With the right foundation and a passion for travel, you can turn your love of travel into a rewarding career as a travel agent in China. The key is finding a supportive host agency, like Vincent Vacations, that provides the training, tools, and resources you need to build a successful leisure travel business.
In most cases, an independent travel agent in China will work with a host agency. A host agency provides resources to China travel agents, including access to booking systems & partner programs, marketing support and training. A host agency also provides agents with an IATA number, allowing them to earn commission on the travel they book. Some host agencies like Vincent Vacations, offer comprehensive training programs and ongoing support.
Join our award winning travel agency in China, where we provide the tools, training, and support you need to succeed. Our team of expert travel agents is dedicated to creating unforgettable travel experiences for our clients, and we are looking for motivated individuals to join us. Whether you are an experienced travel professional or new to the industry, we welcome you to explore the exciting opportunities we offer.
At our China based travel agency, we believe in empowering our travel agents with the knowledge and skills needed to excel. We provide comprehensive training programs that cover everything from industry basics to advanced booking systems and marketing strategies. Our ongoing support ensures you are never alone in your journey to success.
As part of our team, you'll have access to exclusive deals, industry resources, and cutting-edge technology. Our strong relationships with top travel suppliers mean you can offer your clients the best rates and packages available. Plus, our robust booking platform simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on what you do best – creating memorable travel experiences.
We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we offer flexible working arrangements. Whether you prefer to work from our China office or remotely, we provide the tools and support to help you succeed. Our collaborative and inclusive work culture ensures you feel valued and motivated every day.
Being based in China, gives us a unique advantage in understanding the local market. We pride ourselves on our deep connections within the community and our ability to provide personalized service to our clients. As a local travel agent, you’ll have the opportunity to leverage your knowledge of the China area to build a loyal client base and make a meaningful impact.
Reach out to us via our website here: become a travel agent. Our friendly team is here to answer any questions you may have and guide you through the application process.
Submit your application through our online portal. We are looking for individuals who are passionate, driven, and excited about the travel industry. Be sure to highlight your relevant experience and any unique skills that set you apart.
Once your application is reviewed, we will invite you for an interview. Successful candidates will join our dynamic team of travel professionals and embark on a rewarding career path with endless possibilities.
Don’t miss the chance to join a leading travel agency in China, where your passion for travel can transform into a successful career. Our supportive environment, extensive resources, and local expertise make us the perfect choice for aspiring travel agents. Apply today and start your journey with us!
Travel agent China, China travel agency, become a travel agent, local travel agents, travel careers China, travel agent training, work from home travel agent, flexible travel jobs, Dallas travel opportunities, join travel agency.
Categories: Anyang
Categories: Badong
Categories: Baotou
Beijing is the country's economic, cultural and transportation center as well as a famous historical capital of China. Located in northwest North China Plain, Beijing is the second largest city in China with a population of more than 11 million and i...
Categories: Beijing
It may be the most populated country in the world, but that doesn’t mean China doesn’t offer travelers plenty of opportunities to get away from it all. Historic sites, imperial architecture, traditional settlements and the dynamic cities of Hong Kong...
Categories: Asia Pacific > South East Asia
Categories: Chizhou
Chongqing is a port city with the largest area and diverse population in China. It is a tourist attraction, commercial city, and focal point of the unique Yangtze Three Gorges tourist industry. Chongqing attracts visitors from home all over for its ...
Categories: Chongqing
Dali City is a picturesque city located northwest of the Yunnan Province, surrounded by mountains on the east and the Erhai Lake in its center. Due to Cangshan Mountain, a natural reserve and scenic hiking area, Dali is known as a backpackers’ ...
Categories: Dali
Dalian is a place of stunning beauty, comfortable climate, stylish architecture, beautiful beaches and summer tourist resorts. Gardens and circuses decorate the city. Along the southern coast, a road travels through scenic spots of Bangchui Island, T...
Categories: Dalian
Dandong, China, is a fascinating city to visit for two reasons: It is the site of the epic and illuminating Museum to Commemorate the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, and it offers visitors a rare glimpse into North Korea—literally. North...
Categories: Dandong
Datong is known for its natural beauty and many historic relics. Datong is known as the “City of Pagodas,” with one over 900 years old. The most popular spot in the city is the Yungang Grottoes, one of the largest grotto-groups in China w...
Categories: Datong
Deqing is located between Hangzhou Bay and the Taihu, in the middle of a plain between canals. For a unique experience visitors enjoy touring the Deqing Snake Culture Museum and Deqing County’s Xinshi Town, a center of snake farming. A popular ...
Categories: Deqing
Dongting Lake is located in northern Hunan province in south-central China, in a basin of the Yangtze River. This large, shallow lake is a popular carp fishing ground, and fertile agricultural plains surround its banks. The size of the lake varies de...
Categories: Dongting Lake
The national, historical city of Dunhuang is a renowned tourist city famous for the Mogao Caves. It is situated in the common boundary of Gansu Province, Qinghai Province and Xinjiang Province. Dunhuang, long ago referred to as 'Sha Zhou' (beautiful ...
Categories: Dunhuang
Categories: Erenhot
The beautiful city of Fuzhou is the capital city of Fujian Province. The city is renowned for both quality and quantity of hot springs throughout China. In Fuzhou there are many art related industries represented, including the Three Treasures o...
Categories: Fuzhou
No matter how many pictures of it you've seen, the Great Wall of China is still impressive. It follows a ridge of barren hills through northern China, stretching as far as the eye can see—at least 3,750 mi/6,000 km. It's thought that, at one time, it...
Categories: Great Wall
Guangzhou (also Canton, Kuang-chou, or Kwangchow) is a neighbour to Hong Kong and Macao and the largest city in southern China Sights in the city include Sha Mian (Shameen) Island, where foreign traders formerly lived; Guangxiao Temple - the earliest...
Categories: Guangzhou
Guilin is known for its enticing and unique scenery. Chinese often refer to it as the world's most beautiful scenery, and its beauty can be acknowledged after a tranquil trip down the Lijiang. Over centuries many poets and painters have been drawn he...
Categories: Guilin
The capital of southwestern Guizhou province, Guiyang is starting to see more tourism traffic. The low-key, attractive city is the gateway to Guizhou (pronounced Gway-jo) province. The city's communal heartbeat, Renmin Square, is dominated by one of ...
Categories: Guiyang
Categories: Guizhou
Gulangyu, a car-free harbor island off Xiamen, China, has been reborn as a resort destination, with hotels, museums, gardens and, facing you as you walk from the ferry, KFC and McDonalds.Gulangyu is known as "Piano Island" because of its role in savi...
Categories: Gulangyu
Categories: Gulf of Thailand
Categories: Gyantse
Dubbed the "Hawaii of China," the tropical island of Hainan, located 300 mi/485 km southwest of Hong Kong, is a good place to eat seafood and to escape the winter. Today, the government is promoting it as a tourist destination and an industrial zone....
Categories: Hainan Island
Categories: Hainan Strait
Hangzhou is one of the important tourism cities in China, famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritages. Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province.
Hangzhou is located on the low reaches of Qiantang river in southeast Chin...
Categories: Hangzhou
Categories: Hanzhong
At one time, Harbin, China, was one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Asia, known as Little Moscow because it served as the terminus for the Trans-Siberian Railway and was where White Russians fled in droves after the Russian Revolution. The latest...
Categories: Harbin
Go to Hohhot, China, 255 mi/410 km northwest of Beijing, to see what life in Inner Mongolia is like. Tours can be arranged to visit the Gegentala Steppe to the north. The best months to visit the area are July and August, when temperatures are mild a...
Categories: Hohhot
As Asia’s premier gateway to China and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong offers a great travel experience. Visitors will find everything from hiking, horse racing and sailing to internationally renowned art galleries and lively art festivals. Some of t...
Categories: Hong Kong
Huangshan City is a region with a long history and splendid cultures. Shexian and Yixian Counties were established more than 2,000 years ago. In the Jin Dynasty (265-420) Huangshan City was called Xin' an Shire. Until the Song Dynasty (960-1279) when...
Categories: Huangshan
Categories: Huangyaguan
Jiangyin has numerous tourist attractions including historical sites, parks and temples. The most popular attraction is Huaxi village. The village is a living historical museum, and visitors can meet the residents that keep this museum alive. Visitor...
Categories: Jiangyin
Located in Yunnan province, Jianshui, China, is rapidly developing as a major tourist center. Its history dates back 1,200 years. Jianshui's Eastern Gate is similar in design to the gateway at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, but it is 25 years older. Th...
Categories: Jianshui
The city of Jinan, China, has long been renowned for its lakes and springs, including Daming Lake and the First Spring Under Heaven. Cable cars run to the nearby Thousand Buddha Mountain, home to some interesting statues; adrenaline-seekers can take ...
Categories: Jinan
Categories: Jingdezhen
Categories: Jinghong
The modern city of Jingzhou, China, on the Yangtze River, has a history that dates back thousands of years. Guests can visit the remains of ancient cities, temples and hundreds of nearby tombs, many of which date back to the powerful Chu kingdom that...
Categories: Jingzhou
Categories: Jiujiang
Categories: K2
Categories: Kaifeng
Categories: Kargilik
Kashgar is an oasis in far western China. It was a former stop on the Silk Road, but modernization has robbed the town of some of its traditional atmosphere. Kashgar is located 300 mi/500 km south of Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.A city of bazaars, two-wh...
Categories: Kashgar
Although Khunjerab Pass itself isn't that long, it is the highest part of the Karakorum Highway and encompasses some of the most impressive mountain scenery in the world, including the Pamirs, Karakorum, Hindu Kush and Himalaya. Khunjerab Pass is loc...
Categories: Khunjerab Pass
Located 400 mi/645 km south of Chengdu at an elevation of 6,200 ft/1,900 m, Kunming, the "city of eternal springs," is surrounded by gorgeous mountain scenery. It's a pleasant, well-laid-out city, with a temperate climate and many gardens and lakes. ...
Categories: Kunming
On the Yellow River 735 mi/1,200 km southwest of Beijing, Lanzhou, China, was a caravan stop as early as the second century BC. Today, Lanzhou is overcoming its notorious air pollution—you can now get a great view from the Baitashan (White Pagoda Mou...
Categories: Lanzhou
Categories: Li River
Categories: Lianyungang
Lijiang is a popular tourist destination in Yunnan Province. The town is culturally rich with it's Old Town District, 800 year old bridges and waterways. The views atop Jade Dragon Snow Mountain are breathtaking, and the Dongba cultural cen...
Categories: Lijiang
Categories: Liuzhou
Categories: Longsheng
Luoyang, in the Henan province of China, is the site of China's first Buddhist monastery, the Baima (White Horse) Temple. It was built almost 2,000 years ago, though it's been reconstructed many times throughout its history. The temple has an illustr...
Categories: Luoyang
Fishermen from Fujian and farmers from Guangdong were the first known settlers in Macao, when it was known as Ou Mun, or "trading gate", because of its location at the mouth of the Pearl River downstream from Guangzhou (Canton). During anci...
Categories: Macao
The Alu caves are a popular attraction in Mang City, formerly known as Luxi, in China's southwestern Yunnan province. Three main caves are joined by easy walking paths, and tours include a boat ride among the impressive formations within, which are l...
Categories: Mang City
Categories: Maoping
Categories: Mount Jiuhua
Nanjing - a major city and port on the Yangtze River in central China – is a historical city featuring old city gates, park lined boulevards, tea pavilions on lakes outside the city, and temples half hidden in green hills nearby. The many monuments a...
Categories: Nanjing
Ningbo, a laid-back, green city in coastal Zhejiang province, was a strong candidate to become the nation's east coast financial, commercial and shipping center back in the 1980s when China began opening up to the world. Instead, that accolade was gi...
Categories: Ningbo
Categories: Paika Village
Categories: Pamir Mountains
An old Chinese city surrounded by a huge wall and moat, Pingyao, China, was an 18th-century banking center. Today, it has some of the best-preserved buildings of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Some of the old bank buildings in Pingyao have been k...
Categories: Pingyao
Central to Putuoshan is its sacred mountain, dedicated to and honoring the goddess of mercy, Guan Yin. Over eighty monasteries are tucked away in the woods here; of note is the brilliant Puji Monastery (960-1279 CE), painted in rich oranges, golden y...
Categories: Putuoshan
Categories: Qing Xi
Qingdao (Tsingtao) is a major industrial city, a large fishing port, and an important cultural and educational center. It is also famous for its parks and beaches. Once a small fishing village, its prime strategic position led to maritime trade from...
Categories: Qingdao
Categories: Qinhuangdao
Categories: Qinling Mountains
Quanzhou, China, is a port city 350 mi/565 km northeast of Hong Kong and just across the water from Taiwan.Its highlights include ancient temples and mosques and the Museum of Maritime Commerce. The highlight of the museum is a Song dynasty ship rece...
Categories: Quanzhou
Located 320 mi/515 km south of Beijing, Qufu is the hometown of Confucius (he was born there in 551 BC). Qufu has several major historic attractions. It's possible to visit the Residence of the Descendants of Confucius, also known as the Kong Family ...
Categories: Qufu
Categories: Sakya
Categories: Sanxingdui Museum
Sanya is located at southernmost point on Hainan Island in China. It has a tropical weather that attracts many tourists who are ready to enjoy a beautiful and stress free vacation. Sanya is home to the Nanshan Temple which is a beautiful Buddhist tem...
Categories: Sanya
Categories: Sanyou Cave
Shanghai is a city of many, many things, including the second-highest city population in the world with 26+ million people, a thriving culinary scene and shopping like you can’t believe. Located on China's east coast, Shanghai is about 750 miles...
Categories: Asia Pacific > South East Asia > China
Shantou is a harbor city located in the southern east region of China. Shantou has a large number of inhabitants living in the city...
Categories: Shantou
Categories: Shaolin
Chairman Mao's hometown of Shaoshan, 400 mi/645 km southwest of Beijing in Hunan Province, still draws nearly 800,000 visitors each year (though a far cry from the millions of "Revolutionary Tourists" who visited each year during the Cultural Revolut...
Categories: Shaoshan
Categories: Shekou
Categories: Shennu Stream
In Shenyang, China, you'll want to see the enormous statue of Mao and his fierce-looking comrades dominating central Zhongshan Square. Birthplace of the Qing Dynasty, many of Shenyang's historical attractions date back to this important Chinese era. ...
Categories: Shenyang
Shenzhen is a vibrant modern city in China's Guangdong Province. Dubbed as China's Silicon Valley, it is headquarters of many high-tech companies as well as a major financial center in southern China. Shenzhen has roots dating back to ancient...
Categories: Shenzhen
Categories: Shi'ertan
Sichuan meaning “Four circuits of rivers and gorges” is a province in southwestern China. This Tibetan-inhabited area is carved with beautiful landscapes of hills, plateaus, and sacred mountains. Highlighting its landscapes are its natura...
Categories: Sichuan
Categories: Song Shan
Located on the Yangtze River Suzhou is located in the Jiangsu Province, which borders Shanghai. This is a city that revels in culture and is known for the Kunqu Opera, Suzhou Opera and for ballad-singing. Suzhou silks are also world famous.
Categories: Suzhou
Located 200 mi/322 km west of Qingdao and halfway between Beijing and Shanghai, Taishan (or Mount Tai—shan means "mountain" in Chinese) is the holiest of holy mountains in China. Mount Tai is where a succession of Chinese emperors went to ask for ble...
Categories: Taishan
Categories: Taiwan Strait
The arid landscapes of the Shanxi province are home to some of China's finest temples. From the provincial capital, Taiyuan, the road winds northeast through increasingly barren landscapes, twisting and turning upon itself. At the south peak of Mount...
Categories: Taiyuan
Categories: Taizhou
Categories: Terracotta Army
Sitting in the lowest basin of China, Turpan, is a grape valley kingdom. Locals call it the "Hometown of Grapes" where visitors can stroll through green clusters of crystal grapevines hanging on dense vines of houses, decorated pillars, or ...
Categories: Turpan
Urumqi, often included on Silk Road tours of far western China, is a modern city that wasn't actually part of the ancient silk trade. Urumqi (pronounced uh-RUM-chee) is an Islamic city inhabited by a variety of people speaking various Turkic language...
Categories: Urumqi
Weifang, China, in the Shandong province, is famous for its long kite-making history and outstanding craftsmanship. Both kite lovers and families can join representatives from a number of different countries and regions for the annual kite competitio...
Categories: Weifang
Wuhan, which was formed in 1950 when three cities Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang were combined, is the capital of Hubei Province and one of the most important and largest ports in China. Hankou is the largest city and commercial hub of the area. Hanyang...
Categories: Wuhan
Wulingyuan is a popular scenic and historic area located in China's Hunan province, although thick smog often obscures what would otherwise be breathtaking scenery. The UNESCO World Heritage site is distinguished by more than 3,100 quartzite sandston...
Categories: Wulingyuan
Categories: Wutaishan
Tea remains a major product in the Wuyishan area of China, as it has been for hundreds of years. Located in the eastern province of Fujian, Wuyishan (or Mount Wuyi) claims to be the only "city of tea culture" in China. Wuyi Rock Tea is regarded as th...
Categories: Wuyishan
Located about 80 mi/130 km southwest of Shanghai, the town of Wuzhen, China, is a successful case study in historic preservation. The walled city is a maze of canals and narrow alleyways. Established in 872, Wuzhen and its ambience have remained lar...
Categories: Wuzhen
Categories: Wuzhou
Xiamen - a city in southern China on Amoy Island - is strategically situated near Quemoy Islands and Taiwan. It is a fishing and manufacturing center. Originally known as Jiahe Yu, the history of the island of Amoy dates back to the 12th century, whe...
Categories: Xiamen
Xi'an - with five million inhabitants and capital of Shaanxi Province - is one of the more pleasant of Chinese cities, more prosperous than any other city in inland China except Chengdu, with streets full of Japanese cars, stores flooded with temptat...
Categories: Xi'an
Categories: Xianyang
The Miao village of Xijiang, China, known as the Village of One Thousand Homes, is the largest of a collection of Miao villages that cling to the undulating foothills in Guizhou province. Xijiang is a relaxed, slow-paced agricultural community that c...
Categories: Xijiang
Categories: Xingning
Categories: Xingping
Often shortened to Banna, Xishuangbanna, China, a remote area near Myanmar and Laos about 1,600 mi/2,500 km southwest of Beijing, is reached by plane (about an hour) or bus (about a 14-hour ride) from Kunming. Its main attractions are its thriving et...
Categories: Xishuangbanna
Yangshuo has become a mecca for travelers in recent years. Ironically, amid magnificent natural beauty, Yangshuo's main pedestrian street, West Street, has the feel of the Las Vegas Strip, with hawkers trying to coax tipsy travelers into noisy clubs....
Categories: Yangshuo
The Yangtze is the longest Asian river, about 3,400 mi long. It rises in the Kunlun Mountains in Qinghai (Tsinghai) Province, and flows to its mouth in the East China Sea, about 14 miles north of Shanghai. Ocean-going vessels may navigate the river t...
Categories: Yangtze River
Yantai is an ideal tourism city with beautiful landscape and pleasant climate. Interesting scenery and fascinating coastal line attract thousands of tourists from all over the world. Penglai Pavilion, the stone Tablet Inscriptions of the North Wei Dy...
Categories: Yantai
Categories: Yellow Sea
Located in the Hubei Province, in the east mouth of the Three Gorges, Yichang is called 'the throat of Chuan'. The city's history reaches back 7,000 to 8,000 years. The main attraction in the area however is the Three Gorges Dam, which is said to b...
Categories: Yichang
Categories: Yue Luo Wan
Located on the Yangtze River in the northeast area of the Hunan Province, Yueyang has long been a major center for transportation in China. Yueyang Tower, one of the Three Great Towers of China, overlooks the intersection of the Yangtze River with La...
Categories: Yueyang
Zhangjiagang is the closest port to the Garden City of Wuxi, which was founded over 3500 years ago and was the capital of the Wu kingdom for over 600 years. The Grand Canal is the world's largest canal and cuts through the center of Wuxi.
Categories: Zhangjiagang
Categories: Zhangmu
Categories: Zhaoqing
Categories: Zhejiang
Categories: Zhengzhou
Known as Shangri-La for marketing purposes, Zhongdian lies on the border with Tibet. (Tibetans know the area as Gyelthang.) It is home to the Rhingha Temple and the Zong Gu monastery, site of the world's largest Buddhist prayer wheel. Nearby is Pudac...
Categories: Zhongdian (Shangri-la)
A hub for pirates during the Ming Dynasty, Zhoushan Island, located approximately 100 mi/160 km south of Shanghai, is considered a spiritually healing vacation spot for locals and has been called the "Buddhist paradise on the sea." The archipelago, c...
Categories: Zhoushan
These days, it's quite jarring to walk around parts of old Beijing. Although old women can still be seen pushing cabbages in rickety wooden carts amidst huddles of men playing chess, it's not uncommon to see them all suddenly scurry to the side to make way for a brand-new BMW luxury sedan squeezing through the narrow hutong (a traditional Beijing alleyway). The same could be said of the longtang-style alleys or a bustling marketplace in Sichuan. Modern China is a land of paradox, and it's becoming increasingly so in this era of unprecedented socioeconomic change.
Relentless change—seen so clearly in such projects as the Three Gorges Dam and its relocation of more than 1 million of people—has been an elemental part of China's modern character. Violent revolutions in the 20th century, burgeoning population growth (China is now the world's most populous country) and economic prosperity (brought about by a recent openness to the outside world) have almost made that change inevitable.
China's cities are being transformed—Beijing and Shanghai are among the world's most dynamic cities. And the country's political position in the world is rising: Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics, despite widespread concern about how the government treats its people.
China has always been one of the most attractive travel destinations in the world, partly because so much history exists alongside the new. The rice paddies may have sprouted cities and manufacturing centers, and the streets may be clogged with cars and pollution, but the people remain rooted in a rich cultural heritage. They still burn joss sticks for good luck in an enterprise—even as they iron out the details of that enterprise on the Internet.
China's rapid rate of urbanization is matched only by its pace of social transformation, which is driven in large part by the government. As recession grips the globe, the country has shifted its export driven economy toward a consumer driven model, upturning the typical communist model as shopping malls now dominate most major cities.
Late in 2013, the government announced a relaxation of its decades-old one-child policy, allowing 10 million people to have a second child, while pledging to limit the number of people sent to labor and re-education camps as an attempt to clean up its human rights record.
China's growing economic clout, cultural juxtapositions and growing status as major world player makes this a fascinating time to visit. Now more than ever, as the old adage goes, when China sneezes, the whole world catches a cold.
Geography
China, the world's third-largest nation in terms of land mass, encompasses virtually every type of terrain imaginable, from the steamy lowlands of the southeast to the Himalayan peaks of Tibet to the Gobi Desert in the north. Most of the country's major rivers, including the Yellow and Yangtze, flow from west to east. China is bordered by 14 other countries. History
China is one of the oldest nations in the world. Its recorded history dates back 5,000 years. For most of that time, China was ruled by a succession of dynasties, and each left its mark on the country. For instance, the Qin began construction of the Great Wall and Xi'an's army of terra-cotta warriors, the Sui built the Grand Canal, and the Tang period is known for its artistic achievements.
The first Europeans to reach China were the Portuguese, who began trading at the port of Macau in the 16th century. The British soon followed, but their efforts were largely unprofitable until they began pushing opium in the mid-1800s. The Opium Wars eventually led to British control of Hong Kong, a place that was not returned to China until 1997. (Macau was handed back to China in 1999.)
The last dynasty officially ended in 1911. The ensuing years devolved into a struggle between the urban, capitalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong's rural Chinese Communist Party. Chiang Kai-shek held control through the 1930s, but after World War II, Mao's guerrilla army began winning the battle. In 1949, the People's Republic of China was born and Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan.
Led by Mao Zedong, the new government transformed China into a communist nation. Land was redistributed, industries were absorbed by the state and political opposition was not tolerated. Tibet was brought under Beijing's control in the 1950s. Thousands of writers, artists, teachers and others were persecuted during the Cultural Revolution of 1966-70. In 1989, 13 years after Mao's death, students demonstrating for democracy in Beijing's Tiananmen Square were overrun by soldiers and tanks.
Although Mao's legacy of intellectual oppression remains intact, China's recent leaders have embraced free trade. The country was admitted to the World Trade Organization in 2001, officially opening China for global business. Seven years later, the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing put China at the center of the global stage.
Snapshot
China's main attractions are the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, acrobats, shopping, Hong Kong, Tibet, pandas, ancient instrumental music and Chinese opera, food and a diverse landscape.
China will appeal to open-minded travelers interested in visiting an important culture that is truly different from their own—they'll have the experience of a lifetime. China will not appeal to travelers who have respiratory problems (many of the cities are rather polluted), who demand impeccable service and accommodations at all times, or who don't like Chinese food. Outside of the major tourist areas, creature comforts can be few and far between.
For many travelers, group travel will be the best way to go; in some parts of China—politically sensitive areas such as Tibet, for instance—group travel was once the only way to visit. However, as Tibet and other areas of the country increasingly open up to tourism, that is changing.
It is certainly possible to travel individually, although the services of a local guide are still useful as language barriers present challenges for non-Mandarin speakers. Given that access to parts of the country requires special permits and can be denied to foreigners without advance warning, it's best to have a flexible schedule and to keep abreast of news developments.
Potpourri
The Kong Family Cemetery in Qufu is the world's largest clan cemetery. The great sage Confucius and more than 100,000 descendants spanning 76 generations are buried there. There are now 4 million Kong family members in China and overseas. A China-wide Kong family tree record is maintained in Qufu. The most recent update started in 1998 and took more than five years to complete.
The last eunuch of the last emperor died in 1996, closing the chapter on one of the stranger aspects of imperial China. Aside from the emperor, eunuchs were the only men trusted to enter the inner courtyards of the royal palace where the emperor's concubines resided.
Although the country's minority groups make up only 8% of the population, their traditional homelands cover more than half of China. In addition to the majority Han Chinese, there are more than 50 minority groups, the largest of which is the Zhuang, numbering more than 17 million. Yunnan province is home to 26 minorities.
The written Chinese language is expressed with a series of characters in which one character or a series of characters together express certain meanings or things. Although there are upward of 40,000 characters in the language, most people know only a few thousand.
Those interested in Buddhism may want to visit shrines in the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism: Emei Mountain (Sichuan), Wutai Mountain (Shanxi Province), Jiuhua Mountain (Anhui) and Putuo Mountain (Zhejiang).
Martial-arts fans may want to make a pilgrimage to the Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou (465 mi/750 km south of Beijing), birthplace of kung fu.
Despite its vast size, all of China observes Beijing Time, which means that no matter where you are in the country, it's the same time zone.