But it's allure lies in the scope of its human accomplishments: a fleet of junks that sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in the 15th century, a half dozen Silk Roads linking it with the West, the Great Wall, the terracotta armies of Xian, and Beijing's enormous Forbidden City complex comprising 9,000-buildings, many of them architectural wonders of compelling beauty.

To all these, add flawless porcelain, gleaming lacquerware, brush paintings, pagodas, wood and jade carvings, and Buddha images. Include the performance arts like Chinese opera, and a dozen of the world's tastiest cuisines, and China offers the traveler several lifetimes of exploration possibilities.

Fast Facts

Size, Population, Capital City
9,596,960 sq. km., 1.2 billion, Beijing.

Cities to which THAI flies
Beijing , Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chengdu, Xiamen, and Jinghong

Weather
Varies widely according to region.
North: Winter: Dec-Mar (below 0 C.); Spring: Apr-May (20 to 30 C);
Summer: Jun-Aug. (can be above 38 C; July and August are the rainy months).
Autumn: Sep-Nov. (20 to 30 C).
Central: Winter: Dec-Jan. (can be below 0 C.); Apr-Oct. (20 to 30 C: above 35 C. at its hottest); rest of the year: mild (20 to 30 C.).
South: Apr-Sep. (hot and humid; temperatures normally 25 to 35 C. but
can be above 38 C.). Jan-Mar. (10 to 20 C.). Autumn and Spring (20 to 25 C.).

Clothing
Warm, quilted clothing for the winter months in the North and Central regions. Cottons and other "breathable" materials for the humid hot seasons in the south. Sweaters for the evening hours. Umbrellas for southern monsoons.

Visas and health regulations
Must apply for a Tourist visa before arriving. Normally granted for 30 days with possible extensions. Vaccination for yellow fever required if arriving within six days from an infected zone.

Getting from the airport to town
Buses, shuttle buses, and metered taxis available. Distances from airport to town: Beijing (25 km.), Guangzhou (10 km.), Shanghai (10 km.), Kunming (5 km.).

Language
Mandarin, Cantonese, and a variety of other dialects. Some English is spoken in the larger, east coast cities.

Time difference
+8 GMT. China operates on a single time i.e. even Xinjiang in far western China is on "Beijing Time".

Voltage
220 volts, 50 Hz (cycles)

Currency
Remimbi (also called "yuan).

Credit cards
Most major cards accepted in the larger cities. Cards can be used to obtain cash advances at banks and ATM machines in cities.

Business hours
Government offices, banks, department stores: 8 or 9 a.m. until 5 or 6 p.m., Mon-Sat.