Population

China is the world’s most populous nation with 1.3 billion people as of January 2005.

Area

Spanning 9.6 million square km (3.7 million square miles) from the Tibetan plateau to the East China Sea, China, officially the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), has the third largest land area of any country on earth. Only Russia and Canada are larger.

Geography

China borders Russia and Mongolia to the north, North Korea in the northeast, the former Soviet republics of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in the northwest, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan to the west and southwest, and Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam to the south.

Capital

Beijing ( formerly known as Peking), population 14 million.

Climate

China has a marked continental monsoonal climate characterized by great variety. Most parts are in the northern temperate zones while the southern areas are in the tropical or subtropical zones. Most parts of China have clear divisions between the seasons. In winter, the northern part is normally cold and dry, while in summer, monsoons from the southern coastal areas bring warmth and moisture. In addition, the climate also varies from region to region, depending on the topography and terrain.

History

The roots of Chinese civilization can be traced back several thousand years, but the genesis of the Chinese nation is widely considered to have begun with the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) which united several warring kingdoms. The word "China" is thought to be derived from the Qin name. More than 2,000 years later, the last imperial dynasty, the Qing, fell in 1911 to republican forces after 267 years in power.

Economy

China is the world’s fastest –growing economy with an average GDP growth of 10 % since 2003. The OECD has forecasted that the national economy will maintain a faster development pace, the strategic readjustment of economic structure will result in remarkable returns, the economic growth quality and the returns will improve notably, so as to lay a solid foundation for the 2010 GDP to double over 2000;

After five years in the WTO, China has completed its transition period as a WTO member. Membership in the WTO exerts great impetus on the process of restructuring the economic system and affects the way the economy is managed. It also provides China the opportunity to play a large and growing role in the world economy. For the full potential of the post-accession era to be realized, however, China needs to address a series of challenges associated with “at-the-border” and “behind-the-border” issues.

Language

China’s official language is called Mandarin or Putonghua, meaning “common language.” Despite the country’s many dialects and sub-dialects, seventy percent of the population speaks Mandarin. In Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, the local population speaks Cantonese.

As tourism to China steadily increases, the English language is now more widely spoken.  With the 2008 Olympic games scheduled to be held in Beijing, it can be expected that more and more Chinese will be able to speak decent English. Therefore, there is no need to worry about the language barrier. Of course, it is also good to learn a few basic Chinese phrases. It is recommended that one bring an English-Chinese dictionary when one decides to visit China.

Money

Chinese Money is called Renminbi (RMB). The popular unit of RMB is Yuan. The official exchange rate between U.S. Dollar and Renminbi Yuan currently is about 1:7.1 (1.00 Dollar =7.1Yuan). 1 Yuan to 10 Jiao, 1 Jiao to 10 Fen . A foreign traveler can bring cash and change it at the Bank of China for RMB. Foreign money can be exchanged in China through traveler’s cheques, currency conversion at banks and hotels. At present, the following credit cards are accepted in China: Master Card, Federal Card, Visa, American Express, JCB and Diners Card. Holders can draw cash from the Bank of China and pay for purchases at exchange centers of the Bank of China, appointed shops, hotels and restaurants. However, this applies only in major cities. Credit cards are not always accepted for the purchase of rail and air tickets.. Do not rely on them as a way of obtaining cash in Mainland China.

Public Holiday

The New Years Day:  1st January

The Spring Festival ( The Chinese New Year):   Normally in Jan or Feb each year

The Labour Day:  1st May

The National Day:  1st Oct

Business Hours

The working days are from Monday to Friday. Most people do not work on weekend. Official hours are from 8:00am to 17:00pm with one hour for lunch.

Most of shops and restaurants are open from 9am to 9 pm and some of them can be much later. It is very convenient to go shopping and dine out in China.

For more information about Hong Kong and Macao, please visit

http://www.discoverhongkong.com
http://www.gov.mo/egi/Portal/index.jsp