslim (14 million), Christian (7 million)

Chinese ingenuity and will.

All Chinese people are taught from an early age to be happy  “Be happy everyday”  Like many parts of the world

most Chinese have known varying levels of poverty and wars and atrocities, such the Nanjing masaca.

So being happy and positive is very much an everyday thing in China a smile and a laugh will come at evey

greating and even when things go occassionally wrong or if a missunderstanding occours

The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China during

the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty (221 B.C - 206 B.C.). In Chinese the wall is called "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng"

which means about 5,000 km Long Wall .