MAGIC CHINA

A Land of contrasts, China is a country of timeless mysticism and beauty undergoing dynamic developments. The unspoiled countryside, which time seems to have left behind during 5,000 years of civilization, is juxtaposed against the towering skylines of some of the most modern cities in Asia. With three major regions, China stretches from the mountainous west, to the desert plains of the Mongol Plateau to Manchuria in the northeast. The largely low-lying eastern region consists of the valleys and floodplains of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, through to the coastal plains of the Pearl River in the south.
Everything in China seems larger than life and perceptions of the country must be adjusted to its enormous scale. With approximately one fifth of the world’s population (1.3 billion people) in an area slightly larger than the United States, China is the world’s most populous nation; a nation comprised of 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities. The combined population of Beijing and Shanghai is estimated at 25 million people.

Beijing, the capital formerly known as Peking, is the political, cultural and economic center of China. The capital is China’s second most populated urban center with over 11 million residents. The city is located some 100 miles from the Gulf of Bo Hai, an arm of the Yellow Sea. Located at 39°55 N. latitude on the eastern flank of Eurasia, Beijing has a climate that is largely continental with warm summers and long, cold, dry winters. The architectural masterpiece of the Forbidden City, the equally impressive Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, the Ming Tombs, the Temple of Heaven… and of course, the most famous of all-The Great Wall of China, built during the Ming Dynasty’s reign to fortify China’s northern border and today one of the most visited sites in all the world. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will give friends from all over the world an opportunity to experience Beijing.

Then there is Shanghai (one of Asia’s fastest growing and most modern cities), Xian, Guilin, Yunnan, the Yangtze River, Zhouzhuang, Xiamen, Lhasa and so much more. A country certainly worth of more than one visit and with so much choice perfectly positioned to suit every requirement.