This vast country has a multitude of travelling experiences to offer the visitor, and with the likelihood of becoming the world's greatest economy within 20 years of the Beijing Olympics, has become something of an enigma to those curious to witness at first hand its sacred mountains, teeming cities and cultural treasures which are to be discovered throughout its territories. As well as stopping to wonder at the rampant success story that is China today, you will be captivated by the legendary status that is held by such incredible sights as Beijing's Forbidden Palace, the terracotta warriors of Xi'an, the routes of the Silk Road or the Yangtze River and, of course, the Great Wall itself.
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Further off the beaten track, some of China's most fascinating destinations are those places rooted in its culture and religious beliefs. China's holy mountains and Tibet's monasteries have been pilgrimage sites for centuries and the trails to their summits are well marked, if hair-raising in their precariously steep, narrow climbs to reach the awe-inspiring spectacle of the mountaintops emerging from the mists of dawn. Huangshan, Taishan and Emeishan are sites of such religious significance, while in the Gansu Province, the Labrang Monastery is one of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and can be seen as a microcosm of Tibet itself. The Grand Buddha of Leshan ( Sichuan Province) is an astonishing sight, being an incredible 71m high and carved into the face of a cliff overlooking a confluence of two rivers, the Dadu and Min.
The landscapes of Guangxi in the south of China are famous for their strangely shaped hills or karsts, with the city of Guilin as one of the region's major centres of tourism, being a great base for tours of the beautiful verdant countryside as well as having its own rich history spanning over 2000 years. Also in the tropical south, the rainforests, mountains and rice terraces of Yunnan province provide some of the most spectacular scenery in all of China, as well as being the home to many of China's ethnic (non-Han) minorities. One of the most magical scenes often captured by the cameras of visiting tourists, is the effect of the rising and setting of the sun over the wonderful rice terraces in Yuanyang.
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Skyline of Pudong, Shanghai
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Within this ancient land, famous in history for its wandering poets and sages, with legends telling of powerful emperors and humble peasants, of the untold riches of dynasties and times of war and rebellion, it is the promise of the future that has brought it back to the attention of the outside world. Stepping up the pace, your travels should take you to at least one of China's incredible cities, where the benefits of its economic boom are at their most visible and dramatic: choose from Beijing itself, Shanghai, or Hong Kong, to name but a few. Apart from simply taking in the amazing spectacle of their inhabitants going about their daily lives en masse, within incredibly dense, aromatic and colourful inner cities, one of China's big attractions is its great cuisine and its shopping potential. Many of the goods you can buy here will make superb gifts for less intrepid loved ones whom you have left back home: Chinese silk from Hangzhou, Sichuan, Suzhou and Dandong, famous and speciality varieties of tea, various exotic liquors, antiques, DVDs and electronic goods, as well as good quality clothing. While in the great metropolis, look out for the exceptional skyline of Shanghai, with the Oriental Pearl Tower, China's highest tower to date, as its centerpiece, as well as the incredible sight of Hong Kong´s hillside harbour setting, and Beijing's rich cultural heritage including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall.
This vast country has a multitude of travelling experiences to offer the visitor, and with the likelihood of becoming the world's greatest economy within 20 years of the Beijing Olympics, has become something of an enigma to those curious to witness at first hand its sacred mountains, teeming cities and cultural treasures which are to be discovered throughout its territories. As well as stopping to wonder at the rampant success story that is China today, you will be captivated by the legendary status that is held by such incredible sights as Beijing's Forbidden Palace, the terracotta warriors of Xi'an, the routes of the Silk Road or the Yangtze River and, of course, the Great Wall itself.
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Further off the beaten track, some of China's most fascinating destinations are those places rooted in its culture and religious beliefs. China's holy mountains and Tibet's monasteries have been pilgrimage sites for centuries and the trails to their summits are well marked, if hair-raising in their precariously steep, narrow climbs to reach the awe-inspiring spectacle of the mountaintops emerging from the mists of dawn. Huangshan, Taishan and Emeishan are sites of such religious significance, while in the Gansu Province, the Labrang Monastery is one of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and can be seen as a microcosm of Tibet itself. The Grand Buddha of Leshan ( Sichuan Province) is an astonishing sight, being an incredible 71m high and carved into the face of a cliff overlooking a confluence of two rivers, the Dadu and Min.
The landscapes of Guangxi in the south of China are famous for their strangely shaped hills or karsts, with the city of Guilin as one of the region's major centres of tourism, being a great base for tours of the beautiful verdant countryside as well as having its own rich history spanning over 2000 years. Also in the tropical south, the rainforests, mountains and rice terraces of Yunnan province provide some of the most spectacular scenery in all of China, as well as being the home to many of China's ethnic (non-Han) minorities. One of the most magical scenes often captured by the cameras of visiting tourists, is the effect of the rising and setting of the sun over the wonderful rice terraces in Yuanyang.
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Skyline of Pudong, Shanghai
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Within this ancient land, famous in history for its wandering poets and sages, with legends telling of powerful emperors and humble peasants, of the untold riches of dynasties and times of war and rebellion, it is the promise of the future that has brought it back to the attention of the outside world. Stepping up the pace, your travels should take you to at least one of China's incredible cities, where the benefits of its economic boom are at their most visible and dramatic: choose from Beijing itself, Shanghai, or Hong Kong, to name but a few. Apart from simply taking in the amazing spectacle of their inhabitants going about their daily lives en masse, within incredibly dense, aromatic and colourful inner cities, one of China's big attractions is its great cuisine and its shopping potential. Many of the goods you can buy here will make superb gifts for less intrepid loved ones whom you have left back home: Chinese silk from Hangzhou, Sichuan, Suzhou and Dandong, famous and speciality varieties of tea, various exotic liquors, antiques, DVDs and electronic goods, as well as good quality clothing. While in the great metropolis, look out for the exceptional skyline of Shanghai, with the Oriental Pearl Tower, China's highest tower to date, as its centerpiece, as well as the incredible sight of Hong Kong´s hillside harbour setting, and Beijing's rich cultural heritage including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall.