China

China is one of the world's oldest civilizations with a chronicled history of more than 5,000 years. In 221 BC, Qinshihuang established the Qin Dynasty, the first feudal autocracy in the Chinese history, thereby unveiling a 2,000-year period of feudalism which was to last through a succession of dynasties such as the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing, a period which did decline until the Opium War of 1840 and which finally met its demise in the bourgeois democratic Revolution of 1911 by Dr. Sun Yat-sen. October 1, 1949 saw the founding of the People's Republic of China.

China's venerated history and splendid culture have pockmarked the land with cultural relics and treasures. Beijing, Xi'an, Nanjing, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Hangzhou and Anyang are known as the nation's seven major ancient capitals.

The Chinese folklore is rich and varied. More than 40 Chinese festivals are known throughout the world. Not a month passes without a festival being observed among one ethnic group or another. The Peking Opera, Chinese acrobatics, music and dance, and traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy-all these never fail to bring immense joy to visitors from all over the world.
The Chinese tourism industry is not only rich in resources; it has also come a long way in transportation, service, accommodation, catering and shopping facilities, and recreation. Tourist facilities are being constantly improved, and so is the service. With a winsome smile the hospitable Chinese are trusted companions for those traveling in China.

The hospitable Chinese people provide a good variety of cultural and recreational activities for their visitors. These include traditional Chinese operas (Beijing, Shaoxing, Sichuan, Henan, and Shanxi operas), world-renowned acrobatic shows, typical Chinese music and dances, and traditional festivals of the country's 56 ethnic peoples. Visitors to China may also personally experience the varied folklore in different parts of the country. In their hotel rooms the guests can watch English news programs on Central Television and some local channels, as well as foreign TV programs transmitted through satellites. Closed-circuit television is also available in many hotels, which are equipped with such amenities as music bars, teahouses, bowling alleys, electronic games, cinemas, gyms, sauna baths, massage parlors, swimming pools and dancing halls.

As a resplendent part of the cultural heritage of the Chinese people, the Chinese cuisine with its long-standing tradition is regarded as one of the world's three major culinary schools along with French and Turkish haute cuisine. In the course of historical development, the Chinese cuisine has developed a dazzling array of cooking skills.

Silk china is known as the "kingdom of Silk". Jiangsui, Guangdong, Hunan and Sichuan provinces abound in natural silk and products made of it. Most distinguished, however, are silk products made in Hangzhou, where they come in a dozen varieties such as pongee, brocade, damask, faille, and satin.