Introduction to the People's Republic of China

[muchbetter]

hey, let's start to introduce a comprehensive China.
General Information of the People's Republic of China (PRC) .

Map of China



CAPITAL: Beijing (Area: 16,800 square kilometers; Population: 12.59 million)
CLIMATE: : China lies mainly in the northern temperate zone under the influence of monsoon. From September and October to March and April next year monsoon blow from Siberia and the Mongolia Plateau into China and decrease in force as it goes southward, causing dry and cold winter in the country and a temperature difference of 40 degree centigrade between the north and south. The temperature in China in the winter is 5 to 18 degree centigrade lower than that in other countries on the same latitude in winter. Monsoon blows into China from the ocean in summer, bringing with them warm and wet currents, thus rain. Great differences in climate are found from region to region owing to China's extensive territory and complex topography. The northern part of Heilongjiang Province in northeast China has no summer, Hainan Island has a long summer but no winter; the Huaihe River valley features four distinct seasons; the western part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is covered by snow all year round; the southern part of the Yunan-Guizhou Plateau is spring-like all the year; and the northwestern inland region sees a great drop of temperature in the day. Annual precipitation also varies greatly from region to region; it is as high as 1,500 millimeters along the southeastern coast. Decreasing landward, it is less than 50 millimeters in northwest China.
LANGUAGES: : The national language is Putonghua (the common speech) or Mandarin, which is one of the five working languages at the United Nations. Most of the 55 minority nationalities have their own languages. Cantonese is one of the local dialects of southern China. As a written language, Chinese has been used for 6,000 years.
NATIONALITIES: : The People's Republic of China is a unified, multi-national country, comprising 56 nationalities. The Han people make up 91.02 percent of the total population, leaving 8.98 percent for the other 55 ethnic minorities. They are Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Bouyei, Korean, Manchu, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Kazak, Dai, Li, Lisu, Va, She, Gaoshan, Lahu, Shui, Dongxiang, Naxi, Jingpo, Kirgiz, Tu, Daur, Mulam, Qiang, Blang, Salar, Maonan, Gelo, Xibe, Achang, Pumi, Tajik, Nu, Ozbek, Russian, Ewenki, Benglong, Bonan, Yugur, Jing, Tatar, Drung, Oroqen, Hezhen, Moinba, Lhoba and Gelo. All nationalities in China are equal according to the law. The State protects their lawful rights and interests and promotes equality, unity and mutual help among them.
FAMILY NAMES: : Chinese family names came into being some 5,000 years ago. There are more than 5,000 family names, of which 200 to 300 are polular. The order of Chinese names is family name goes first, following by given name. For instance, the family name of a person is Wang, given name is Dong, his/her full name would be Wang Dong . The most popular Chinese family names are LI, ZHANG, WANG, LI, ZHAO, LIU, CHEN. According to the most recent official statistics, the three most popular family names are: LI, WANG and ZHANG, occupied 7.9% (97million), 7.4 and 7.1 of total population in China respectively.
RIVERS: : China has 50,000 rivers each covering a catchment area of more than 100 square kilometers, and 1,500 of them cover a catchment area exceeding 1,000 square kilometers. Most of them flow from west to east to empty into the Pacific Ocean. Main rivers include the Yangtze (Changjiang), Yellow (Huanghe), Heilong, Pearl, Liaohe, Haihe, Qiangtang and Lancang. The Yangtze of 6,300 kilometers is the longest river in China. The second longest Yellow River is 5,464 kilometers. The Grand Canal from Hangzhou to Beijing is a great water project in ancient China. It is of 1,794 kilometers, making it the longest canal in the world.
RELIGIONS: : China is a multi-religious country. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism, with the first three being more wide spread.Various religions exert different influence on different ethnic groups. Islam is followed by the Hui, Uygur, Kazak, Kirgiz, Tatar, Dongxiang, Salar and Bonan nationalities; Buddhism and Lamaism are followed by the Tibetan, Mongolian, Dai and Yugur nationalities; Christianity is followed by the Miao, Yao and Yi nationalities; Shamanism is followed by the Oroqen, Ewenki and Daur nationalities; the majority Han nationality believes in Buddhism, Christianity and Taoism.

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China is administratively divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 centrally administrative municipalities* and 2 special administrative regions (SAR)**.
Provinces: | Anhui | Fujian | Gansu | Guangdong | Guizhou | Hainan | Hebei | Heilongjiang | Henan | Hubei | Hunan | Jiangsu | Jiangxi | Jilin | Liaoning | Qinghai | Shaanxi | Shandong | Shanxi | Sichuan | Yunan | Zhejiang | Taiwan *** |

Autonomous Regions: | Guangxi | Inner Mongolia | Ningxia | Tibet (Xizang) | Xinjiang |

Municipalities: | Beijing (Peking) | Chongqing | Shanghai | Tianjin |

Special Administrative Regions (SAR): | Hong Kong | Macao |

Notes

* Municipalities are directly under the administration of central government. A municipality has the same political, economical and jurisdictional rights as a province;

** Special Administrative Regions (SAR) was established specially designed for solving Hong Kong and Macao issues and based on the concept of "one country, two systems", SAR is in a pattern within which two completely different social systems (socialist system and capitalist system) and ideologies can coexist, SAR has more autonomous power regulated clearly by laws, including executive, legislative and independent judicial power.

***Taiwan Issue: a result of China's civil war in late 1940s'. In the earlier years of separation of mainland China and Taiwan, both sides of China (also called People's Republic of China "PRC" or "communist China", "red China" , "mainland China") and Taiwan (also called Republic of China "ROC") claim the legal sovereignty over China. Mainland China keeps claiming Taiwan as one of its provinces while Taiwan regards itself as an independent country.)

**** The statistics of each administrative division are collected from official and unofficial publications, updated constantly and for your reference only.

1. Anhui Province (Capital: Hefei)
Area: 139,000 square km; Population: 60.70 million
Major Cities: Huangshan; Bengbu; Tongling; Ma'anshan

2. Beijing (China's Capital, Municipality)
Area: 16,800 square km Population: 13.82 million (2001)

3. Chongqing (Newly Promoted as Municipality in 1997)
Area: 82,000 square km Population: 30.90 million (2001)

4. Fujian Province (Capital: Fuzhou)
Area: 120,000 square km Population: 32.61 million
Major Cities: Xiamen; Zhangzhou

5. Gansu Province (Capital: Lanzhou)
Area: 450,000 square km Population: 24.67 million
Major Cities: Dunhuang; Jiayuguan; Jiayuguan

6. Guangdong Province (Capital: Guangzhou)
Area: 186,000 square km Population: 69.61 million
Major Cities: Guangzhou (Area: 7434.4 square kilometers; Population: 10.15 million); Chaozhou; Dongguan; Shantou; Shenzhen (Area: 2,020 square kilometers; Population: 4.05 million)); Shunde; Zhuhai;

7. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Capital: Nanning)
Area: 236,300 square km Population: 45.89 million
Major Cities: Beihai; Guilin; Liuzhou

8. Guizhou Province (Capital: Guiyang)
Area: 176,100 square km Population: 36.576 million
Major Cities: Anshun; Zunyi

9. Hainan Province (Capital: Haikou)
Area: 34,000 square km Population: 7.34 million
Major Cities: Sanya

10. Hebei Province (Capital: Shijiazhuang)
Area: 190,000 square km Population: 64.84 million
Major Cities: Cangzhou; Chengde; Qinhuangdao(Including Beidaihe and Shanhaiguan); Tangshan; Baoding; Zhangjiakou

11. Heilongjiang Province (Capital: Harbin)
Area: 469,000 square km Population: 37.28 million
Major Cities: Hailaer; Mohe; Mudanjiang; Qiqihar; Suifenhe

12. Henan Province (Capital: Zhengzhou)
Area: 167,000 square km Population: 92.56 million (2001)
Major Cities: Anyang; Kaifeng; Luoyang; Sanmenxia

13. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)
Area: 1,092 square km Population: 6.86 million (2001)
(re-controlled by China in July of 1997)

14. Hubei Province (Capital: Wuhan)
Area: 187,400 square km Population: 58.25 million
Major Cities: Huangshi; Shiyan; Shashi; Xiangfan; Yichang;

15 Hunan Province (Capital: Changsha)
Area: 210,000 square km Population: 64.28 million
Major Cities: Changde; Dayong; Hengyang; Xiangtan; Zhangjiajie

16. Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Capital: Hohhot)
Area: 1,183,000 square km Population: 23.07 million
Major Cities: Baotou; Chifeng; Wuhai

17. Jiangsu Province (Nanjing)
Area: 102,600 square km Population: 71.10 million
Major Cities: Nanjing (Mayor: LUO Zhijun),Lianyungang; Suzhou, Wuxi; Zhenjiang

18. Jiangxi Province (Capital: Nanchang)
Area: 166,600 square km Population: 41.05 million
Major Cities: Jiujiang; Lushan, Jian, Jinggangshan

19. Jilin Province (Capital: Changchun)
Area: 187,000 square km Population: 26.10 million
Major Cities: Jilin; Tuman; Yanji

20. Liaoning Province (Capital: Shenyang)
Area: 145,700 square km Population: 41.16 million
Major Cities: Shenyang (Mayor: CHEN Zhenggao); Dalian; Dandong; Anshan, Wafangdian

21. Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR)
Area: 23.5 square km Population: 137,455
(re-controlled by China in December of 1999)

22. Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Capital: Yinchuan)
Area: 66,400 square km Population: 5.21 million
Major Cities: Shizuishan; Wuzhong

23. Qinghai Province (Capital: Xining)
Area: 720,000 square km Population: 4.88 millions
Major Cities:

24. Shaanxi Province (Capital: Xi'an)
Area: 205,000 square km Population: 35.43 million
Major Cities: Xianyang; Baoji; Hanzhong;

25. Shandong Province (Capital: Jinan)
Area: 153,000 square km Population: 90.79 million (2001)
Major Cities: Weihai (Area: 5,436 square kilometers; Population: 2.462 million; Mayor: Cui Richen), Dezhou; Linyi; Qingdao; Qufu; Tai'an; Yantai

26. Shanghai (Municipality)
Area: 6,200 square km Population: 16.74 million (2001)


27. Shanxi Province (Capital: Taiyuan)
Area: 156,000 square km Population: 31.09 million
Major Cities: Datong; Linfen; Yangquan

28. Sichuan Province (Capital: Chengdu)
Area: 488,000 square km Population: 84.28 million
Major Cities:
Chengdu (Area: 12,390 square kilometers; Population: 9.97 million)
Emeishan, Zigong; Daxianshi

29 Tianjin (Municipality)
Area: 11,300 square km Population: 10.01 million (2001)

30. Tibet (Xizang) Autonomous Region (Capital: Lhasa)
Area: 1,220,000 square km Population: 2.62 million (2001)
Major Cities: Xigaze


31. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Capital: Urumqi)
Area: 1,600,000 square km Population: 16.89 million
Major Cities: Kashgar; Turfan

32. Yunnan Province (Capital: Kunming)
Area: 394,000 square km Population: 40.42 million
Major Cities: Kunming, Dali; Simao; Xishuangbanna

33. Zhejiang Province (Capital: Hangzhou)
Area: 101,800 square km Population: 43.43 million
Major Cities: Hangzhou,Jiaxing; Ningbo; Shaoxing; Wenzhou;

34. Taiwan (Refer to Taiwan Issue)***
Area: 36,000 square km Population: 21.30 million
Capital: Taipei Major Cities:
Taiwan (ROC)

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here i post skyscrapers in different cities and hope those continue to be updated .
Beijing (China's Capital, Municipality)
Beijing, an ancient capital in the world, is the capital of PRC, and political, economic, culture, technology, etc center of China.
King Wu was the first to declare Beijing the capital city in 1057 BC. Subsequently, the city has gone by the names of Ji, Zhongdu, Dadu, and finally Beijing when the Ming Dynasty Emperor ChengZu chose the name in 1421. Beijing was also known as Peking by the Western world before 1949.
Beijing City is an independently administered municipal district. She is situated in the northeastern part of China at an elevation of 43.5m above sea level. The climate in Beijing is of the continental type, with cold and dry winters and hot summers. January is the coldest month (-4 Celsius), while July the warmest (26 Celsius).

Beijing has a whole area of 16808 sq km (about 6500 sq mi), stretching 160 kilometres from east to west and over 180 kilometres north to south. She has 18 districts and counties with Dongcheng, Xicheng, Xuanwu, Chongwen, Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan in the surburbs and Fangshan, Mengtougou, Changping, Tongxian, Shunyi, Daxing, Huairou, Miyun, Pinggu and Yianqing in the outer suburbs. Population in Beijing is about 12 million.
Beijing China, a municipality directly under the Central Government is the capital of the People's Republic of China and the country's political, economic, cultural and transportation center as well as a famous historic city. Geographically located in the northwest part of the North China Plain, and covering an area of 16,800square km. Beijing is the second largest city in China with a population of more than 11 million. It has a semi-humid continental climate in the warm temperate zone. With an annual average temperature of 12 degrees Centigrade and rainfall of 641 millimetres, Beijing is neither cold in winter nor very hot in summer. The best seasons in Beijing are Spring and Autumn. Beijing China is indeed an ideal place to visit all round the year.
Beijing is the political center of China where the Party's Central Committee, the State Council, ministries and commissions under the government, and more than 140 foreign embassies are located. It is also an international exchange center.

Beijing is an economic center of China Being one of the biggest industrial bases in China, Beijing's industrial production is the second largest in value among all Chinese cities. An industrial system with iron and steel, coal, machinery, chemical and petroleum, textiles, electronics and other industries as its mainstays has already taken shape. Beijing's arts and crafts are famous for their long history, great variety, and superb workmanship. The most popular ones among them are cloisonne, ivory carving, jadeware, carved lacquer ware, snuff bottles, silk flowers and Beijing's embroidery etc.

As the country's center of culture, education, science and technology Beijing has more than forty state scientific research institutions, over thirty universities and the greatest number of professional and technical Beijing has more than forty state scientific research institutions, over thirty universities and the greatest number of professional and technical personnel.

In Beijing, there are numerous museums and libraries with the largest collection of books in china. Beijing also serves as a center for international exchange in culture, science and technology.

It is a hub of communications, with good railroad and air links with all parts of China, as well as with major cities of the world, thus facilitating the rapid development of tourism as an important industry in Beijing.

Beijing is an ancient city with a long cultural history. The four feudal dynasties--Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing had all set up their capital here. That's why it became a most concentrated place of the country's scenic spots and historical sites. Among them, the best known are the Palace Museum, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven.

Beijing aims to develop into a modern international metropolis. Beijing city is designated as the 2008 Olympic host country, it is the most potential city with fast development and modernization, the future tourism center of the world.

***Visit this website of Beijing. http://www.beijingpage.com/#general***
This photo is shot from the CCTV tower, about 200 degree view.

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Shanghai (Municipality)
Shanghai, the largest city in China, attracts people at home and abroad like a magnet. People come here for its culture, its history, its people and all the vigor and vitality it shows in its rush to international metropolis status. Like a pearl set in the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, Shanghai is the showcase of China's fast growth and a bonanza of tourist attractions, business opportunities and cultural activities. Today's Shanghai is designed with the aim of letting more people all over the world have a better understanding of Shanghai, especially of its current developments.
The City Emblem

Design of the city emblem of Shanghai was approved by the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress in 1990. The triangle emblem consists of a white magnolia flower, a large junk and a propeller. The propeller symbolizes the continuous advancement of the city; the large junk, one of the oldest vessels plying Shanghai's harbour, represents the long history and bright future of the port; and the large junk is set against a white magnolia flower blossoming in the early spring.
The City Flower

In 1986, the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress passed a resolution adopting the white magnolia as the city flower. The white magnolia is among the few spring flowers in the Shanghai area. It is in full blossom in early spring and before the Clear and Bright Festival, which usually falls on April 5. The flower has large, white petals and its eye always looks towards the sky. Therefore, the flower symbolizes the pioneering and enterprising spirit of the city.

[muchbetter]

Huaiwei, your mailbox is full ,so i post reply here.
ok,I appreciate you give a suitable name for this thread. and i will load more pics and introduction day by day. hope you all give me a hand.thank you.

[RafflesCity]

Great job muchbetter!

[huaiwei]

Originally posted by muchbetter

Huaiwei, your mailbox is full ,so i post reply here.
ok,I appreciate you give a suitable name for this thread. and i will load more pics and introduction day by day. hope you all give me a hand.thank you.

whoops! Not that problem again! Im sorry!

I would like you to retain the privilege of naming this thread. Just make your suggestion here, and I will change it!

Finally, we arent too sure how you intend to go from here....(you didnt mention it publicly in this thread). You intend to showcase cities by cities randomly, or will they be arranged according to provinces? Alphabetical order? Or something else? Do tell us so that we can help out where needed!

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Tianjin (Municipality)
Tianjin, one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government in China, is located in the northeast of the North China Plain and is the closest seaport to Beijing. The city is one of the biggest industrial and port cities in China and it is also known as "the diamond of the Bohai Gulf". Tianjin covers an area of 11,000 square kilometers (4,200 square miles) and has a population in excess of 10 million people.
When to go :Tianjin lies in a temperate zone and it enjoys four distinct seasons a year. The average yearly temperature is only 13C with hot summers (in July the temperature can be higher than 26C) and freezing temperatures in January. The best periods to visit Tianjin are spring and autumn when pleasant temperatures can be expected.
History :Tianjin has a long and illustrious history, from an ordinary fishing village to the most important trade center in Northern China. Tianjin was considered to be one of China's most important military fortresses in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) due to its particular geographic location as access point to Beijing, the national capital. Its name "Tianjin" was graciously bestowed by the Emperor Zhudi in the early years of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Tianjin means "the place where the emperor crossed the river". In 1860, after the First Opium War, Tianjin was further expanded to become the second largest business and communications center in the country. By the end of the 19th century, it had grown into a bustling center for international commerce.
Tianjin's location in the middle of North China's gold coast was a natural setting to be developed as a trading port. Today Tianjin has China's largest container wharf and ships from every country of the world use its facilities. Major domestic and international airlines serve the coastal international airport. Tianjin also is a very important railway junction terminal for the two main lines: Tianjin to Shandong and Tianjin to Shanghai. A nice and relaxing way to travel along the gold coast is by train. You can obtain the train ticket from your hotel concierge. You can also rent a car and explore the city outskirts, still an almost unknown area to most foreign visitors.
What to see :Besides being a business and trade center, Tianjin is also a famous historic and cultural city. The principal sights are:
Huangyaguan Great Wall
Dagukou Emplacement
Dule Temple
Mt. Panshan
Haihe Park
Water Park
Central Line Scenic Area
Culture and Food Streets
The visitor can also enjoy the varied and beautiful architectures of the old concessionary areas where various objects and antiques can be found in the winding streets of the antique market.
Food in Tianjin is quite different from other regions in China. The famous Tianjin-style braised creamed cabbage (steamed stuffed buns called "goubuli") are definitely worth a try. Fish and seafood are also very common. In the Chinese custom, fish is brought live to your table before being prepared according to your taste in either a local or a more cosmopolitan style. A discussion with the waiter on how to cook the meal is one of the pleasures of eating in China.



Binhai new district of Tianjin

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Huaiwei, I have done 4 centrally administrative municipalities and 2 special administrative regions (SAR) and is doing 5 autonomous regions.
We still have 23 provinces left to do.
You can showcase cities with 2-4 good pictures reflecting skyline and classic architechture, or life convention or characteristics in different cities in each province. Random would be better for each province, yet many cities such as shenzhen, guangzhou, shantou, zhuhai which belong to guangdong province, had better been arranged in the same province, guangdong province. How do you think?

[huaiwei]

Sure. So you want us to post by provinces...one by one, or in a group of provinces? I tot maybe the Northeast (aka manchuria) is a natural grouping, but how about the rest?

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Chongqing (Municipality)
Chongqing is a modern city, with an ancient history spanning more than 3,000 years. It is the nation's fourth municipality after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. It encompasses within its borders, a great wealth of water reserves, mineral resources, dense forests and abundant flora and fauna. Being the focal point of the unique Yangtze Three Gorges tourist industry, Chongqing is a tourist attraction as well as being a commercial city.
Situated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River - at the confluence of Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, in Southwest China, Chongqing is a port city with the largest area and population in China. It has an area of 82,400 square kilometers (31, 800 square miles) and share borders with the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Shaanxi. Beside the Han people that forms the majority of its total population of 30.9 millions, there are numerous ethnic groups residing in Chongqing, such as Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Qiang, You and Tujia.
History: Since its discovery 3,000 years ago, Chongqing was originally called Jiangzhou, Yuzhou and thenGongzhou, before getting its present name nearly 800 years ago. From the Qin Dynasty (221BC~206BC) onwards, many dynasties have set up various administrative institutions there, which endowed the city with brilliant culture. Perched beside the "Golden River" of the Yangtze River, Chongqing is the symbol of Changjiang civilization and also the cradle of Bayu culture.
What to see :Chongqing attracts visitors from home and abroad for its cultural heritage and tourist attractions. The city is the starting point of the Yangtze River Cruise, which is expected to explore the wonderful scenery of the Three Gorges. Other attractions include Dazu Grottoes, carved during the ninth century, which are valuable works of art and not to be missed is the Gold Buddhist Mountain, reputed as a rich repository of diverse animals and plants; and there's the Fishing Town, which is one of the three ancient battlefields in China. Traveling in Chongqing, one will feel fortunate to be able to savor the delicious local food, such as Sichuan cuisine and the world-famous hot pot dishes. Also, the handicrafts made from bamboo have been enjoying great popularity among the visitors.
When to go :Chongqing's nickname as the "Fog City" or "Furnace" is no exaggeration. Annual average temperature is 18C to 20C, with the lowest temperature of 6 C in winter and the highest temperature of 38C in summer. One will enjoy a warm winter but a hot summer. Annual average rainfall is about 1000 (39.4 inches) to 1400 (55.12 inches) millimeter. Chongqing has plenty of night rain all year round. So the best time to visit Chongqing should be in spring, autumn and winter.

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HONG KONG(SAR)
As the Pearl of the Orient, Hong Kong is a popular tourist attraction besides being an important financial market of the world. Situated in the southeast corner of China and east of Pearl River's (Zhu Jiang) entrance, it connects with Shenzhen city in the north and occupies an area of 1,092 square kilometers (422 square miles). Hong Kong has a total population of 6.78 million, of which 96 percent is Chinese, and the rest are various nationalities. English and Chinese are the official languages in Hong Kong.
History: According to historical records, since the Song Dynasty (960 ~ 1279), people inhabiting small villages lived on the production of incense sticks, which were then shipped from a nearby port (called "gang"). Hence the village gained its name Xianggang, which became Hong Kong in English. In ancient time, Hong Kong belonged to Guangdong Province. After the Opium War in 1842, it was handed over to Great Britain as a colony. Upon Hong Kong's return back to China in 1997, it was made a Special Administrative Region. Thus, the policy of "one country, two systems" has been implemented from then on.
Located by the ocean, Hong Kong's climate is a sub-tropical. Both spring and autumn are sunny and comfortable, with the temperature is averaging at about 23C. Summer with an average temperature of 28C is sweltering and humid. Winter is dry and cool, with an average temperature of 17C. So in the summer and winter, Hong Kong is respectively neither, too hot or too cold. This makes Hong Kong a year round travel destination. Of course, ideally speaking, spring and autumn are the best time for a visit.
Hong Kong is geographically and administratively divided into three main regions: Hongkong Island, Kowloon and New Territories. Kowloon and New Territories border on Guangdong Province and the famous Victoria Bay is between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Hong Kong Island is the main island in Hongkong. The central part of Hong Kong Island is the business center, which is also an important venue for international trade and finance. Its towering skyscrapers and bustling activities give an impression of great wealth and prosperity. Boasting both eastern and western cultures, Hong Kong is both a shopper's and a tourist's paradise. Recommended attractions on this wonderful island are Ocean Park, with the longest pedestrian escalator in the world, which is the largest leisure theme park in southeast Asia; Victoria Peak, with the oldest Peak tram, which is the highest peak on this island and Hong Kong's most enduring tourist attraction; and the Hongkong Convention & Exhibition Center, with its grand architecture and luxurious decor.
Kowloon is the trading estate and residential area of Hong Kong, while Tsim Sha Tsui is the liveliest section in Kowloon. Shopping malls in Kowloon are numerous and this makes Hong Kong one of the top shopping destinations in the world. In Kowloon, the Star Ferry is very popular among tourists for a very inexpensive fare, and you can enjoy the magnificent panorama of Victoria Harbour on it. Besides, it runs regularly every few minutes and only takes about ten minutes of your time.
New Territories is the farm belt of Hong Kong. Most local residents and immigrants would rather live here than anywhere else, because it is located in a rural setting far away from the bustling business center. Here you can see the rapid growth of Hong Kong's new town, Sha Tin, and take in the sights of small farms, rustic countryside and pretty coastline on the Sai Kung Peninsula.
Hong Kong varies its offered experiences from the quieter and more relaxing that one finds by visiting its small fishing village to the more active day and night lives found in a metropolis. It is the entry gate to China in one direction and to the world in the other direction. At the beginning of the 90's, a bronze Buddha statue was built in Hong Kong. Standing at 34 meters in height and weighing 250 tons, it is the world's largest bronze Sakyamuni Buddha statue and one of Hong Kong's newest tourist attractions. In addition, Hong Kong is also home to famous film stars like Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fatt and Jet Li.
Maybe you have seen a lot and known much about Hong Kong from the silver screen. Why not come here to see this wonderland in person? A memorable time awaits you in Hong Kong.

[km-sh]

go on

[TYW]

Those are AMAZING!! thanks for the hard work, muchbetter. xie2 xie2

[muchbetter]

TYW, Bu ke qi ²»¿ÍÆø(you are welcome). Wo le ci bu pi ÎÒÀִ˲»Æ£(I am willing to do without feeling of tireness)¡£ Actually I never feel China has so many provinces until I do this tough work.

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Macau (SAR)
The area of Macau includes a small peninsula jutting off the southern edge of China as well as the nearby islands of Taipa and Coloane. Although it covers an area of only about 20 square kilometers (about 8 square miles), Macau has an ever-increasing population (currently of around 500,000) and a booming economy. This is an area with a fantastic mix of cultures. Its population is 95% Chinese while 5% is Portuguese and immigrants from other countries. The most common language is Cantonese although Mandarin, English, and Portuguese are spoken too.
Winters (January-March) in Macau are sunny but chilly. Summers (April-September) are hot, humid and host to the occasional typhoon. The sunny but low humidity days of autumn (October-December) are the best time to visit Macau. Annual temperatures average just over 20 degrees C. The temperature, coupled with high humidity averaging between 73% and 90%, result in an average annual rainfall of 40 and 80 inches.
From Hong Kong you can reach Macau by jetfoil, which makes the area a popular day-trip destination. Many of the area's historic attractions are concentrated towards the centre of the peninsula, but the city's unique cultural atmosphere exists throughout. This atmosphere has been created by the area's special ability to blend the European and Oriental cultures of its citizens. The Ruins of St Paul's is the symbol of Macau, and Monte Fort overlooks most of Macau from its high vantage point and central position. The three ancient temples in Macau are the A-ma Temple with a history of over 500 years, the most famous and impressive Kun Iam Temple, and one of the finest temples in Macau - Lin Fung Temple. The financial success of the region is due largely to the influx of tourists who come here to visit and to play in Macau's most famous sites - the Casinos. There are many types of gambling waiting to be played, such as horseracing and dog racing. The largest and most famous casino in Macau is situated within the Lisboa Hotel and the atmosphere here at night is exciting. If you come for the gambling, Macau may seem like paradise. Macau is also a free port, pursuing a low tax policy.
Tourists can completely relax by wandering along the Portuguese-named streets, lingering on the clean beaches or sight seeing among the rows upon rows of European-style buildings. Macau has a little bit of culture for everyone. For historical culture there are amazing churches and museums, and for local culture the beaches, attractions and nightlife are like no other city in the world.

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Four Autonomous Regions: | Guangxi | Inner Mongolia | Ningxia | Tibet (Xizang) | Xinjiang

1. Tibet(xizang) Autonomous Region
Tibet is located in the southwest of China. It formally belonged to the domain of the Yuan Dynasty in the mid - thirteenth century. Although China has undertaken changes and replacements of dynasties and central governments in Chinese history, Tibet has always been under the controll by the central government and been an inseparable part of China.
To the north of the Himalayas within the Chinese borders, there lies a vast land of tranquility and vigour, This is the Tibet Autono- mous Region of China, Here there are snowcapped mountains deep acre highland lakes dense forests rare birds and animals peculiar to the highlands, Tibet covers an area of 1 .2 million square kilometers and has a population of 2.32 million, of whom 95 percent are Tibetans, It is the highest plateau in the world, with an average elevation of 4,000 me- tres above sea level, Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet, is the holy city of Tibetan Buddhism and the Potala Palace is its sacred palace, Every year hundreds of thousands of Buddhists come to worship here.
Today is an era of information with jet aircrafts, highways and network of computers as its symbols. Mysterious places are rare to be found in the world, but Tibet is an exception.Because of its geographical position , unique topography and terrain ; unknown but existent original customs and natural scenery ; and various propagandas brought back by foreign explorers, all these render people possible to form a mysterious picture of Tibet.
Transportation in Tibet has changed a lot through out this century. From the time Mr. Sven Hedin entered Tibet at the first half of the century, there was not even one mile of road or one truck, and the transportation was based on man's labour and stock. Yak conveyance from Lhas to Yaan was only once a year. After 1 950 when slavery was eliminated, four distinct roads from Sichuan, Qinghai , Xingjiang and Yunnan to Tibet were built through great difficulties. And at the same time inside this autonomous zone, road nets formed centred Lhasa, Gzhis - ka - rtse, Chabmdo and Nagqu, which extended to 98 percent of the counties. Railway from Qinghai to Tibet was built at this time. Skin raft and wooden boat could pass through the Yarlung Zangbo River, Lhasa River, Nianchu River and Niyang River. In 1956 , airmen succeeded in their first aerial navigation above the Qingzang plateau which ever meant the ''forbidden area '' . Now there are regular flights flying to and fro between Lhasa and many cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing and Kathmandu Of Nepal.
The Tibetan people are very faithful: Their oldest religion is Bon, after that the Buddhism has been spread. Nowadays, most of the people in Tibet are Lamaists. This religion is a blend of the Bon and the Buddhism. Religion is almost the most important thing in the life of the Tibetan people.

The Potala Palace
Although it was first constructed in the 7th century, the Potala Palace was almost totally destroyed by fire in a thunderstorm. During the rule of the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century, large-scale reconstruction began on the original site. Renovation of sorts was carried out by several of the succfessive Dalai Lamas and sponsors of central government. The present architectural group covers 41 hectares of land and consists chiefly of the 13 storeyed, 117 meter tall red and white palaces, towering over the city of Lhasa from a mountain top.
No matter how many times you visit Lhasa, this magical palace never fails to live up to its reputation and spurs your imagination.

Lhasa, capital of Tibet


Nam_Tso ----------the holy lake of Tibet
Tarchoks prayerflags scattered around at the shore of a white frozen Namtso Lake against a backdrop of snowmountains .

Beijing road in Lhasa

Tibetan herdsman residence

Tibetans are good at dancing and singing.

Tibetans

Whoa, this is like an entire encyclopedia full of information!

As an immigrant from China (at an early age) I realize that I have much to learn about my native country for sure, so thanks for making this thread a resource!

[huaiwei]

You are welcome....kudos to muchbetter in particular for all the work!

If you guys have not noticed, I am adding the links to the particular places into the first post...I did a few for Beijing as a trail....I wonder if its a good idea? If so, I will try to add everything!

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Delete if you want mod.

[muchbetter]

2.Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Yinchuan, Capital of Ningxia

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region[ning´shyA´ hwE] Pronunciation Key, autonomous region (1994 est. pop. 5,030,000), c.25,600 sq mi (66,321 sq km), N China. The capital is Yinchuan. Ningxia is part of the Inner Mongolian plateau, and desert and grazing land make up most of the area. Extensive land reclamation and irrigation projects, however, have increased cultivation, pushing the nomadic herders north or forcing them to change their lifestyles. The northern section, through which the Huang He (Yellow River) flows, is the best agricultural land. Wheat, sorghum, rice, beans, fruit, and vegetables are grown. Wools, furs, hides, and rugs are exported, and there is some coal mining. Desert lakes yield salt and soda. The chief cities : Yinquan, Wuzhong, and Shicui shan : are all on the Huang He. Other towns are merely stations on the camel caravan routes, which are still important avenues of trade. One railroad, linking Lanzhou with Baotou, crosses the region. A highway has been built across the Huang He at Yingchuan. The Chinese population is by far the largest; other ethnic groups include the Hui, Mongols, Tibetans, and Manchus. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in 1954 but was detached and reconstituted as an autonomous region for the Hui people in 1958. In 1969, Ningxia received a part of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, but this area was returned in 1979. Ningxia Univ. is in Yingchuan. The name sometimes appears as Ninghsia Hui.
Yinchuan
Yinchuan is capital of the Hui Autonomous Region of Ningxia.Of the around 4 million people that presently reside in Ningxia, a third are composed of the Muslim Hui Minority, and 930,000 of the total live in the city of Yinchuan. Historically this city came to fame in the Western Xia Period (1038-1237 AD), when the founder of the kingdom, Li Yuanhao, established the city as his capital. The city is a pleasant area, with many green areas and a vibrant atmosphere, originally chosen because it was well protected by the Helan Mountain Range (Helan shan) to the north and well supplied by the Yellow River to the southeast.
Street scenary



Nanguan MOSQUE

Yinchuan xiguan mosque

Hui women

Little Huis are studying Alcoran.

Wuzhong city