CHINA
Essential Information
Capital: Beijing
Area: 9.3 million square kilometres (39 times the size of the UK)
Population: 1.3 billion (21 times the UK’s)
Religions: Officially an atheist nation. Buddhism remains the main unofficial religion but also practised are Taoism, Christianity and Islam
Languages: Standard Chinese (Mandarin) is spoken by 96% of the population. Cantonese in Southern Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. Various dialects and minority languages spoken throughout the nation. Tibetan languages in Tibet Autonomous Region and Turkic languages in Xinjiang Province. English is generally not largely understood outside major hotels and tourist areas
Time: +8 hours (GMT)
Getting there
British Airways offers direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Air China offers direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai. Cathay Pacific flies to Hong Kong. Virgin Atlantic operates direct to Hong Kong and Shanghai, and China Eastern offers direct flights to Shanghai. Indirect options are available including via Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, Dubai and Bangkok
Internal Travel
Road Travel
Air-conditioned buses, vans and cars are available in the main tourist areas. Road conditions vary considerably and vehicles can be more basic in rural areas or during busy holiday seasons
Air Travel
A good network of internal flights links many of the major cities and smaller airports are opening up continuously throughout the country
Train Travel
A well developed system connects all regions of China. Hard sleeper (6 berths, open compartments) and soft sleeper (2 or 4 berths, closed compartments) are available for overnight train journeys. Some luxury trains with two-berth compartments featuring private bathrooms are available between major cities
Boat Travel
Ferries link the major island groups with the mainland and connect Chinese ports to other countries such as South Korea, Russia, Japan and Vietnam. Several cruises are available on the Yangtze, Yellow, Mekong and Li Rivers
When to Go
March-May and September-November are the most pleasant months to visit, as temperatures are more moderate and nature is at its most glorious. The summer months, from June to August, are generally swelteringly hot and much of the country is very crowded. The winter months, from mid November till late March, are often bitterly cold and many sights close during that time. The Spring Festival (or Chinese New Year) in January or February, the May Week (first week of May) and the Mid-Autumn Festival in October see several hundred million Chinese travelling to their hometowns and tourism grinds to a halt during these weeks. The tropical island of Hainan in the South China Sea is the only year-round destination in China. The Tibetan Plateau, including parts of Yunnan and Sichuan, is best visited in summer, from late June till mid September. Xinjiang Province in the west of China and the bordering Central Asian countries are some of the hottest places on the planet and are to be avoided in summer.
Private Transfers and Sightseeing
All our independent and tailor-made travel is based on private cars or vans with an experienced driver. Air-conditioning is now standard on the majority of vehicles in major cities and important tourist areas.
