China Travel Group

China (中国 Zhōngguó), officially known as the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国) is a vast country in Eastern Asia  with the world's largest population.

With coasts on the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, in total it borders 14 nations. It borders Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam to the south; Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to the west; Russia and Mongolia to the north and North Korea to the east. Only Russia has more land borders in Asia.

History

The first civilizations in China arose in the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys at about the same time as Mesopotamia, Egypt and India developed their first civilizations.

For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences. Paper, gunpowder, the compass and printing (both block and movable type) for example, are Chinese inventions. Chinese developments in astronomy, medicine, and other fields were extensive. A Chinese tomb contains a heliocentric model of the solar system, about 1,700 years before Copernicus. In mathematics, "Pythagoras' theorem" and "Pascal's triangle" were known in China centuries before their Western discoverers even lived.

China was also the first civilization to implement a meritocracy. Unlike other ancient cultures, official posts were not hereditary but had to be earned through a series of examinations. Based on mastery of the Confucian Classics and the literary arts (calligraphy, essay writing, poetry, painting), the exams were first conducted during the Han Dynasty. The system was further refined into the formal Imperial Examination System and opened to all regardless of family background during the Tang Dynasty.

China also explored the world and traded extensively with distant lands. By the 5th and 6th centuries AD, voyages to India and the Arab countries were routine. In the 15th century, the Ming Dynasty fleets under Admiral Zheng reached as far as East Africa. These ships were technologically very advanced, much larger than European ships of the day, and equipped with a system of watertight compartments that Europe was not to match for several centuries. Despite their sophistication, the voyages were not for settlement or conquest. China is "Zhong Guo," the "Middle Kingdom." Foreigners of all nationalities are "Wai Guo Ren," literally "outside land people." The Emperor did not receive ambassadors from these outlanders, only tribute bearers. Zheng He's voyages brought tribute and glory but were fabulously expensive. Facing renewed troubles on its northern border, around 1425, China turned inward with a vengeance. Records of the great trading voyages were destroyed and the ships allowed to rot.

Historically, East Asia existed in a China-centric order very different from the nation-state system which emerged in Europe. Rather than sovereign states, the Emperor was sovereign over all "under heaven" and thus rulers seeking to be "civilized" would need to enter the tributary system. As the Middle Kingdom, China was surrounded by states which paid tribute to the Emperor and received protection, trade benefits, and advisers (academic, political, scientific, etc) in exchange. New kings in these surrounding countries were invested by the Emperor and granted seals of authority, thus giving them the "right" to rule. Many areas which are now considered part of China — Ningxia, Qinghai, Gansu, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Manchuria — were once tributary kingdoms. Other places not considered part of China — Malacca, Korea, Vietnam, Burma. Mongolia, Okinawa, Japan — were also tributaries at various times in history (Okinawa's Shuri Castle has an interesting exhibit on the tributary system).

Tributary relations were complemented by academic, religious, political and cultural exchanges. In a sense, China really is the "center land." Chinese influence is quite apparent in the traditional culture of many of its neighbors, most notably Vietnam, Korea and Japan. Each of these countries adopted the Chinese writing system at some point, and it is still in use, to varying degrees and with certain modifications, in the latter two today. Confucian philosophy and social theory deeply influenced their societies. Indeed, Japan's ancient capital of Nara was modeled after the Tang dynasty capital of

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CITIES

China has many large and famous cities. Below is a list of the nine most important to travelers in mainland China. Other cities are listed under their specific regional section. See the Dynasties and capitals section for a detailed list of China's many previous capitals.

• Beijing (北京) - the capital, cultural center, and host of the 2008 Olympics
• Guangzhou (广州) - one of most prosperous and liberal cities in the south, near Hong Kong
• Guilin (桂林) - popular destination for both Chinese and foreign tourists with sensational mountain and river scenery
• Hangzhou (杭州) - famously beautiful city and major center for the silk industry
• Kunming (昆明) - capital of Yunnan and gateway to a rainbow of ethnic minority areas
• Nanjing (南京) - a renowned historical and cultural city with many historic sites
• Shanghai (上海) - famous for its riverside cityscape, China's largest city is a major commercial center with many shopping opportunities
• Suzhou (苏州) - "Venice of the East," an ancient city famous for canals and gardens
• Xi'an (西安) - the oldest city and ancient capital of China, home to ten dynasties including the Han and the Tang, terminus of the ancient Silk Road, and home of the terracotta warriors

You can travel to many of these cities using the new fast trains. In particular, the Hangzhou - Shanghai - Suzhou - Nanjing line is a convenient way to see these historic areas. !

Sacred sites

For sacred mountains, see the next section.

Several sites in China have famous Buddhist art:

• Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi Province - more than 51,000 Buddhist carvings, dating back 1,500 years, in the recesses and caves of the Yangang Valley mountainsides

• Mogao Caves in Gansu province - art and manuscripts dating back to the 4th century

• Dazu Rock Carvings near Chongqing - dating from the 7-13th century

• Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang - 5-10th century

Mountains

China is home to many sacred mountains.

The Five Great Mountains (五岳 wǔyuè), associated with Taoism:

• Mount Tai (泰山), Shandong Province (1,545 meters)
• Mount Hua (华山), Shaanxi Province (1,997 meters)
• Mount Heng (Hunan) (衡山), Hunan Province (1,290 meters)
• Mount Heng (Shanxi) (恒山), Shanxi Province (2,017 meters)
• Mount Song (嵩山）, Henan Province, where the famous Shaolin Temple (少林寺) is located (1,494 meters)