The Complete China Travel Guide

The People's Republic of China, commonly known as China, was founded on October 1, 1949. Located in eastern Asia on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean, it is a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship of the working class, based on an alliance of workers and farmers. Its national flag is the five-star red flag, and its national anthem is “The March of the Volunteers.” At the center of its national emblem is Tiananmen Gate beneath five stars, surrounded by ears of grain and a cogwheel. Its official spoken and written languages are Standard Mandarin and standardized Chinese characters. Beijing is its capital. China is a unified, multiethnic country with the Han people as its main ethnic group and 56 ethnic groups in total.

China covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometers of land. Its mainland coastlines in the east and south stretch for more than 18,000 kilometers, and its total sea area is about 4.73 million square kilometers. More than 7,600 islands of various sizes lie in its waters. Taiwan is the largest, with an area of 35,798 square kilometers. China shares land borders with 14 countries and maritime boundaries with eight. Its provincial-level administrative divisions comprise 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two special administrative regions.

China is one of the world's oldest countries, with a splendid culture and a proud revolutionary tradition. It leads the world in the number of World Heritage sites. After the People's Republic was founded in 1949, the country entered a period of socialist revolution and construction. The transition to socialism was achieved in 1956, after which socialist development proceeded along a complex and winding path of exploration. China is captivating, with endless scenic wonders!