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China Travel
China Vacation Packages
China's main attractions are the Great Wall, the terra-cotta warriors, acrobats, shopping, Hong Kong, Tibet, pandas, ancient instrumental music and Chinese opera, food, the Forbidden City and a diverse landscape.
China will appeals to those 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. 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 may be the only way to visit. Given that access to parts of the country can be denied to foreigners without advance warning, it's best to have a flexible schedule and to keep abreast of news developments.
These days, it's quite jarring to walk around parts of old Beijing. Although old grannies 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 luxury sedan squeezing through the narrow hutong (a traditional Beijing alleyway). The same could be said of the longtang-style alleys of Sichuan 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 projects like the Yangtze River dam and the relocation of thousands 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 by far) and economic prosperity (brought about by a new openness to the outside world) have almost made that change inevitable. China's cities are being transformed—Beijing and Shanghai are probably the most dynamic cities in the world right now. And the country's political position in the world is rising: The 2008 Olympics were awarded to Beijing, 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, partly because it is still so unknown to outsiders. The country and its people remain a mystery. 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 a cell phone.
China, the third-largest nation in the world, 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.
For more information about China Travel, call TravelPoints today. We can answer all your questions and help you plan the perfect China vacation package.
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