Geography
China is the third-largest country in the world. It is bounded to the north by the deserts of Mongolia, to the west by inhospitable, Tibetan plateau, India and Himalayan, and to the east by the east and south China seas.

Weather
China's climate ranges from bitterly cold to unbearably hot, and a whole lot in between. Temperature in the north can drop to 40 degrees centigrade in winter and rise to 38 degrees in summer. The central of china (Vangzi river) valley area also experiences extreme seasonal temperatures. In south, the hot and humid summer and mild winter, cover all the region.

Background Information
Full country name: People's Republic of China
Area: 9,549,960 sq. km. (main land)
Population: 1.2 billion
Capital city: Beijing (pop 11 million)
People: Han Chinese (93%), Plus Mongol, Zhuang, Manchu and Uighur minorities.
Language: Putonghua (Beijing dialect Mandarin)
Religion: officially atheist; some Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Muslim and Christian are found.
Government: Communist republic
GDP: US $ 581 billion
World GDP ranking: 7th
GDP per head: US $ 494
Growth rate: 9%
Inflation: 10%
Major industries: Iron, steel, coal, machinery, and textiles.

Entry Formalities
Visas: Visas are required by all foreigners entering main land China. Standard tourist visas are valid for 30-day visits and are generally easy to acquire. Visas valid for more than 30 days are usually difficult to obtain. Visas are required by all foreigners entering main land China. Standard tourist visas are valid for 30-day visits and are generally easy to acquire. Visas valid for more than 30 days are usually difficult to obtain.

When to go there
Spring and autumn are best times to travel to china, not hot, not cold weather, between 20 to 30 degrees centigrade.

How to get there
People could get there by air, sea or earth; but, because of it's vast, most use airplane, even in interior travels.

Transportation
In cities, bus, Taxi, bicycles, motors and for exterior travels, airplane, train and bus are most used.

Money and costs
Currency: Renminbi (RMB). The basic unit is the Yuan.
Relative Costs:
Budget meal: US $ 3-4
Restaurant meal: US $ 5-10
Budget room: US $ 10-30
Mid-rang hotel room: US $ 25-40

Media
Publications, radio and TV are in two languages: Chinese and Tibetan.

Communication
Telephone, telegraph, post, telex, fax, e-mail, mobile...

Weights and Measures
Metric system

Time Zone
GMT/UTC plus eight hours

Electricity
220 V, 50 AC

Business hours
Government: 7:30 - 15:30
Shopping: 8-13 or 16-21
Weekend: Saturday and Friday

Art and Culture
China has ancient history and culture: Buda Culture do to their religion and Ideology; they are so interested in art, mostly on sculpture and Stone-cutting; also on pottery and rug and kilim in west regions. This interest is really their second job. Chinese main job in villages is agriculture and animal husbandry.

Embassies
All countries have embassy in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.