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at a glance
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Geographical area
9,596,960 sq km (slightly smaller than USA). China is situated in eastern Asia on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. China’s continental coastline extends for around 14,500 kms, and it’s vast sea surface is studded with more than 5,000 islands, of which Taiwan and Hainan are the largest. China has beautiful scenery, with mountains ranges, highlands, plains and hills. China has more than 2,000 lakes and rivers totalling 220,000 km in length, amongst them the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers which are world famous. China’s highest peak at 8,848 m is Qomolangma - better known as Mt Everest.
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Capital
Beijing (approx. 12.6 million inhabitants).
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Population
Approximately 1.29 billion people.
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People
Han Chinese plus 55 ethnic minorities.
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Language
Mandarin Chinese, 6 major Chinese dialects and numerous minority dialects.
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International Orgs
China is a member of the UN and UN Security Council, Interpol, WHO and UNESCO.
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Currency
Chinese Yuan (RMB or CNY). 1 Yuan = 10 Jiao. Bring US Dollars to exchange (not $100 notes as they’re hard to exchange).
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Religion
China was declared an atheist state in 1949. Many places of worship were converted into secular buildings for non-religious use. Religion was further declared feudalistic during the Cultural Revolution, where during this period thousands of buildings were destroyed. The attitude was relaxed in the 1970s and today freedom of worship is guaranteed by the government. It is thought around only 10% of the population are followers of any sort of belief, though this figure possibly vastly undercounts the extent of religious practice as some adherents may be afraid for various reasons to admit religious belief. However, Confucianism and Daoism are thought to attract the majority of believers. The remainder are adherents of Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and Christianity.
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Exchange rate (July 08)
1 USD = 6.82 Yuan
1 GBP = 13.66 Yuan
1 EUR = 10.83 Yuan
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Time Zones
China operates on 1 time zone (compared with 11 in Russia!). China is 8 hours ahead of GMT. China abolished Summer Time in 1992, so during the summer months the time difference is reduced by 1 hour.
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Weather
China is a northern hemisphere destination.
Broadly speaking, China experiences hot summers from late May to August in most parts of the country with great humidity in the south. September and October are warm to hot and dry across most of the country and it is during this time that China experiences increased visitor numbers.
Winters (November - March) meanwhile, vary from one geographical location to the next. Northern China (i.e. Beijing and north) experience freezing cold winters, whilst Central China (along the Yangtze) has a short, cold winter. South of the Yangtze, winters are relatively mild and rarely fall below freezing. In the very south of China, winters are very warm.
If visiting the north in winter, pack very warm attire. Many of our tours combine both north and southern China, so you’ll experience two distinct weather patterns for much of the time. Come April and May, conditions in the north are cool and dry – just perfect conditions for sightseeing, however April can signal the arrival of sandstorms in Beijing and Inner Mongolia.
Down south, it’s warm to hot and humid again with showers. In what are traditionally the northern hemisphere summer months, China can be hot and wet from June to August, though still enjoyable all the same. In all, China has a great diversity of climates.
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Trading hours
Shops generally trade daily from around 9am to 5-8pm. Banks, post offices and monuments are open daily from 9am to 6pm (though times can vary). Restaurant and bar trading hours vary, though many trade until very late.
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Voltage
Standard voltage is 220V, 50Hz AC. Chinese plugs come in at least 4 designs: 3-pronged angle pins as used in Australia; 3-pronged round pins as used in Hong Kong; 2-pronged flat pins as used in the USA; or 2 round narrow pins as used in Europe. Pack a travel adaptor. |
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