China - The Beautiful!

Nature is varied and colourful, hence full of vigour and vitality. So are the cultures of different countries. For, as the fruit of a nation’s mental efforts, a nation’s culture is shaped by its history, geography, customs, economic development, aesthetic standards and other factors.

THE KEEN AWARENESS OF THE PAST goes hand in hand with openness to innovation. In the world today, the Chinese culture distinguishes itself as the sole one that has lasted over 5,000 years without breaks. In ancient times, the civilization of China was far from homogeneous. Ancient China had different cultures in different regions, and it was the people of the different ethnic groups that build up the splendid Chinese culture. Open-minded, it absorbed healthy elements from other cultures, so as to enrich and develop. The Chinese learning and absorbing of Buddhism bears evidence of the readiness of Chinese culture to adapt and assimilate alien cultures.

The Orient will no longer be so mysterious, thanks to the process of globalization. In the process of opening up to the outside world, the common cultural exchanges serve the interests of all parties concerned. Travelling around the country itself is seldom problematic, but it would be wrong to pretend that it is an entirely easy matter to penetrate modern China, because China is not just a big country – it is another world! From shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the epic grasslands of Inner Mongolia - with deserts, sacred peaks, astounding caves, and imperial ruins - it's a land of cultural and geographic schisms.

China has very rich cultural heritages from their minority groups, of which each one has its own form of visual arts, performing arts and music. Chinese; Hen and minority groups are living together peacefully in a nation with colourful culture of different varieties. China is the home of the world's richest and oldest heritage of art and literature. Some of the famous works have been translated into foreign languages, but most of them are not translated or non-translatable. Thus they are unknown to the outside world.

Thanks to China's high mountains, elegant rivers, springs and waterfalls, rich and varied folk customs and styles, rare animals and plants, numerous spots and historical sites, distinctive operas, music and dances, and its world-renowned cousine, this fascinating country attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. China has made great efforts in meeting the demands of tourists by building, expanding and renovating many hotels and restaurants.

There are more than 12,000 hotels, which of some 8,000 are star-rated hotels. Rapid progress are also been made in civil aviation, railways, inland and marine transport, and highways, providing guarantee and convenience for both Chinese and foreign tourists travelling in China. Chinese tourist agencies are well equipped to host group tours of major tourist destinations; Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Gulian and Guangzhou.

Not only theme tours to cultural and historical sites are popular, but also tours with activities as cycling, hiking, exploring the deserts, mountain climbing, skiing and golfing, as well as martial arts and fitness tours. Ecotourism combines activities of bird watching, boating, and enjoying traditional ethnic food, customs and culture.