Highlights

Land of the billions from people to bicycles – almost a quarter of the world’s population can be found in China! This is a country where ancient past meets the exciting future; the contrast of the two worlds is clearly noticeable across the country.

It is a land offering countless outstanding attractions; deserts, mountains, fertile plateaus, thousands of miles of coast and hundreds of differing cultures – the options are too numerous to mention. Beijing, not only the political and administrative centre of China but also the country’s single greatest repository of monuments and treasures from the imperial era including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the famous Great Wall.

In the Northern Provinces the Terracotta Warriors in X’ian are a must – this is also the starting point of the ancient trade route, the Silk Road. In the Eastern Provinces Shanghai is one of the world’s largest cities with the look and feel of a great Western metropolis. Other places of interest include Hangzhou, Nanjing and Suzhou where countless temples, gardens, lakes and historical sites can be found.

Guilin is the highlight of the Southern Provinces – the scenery here with steep mountains springing from lush green plains is unique both to China and the rest of the world. Yangshou, reached by boat along the Li River from Guilin, is a delightful small country town set amongst some of China’s most attractive scenery. The Wolong Nature Reserve outside Chengdu in the Central Provinces offers an opportunity to see the giant pandas.

A Yangtze River cruise between Chongqing and Wuhan is the best way of enjoying the spectacular scenery and visiting the numerous areas of historical and cultural importance en-route. The list of attractions is never-ending – to cover them all, several visits to China are recommended!

China is roughly the size of Canada or the United States. Nevertheless with a population of over 1.3 billion it contains roughly a staggering one fifth of the world’s human beings. China is a land offering many outstanding contrasts; deserts, mountains, fertile plateaus, thousands of miles of coast and hundreds of differing cultures, not to mention fascinating food that bears little resemblance to the ubiquitous western ‘Chinese takeaway’

The enormous economic drive of the last decade means many of China’s cities are increasingly shaped by modernity, but it’s also somewhere underpinned by dearly held traditions. China is colossal in size and character, and more to the point, it’s the word on everybody lips at the moment. Attempts to understand this so very foreign nation will be essential in coming years, making a trip to China one of the most worthwhile you could make.