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Tourism

Local tourism
Travel within China has become easier in recent years with the lifting of travel controls, massive investment in transportation facilities such as roads, railways and airlines, and the rapid rise in incomes. The number of domestic tourists increased from 695 million in 1998 to 878 million in 2002, boosting domestic tourism receipts from Rmb239.1 billion (US$28.9 billion) to Rmb387.8 billion (US$46.9 billion).
Language
Even though English is becoming more and more popular in China, most Chinese people do not understand English. Mandarin is virtually universal in Mainland China, though many dialects do exist, with some, like Cantonese having millions of speakers. Although many Chinese do not speak English, due to the educational system many Chinese near and in urban areas can read and write, even though they may have difficulty with spoken English.
Famous sites
The most popular tourist attraction in China is the Great Wall of China. Also popular are the Forbidden City in Beijing, which was the center of Chinese Imperial power, and the Terracotta Army of the Qin Dynasty Emperor's mausoleum in Xi'an, a vast collection of full-size terracotta statues of Chinese Imperial soldiers and others.
The Bund, Shanghai, an elegant parade along the Huangpu River of colonial architecture juxtaposed with Shanghai's skyscrapers
Caohai, Guizhou, where many experience being punted along this shallow lake to see many of China's varied birdlife
Changbai Mountains, an important nature reserve home to the rare Siberian tiger
Chengde, Hebei, home to the Mountain Resort, the world's largest existing imperial garden.
Confucius Mansion, the site of this complex in Qufu, Shandong, was home to nearly eighty generations of the great sage's clan.
Dazu Rock Carvings
Forbidden City, Beijing, once the center of the 'Chinese imperial universe' and off-limits to the masses - now open to all
Grand Canal of China
Great Wall of China
Guangzhou, Guangdong where the finest of the classic Cantonese breakfast dim sum is tried
The Hanging Temple and Yungang Grottoes, near Datong in Shanxi are two incredible sites, a temple clinging to a precipice and a series of grottoes containing a panoply of Buddhist statuary
Hong Kong cityscape, especially the skyline of Hong Kong Island from Tsim Sha Tsui
Ice Festival ("Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival"), Harbin, Heilongjiang, where extravagant and bizarre sculptures can be seen from life-size ice castles with rainbow lighting to fantastical snowy tableaux
Jiuzhaigou Valley
Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan the world's largest carved Buddha
Lijiang City, Yunnan, a classic old town of narrow cobbled alleyways and courtyard houses
Lijiang River, Guangxi, where boat trips are taken to see the contorted peaks that have been immortalized in Chinese scroll paintings
Longmen Grottoes, a parade of Buddhist figurines and reliefs, near Luoyang, Henan
Luzhi
Mogao Caves, these 1,000-year-old man-made caves on the old Silk Road contain some of China's most impressive Buddhist heritage
Mount Emei
Mount Everest, highest mountain on Earth
Mount Huangshan
Mount Jiuhuashan
Mount Lushan
Mount Qingcheng
Mount Tai (or Tai Shan), Shandong, a holy peak home to immaculate temples and pavilions
Mount Tianzhu
Mount Wudang
Old Yalu Bridge, Dandong, Liaoning, this half-demolished bridge to North Korea is still an important relic of the Korean War.
Pingyao
Sichuanese teahouses
Silk Road, abandoned cities along this famous ancient trading route.
Summer Palace
Suzhou, Jiangsu, a venerable mercantile city, dotted with elegant walled gardens
Taijiang, Guizhou -- where tens of thousands of the ethnic Miao people participate in the annual three-day Sisters' Meal Festival.
Temple of Heaven
Terracotta Army, in Shaanxi near Xi'an, the former ancient capital, these 2,200 year old life-size soldiers guard the tomb of China's first emperor.
Three Gorges
West Lake
Xiamen, Fujian -- Gulangyu Island, famous for its colonial architecture
Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, home to one of China's most unique minorities - the Dai people
Yabuli Ski Resort, Heilongjiang, the country's largest ski resort where many Chinese take their skiing holiday.
Yangtze River, a river cruise down this river to see the awesome scenery and a wealth of historical sights
Yellow River, one of the world's greatest rivers, offering a range of vistas, including the turbid Hukou Falls
Potala Palace (布达拉宫) -- Potala Palace was originally built by King Songtsen Gampo in 637 to greet his bride Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty of China.
Dali -- some of the oldest still intact structures in Southwest China (西南). No trip to Dali is complete without taking a cruise on one of the many boats plying the waters of Lake Erhai.

Tourist resources
Tourist resources in China can be divided into three main groups: natural sites, historical and cultural sites, and folk customs.
Natural sites
China's mountains, lakes, valleys, caves and waterfalls:
Mount Taishan in the east, Mount Hengshan in the south, Mount Huashan in the west, Mount Hengshan in the north, and Mount Songshan in the center of China have been called the Five Sacred Mountains since antiquity. Mount Taishan, which snakes through central Shandong Province, is admired by Chinese as paramount among them. Another mountain celebrated for its beauty is Mount Huangshan in southern Anhui Province, known for its graceful pines, unusual rocks, cloud seas and hot springs.
Jiuzhaigou, Huangguoshu Waterfalls, and Guilin are all located in southwestern China. Jiuzhaigou in northern Sichuan Province is a beautiful "fairyland valley" running over 40 km through snow-covered mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and forest. The Huangguoshu Waterfalls in Guizhou Province are a group of waterfalls, 18 above-ground and four below, which can be heard from five km away. The Lijiang River in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region winds its way through karst peaks for 82 km between Guilin and Yangshuo.
On the plateau in northern China are many spectacular lakes. The Tianchi (Heavenly Pool) in the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang Autonomous Region is 1,980 meters above sea level. This 105-m-deep lake is crystal clear, the high mountains surrounding it carpeted with green grass and colorful flowers.
Along the renowned Three Gorges of the Yangtze River are many scenic spots and historical sites; the Qutang Gorge is rugged and majestic, the Wuxia Gorge elegant, deep and secluded, the Xiling Gorge full of shoals and reefs and rolling water. The Lesser Three Gorges are lush with greenery, flanking water so clear you can see to the bottom. The Three Gorges Dam built here is China's biggest key hydro-power project.

Historical and cultural sites
China's long history has left many cultural relics and the title of "China Top Tourist City" has gone to the first group of 54 cities. The Great Wall, a symbol of the Chinese nation, is also a prime example of historical sites that have become major tourist attractions. As the greatest defense-structure project in the history of human civilization, it dates back more than 2,000 years ago to the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods - huge in its scale and grandeur, it rates as a world wonder. There are 10 sections of the Great Wall open to tourists, including the passes, blockhouses and beacon towers at Badaling in Beijing, Laolongtou in Hebei and Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province.
Grottoes filled with precious murals and sculptures are concentrated along the ancient Silk Road in Gansu Province. The best known are the Mogao Caves, a "treasure house of oriental art", with 492 caves with murals and statues on the cliff faces. There are 45,000 sq m of murals and over 2,100 colorful statues, all of high artistry. In the south, grotto art is represented in Sichuan Province by the Leshan Giant Buddha, carved into a cliff face. Seventy-one meters high and 28 meters wide, it is the largest sitting Buddha in stone, showing the carving skill of ancient craftsmen.
The Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, the birthplace of Chinese Zen Buddhism and famous for its Shaolin kungfu martial arts, dates back to 495 A.D. Here can be seen the Ming period Five-Hundred-Arhats Mural and Qing period Shaolin kungfu paintings. In central China's Hubei Province, beautiful Wudang Mountain, with 72 peaks in 30 km², is a sacred site of Taoism, which preserves China's most complete, largest-scale and best ancient Taoist architecture. In western Sichuan Province, Mount Emei, dotted with ancient Buddhist temples and structures, is one of China's four holy Buddhist mountains｡
Most of China's 101 cities classified as famous historical and cultural cities are over 1,000 years old. South of the Yangtze River, Suzhou and Hangzhou, long known as "paradise on earth", are crisscrossed with rivers, lakes, bridges, fields and villages, as beautiful as paintings. Today's well-preserved ancient city of Pingyao in central Shanxi Province was built in the Ming Dynasty but was also the site of the Neolithic era Yangshao and Longshan cultures, 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Ancient Lijiang in Yunnan Province is not only the center of Dongba culture of the Naxi ethnic group but also a meeting place for the cultures of Han, Tibetan and Bai ethnicities. Built in the Song Dynasty, this city has many stone bridges, stone memorial arches and dwelling houses, which provide precious materials for architectural history and can be called a "living museum of ancient dwelling houses."

Folk customs
"March Street" celebrated by the Bai people in Dali, Yunnan Province, is associated with the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy suppressing a devil to help the Bai people. It became traditional to burn incense and offer sacrifices to commemorate her virtues every year and the festival has become a major annual gathering for Bai commercial, cultural and sports activities.
The Water-Sprinkling Festival of the Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, is a lively occasion taking place in the spring. People chase and pour water (a symbol of good luck and happiness) over each other, among other activities such as dragon boat racing and peacock dance.
Lugu Lake between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces has become a tourist destination following the building of a new highway giving access to this area. The matriarchal society of the 30,000 local Mosuo people is noted for its "no marriage" traditions and is called the last women's kingdom on the earth. Mosuo women, local dugout canoes and undulating singing style are considered unique to Lugu Lake.

Tourist themes
The China National Tourism Administration promotes a tourist theme every year; 1992 was "Friendly Sightseeing Year." Then came "Landscape Tour", "Tour of Cultural Relics and Historical Sites", "Folk Customs Tour", "Holiday Tour", and "Ecological Environment Tour." From 2000 to 2004, the themes were "Century Year", "Sports and Health of China", "Folk Arts of China", and "Culinary Kingdom of China", and "Catch the Lifestyle."
The themes for 2005 are "China Travel Year" and "Beijing 2008 -- Welcome to China." In order to strengthen exchange and cooperation with the international tourism industry, the China National Travel Administration is planning a series of related events, including the Shanghai-hosted "2005 International Tourism Fair of China", the Beijing-hosted 2005 annual meeting of the Federation of Travel Agencies of France, and "the 2005 China-Australia Tourism Symposium." The China International Online Travel Fair 2005 held in March was comprehensive, providing a online exchange and trading platform between tour companies themselves and with their customers.

Tourist services
The fast development of China's transportation infrastructure provides wide-ranging travel for domestic and overseas tourists. Throughout China a great many hotels and restaurants have been constructed, renovated or expanded to satisfy all levels of requirement, and there are now 9,751 hotels with star ratings. All large or medium-sized cities and scenic spots have hotels with complete facilities and services for both domestic and international visitors.
China currently has 1,364 international travel agencies, 249 of them located in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing. On June 12, 2003, the China National Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued Interim Regulations on the Establishment of Foreign-funded or Wholly Foreign-owned Travel Agencies. On July 18, 2003, the China National Travel Administration approved the registration of JALPAK International (China) Ltd. as the first wholly foreign-owned travel company to enter China's tourist market. The company has started operations in Beijing, mainly handling Japanese tourism in China. On December 1, 2003, TUI China Travel Company was formally established in Beijing -- the first overseas-controlled joint venture in China's tourism industry. The controlling party is Martin Buese China Limited and TUI Europe's largest travel group. Their Chinese partner is China Travel Service that has a network of over 300 local offices.