Travel in China

Are the Beijing Olympics giving you the inspiration and desire to journey to the other side of the globe? If so, break out your Rosetta Stone and check out some must-see attractions to schedule for your future travel China.

Summer Palace
Admission: 35 RMB
Bus Routes 690, 808, 826
6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

These are the ruins of the palaces and the beautiful gardens of the Qing Emperors. They are extensive enough that if you want to get away from the crowds, leave the front area and you will find some seclusion (and beat the air pollution on a good day) in the caves and ruins of the rear hill and lake area.

The Hutongs
Free
2nd Ring Road Area, especially near Quianmen and Houhai

These are the narrow, winding street-alleyways that characterize medieval Beijing. They make for the same sort of charming strolling that the core of an old European town does, and the best part is that it’s free! The houses are mostly in the courtyard-based siheyuan style. Come see them soon, as these neighborhoods are being demolished to make space for modern, booming Beijing.

The Forbidden City
Admission: 60 RMB; Audio Guide Device for 40 RMB plus deposit
Subway Line 1; Bus Routes 1, 4, 52, 101,109, 728 and 810.
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Come early if you want to beat the crowds and enjoy some relative calm in Beijing’s premiere tourist attraction. This was the home of the Chinese Emperor during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and stands as the world’s largest palace complex. Only two-fifths of the sprawling compound is open to the public, but that is still enough to occupy hours; it isn’t called The Forbidden City for nothing.

Tiananmen Square
Free
Bus Routes: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; or walk from The Forbidden City
Open All Day

Built by Mao Zedong to impress the world, flanked by ubiquitous Communist-style buildings and the site of the infamous 1989 massacre, it is China’s monument to Mao and his brand of Communism. It is located near The Forbidden City, so the pair can be rolled into one day of sight-seeing. Entry into Mao’s Mausoleum is free, but expect long lines.

Panjiayuan, “The Dirt Market”
Free, except any purchases
West of East Third Ring Road, between PanjiayuanBridge and HuaweiBridge
Saturday and Sunday, 4:30am-5pm

This is the flea market of China, and is the best place to go looking for bargains in art, textiles, antiques, knick-knacks and just plain junk. Most of the stall operators are villagers hawking wares from their hometowns, so there are real gems to be found if you are willing to spend enough time hunting for them. Also, markets in general are the first place to go looking for an easily-accessible, authentic, local experience.

Submitted By: China Assistor

 
If you are planning a trip to China, and would like to really experience luxury travel and have a wonderful, deluxe vacation, you will be excited to know that there are tour operators who specialize in first class travel to China.

One of the first things we think of when we talk about “luxury travel” is first class air travel, and this is certainly a part of your luxurious China vacation, along with luxury hotel accommodations and having personal guides and escorts rather than taking group tours with other vacationers.

While you’re in China, you will want to take in some of the regular tourist sights, and you may want to be able to get the “special access” to some sights that is restricted for VIPs and special visitors. Talk with your luxury tour operator about these tours and what you would like to see; there are often special arrangements your operator can make to help you have an even more special experience.

Room service is a luxury many people enjoy, of course, and in China, in your five-star hotel, the room service will be spectacular, and you will be amazed how wonderful the local food is when you’re experiencing the cooking skills of some of the best chefs in the country.

General luxury travel is very popular, and you can find many tour operators offering first-class travel in China. You can go to the mainland and visit all of the wonderful historic and cultural sites in luxury, and you can also visit Hong Kong, which is considered truly luxurious in its own right. Simply by looking for a tour operator who does “regular” travel in first-class style, you can find a wonderful vacation package.

However, if you’re particularly interested in Chinese cuisine, you may wish to find a gastronomy tour that takes you to some of the most exciting and exotic dining experiences in China and gives you the opportunity to learn more about Chinese cuisine and sample things you would never be able to try at home.

Or, if golf is your passion, there are many deluxe golfing packages that let you tee off in the countryside of China, some of the most beautiful land in the world. If your are a keen golfer and want to either concentrate on golf while in China or make it a large part of your visit, you can work with a golf tour operator to make that experience a reality for you.

Whatever your goals for first-class travel in China, you can find a luxury tour operator simply by searching on the Internet for luxury travel in China and talking with operators who offer the kinds of tour you are interested in . You may  be surprised, not only at how lush some of the packages are and how much they offer, but that first-class travel in China, true luxury living on the mainland and in Hong Kong, is much less expensive than the same class of travel in Europe or the United States.

According to the American Express Business Travels second survey of corporate travel management service in China, the country will become the world's third-largest market for corporate travel within five years. The survey shows that the spending on international business travel by China approximates US$4.2 billion a year, which is 17 percent of the Asian market for business travel. This figure, in addition to the spending on the domestic business travel in China, adds up to almost US$20 billion.

The healthy growth of China's GDP is likely to secure a two-digit rise in China's business travel market in a few years. It is estimated that by the year 2020, the number of Chinese business travellers will be five times as many as that at present. International travel service providers and global giants such as American Express, Kar Shun Travel, and Rosenbluth have noticed the potential of China market for business travel and have made inroads into China.

Global business travellers are advised to adhere to local business etiquettes. In Chinese business culture, conservative suits are the norm. For business purposes, it is traditionally acceptable to call a Chinese person by the family name, together with a title, such as ""Director Li"". Avoid using someone's first name unless you know him or her closely. Formality is a sign of respect, and it is sensible to clarify how you will address someone early in a relationship.

Business hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. There is, however, a five-day workweek in larger cities. Avoid visiting government offices on Friday afternoon because this is sometimes reserved for political studying of the officials. Offices are typically closed on public holidays including the Spring Festival, during which most Chinese take five days off; other holidays during which offices close include Labor Day on May 1, and the National Day on October 1.

China Travel provides detailed information on China Travel, China Business Travel, China Travel Services, China Travel Agencies and more. China Travel is affiliated with China Guided Tours.

With most airlines across the world taking strict measures to cope up with the rising fuel costs, in a significant announcement made on Tuesday, China Southern Airlines confirmed that it shall raise its fuel surcharge on international flights. The rise is expected to be more than 30 percent.

In the announcement, China Southern said that the rise would be as follows. The fuel surcharge for round-trip tickets on long-haul international flights has been raised to CNY2,200 yuan (USD$320.70) from CNY1,600 yuan. Notably, this is an increase of 37.5 percent.

On the other hand, in case of short-distance international flights, including those flying to Southeast Asia, the charge for round-trip flights[China Trip tickets] will be increased to CNY1,100 from CNY840. This is an increase up by 31 percent.

The airline has said that the surcharge increase will come into effect from 10th July.

Earlier during this month, the regulators increased the ex-refinery jet fuel prices of the country by CNY1,500 per tonne. Following this, major Chinese Airlines including Air China and China Eastern Airlines announced an increase in their fuel surcharges with respect to domestic flights working up to 50 percent.

Though this move was hoped to help the airlines cope up with the shooting up of oil prices, the price increase rather proved to be a double blow for the airlines, which faced a serious drop in the volume of passengers during the recent months. This was further triggered by the devastating earthquake that happened in the month of May that nearly shook the whole of China.

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Drivers from other parts of the country will no longer have to worry
about getting lost traveling in Beijing with the help of an itinerary map.

Beijing Times reports a mechanism aimed at easing traveling
inconveniences for outsiders of Beijing will start in March at all 16
checkpoints entering the city. As long as the drivers tell the police
their destination, the police will print out a free itinerary map that
leads the way from the checkpoint to their destination.

On the map, drivers can find driving routes, distance, urban traffic
network information, as well as the number and type of their automobiles.
An official with the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, Jiang Jinhui,
says the itinerary on the map is the shortest and the most efficient.

The service is based on a route-seeking system that compiles routes
according to different automobile types and the traffic situation. The
official warns that drivers must tell the police their automobile type in
case some types of automobiles are banned in some areas because of
traffic control.

A recent survey shows that more than half of drivers from outside of
Beijing are not familiar with the routes in Beijing and eight out of ten
want the free itinerary guidance service.

Shanghai travel guide
Shanghai is the center of China's eastern coastline,one of China's economical and cultural centers and has a long history as a trading port and gateway for foreigners entering China. It is the gateway to the delta. It is a municipality under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government and the largest economic and trade center in China.
Shanghai's gorgeous night scene is one of the main highlights that will linger in visitors' mind owing to its ornate feature after their Shanghai travel experience. As night descends the entire city is lit up by dizzily colorful lights joined occasionally by the bright moon hanging in the sky.

Shanghai, a vigorous and energetic international metro-polis,
welcomes people from all over the world to enjoy its special atmosphere. This modern metropolis with its rich heritage of ancient Chinese culture has much to see and do.

Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the modern symbol of Shanghai City. Standing beside the bank of huangpu river with a height of 468 meters (1536 feet), it is the tallest TV tower in Asia and the third highest in the world. This unusual structure that dominates the skyline is a great attraction to tourists.

Another sight not be missed is the Bund. Situated on the east bank
of the Huangpu River, here, one can enjoy the bracing air and fine
sunshine as well as seeing something of the many activities along the river. The new finance and commercial houses cluster together along the south of the Bund while along the west there is a wealth of grand buildings in the European architectural styles of the nineteen-twenties, thirties and early forties. Marshal Chen Yi's statue looks down on the square where lively musicians gather to play and sing bringing pleasure to the many people who stop by to listen. At night bright lights add to the happy atmosphere as people stroll along the wide riverside promenade.

Nanjing Road is considered to be the "No. 1 commercial street in China". Here along its 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles), you will find over 600 shops that on average are visited by some 1.7 million people each day. If you like shopping, do not miss it! And if you want to experience the historical and cultural atmosphere of the city, Shanghai Xin Tian Di is a wise choice. Composed of Shikumen and modern architectural style, now it has become a hot and fashionable pedestrian street in the center of the city.

Yuyuan Garden is the largest of Shanghai's ancient gardens with architectural styles of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The garden has six areas, each with its own style. The Grand Rockery, in the center of the Garden, is the most renowned sight here.

Shanghai Museum is a veritable treasure house of ancient Chinese art and houses 120,000 precious relics. Bronzes, pottery, paintings and calligraphies are distinctive features of the Museum's collection. Seen from above, the Museum resembles a large bronze mirror of the Han Dynasty (206BC -220). From the distance, it looks like a bronze Ding, an ancient cooking vessel that contains so many mementos of the 5,000-year-old history of Chinese civilization. Moreover, Shanghai government has listed the construction of museums in the cultural and tourism construction programs to record Shanghai's economic development as a reference for other cities. If you are interested in visiting museums, please click and see Museums in Shanghai.

Jade Buddha Temple is one of the most famous Buddhist temples
to be found in Shanghai. The White Jade Buddhas were brought
here from Burma in the nineteenth century. One is seated while the other is in the recumbent position of Sakyamuni symbolizing the Buddha's attainment of enlightenment or nirvana. The temple also has some impressive images of the Heavenly Kings. Although many people come to worship each day and burn incense at this very holy and active shrine, visitors are welcome.

Jin Mao Tower located in the center of Lujiazui Finance and Trade Districts in Pudong, is the third tallest building of the world and the tallest building in China. The ingenious combination of the elements of traditional Chinese culture with the newest architectural styles of the time, make the tower one of the best-designed buildings in China.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport, which bears about 60℅ of all Shanghai's airport’s traffic, is the only airport in the world to allow visitors to enter the control tower to witness the whole process of an airliner’s arrival and departure, which makes it a very welcomed travel destination for visitors.

The visitor to Shanghai having marveled at the city's modern
architecture and historical sites will be further rewarded when going to see neighboring water towns like Zhujiajiao and Qibao Ancient Town. Here is another world where ancient houses huddle by the rivers running through the towns that with their flagstone-paved roads and typical local flavors will be sure to slow your pace as you savor their traditions.

If you come to Shanghai with children, you'd better not miss Shanghai Wild Animal Zoo. It is the first national grade wild animal zoo in China and the home of over 200 kinds of animals from all over the world including rare animals and animals under the state special protection.