The Orient - China - Country Information

Discover the romance of China including the fabulous Forbidden City of the Chinese Emperors in Beijing, the astonishing army of 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors in Xian, and a memorable 4 day cruise through the spectacular gorges of the Yangtze River.

Explore the scenic Yunnan Province on the borders of Burma and Indo-China, home to the colourful Dai peoples, or sample the internationally-renowned cuisine of Szechwan Province bordering Tibet.

Key Facts
Full Country Name	People's Republic of China
Area	9,571,300 sq km
Population	Over 1 billion
Capital	Beijing
Time Difference	GMT +8
Visa	Visa is required. For visa application form click here
Currency	Yuan
People	The principal ethnic majority are the Han Chinese who account for 92% of the population. The remaining 8% include Chuang, Hui, Uigur, Yi, Miao, Mangchu, Tibetans, Mongols, Ruyi and Koreans. Also other numerous lesser nationalities account for 67 Million, of which there are 55 ethnic groups.
Language	Cantonese, Mandarin
Dialling Code	+86
Electricity	220V in majority of China

Visas:

A visa is required to visit China but not for Hong Kong. A full 10 year passport is required and must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of departure from either China or Hong Kong with at least two completely unused pages. If your passport is not valid for six months it is necessary to obtain a new one. For visa application form click here

 

IF YOU ARE VISITING OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL AS CHINA ON YOUR ITINERARY (FOR EXAMPLE MONGOLIA) AND RETURNING TO CHINA THEREAFTER, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU OBTAIN A MULTIPLE ENTRY CHINESE VISA.

For visa application form for China and Mongolia click here

Health risks:

Hepatitis A & B, Japanese encephalitis, Malaria, Typhoid.

When to Go:

Covering an area greater than continental Europe, China is the largest country in the world.  In a country as large and topographically varied as China, the climate differs considerably between north and south and seasonal temperatures vary greatly.  In general, although rain and high humidity characterise the summer months, the length of the rainy season and the amount of rainfall is much greater south of the Yangtze River. Winters are dry with little precipitation particularly in the north and northeast where it is also very cold.

 

In the north and central China, spring is short with clear skies and some rain, as well as hazy conditions or occasional cold, dust-laden winds.  Summer (May onwards) is hot and fairly wet but autumn (from mid August) is generally warm and pleasant.  Winters are very cold, and this cold weather can sometimes start as early as October so it is worth taking some warmer clothes if travelling at this time in case you encounter a cold spell.

 

In southeast China, spring and autumn are generally mild and pleasant with some rain.  Summers, however, are very hot and humid with frequent tropical downpours particularly in June and July.  In Shanghai temperatures in July and August can be very hot. South China has a tropical climate - mild winters with hot humid summers and rain most of the year.