China Facts
- Official Country Name: People's Republic of China, China
- Location: Asia
- Capital: Beijing
- Area Code: +86
- Time Zone: UTC+8
- Population: 1.4 billion
- Land Area (km²): 9.6 million
- Languages: Chinese
- Major Tourism Cities/Places: Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, Guilin
The People's Republic of China, referred to as "China", was established on October 1, 1949. It is a socialist country located in eastern Asia and the western coast of the Pacific Ocean. China's land area is about 9.6 million square kilometers, the eastern and southern mainland coastlines are more than 18,000 kilometers, and the water area of the inland and border seas is about 4.7 million square kilometers. The countless tourist attractions, many places of interest, national customs and natural scenery attract tourists from all over the world.
History
China is one of the four ancient civilizations in the world, with a long history. If counted from the Liangzhu culture period of human cultural sites in the Neolithic Age, it has a history of more than 5,000 years. The Yuanmou people were the earliest known human beings in China. Chinese history can be divided into three parts: ancient history, modern history, and contemporary history.
From the establishment of the Xia Dynasty in the 21st century BC to the end of the Spring and Autumn Period in 476 BC, it was China's slave society. From the Warring States period in 475 BC to the beginning of the outbreak of the Opium War in 1840, it was a feudal society in China. This was the ancient history of China.
The time of modern Chinese history is from the Opium War of 1840 to the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. This is also the history of China's semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.
On October 1, 1949, the founding ceremony was held in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The People's Republic of China was established and Beijing was the capital.
Administrative Divisions
As of the end of 2020, China had 34 provincial-level administrative regions (including 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities, and 2 special administrative regions), 334 prefecture-level administrative regions, 2851 county-level administrative regions, and 39888 township-level administrative regions. Beijing is the capital of China.
Climate
China has a wide latitude between north and south, and the amount of heat received by the sun varies from place to place. According to the difference in the accumulated temperature of 10°C or above in various regions, China has temperate zone includes cold temperate zone, middle temperate zone, warm temperate zone, subtropical zone, tropical zone and special cold regions in Qinghai-Tibet from north to south.
From the perspective of climate type, the eastern part belongs to the monsoon climate (which can be divided into subtropical monsoon climate, temperate monsoon climate and tropical monsoon climate), the northwestern part belongs to the temperate continental climate, and the Tibetan Plateau belongs to the alpine climate.
Language
China is a unified multi-ethnic country composed of 56 ethnic groups with Han nationality as the main body. Chinese is the official language of China. From the perspective of the language family, the languages used by the 56 ethnic groups in China belong to the five major language families: the Sino-Tibetan language family, the Altai language family, the Austronesian language family, the South Asian language family, and the Indo-European language family.
Currency
►China Yuan
China Yuan(¥) is the official currency of China. The subsidized unit is Jiao: 1 yuan = 10 jiao. The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the People's Bank of China. The international organization for standardization has designated its standard code name CNY.
- Symbol: ¥
- issuing bank: People's Bank of China
- Subunit: jiao
- Banknotes: ¥100, ¥50, ¥20, ¥10, ¥5, ¥1
- Coins: ¥1, ¥0.5, ¥0.1
►Exchange Rate
The exchange rate between CNY and other currencies are as below:
1 AUD≈5 CNY; 1 CAD≈5 CNY; 1 EUR≈8 CNY; 1 GBP≈9 CNY;
1 JPY≈0.066 CNY; 1 USD≈7 CNY; 1 KRW≈0.006 CNY
►Tipping
China is not a tipping country, and locals are not used to tipping. Some high-end restaurants or hotels will directly charge the 10% service charge in the bill. Tipping is not mandatory in China, but small gratuities for great service are very much appreciated.
Tourism
China has rich tourism resources. China's landscapes can be roughly divided into the following eight types: 1. Lake scenic areas (Hangzhou West Lake, Nanjing Xuanwu Lake, Xinjiang Tianshan Tianchi, Qinghai Lake) 2. Mountain Scenic Area (Taishan, Hengshan, Huashan) 3. Forest Scenic Area (Xishuangbanna, Zhangjiajie, Shennongjia) 4. Mountain and Water Scenic Area (Guilin Lijiang, Yangtze River) 5. Seaside scenic area (Hainan, Xiamen), etc. There are more than 30,000 scenic spots in China.
♦UNESCO World Heritage
The People's Republic of China joined the "Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage" on December 12, 1985, and became a party. On October 29, 1999, China was elected as a member of the World Heritage Committee. In 1986, China began to declare the World Heritage Project to UNESCO. The total number of China's world heritages reached 55, ranking first in the world, including 37 world cultural heritages, 4 world cultural and natural dual heritages, and 14 world natural heritages.
♦ Best Time to Travel in China
The best tourist season in China is spring (April to May) and autumn (October), when the weather is very good. Most parts of China are moderate and the climate is relatively dry. This is the most comfortable time to travel to most Chinese cities such as Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin, Hong Kong and Chengdu.
China's off-season tourism season is from November to March. In the low season, the weather is colder, but you can save a lot of money on accommodation, flight, and scenic tickets, as well as can avoid crowded people. Therefore, for those who want to save money, it is best to choose to travel in China these months.
♦ Best Time to Travel in China
Beijing
Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, is China's political center, cultural center, international exchange center, and technological innovation center. Beijing is the first choice for many people to travel to China. The must-see attractions in Beijing are Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall. In addition, you can make a variety of choices according to your interests. Whether it is a couple's trip or a parent-child trip, you can find the most suitable place in Beijing.
Shanghai
Known as the "Magic City", Shanghai has always been the representative of the metropolis in China. There are not only China's first-class skyscrapers but also many unique tourist attractions, as well as a variety of Shanghai specialty snacks. In Shanghai, you can go to the Bund to enjoy the magnificent night views, board the Shanghai Tower to take a bird's eye view of Shanghai, feel the precipitation of history in the old Shanghai alleys, or go to Tianzifang or Xintiandi to meditate.
Chengdu
Chengdu is famed as "hometown of Giant Panda", "gastronomic capital", and one of the "Best tourist cities in China". Slowness is probably what most people think of Chengdu. You can't imagine how leisurely and comfortable life in Chengdu is. You have a chance to get close contact with pandas, stroll in the ancient Jinli Street, and taste authentic Chengdu snacks. Walking in the alleys, you can see the locals drinking tea and playing mahjong everywhere, and their faces are full of happiness and leisure.
Guilin
Guilin is a world famous scenic tourist city famed for its unique Karst mountain and water landscapes. Guilin landscapes are praised as the best in China and it has attracted countless Chinese and foreign visitors. What to do in Guilin? You can take a boat tour or stroll through Two Rivers and Four Lakes, take photos of the Longji Rice Terraces, go boating on the Li River, ride along the Moon Mountain, and have fun in West Street's night clubs.