Language: Chinese Mandarin
Currency: Chinese Yuan (CNY)
Calling Code: +86
The People's Republic of China, commonly known as
China, is a country located in East Asia. With a population of over
1.4 billion (in 2020), China is the second most populous country in
the world and the third largest in terms of total land area.
According to its socialist constitution, the People's Republic of
China is "under the democratic dictatorship of the people," but from
the beginning it has been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
in an authoritarian to totalitarian manner. It has been accused of
serious human rights violations this day.
Mao Zedong
overthrew the Republic of China in the Chinese Civil War, and the
People's Republic was proclaimed on October 1, 1949. It is estimated
that 45 million people died in the famine caused by Mao's "Great
Leap Forward" (1958-1961), and another 20 million died in the
Cultural Revolution that followed, beginning in 1966. Only after
Mao's death and the beginning of the end of Maoism in China did
China develop into an economic and technological superpower, based
on a prudent reform and opening-up policy since 1978; since 2016,
the World Bank has classified the country as one of the upper-middle
income countries. On average, China's economic power grew by 8.9%
annually from 2000 to 2019. In addition to doubling China's share of
world trade, its gross domestic product grew six-fold during this
period, making China the world's second largest economy by the end
of this period. However, since the "outstanding leader" Xi Jinping
came to power in 2012, the People's Republic of China has regressed
again in terms of social and economic freedoms and has become more
aggressive ideologically and internationally, according to the
report.
The People's Republic of China is one of the official
nuclear powers, one of the five official victors of World War II, a
permanent member of the World Security Council, and a member of the
BRICS, UNESCO, World Trade Organization, World Bank, APEC ,
International Criminal Police Organization, and G-20.
Here is a selection of the most important and
well-known cities.
1 Chengdu – The capital of Sichuan is also
called the city without a sky because the sun is rarely seen there. The
climate is humid and warm. The city lures with its traditional
Sichuanese cuisine and its special charm - but you should bring some
knowledge of Mandarin with you, as only a few people speak English
there.
2 Chongqing - The largest city in the world - Chongqing
(pronounced "dschong-dschin", approx. 32 million inhabitants) - has the
flair of a French satellite town. If you arrive at night, it can happen
that you find the city bearable, blinded by the neon signs that are
everywhere. A stay in this city is only worthwhile by visiting the
nearby Three Gorges, which have now also fallen victim to a dam and are
more similar to the three great rivers. Even if the city's high-rise
backdrop is impressive, the title "biggest city in the world" is a bit
of misnomer. In fact, the 32 million inhabitants are spread over an area
the size of Belgium. The core city has about 6 million inhabitants. Due
to the river there is regularly a foggy haze over the city, in summer
with temperatures above 40 degrees the city is also called the fire pot.
3 Guangzhou – The former canton has developed into an important trading
metropolis as part of the boom in the Pearl River Delta. In terms of
tourism, it mainly offers a contrast to the nearby special
administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
4 Nanjing – Nanjing
(often Nanking in German) - which literally means "southern capital" -
was the country's capital during the times of the Chinese Republic and
is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in China. Beautiful
temples and parks attract visitors to the metropolis on the Yangtse.
However, you should refrain from visiting in the summer months - Nanjing
is one of the four hottest cities in China.
5
Beijing – The capital of the People's
Republic of China attracts with the Imperial Palace, also known as the
Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, countless street markets, an active
nightlife and a short distance from the Great Wall.
6 Qingdao – The
former German colony has blossomed into a popular tourist destination in
recent years. In addition to holidays on the sandy beach, mountain trips
to the adjacent Laoshan Mountains, where Taoism is at home, are also
possible. Here you can visit a 2400 year old Taoist temple.
7
Shanghai – Along with Beijing and Xi'an, Shanghai is the tourist
must-see in China. Compared to Beijing, there are no major tourist
attractions (important destinations include the river promenade "The
Bund", the Yu Garden and the Jin An Temple), but the city's high-rise
landscape is extremely impressive. The future being built in Shanghai 24
hours a day turns the megalopolis into a single attraction. In addition,
Shanghai is the shopping city par excellence in China. Xujiahui and
Nanjing Road are just a few of the shopping spots in this metropolis of
millions. If you want to holiday in Shanghai, you can also travel to
some interesting suburbs, out of the high-rise landscape and into the
idyll.
8 Shenzhen – Shenzhen was created as a special economic zone
around the former colony of Hong Kong and has experienced a huge
economic boom over the past 20 years, with no end in sight.
9 Suzhou
– A smaller metropolis about 100km west of Shanghai is Suzhou
(pronounced Su-dscho). The listing of the entire downtown of Suzhou as a
Unesco World Heritage Site should speak for itself. Suzhou was and is
the center of silk production in China. Located at the intersection
between the Imperial Canal and the Yangtze River, it owes its economic
upswing not only to its convenient location, but above all to the
Chinese government's silk monopoly up until the 19th century.
10
Wenzhou – Wenzhou is a small, sleepy metropolis in the south of
Zhejiang. Anyone who misses narrow shopping streets and Chinese smells
in Beijing and Shanghai will get their money's worth here. The parks of
the city are also very beautiful and invite the residents to make music
and the tourists to linger. Since Wenzhou has a subtropical climate, a
visit is advisable, especially in the winter months.
11 Wuhan – Wuhan
is the capital of Hubei Province. Wuhan is considered a smoldering oven,
and it gets quite hot in the summer months. On the other hand, in the
cloudy winter months, the temperatures only reach values around the
freezing point. A well-known attraction is the Yellow Crane Pagoda,
which should not be visited around the New Year festival.
12 Lhasa
– Lhasa is the capital of the autonomous province of Tibet. It is famous
for the Potala, the residence of the Dalai Lama. In addition to the
Potala, the Jokhang Monastery and the Norbulingka Palace (the
traditional summer residence of the Dalai Lama) are also UNESCO World
Heritage Sites.
13 Hong Kong
14 Macao
Summer Palace contains spacious park, residential buildings, temples and many pavilions that lie on the shores of the artificial lake.
Ancient Great Wall is probably the most famous site China was constructed the country from the Northern nomadic tribes.
Hanging Temple is a religious complex perched on a side of a mountain in Shanxi province of China.
Qin I mausoleum is famous for a huge Terracotta Army buried with the Emperor Quin I.
Ming Dynasty Tombs Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty are located 30 mi (45 km) Northwest of Bejing in China.
Putuo Zongcheng Temple is a Buddhist religious complex situated in a Hebei Province in China. Its construction began during Qing Dynasty.
Yungang Grottoes is a massive religious complex carved from a side of a mountain.
Huangshan Mountains are located in Anhui province these mountains started their unique formation 100 million years ago.
Wulingyuan Mountains are located in Hunan Province has some of the most amazing geological formations.
Guilin Hills are picturesque geological formations on a shores of beautiful rivers.
Picturesque Jiuzhaigou Valley lies in Sichuan Province of China.
Medieval Jiayuguan Castle is a beatiful fort with its unique Chinese architecture.
Gyantse Castle is a medieval citadel situated in Gyantse, Xigazê Prefecture in China. It was constructed in 1390.
A single-entry, 30-day tourist visa costs more than 100 euros,
including the requisite service fee (as of November 2019). In Austria
and Switzerland, contact the embassy or consulate. Visas are not issued
at airports or borders. For tourist visas, a passport with at least 6
months remaining validity is required, and a child ID card or child
passport is required for children. You will also need to present written
confirmation of your airline ticket or lodging reservation. In addition,
if you have visited African countries several times, you will need to
present a medical certificate from your doctor. It is recommended that
visas be applied for at least one month prior to departure. Most visas
are valid for 3 months, so do not apply too early. All arriving
foreigners will be fingerprinted.
If you are visiting Hong Kong
or Macau before heading to China, you will need a multiple visa. Single
visas are not valid for entry across the border into Hong Kong or Macau
SAR. Alternatively, you must apply for a new visa in Hong Kong or Macau.
Under no circumstances you may enter the country beyond the period
of stay permitted by your visa. In this case, a hefty fine, calculated
according to the number of excess days, will be imposed. Departure from
the country is only possible after payment and issuance of a new visa.
Entry into the Tibet Autonomous Region is only possible with a
special permit.
Foreigners wishing to stay in one place for more
than 24 hours must notify the local police. If you are staying at a
hotel, please make a copy of your passport at the hotel, as it will be
automatically accepted by the hotel. If you are staying with an
individual, you must notify your host family. If you are studying
abroad, you must report to the police yourself. It is best to go with a
Chinese friend. If you are an international student living on campus and
not living in a formal dormitory, the police may require you to present
a Chinese rental agreement. However, the Chinese rental agreement only
needs to include the amount of rent, the names of the tenant and the
landlord, the length of the lease, the location of the apartment, and
the signatures of the tenant and the landlord. The cooperation of
Chinese friends or Chinese friends from college is valuable.
Visa-free short stay (transit) Citizens of 51 countries, including all
Schengen countries, may enter China for 72 hours without a visa if they
present a confirmed onward flight when entering certain airports. Except
upon arrival in Beijing (Beijing Shoudu Guoji Jichang, PEK), a permit
can be obtained locally, but must be applied for through the airline.
Departure from any airport other than the airport of entry is not
permitted. Applicable to flights via Shanghai* (all airports),
Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang, Dalian, Harbin, Xian, Guilin,
Kunming, Hangzhou* (HGH), Wuhan, Tianjin, Qingdao, Nanjing* (NKG ),
Changsha and Xiamen , except Beijing (for locations marked *, maximum
stay has been increased to 144 hours effective January 30, 2016). The
aforementioned registration obligations also apply to these stays. Even
short-term overdrafts require consultation with the authorities.
Most Europeans visiting China do so by air. There are direct flights
from Europe to many Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai,
Guangzhou, Nanjing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Qingdao, Shenyang, and Hong Kong.
All other major Chinese cities can be reached by transfer. If you plan
ahead and look for it, you can get a ticket for less than 600 euros (as
of November 2015). The difference in quality between European and
Chinese airlines is now negligible.
When departing from Europe
and transferring to a domestic flight at a Chinese airport, baggage must
either be checked in at the destination airport or checked through
customs at the connecting airport and checked in again. Until recently,
it was not possible to check through to the final airport. The cost of
an outbound flight by Eurowings from Germany to Bangkok, Thailand,
ranges from 200 to 300 euros, depending on how quickly you book. There
are often very inexpensive flights from Bangkok to East Asian countries
such as China and Southeast Asia such as Singapore (as of February
2017).
Safety regulations that apply internationally also apply
in China and to domestic flights.
Beijing is a terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway. You can also enter the territory of the People's Republic of China by train from Hong Kong, Vietnam and North Korea. The border control takes place either at the destination station, or you have to leave the train for the formalities.
Several of China's neighbors, especially in Southeast Asia, offer
international bus service to Chinese cities. It is also possible to take
a bus directly from Hong Kong or Macau to certain cities on the Chinese
side. Due to border control, it is usually necessary to leave the
vehicle. Some connections are not available to foreigners.
Entering China with your own car or motorcycle can be difficult and
quite expensive. Chinese license plates and a driver's license are
required. In addition, you will need a guide (supervisor). For
motorcycles, a vehicle must be added. As a result, the cost of a stay
can quickly reach thousands of euros (e.g., 3,100 euros for a five-day
stay in Xinjiang with four motorcycles, entering the Torgat Pass via
Kashgar and leaving from Aksu to Kazakhstan via Cholga).
The
Beijing Traffic Management Bureau offers relatively good information.
Detailed information is available in English and Chinese.
Entering the country by bicycle is relatively easy. Although the car is
replacing the automobile as the primary mode of transportation in China
in the past, it is still widely used.
There are several ferry connections to coastal cities in the People's Republic of China from Hong Kong and Macau. Information and tickets are available at the respective ferry terminals. The exit formalities take place before boarding the ship, the entry formalities after leaving the ship on the Chinese side.
Flying has been booming in China for about a decade. Most major
cities in China have airports, often newly built and generously sized.
The number of connecting flights is also increasing rapidly. Numerous
Chinese airlines own aircraft, most of which have recently been procured
from Western countries. Therefore, flight safety in China is no less
than in Europe.
Tickets for domestic flights are the same
regardless of the airline. However, discounts are often available
depending on availability. For this reason, it is recommended that
tickets be booked locally or through a Chinese booking portal (ctrip.com
is the largest). Abroad, domestic flights in China are usually much more
expensive.
Airports in Chinese cities are often located in the
suburbs, and transportation is not always convenient. Delays and
cancellations are not uncommon. Therefore, when planning a trip, one
should always check whether the same route could be traveled more
comfortably by high-speed rail.
Those wishing to fly from China
to Hong Kong or Macau should be aware that these flights are
international. It is usually much cheaper to fly to Shenzhen or Zhuhai
and then cross the border overland from there. International flights
originating in China are usually considerably more expensive than
international flights.
China has been building a high-speed rail network since 2006, which
is already the longest line in the world. The rolling stock on the
high-speed lines is made in China but incorporates European and Japanese
technology. Along with the new lines, huge new stations have appeared,
making high-speed rail travel very relaxing. On many routes, trains have
become a cheaper and better alternative to flying.
Away from the
high-speed rail network, there is a network of conventional lines, with
trains of various categories and equipment. These either connect areas
where high-speed rail has not yet penetrated, or they serve a clientele
for whom high-speed rail is not readily available.
Train
categories are identified by number. The following categories are
available:
Bullet trains are numbered G (高速 gāosù) or C (城际chéngjì).
They run between major cities at speeds of up to 300 km/h and make only
a few or no stops, depending on the number.
D (动车 dòngchē) is a train
with a maximum speed of 200 km/h and is similar in comfort to G and C.
There are also night trains with sleeping cars.
Z (直达 zhídá) are
direct trains that connect major cities and have no intermediate stops.
These are often night trains with more comfortable and modern rolling
stock. They are very comfortable and usually a cheaper alternative to
long trips on high-speed trains.
Until a few years ago, express
trains were the best that China Railway could offer. Many of these
trains have been replaced by high-speed trains and are now seen as
inexpensive alternatives to high-speed trains and on secondary routes.
These trains are slower than Z trains, stop more frequently, and have
older rolling stock.
Trains beginning with K (快速 kuàisù) are slower
and older than trains beginning with T.
Trains without letters are
the slowest and oldest. They are preferred by migrant workers because
they are the cheapest way to travel. Many of these trains run off the
main transportation routes and are rarely seen by tourists.
Few
trains begin with other letters (regional or special trains).
High-speed trains have two or three compartment classes:
Hard seat
(2nd class) means 2:3 seating in non-adjustable seats. It is slightly
narrower than 2nd class in Europe.
Soft Seat (软座) or First Class is
2:2 seating with adjustable seating. It is almost the same as first
class in Europe. Recommended for fat foreigners. For more cultured
travelers. Some trains still offer business class (商务座).
Standing
tickets are not sold.
On conventional trains.
Soft lie (软卧) in
four-person compartments.
Hard seat (硬卧), a six-person compartment,
similar to European couchette cars, but without compartment doors.
Soft seat (软座), equivalent to European first class.
Hard seats (硬座),
comparable to European second class cars, but depending on the age of
the vehicle. However, on trains for migrant workers, 3:3 bench seats
with backrests built at a 90-degree angle and minimal seat size and
padding can also be found.
Free seating (无座) usually means standing
room. Such tickets are sold on an unlimited basis and may be long
distance. Prices are the same as for hard-seat cards. Before and after
national holidays, tourists must travel long distances without a seat,
which can be embarrassing.
Riding long distances in a hard seat
compartment is a good way to get in touch with the average Chinese
person. If you have time to spare, give it a try. Fellow travelers will
turn out to be loud, friendly, and outgoing, and you will soon be
sharing food, looking at pictures on your cell phone, and playing cards
- even if you speak little Chinese.
Tickets can be bought at
train stations or at ticket offices scattered throughout the town. All
tickets are for personal use, so you will need to show your passport
when buying a ticket. Ticket sales usually begin 20 days before the
train departs. When demand is low, one can go to the station and get a
ticket for the next train, but during summer vacation and around
national holidays, one risks long waits and standing room only travel
afterwards. All tickets are valid only for specific trains on specific
dates, so it is highly recommended that you find out the number of your
desired train and stick to that train when making your purchase.
Otherwise, you risk arriving at your destination at an impossible time.
Sales staff usually speak only Chinese, so those who do not speak
Chinese should either get help from a native speaker or write down the
necessary data. Do not expect advice at the counter. If you need help,
you should go to a travel agent or a friendly citizen.
China
Railway Internet Ticket Sales (12306.cn) is only available to those with
a Chinese ID card. However, even foreigners can check departure and
arrival times, train numbers, ticket prices, and seat availability. In
the future, China Railways plans to do away with printed tickets.
Most cities in China have multiple train stations. The correct
station is indicated on the ticket and under no circumstances should it
go to another station. You may only enter the main hall of a Chinese
train station with a valid ticket. Your luggage will be X-rayed at the
station entrance, and your ticket and corresponding identification card
will be checked. You wait for the train in your own waiting room and can
only enter the platform shortly before the train departs. Due to these
procedures and the size of the building, it is advisable to be at the
station at least 20 minutes before the train departs. Tickets can be
checked during the journey, but in any case one cannot leave the station
without a ticket at the destination station. During the trip, food and
drinks can be bought according to Chinese preferences. Train punctuality
is surprisingly high considering the long distances involved. Toilet
sanitation varies by train category and worsens during long journeys.
Bring your own paper and soap.
Example costs (as of January
2019): to travel from Beijing to Xi'an, 1212 km by high-speed train
(4.5-6 hours; hard seat ¥515, soft seat ¥825, business ¥1627; 12 trains
per day) or night train (11.5-14. (5 hours, ¥156 (hard seat), ¥268 (hard
lying), ¥422 (soft lying), 8 daily). If you simply ask for a
Beijing-Xi'an ticket at the counter, you risk being booked on Z151
(arriving at Xi'an at 03:23). So you should stick to Z19 (Beijing-Xi'an
nonstop, arriving at 08:00 am). Those who like long train rides can take
an overnight train from Beijing to Kunming (4 trains a day, 34-44 hours,
seat reservation ¥302, seat reservation ¥513, seat reservation ¥814).
From Shanghai to Beijing, it takes 4 hours and 24 minutes by China
National Railways' racecourse, G2 or G4 trains (¥554 for a hard seat,
average speed 290 km/h). If you want to interact with the common people
in a sustainable way, you can choose train 1462, which costs 156 yen and
travels in 22 hours at an average speed of 59 km/h.
Departure
times and delays: In contrast to delays that are common in Germany, they
are very rare in China. In China, trains even depart too early. In fact,
if you arrive at the platform three minutes before departure and it is
still three minutes before departure, it is possible that a train
official will not let you on the train to avoid a delay. In some cases,
however, you may be able to persuade the officials to let you board the
train.
Intercity buses are a popular mode of transportation in China,
replacing airplanes and railroads. They also provide almost all
connections between major cities. In some areas, buses are the only way
to get around. Bus travel is less expensive, especially in remote areas,
but the vehicles can have technical problems and the trip is
correspondingly less comfortable. Sleeper buses are also available on
long-distance routes. In most cases, tickets can be obtained directly
before departure as there are enough places available. Buses are an
alternative when trains are full. Every city has several bus terminals,
so you will need to ask for the correct one. English is not spoken at
the bus terminals, so you will need to be able to say your destination
in Chinese or write it down. Buses usually travel between two cities,
and the two cities are prominently displayed in the front window of the
bus.
For long distances, buses are the most unsafe mode of
transportation. Although armed robberies on intercity buses have become
very rare, horrific traffic accidents with fatalities are televised
daily on Chinese television. Accidents, traffic jams, and road closures
can cause travel times to exceed the allotted time. If in doubt, trains
or airplanes are preferable.
Several cities have opened subway systems in recent years, and the
subway systems in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are among the largest
in the world. The system works the same throughout China: a ticket
(plastic chip or card) is purchased from a machine. With this ticket,
you pass through a barrier gate to the platform. When exiting the subway
area, the same ticket is used to pass through the barrier. Subway
tickets are very inexpensive, starting at ¥2, and you can travel all
over Shanghai for ¥10. If you plan to stay in a city for a long time,
getting a value card will save you the trouble of buying tickets
frequently. In some cities, you can also use a cell phone app to cross
the barrier.
Be prepared for heavy crowding on platforms, cars,
and especially at transfer stations, especially during rush hour.
Passengers' luggage is scanned at all subway stations, so congestion and
delays are common here as well. It is important to plan enough time and
be careful with valuables.
Cabs are a very popular and widespread mode of transportation in
China. They are considerably cheaper than in Europe, usually costing
only a few euros for a long trip. Cabs in major cities are metered. Most
drivers are honest and will turn on the cab meter without special
request. Sometimes a penny or two is added as a fuel surcharge. As in
any travel country, it makes sense to check cab fares on the Internet
beforehand to avoid getting ripped off. In China, however, this is often
not a problem. As a rule, empty cabs should be stopped with a hand
signal. At certain times of the day, such as b. when the driver is
changing shifts, when it is raining suddenly, or during major events, it
can be difficult or impossible to get a cab. In this case, make a
reservation (negotiate!) in advance. or use the subway, bus, or private
car. It is also possible to charter a cab for the day, for example to
visit tourist attractions outside of the cities, but this requires
negotiating with the driver. In small towns in rural areas, expect to
pay 500-600 yen per day.
Cab drivers rarely speak English, and
international terms such as "airport" are often not understood. Drivers
may refuse to take a ride because of difficulty communicating with
foreigners, too short a distance, a shift change, or traffic congestion.
In any case, it is necessary to be able to say the destination in
Chinese or write it down in Chinese. Under certain circumstances (e.g.,
high prices or fuel shortages), all drivers consistently refuse to use
cab meters, forcing you to negotiate. Many cities also have unlicensed
drivers ("black cabs"). The only people who feel comfortable riding in a
black cab are those who are fluent in Chinese and know the way to their
destination. Otherwise, there is a risk of fraud and robbery, which as a
foreigner, I would avoid if possible. Cab drivers do not expect tips and
will usually round up or down to the nearest yuan and give you change
without hesitation.
The cab industry is also going digital in
China. The most popular cab app today is called DiDi, which acquired
Uber China in 2016. As a rule, after ordering cab service, the driver
will call you and agree on the exact point of departure. Nevertheless,
it is worth installing this app before traveling to China. Various cab
apps, such as Didi Dache (滴滴打车) and Kuaidi Dache (快的打车), also make it
easy to pay with payment apps such as Wechat. These cabs are even
cheaper than regular cabs and often have more comfortable and
significantly nicer cars. Often you can pay directly through the cab
app. Setting up and ordering a cab requires some knowledge of Chinese or
the help of a Chinese friend. But you should use these apps, especially
if you are staying for an extended period of time.
All Chinese cities have extensive urban bus systems. However, the
route maps, stops, and destination signs are usually only in Chinese,
making them of little use to tourists. City buses are also the slowest
mode of transportation in the city. Nevertheless, as a tourist, you may
still rely on buses, especially if there are no cabs available.
Fares are very inexpensive (between one and two yen to get around the
city), and fares are usually put into a designated box with the driver.
Discounts are available if you pay with a prepaid card.
The bicycle, which shaped China's urban image until the 1980s, has
all but disappeared and is gradually making its way onto the streets.
Any visitor to China will be struck by the large number of fellow
cyclists lined up on the side of the road. The Chinese use their bikes
as sports equipment in the park or as transportation to the nearest
subway station. Sometimes demonic air pollution, the recklessness of
other road users, and bike paths and side streets often blocked by cars
make cycling unattractive. This is also true for tourists, with only a
few exceptions.
Few places in China are suitable for exploring on
foot. Walking in Chinese cities means slaloming around cars parked on
sidewalks, streetlights, and broken manhole covers. Add to this the
noise, air pollution, long distances, and summer heat, and walking can
be very tiring.
Users of GPS devices should be aware that in
China, due to government manipulation, the numbers displayed generally
deviate from actual conditions. In sensitive border areas, errors can
range from 200 to 600 meters!
Mandarin is the standard Chinese language. Cantonese is spoken in
Hong Kong and the neighboring province of Guangdong. Macau also has its
own dialect, as do most provinces south of Shanghai. However, the
spelling is the same everywhere except in Taiwan and parts of Hong Kong.
In Taiwan and parts of Hong Kong, it is spelled "Traditional Chinese";
on the mainland, it is spelled "Simplified Chinese. Because of the
strong dialects, it has actually happened that Chinese people in the
north and south have to communicate in foreign languages.
Chinese
has many homonyms, i.e., words that have the same pronunciation but
several meanings. Chinese people can tell what a word means from its
context. Chinese characters consist of tens of thousands of pictographs,
many of which are names. Students leave school with a knowledge of about
3,500 Chinese characters, but eventually they will have about 5,000. To
be able to read some newspapers, 3,000 characters would be enough.
Grammar, however, is much simpler. There are no cases or articles. On
the contrary, Chinese people routinely despair over why they are called
girls, despite the fact that they are women. Translated into Chinese, it
means "I beat you" or "you beat me. After a few years in China, there
are many foreigners who cannot read characters, even though they can
speak quite well. Chinese, on the other hand, have considerable
difficulty pronouncing the letter R. The trick is to gargle for weeks
and learn the R on your own.
Those who do not speak Chinese will
face major problems in some areas of the country. English is usually
spoken in hotels and restaurants along the standard tourist routes, and
you can get help buying train tickets and excursions, but you will have
to be very patient in other areas. Chinese learn English in school, but
the exam is written. This causes the phenomenon that it is difficult to
find someone who speaks English, but even in places far from the main
tourist attractions, business is written above the entrance to almost
all stores in English as well as Chinese.
English is usually not
a problem at hotel receptions, but other hotel employees often only
understand important phrases, e.g., name price. Ticket vending
machines at public subway stations can be operated in English and are
easy to use. In tourist areas, ticket booths are almost everywhere, and
English is quite understandable here. Those who use buses need to know
how to get on the bus. This is also true for cab drivers; there is no
need to call out your name or globally known keywords such as "airport"
or "train station. Street vendors in tourist areas usually speak English
to the extent that they can negotiate prices. Most English is perfect
for traffickers trying to get tourists into overpriced bars (see
security).
It is definitely worth taking important words in
Chinese characters or having your hotel or tour guide write them down
for you, for example. However, there is no guarantee that if you show
them the sign at the bus terminal, they will also tell you how to get
there. Nevertheless, China is a country that is undergoing a great deal
of change, and it is possible that in a few years it will be much
easier. There is a clear westernization throughout China.
There
is one advantage for Western travelers. Arabic numerals are the only
numerals in use in China today. Chinese numerals have their own numbers,
but because of the complexity of the system, they are only used in
bookkeeping. Otherwise, all numbers such as B, for example, would be
displayed in the numbers we know, 0 through 9.
In China, the
standard greeting that can be used at any time of the day or night is ni
hao, which is the German equivalent of guten tark, literally meaning
"how are you?" However, since niau means urine, it should be pronounced
separately from ni hao. When ordering food at a restaurant, it is a good
idea to take note of the Chinese characters for various foods and
animals and their meanings. For example, meat, soup, water, cola, or
animals such as duck, pig, cow, etc. It is easy to make a letter that
means pork from the two letters pig and meat.
In modern times, it
is also recommended to use applications such as Pleco, a partly free
software program.
China's currency is the renminbi (RMB), usually abbreviated as
renminbi (RMB in meters) or colloquially as kuai. All three names mean
the same thing. The next smallest unit is the kuan (角); 10 kuan is
equivalent to 1 RMB. 1 jiao is worth 10 fen, the next smaller unit, but
there are no coins or bills.
Currently, 1 euro = approximately
7.34 yen. In Europe, the exchange rate for cash is very poor. You should
carry only the minimum amount of cash and only have it with you in case
of an absolute emergency. With a credit card, this emergency money is
almost never needed. Many hotels will exchange money at the official
rate without problems; withdrawals with EC cards will incur an
additional fee. Imports into China can be up to RMB 20,000, but given
the poor exchange rate, this would be pointless for the average
traveler.
Credit card exchange rates in Germany are sometimes
worse than those at exchange offices or hotels. This area varies greatly
from region to region and location to location in China, so information
should be obtained in advance.
If you are staying in China for a
long period of time, you may want to ask your Chinese friends to teach
you how to pay by scanning QR codes with a payment app like B.Wechat
(like Whatsapp, but with payment functions, etc.). This payment method
is very popular in China.
Groceries are considerably cheaper than
in Europe. A beverage bottle such as a cola (0.5 liter) costs about 3
yuan, and even large attractions cost less than 5 yen. A can of cola
(0.33L) is often available for 1 yen at restaurants in Xiamen. Water is
even cheaper. A pastry from a bakery costs a few yuan, and for a few
euros you can feed your whole family at a bakery. Small food markets are
everywhere, and prices are low here as well.
Basically, China is
a country where prices vary widely, sometimes unbelievably. Especially
in the big shopping streets of Beijing and Shanghai, the price level is
breathtaking. You can get just about anything here. The goods there are
likely to be authentic. As city dwellers become more affluent, it is
important for the Chinese to be seen to have authentic brand-name goods.
Buying fake goods is now considered embarrassing to many Chinese. One
should also be wary of insect markets and other places that sell exotic
foods. Prices are often displayed at the top of the stand, and they are
often disproportionately high. So you should either check the price or
ask before you buy.
In China, prices can be surprisingly high,
especially for electrical appliances. The following items should be
bought with caution, as they are rarely cheap or of poor quality:
Printer accessories, ink cartridges, etc.
Computer-related products
DVD players, televisions
Photographic equipment can be dramatically
more expensive (2-3 times more).
Some of the following items can
be purchased more cheaply
DVDs and VideoCDs can be purchased at
legitimate stores for as little as 7 yuan per disc. If you are buying in
large quantities, ask for a discount.
Books, here there are discounts
of up to 80% of the German price. English literature can be found in
larger bookstores.
Clothing (clothing, if branded, can be more
expensive than here, but still does not protect the buyer from fakes.
Also, the Chinese market still specializes in small sizes, and 3XL or
shoes size 47 are hard to find).
Caution There are numerous
illegal copies of all kinds of brand-name products in circulation. To
avoid prosecution in Germany, one should be especially careful with
electronic media. In a typical tourist market, nothing is guaranteed to
be authentic. The Chinese themselves do not shop there. However, they
can receive services there, such as calligraphy, or have personalized
souvenirs made.
Bars in hotels and on cruise ships can be as
expensive as in Europe or even more. A cup of coffee can be 5 euros.
European tourism companies often have local partners arrange trips.
It is common in China for package tourists to be forcibly dragged to
sales events. Tour guides must obtain proof that they took the group
there. One major package tour operator once clearly stated in its
catalog, "No more than one group per day. Sometimes you can definitely
learn something in a real company, and sometimes, for show, you are
introduced only to pseudo-workers who work for a few seconds out of
sight of the tourists. These stores are very expensive and one can spend
thousands of euros. The only reason to buy there is that if the goods
are counterfeit, the tour operator guarantees to refund the money.
Chinese sellers are very aggressive. Salespeople, even obvious
employees, will go after tourists and it is difficult to fend them off.
Chinese tea
Pasta
Calligraphy
Stamps written in Chinese or
Latin characters, e.g. B. with your name or the name of a loved one.
Best to buy at the Great Wall of China in Badaling.
Silk
Qingdao
Beer Named after the brewery once founded by German settlers as Germania
Brewery.
In China, it is important to negotiate prices before buying. Point to the item you want and take it. Then, either negotiate the price verbally if you speak Chinese or ask the seller to show you the selling price on his/her cell phone or seller's calculator and enter the price you are willing to pay in yuan on your cell phone. It is possible to get at least half of the original price. If you negotiate hard enough, you can get a discount of 90% or more. At ordinary food supermarkets, set restaurants, and public facilities such as train stations, it is not customary to negotiate.
Food is central to Chinese culture, and food is very important to the
Chinese. It is not for nothing that they prefer to say "Qi Fan Le Ma"
(Have you eaten yet?) instead of "Ni Hao" as a greeting. In recent
years, however, the Chinese have moved considerably away from the topic
of their favorite food. The numerous food scandals that have claimed
lives have left too deep a scar. The government's greed for profit has
also made many food producers lose their inhibitions and prudence.
The food served in China is very different from the Chinese food
served in street corner Chinese restaurants in Germany. In China, the
food is also much hotter. The Chinese eat hot food three times a day. So
a Chinese hotel breakfast means fried noodles, egg rice, soup, etc. At
breakfast in Chinese hotels, you can also have warm or hot orange juice.
Warm or hot water is also very common. Chinese people also prefer to
drink beer that is not chilled, because they believe it is good for the
stomach and therefore good for one's health.
Basically everything
in a Chinese kitchen is recycled. They eat pig snouts, chicken feet, and
even scorpions. However, they do not have pets. Cats are not allowed at
all, and only specially bred meat dogs are allowed. Many Chinese,
however, will not eat dogs, scorpions, or other exotic foods for the
rest of their lives. Package travelers need not fear that such strange
foods will be pushed under the crumbs. The food served as the average
tourist basically corresponds to what is known in Chinese restaurants.
For image reasons, the Chinese government wants to drastically limit the
consumption of animals that are considered pets in other countries. The
majority of Chinese eat pork, beef, poultry, and seafood. Seafood is
especially common in coastal towns. The region has a special local
cuisine, with a wide variety of very tasty dishes. Still, if you want to
eat exotic dishes such as dog or snake, you have to look for something
special. Of course, my Chinese friends are very helpful in finding such
restaurants, and they often consider what Westerners might want to eat.
The prices of these exotic dishes are often particularly high.
Contrary to popular belief in the West, rice is rarely used in many
dishes. It is served only if you are not full. It is often ordered
separately. Rice is completely unnecessary because of the wide
assortment of dishes that are often eaten at the same time as others at
round turntables. These round revolving tables are usually found in
upscale restaurants and are usually only used to seat large groups of
diners.
There are many food stalls in China. What I often hear
from people who have lived in China for a long time is that if you know
the right food stalls, they can be a good source of supply. The turnover
rate is very high, so nothing goes out of date there. They are not
suitable for short-term travelers, because they quickly get diarrhea
from the unfamiliar food. As anywhere in the world, it is important to
make sure that the food here is fresh and well prepared. Food stalls
often sell vegetables and especially tasty fruits at reasonable prices.
Here you need to make sure they are fresh, peeled and cut right in front
of you. In Xiamen, a whole mango, freshly peeled and cut, costs about
12-15 yen (depending on the size of the mango) (as of January 2017)
Unpeeled and uncut mangoes are of course cheaper. Of course, mangoes,
dragon fruit, and other region-generated fruits taste much better
because they are not harvested unripe and transported for long periods
of time.
Chinese food is much fresher, especially compared to
Germany. This is true, for example, in restaurants with aquariums, where
you can still choose live fish or lobster. These ingredients are killed
in the kitchen, cooked, and served completely fresh. Flavor enhancers
and other additives are often used, depending on the restaurant's price
point. People with allergies should check to see if there are any items
to which they are allergic. For example, nuts.
For the intrepid
tourist, I recommend going to a restaurant and ordering whatever is on
the menu. Most of the time, you will find that you will eat some great
tasting food that you never thought you would eat. Of course, you can
also use your vocabulary to limit the dishes to, for example, B. soup
with pork or soup with noodles.
Vegetarian and vegan restaurants
are quite rare. But even here the demand from locals as well as tourists
is increasing, and the dishes offered are constantly expanding.
Especially in the larger cities.
Peking duck (Chinese: 北京烤鴨/北京烤鸭,
běijīng kǎoyā) is one of the most famous dishes in Chinese cuisine and
is served mainly in specialty restaurants. The duck is presented to the
customer, the skin is cut into diamond-shaped pieces, the fat is trimmed
off, and the rolled pancake is served with sauce and green onions as an
appetizer. The meat is then cut into bite-sized slices and served as a
main dish with various side dishes.
Dim sum (Chinese: 點心 / 点心) are
small filling dumplings usually served steamed or fried in a bamboo
basket. We also call this dough Dampfnudel. There are countless
variations, especially in southern and eastern China. One thing to keep
in mind when eating them is that the filling is very hot. This filling,
if any, can be hearty or sweet, such as b. minced meat or date palm
sauce. Beans and fibrous dried pork (which looks like cotton wool) are
also popular. In fact, one should be surprised.
Bibliography
Françoise Hauser: China en Wok. in: In Asia, Vol. 6 (November/December)
(2007). - Culinary trips to China.
In this section you will find special restaurants, bakeries and other
grocery stores.
Xiamen, Fujian Province
Kempinski Hotel Xiamen
Paulaner Brauhaus, No. 98 Hubinzhong Road, Siming District, Xiamen,
Fujian.Tel: +86 (0) 592 235-1613, Fax: +86 (0) 592 235-1999, Email:
paulaner.xiamen@kempinski.com. Xiamen. Large German restaurant on the
ground floor of the Kempinski Hotel Siamen. It has German beer, German
sausages and other German specialties.In 2016/2017 there was a German
chef. The restaurant was also known as a monthly gathering place for
Germans, Austrians, and Swiss (as of February 2017). I do not personally
know if this is still the case today or if there is a German chef. The
music is quite good. Prices are quite high compared to Chinese
restaurants, in the mid to high price range. You have to be prepared to
pay around 230-250 yen, not 15-25 yen like in cheaper and tasty Chinese
restaurants. Unfortunately, like many Western restaurants, this
restaurant has a bad habit of adding a flat 10-20% tip to the bill (as
of February 2017). The quality of the food is very close to German
sausages, and the dishes (made according to German recipes) ranged from
good to very good. Open Sun-Sat 5:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.; payment methods
UnionPay, VISA, Master, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, cash, WeChat
pay, Ali pay.
Changsha, Hunan Province
Bach's Bakery, Xiang
Chun Xiang #8, Kai Fu Qu, Changsha, Hunan, China (address is in an
alley, not a street, so hard to find) Phone: +86 731 8862 6264; the
German bakery (the Chinese name for "Bach" is "Ba He") is especially
looking for hearing impaired people. Based in Changsha, Hunan Province,
the bakery has been run by German Uwe Blützer (Chinese name: Wu
Zhenrong) and his wife Dorothee Blützer (Chinese name: Du Xuehui) since
2011. Hours of operation: Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m., closed
Sundays.
West Lake Chamber, Jin Ma Food City, Hongshan Tourism
District, Changsha City (Chinese: 长沙市开福区马栏山西湖楼酒家). Located in Changsha,
the capital of central China's Hunan Province, the 4,000-seat restaurant
is one of the world's largest restaurants, and after being listed in the
Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest Chinese restaurant, it
is now considered the largest restaurant in Asia. The 4,000-seat
restaurant is regarded as the largest restaurant in Asia. In early 2003,
construction began on a catering facility of unprecedented scale in the
Kaifu district of Changsha City. The restaurant complex covers an area
of 88 mu (about 5.8 hectares) in the developing Jinma Restaurant City, a
20-minute drive from Huanghe International Airport. Across the street is
Changsha's largest park, Yuehu Park. Numerous buildings and parks are
constructed in a traditional architectural style. There are four
distinct areas throughout the complex. Area A contains 70 large and
small rooms, including a performance hall where daily performances are
held. Area B has 10 luxurious private rooms in the style of the Imperial
Palace. Area C has nine luxurious Cantonese-style booths, and Area D is
a snack street. Traditional Chinese cuisine, both Hunan and Cantonese,
takes precedence and is prepared in five large kitchens; 1,000 people,
including 300 chefs, work here. Approximately 700 chickens and 2,600
pounds of pork are processed each week. There is a large parking lot in
front of the restaurant for buses and cars. In October 2004, the
Guinness World Records Center Shanghai declared Xihu Lou the largest
restaurant in China. In May 2006, the restaurant received the "First
Five-Star Tourism Restaurant" award from the Changsha Tourism Bureau.
Features Hunan cuisine.
In fact, even the biggest nightlife areas in Shanghai and other major
cities are almost always "dead" by around 11 pm. In most major cities
such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Qingdao, the nightlife takes place only
in a small part of the city. It is mostly in the "entertainment
districts" that bars stay open after midnight. Chinese are not familiar
with nightlife, and in some cities there is no public transportation at
night, so they have to rely on cabs. Bar prices range from 1 euro for a
beer to over 10 euros, with all sorts of variations. Don't be afraid to
go to bars with locals. An interesting discussion may ensue.
China is probably one of the few countries where you can get into the
city's top clubs for free. Tables at such clubs usually cost 1,000 to
2,000 euros a night. They also often offer free drinks (whiskey, beer,
vodka, rum, cola, etc.) and snacks (nuts, watermelon, etc.) Just contact
the club manager or customer advisor on Wechat to let them know when and
how many people are coming. You can get contact information from Germans
and other international students in China. There is no such thing as
dead nightlife at all. It is common among international students to
party until 5 am. In the past (before 2012), international students were
paid for their parties (about 80 euros per night). This was and still
is, of course, illegal, as student visas do not allow work and risk
deportation. Behind this perhaps unique rule is the fact that
international students are attracted to the predominantly "white"
Chinese tourists in their respective nightclubs. The Chinese often
invite them to come to their tables, even inviting them for drinks and
food. The "whites" are considered a status symbol. This rarely happens,
however, and one should be careful not to be responsible for some of the
costs later on. For travelers who like to party and stay in China for
long periods of time, we recommend visiting local universities and
asking international students for the Wechat contact information for the
managers of their respective clubs. Especially at the end of the
semester, international students will often tell you which clubs are the
best and what music is playing. Note that there are no such liberal
regulations in place regarding bars.
Note to those who are not
fond of alcohol: Chinese people like to drink to get "yuan" and such
"competition" does not harm the average European male. Their favorite
beer is usually Qingdao (Tsingtao). This "yuan" drinking is introduced
by the German word gānbēi, meaning "toast"; gānbēi does not necessarily
mean to drink "yuan," but to drink "yuan" (yuan).
Peking Opera is
a representation of famous Chinese fairy tales and myths. Peking Opera
performances are highly stylized and require specialized knowledge to
understand them all. Peking Opera has suffered from a decline in Chinese
youth audiences over the past few years.
Accommodations are offered in every possible category and price
range. Price level is also a good indicator of quality level, since the
Chinese prefer to make reservations through Internet portals, where they
also rate hotels. Hotel prices are higher in large cities than in small
towns. In low season, hotel prices are much lower than in high season.
As a general rule, a license is required for hotels to accommodate
foreigners. This rule is not always strictly observed. Those who have
the opportunity to visit non-tourist countries will stay in hostels that
do not have such a license. In places where the situation is tense (e.g.
Xinjiang), this is not possible.
Four- and five-star hotels in
China, especially in large cities, have performance and price levels
that can be compared to European luxury hotels. If you don't need
luxury, you can find a number of chain hotels in China that offer
cleanliness and moderate comfort for around 300 yuan (about 39 euros -
as of March 31, 2020) or less on booking sites such as Booking.com . You
can find a good room with breakfast included. If breakfast is sparsely
laid out and you don't like it, I suggest booking a room without
breakfast and going to a nearby restaurant. That is, of course, if they
are available.
Chinese cities are large, so it makes sense to
choose accommodations that are convenient to tourist attractions and
transportation. For example, 5-star hotels in industrial parks often
have very low weekend rates, but are far from tourist attractions and
difficult to reach without a cab. With cab fares so low, it is no
problem to find a restaurant located a short distance away. The only
important thing to remember is to take down the names and addresses in
Chinese characters to and from hotels and hostels (if you do not speak
Chinese), and always use a legitimate cab (their cabs also have a cab
meter). As a general rule, it is advisable to make reservations through
a reliable reservation portal. If you go to a hotel without a
reservation, ignore the posted room rates and ask for a discounted price
in Chinese.
Generally, hotel room charges are paid at check-in.
Most hotels also require a deposit, which is paid by credit card or
cash. Check-in is usually a lengthy process, as police registration must
also be done at the same time. Rooms have complimentary bottled drinking
water and items that are charged for when used. Sometimes these items
have upscale prices. Disposable toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other
hygiene items of questionable quality are usually provided in the
bathroom, and there are breathing masks in the closet in case of fire.
Mattresses in China are usually much firmer than in Central Europe.
Chinese hotels usually do not have non-smoking rooms, so the rooms smell
more or less like cigarettes. If the smell is too strong or there are
other problems, it is common practice to walk at the front desk and ask
for another room.
When checking out, the front desk staff usually
calls a maid, who checks the room for consumption of paid items or
theft. Only then is the deposit returned. This extra time should
definitely be planned for. If you are lucky, you may get the items left
in your room returned immediately.
China is safe. There is crime, and as a tourist, it is a favorite
place to go, as it is in almost any other country in the world.
Therefore, wallets and valuables should be protected at all times and
hotel safes should be used. Crime rates are generally low, but in some
cities it is not advisable to visit at night.
Cash is preferred,
but avoid carrying large amounts of cash: RMB 1,000-1,500 is the
maximum, unless you are paying at a hotel, etc. ECards and credit cards
work fine at most automated teller machines (ATMs). DANGER Some credit
cards require activation to be used abroad.
Police are
omnipresent in urban areas, but as anywhere else in the world, crime
there is high, so it is best not to enter excessively dark alleys and
entertainment districts. By the way, not everyone who looks like that is
a cop. Most of the men in uniform belong to private security services,
even public ones. That does not stop these private security services
from doing a military-style goose chase that most armies in the world
cannot do.
Above all, the trick with the knockout drop is
repeatedly reported in the press. The supposedly nice companion you meet
at a disco or hotel bar will mix a knockout drop in your drink when you
go to the bathroom. This can still happen at the disco or hotel bar, but
usually only in the hotel room. If you return to your hotel after 1-2
days you will find that you have been robbed and your credit cards
stolen. I recommend never going on a "tour" here alone.
The same
goes for nighttime walks in the pub district. Usually, there are still a
few empty corners between the pub tour bases. Usually two people will
approach you, one with a knife or pistol out, the other will take your
wallet and leave. At this point, it is very helpful to have another
person with you. If you find yourself in this situation, you should not
play the hero; you should give them money. There is only a slight
difference between armed robbery and murder under China's criminal law.
However, the following smuggler's modus operandi is much more common
than the knockout-drop scam: You are approached by a young man or woman
who speaks English, or even German, fluently and engage in lively
conversation for a few minutes. They then suggest a change of location
to a nearby bar or tea room. The bill can reach four figures in euros.
Chatting is safe, but never make a phone call. As a tourist, it is
almost impossible to escape this scam, especially in Beijing.
Be
wary of street vendors as well. First, talk of bargaining and brief
rejection is often used by pickpockets. Second, merchants, especially in
Beijing, know that they are mostly dealing with newcomers to China. The
vendors assume that tourists are unfamiliar with money, so they often
give them counterfeit bills as change.
Criticism of the
government can also be a problem. In particular, the Tiananmen Square
incident is considered taboo in the local community. The Chinese
leadership is not stupid and knows that the Chinese are talking about
it. But they would not want to hear about it, at least not in the square
itself. In one case, a tour guide in Tiananmen Square spoke to a group
of visitors about the student uprising in a foreign language, and the
plainclothes secret police understood the language. The tour guide was
immediately arrested and the tour group was left without a guide.
Road traffic is a very serious source of danger. Traffic rules are
almost completely ignored. Here one can see the sudden affluence of
China. As yet, riding bicycles and mopeds like pigs in a china shop had
no significant impact, but as cars became more popular, they led to a
dramatic number of accidents that killed many within a few years. Even
though only one in ten Chinese owns a car, official figures show that
about 100,000 people have lost their lives on the roads. But if you have
ever experienced Chinese traffic jams, you will be more surprised. The
Chinese take grotesque risks, but they are not aggressive. The Chinese
take grotesque risks, but they are not aggressive. Other road users are
not insulting enemies and think it will be okay. It is almost
"harmonious chaos." On the Autobahn, cars are repeatedly passed and
overtaken at speeds of 80 to 100 kilometers per hour, one meter apart on
either side. On country roads, they share lanes with everything with
wheels and feet. Horns are sounded regularly, preventing many accidents.
The horn should make the other party aware that you are behind them. The
law of the strong and the great applies, which dictates who should
retreat and give way. Roughly speaking, the order is trucks, buses, cars
(sometimes cabs have priority), motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, and
pedestrians.
As in Vietnam, when crossing the road, cross at
traffic signals or zebra-zone crosswalks whenever possible. Do not rely
on zebra zone crosswalks under any circumstances. Few people stop at
crosswalks because of pedestrians. Cabs also often ignore red lights,
and always do so when making a right turn. No driver obeys traffic rules
just because there are pedestrians. If you think nothing of it, you will
have your first accident at the arrival airport. Before crossing the
crosswalk, make sure your car is still far enough away from the zebra
zone crosswalk to avoid hitting a car directly. After that, walk at a
fast but steady pace so as to be predictable to drivers. Avoid fast
walking unless necessary. Observe the speed and distance of the car from
the edge of your line of sight. Avoid looking directly at the driver.
This is usually interpreted as the pedestrian paying attention and the
driver not needing to pay attention. On the other hand, if the driver
does not look directly at the pedestrian, the driver is usually careful
not to hit the pedestrian.
Traveling to China can be stressful for one's health. The long
journey, the time change, the sudden change in rhythm of life, the air
pollution, and last but not least, the Chinese food, cause many
travelers to become ill along the way. Diarrhea, vomiting, and coughing
are especially common. For this reason, we recommend that you consult
your physician before traveling and have a small first aid kit ready.
Medicines are available in China, but not in the brands and compositions
known in Europe. Those who need to take medicines on a regular basis
should bring sufficient quantities with them. They should also consult
their physician regarding vaccinations. Most doctors recommend getting
at least a hepatitis vaccination. Also inquire about vaccinations
required by the Chinese government.
While there, you must follow
certain rules to maintain your health. These include not drinking tap
water, not eating dodgy street food, eating lots of rice, and avoiding
oily or spicy food at the beginning of your trip. As for tap water, do
not rely on boiling it in the kettle provided by the hotel. Although it
kills bacteria, some water is contaminated with oil and other substances
that cannot be removed by this method. So, these substances are not
always visible. However, water bottles are very inexpensive and are a
good choice for making tea. As for water bottles, one should make sure
that they are sealed in their original state. Bottled water is also
recommended for brushing teeth. Food should be well cooked and hot, and
fruits should be peeled. Meat should be avoided on the street and in
small, unrefrigerated snacks. Fish should absolutely be eaten only
fresh. Special attention should be paid to hygiene. Of course,
unprotected sexual contact should be avoided.
If you become ill
in China and need medical care, it is best to be referred to an English
(or German) speaking doctor. There are international hospitals in large
cities that cater to foreign patients. The Chinese health care system is
efficient outside the big cities, but you will probably need to take an
interpreter with you. Few doctors in China have private practices like
those in Central Europe, so you will have to go to a hospital or clinic
even for outpatient care. In any case, a fee must be paid at
registration, and the cost of treatment and medication is also paid on
the spot. There is little consideration for privacy, and several
patients may be in the examination room at the same time. Those treated
as inpatients usually come to a room with multiple beds where other
patients and their relatives are located. As a foreigner, you will feel
some stares. In China, intravenous infusions are common, oral
medications are rarely prescribed, and a combination of herbal and
Western medicines are used. Large halls are set up for IVs, nurses tend
to patients, and TVs blare everywhere.
Many Chinese have a
certain distrust of the health care system. They suspect that doctors
prescribe treatments and drugs that are more expensive than necessary,
prescribe hospital stays that are too long, and generally only care
about making money for themselves. There is also a fear of counterfeit
medicines. For more information, see "Practical Information" in the
chapter on Tropical Diseases and Health Travel.
Toilets in China
are unfamiliar to many Western visitors. For more information and tips,
see Toilets in China.
According to the World Bank, 16 of the 20
most polluted cities in the world are in China. Smog is also expected to
occur. Especially in susceptible cities like Beijing, and even more so
in winter. The English Wikipedia article on smog in China gives a good
overview of the problem and the cities affected. Therefore, it is
recommended to buy a mask certified FFP2 or FFP3 in Germany. For
long-term stays, air filters for one's own apartment are also worth
using. The Chinese government publishes exposure values via apps and the
Internet. These values are not always correct. In some cities, such as
Beijing, measurements from the U.S. embassy or consulate can be used as
a reference. Xiamen, for example, is a city with very clean air and
roads, and at the same time very green.
China is a paradise for smokers. Most Chinese men and, increasingly,
a minority of Chinese women smoke. Cigarettes are cheap, even Western
brands are inexpensive. With few exceptions, smoking is ubiquitous, and
no-smoking signs are largely ignored. The government's half-hearted
efforts to reduce tobacco abuse among the population seem to have little
effect.
On airplanes, high-speed trains, and better yet, in
hospitals, smoking is truly taboo. Staff members are strictly prohibited
from smoking. In air-conditioned trains, buses, cabs, elevators, and
other enclosed spaces, smoking is not permitted but is tolerated by the
staff. If a foreigner asks a Chinese smoker to stop smoking in these
places, he or she can expect support from the non-smoking Chinese.
Smoking is the norm in restaurants, nightlife, hotel rooms, etc.,
and as a foreigner, there is probably nothing you can do about it.
However, there are many non-smoking restaurants. Many hotels offer
non-smoking rooms.
The central region around Shanghai and Nanjing has about the same
climate as southern Spain and Cyprus, with temperatures around 0°C and
very little snow.
The further north you go, the colder the
climate becomes. Beijing's climate is probably comparable to that of
Poland, with really cold weather for 3-4 months, but still warm in
summer. On the other hand, in the more inland regions of Outer Mongolia,
the winters can get down to minus 30 degrees Celsius, but the summers
are quite pleasant.
If you prefer a warmer climate, but not hot,
we generally recommend the following climates
Winter: Winter:
Southern China, including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Late fall to
early spring: Southern China, up to Shanghai, weather permitting.
Autumn to Spring: Central China, up to and including Shanghai and
Nanjing.
Early fall/late spring: Beijing, Inner Mongolia, south to
Shanghai, weather permitting.
Summer: warm with temperatures above
40°C in the northern regions and throughout China.
Xiamen is
especially worth visiting in summer and autumn. Autumn
(September-October) is particularly suitable. Roughly from May to
October. In the background, temperatures can drop sensitively to around
13-17°C from November to April. heavy rains can occur from February to
April. Summers are quite hot (over 30°C) and humid, while temperatures
in September and October are very pleasant, ranging from 23°C to 28°C.
There is often a pleasant breeze. Xiamen has very clean air, lots of
greenery, and many beaches.
If someone has made a mistake, you can blame that person, but it must
be done politely and always with a solution that is acceptable to both
parties. Also, one should not criticize the Chinese interlocutor
directly, but through flowers if possible. Also, this criticism should
be done only in one-on-one conversations and not in front of others.
While sniffing in public is perfectly normal in Germany, it should
not be done in China. If you must blow your nose, you should take a
handkerchief and look away from the other person or table. In tourist
areas, it is more tolerated, but at least you should throw your
handkerchief away without putting it in your pocket.
The Chinese,
on the other hand, spit on the floor with the utmost glee and volume on
the street or right outside the store or office where they work. This
spitting on the ground persists even though it is not popular among the
Chinese.
Burping is also considered completely normal. In
restaurants, especially for non-Chinese food, it is common for the food
you order not to be served. Ask if the waiter speaks English or if you
speak Mandarin. Naked criticism is not appropriate.
Children
China is a very child-friendly country. If you travel with children, you
will find that the Chinese are more sociable than you might expect.
Children are considered status symbols, and blonde children attract a
lot of attention in tourist areas. Photographs with Europeans are very
popular with Chinese from the western provinces. Everyone wants to touch
the beautiful blonde hair, and they are eager to explain that your child
is beautiful. Of course, all this is done with the consent of the
parents and always with the utmost respect. In any case, there is no
sense that you are being made a spectacle; on the contrary, it is as if
everyone wants nothing more than to get to know you. The children
themselves cope with the clamor surprisingly well.
Nudity in
public is frowned upon. Even going topless on the beach is not
appropriate.
After several wars between China and Japan and a
very brutal Japanese occupation of China, historical relations are
strained to this day. This should be taken into account in the
discussion. In any case, the Chinese are of the opinion that the
Japanese copied their culture from the Chinese.
Tipping was
completely unknown until a few years ago. Thanks to foreign tourists,
the Chinese in commercial establishments and tourist attractions now
know what tipping is and accept it even if they do not expect it. In
rural areas, tipping should still be saved today, and it can definitely
be taken as an insult. Especially in large hotels and restaurants in
Europe and the United States, a tip of 10% to 20% of the price is
uniformly calculated. Unfortunately, this bad practice is becoming more
and more common.
It is helpful to speak even a smattering of Mandarin Chinese,
especially if you are planning an extended trip to the western
provinces. In the north, Russian (the official first foreign language in
schools) is helpful, and in the south, French can also be a point of
reference.
Internet is available free of charge in any hotel,
either by cable or wireless LAN. Connections are fairly fast, at least
the first time you access it. However, once you try to open a
system-critical page, the network becomes unbearably slow; ARD and ZDF
online are partially blocked, but most newspaper portals are accessible.
Google and Facebook do not work at all. Wikivoyage is not a problem. In
particular, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, search engines
and porn sites are blocked. To get around this, a paid VPN is
recommended. Free VPNs should be avoided for a variety of reasons.
However, China's Internet restrictions are becoming increasingly strict,
and VPN providers are also partially or completely blocked. Of course,
you will need to check before you leave in order to take advantage of
any promotions.
If you do not bring your own laptop. Mid-range
and higher hotels usually have so-called business centers, where
Internet PCs are also available. However, they are expensive (usually 1
RMB per minute) and the connection is slow. It is not suitable for more
than short emails. On the other hand, if you want to bring your own
device and type Chinese characters, you can install a free program
(so-called IME), which is often available on the Internet or in the OS.
The keyboard still has the QWERTY sequence of Latin characters.
However, when you open the program's interface, everything will be in
Chinese. Of course, if you type in the desired website in the address
line, it will appear in the desired language. The problem arises when
the computer reports a question, which is then only in Chinese, and the
Y and N characters only indicate that it is a yes/no question. This is
often used to verify that a password has been saved. If you want to
delete your password or browser history at the end of a session, you
must operate the Chinese menu. For security reasons, e-mails should be
redirected to an e-mail account specifically set up for the trip so that
they can be deleted after the trip. In addition, online banking at
hotels and Internet cafes should be avoided at all costs. Not least
because of the prevalence of the old Internet Explorer 6.
Incidentally, when the Chinese themselves use Latin characters to
pronounce Chinese characters on their computers and cell phones, a list
of candidate Chinese characters is displayed as they type. This sounds
tedious, but since the Chinese language is practiced and whole syllables
or words can be selected directly, this allows them to write much
faster.
As already mentioned for areas such as food and
transportation, I would recommend using various apps such as Pleco
(Pleco Software), Taxisapps, Wechat, etc. There are also many great map
apps that can be used in offline mode.
Cell Phones: It used to be
impossible to use your own cell phone in China because China uses its
own cell phone standards that are incompatible with Western cell phones.
This has improved as models from Chinese manufacturers are now available
in Europe and these phones can be used in China. However, models from
Western manufacturers still cannot be used in China (exception: iPhone).
Purchasing a SIM card in China, even if it is possible without problems,
should be discouraged, as it would mean "enjoying" Chinese censorship.
If you surf the Internet only by roaming via a provider in your own
country, there is no problem.
Postage for a postcard to Europe is
RMB 4.50. Postcards are best given at the hotel, but a fee of several
yuan may be added. Mailing time to Europe is about one week.
China has a number of television stations, most of which are broadcast
by the state-run CCTV; CCTV News, also known as CCTV 9, is broadcast in
English and provides minimal information on world events. On non-Chinese
issues, the information can be informative but otherwise one-sided.
German soccer results are also reported there, and sometimes matches are
broadcast live on other channels, but in those cases it is at night due
to the time difference. Depending on the hotel, there are also BBC and
CNN news channels, and occasionally Deutsche Welle TV. Chinese TV
stations are mostly military and historical films. Sometimes there are
German TV series, but of course they are dubbed by Chinese state TV.
According to legend, the origins of Chinese civilization can be
traced back to the Three Emperors and Five Emperors, although most
modern historians regard them as mythical figures.
The recorded
history of Chinese civilization can be traced back to the Yellow River
basin, which is said to be the "cradle of Chinese civilization. The Xia
Dynasty (Xia dynasty, ca. 2070 B.C. - 1600 B.C.) was the first dynasty
described in ancient historical chronicles, but to date, no undisputed
evidence of its existence has been found. Some archaeologists have
linked the Erlitou settlement to the Xia dynasty, but this is disputed.
The Shang dynasty (Shang dynasty, ca. 1600 B.C.E. - 1046 B.C.E.),
the first archaeologically confirmed dynasty in China, only ruled the
Yellow River basin. At least in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River
around Taihu Lake, there is the Liangshu culture, and further upstream
in Sichuan Province there are major sites at Sanxingdui. Shang and
Sanxingdui were Bronze Age cultures, while Liangshu was the last
Neolithic culture in the region.
Shang was succeeded by the Zhou
Dynasty (1046 B.C. - 256 B.C.), which extended its empire southward to
the Yangtze River basin. The Zhou adopted a feudal system, with feudal
lords ruling their respective territories with a high degree of autonomy
and maintaining their own armies, while paying tribute to the king and
recognizing him as the symbolic ruler of China.
During the Spring
and Autumn Period (770 B.C. to 476 B.C.), feudal lords of numerous small
fiefdoms vied for power, which later stabilized into seven large states
during the Warring States Period (475 B.C. to 221 B.C.). This turbulent
period produced some of China's greatest thinkers, including Confucius,
Mencius, and Laozi (also spelled Laozi), who made significant
contributions to Chinese thought and culture.
China was unified in 221 B.C. by Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. His Qin
Dynasty (Qin Dynasty, 221 B.C. - 206 B.C.) established a centralized
Chinese government and unified weights and measures, Chinese characters,
and currency. The Han Dynasty (Han Dynasty, 206 B.C. - 220 A.D.), after
a period of rebellion and civil war, seized power in 206 B.C. and
ushered in the first golden age of Chinese civilization. To this day,
the majority of Chinese use the word "Han" to describe themselves, and
Chinese characters continue to be referred to as "Chinese characters"
(汉字 hànzì) in Chinese. The Han Dynasty presided over the beginning of
the Silk Road and the invention of paper. The empire expanded further
south, incorporating present-day Fujian and Guangdong provinces and
northern Vietnam.
The collapse of the Han dynasty in AD 220 led
to the political turmoil known as the Three Kingdoms Period (三国时期,
220-280), which split China into three states: Wei (魏, 220-265), Shu (蜀,
221 -263) and Wu (吴, 222-280). The Jin Dynasty (265-420) unified China
in AD 280, but the unification was short-lived and China quickly fell
back into civil war and division. from AD 420 to 589, China was divided
into the Southern and Northern Dynasties. in 581, the Sui Dynasty
unified China. The Sui Dynasty was famous for its large-scale public
works projects, including the technological feats of the Grand Canal,
which gradually developed into a canal connecting Beijing in the north
and Hangzhou in the south. Some sections of the canal are still
navigable today.
In AD 618, the Sui Dynasty was replaced by the
Tang Dynasty (618-907), which ushered in the second golden age of
Chinese civilization, including the flowering of Chinese poetry, the
rise of Buddhism, and state rule after the collapse of the Tang Dynasty
in AD 907, China was again divided and unified in AD 960 during the Song
Dynasty (960-1279) In 1127, the Song drove south of the Huaihe River by
the Jurchen and continued to rule as the Southern Song Dynasty, based in
Linan (临安嶺南, now Hangzhou). Although militarily weak, the Sung dynasty
was China's economic golden age, achieving a high degree of commercial
and economic development unmatched in the West until the Industrial
Revolution. The Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368, one of the four divisions of
the Mongol Empire) defeated the Yulchins, conquered the Song in 1279,
and ruled a vast empire from Kambalik (the Great Capital, now Beijing).
After defeating the Mongols, the Ming dynasty (1368-1644)
re-established Han rule. Trade and exploration flourished during the
Ming dynasty, and Zheng He made numerous voyages to Southeast Asia,
India, and Arab countries, reaching as far as the eastern coast of
Africa. Beijing's famous structures, such as the Forbidden City and the
Temple of Heaven, were built during this period. The last dynasty, the
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), was Manchu in origin and incorporated Xinjiang
Uyghur Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region into its western
part, expanding the Chinese Empire almost to its present boundaries.
The Qing dynasty declined in the 19th century, and China was often
described as the "sick man of Asia" (東亞病夫/东亚病夫). Devoured by Western
powers and Japan, the Chinese called this period "the century of
humiliation. The West and Japan established their own treaty ports in
Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Tianjin. China lost several territories to
foreign powers, including Hong Kong to the British and Taiwan to Japan,
and lost control of Vietnam, Korea, and Ryukyu, its tributaries. It was
also during this period that the stereotypical appearance of Chinese
people, such as pigtails, Manchu hairstyles, and magua (a type of Manchu
clothing), took root abroad due to the rapid increase in foreign
exchanges after the ban on the sea. The turmoil of the late Qing Dynasty
and the Republic of China period led to the emigration of many Chinese,
who established overseas Chinese communities in various parts of the
world. Most of the overseas Chinese who emigrated before World War II
were from Fujian, Guangdong, and Hainan provinces, and it is natural to
go to these provinces if one wants to explore the heritage of the
overseas Chinese.
Around 1800, China had achieved its greatest expansion and economic
power, producing about one-third of all the world's goods. In terms of
domestic and foreign policy, however, the Chinese empire in the early
19th century was relatively unstable and weak. As in Europe, the
population was growing rapidly, but industrialization only began much
later because of China's isolation from the outside world. The amount of
arable land per capita was declining. The Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864)
was considered the most disastrous war of the 19th century, and the
Muslim uprisings were no less cruel. After the forced opening of the
country, the balance of trade turned negative. Whether in the First or
Second Opium Wars, the Sino-French War of 1885/86, or the Sino-Japanese
War of 1895, the Qing Empire could do little to counter increasingly
aggressive foreign powers. Vast areas of northern Manchuria and East
Turkestan were lost to the Russian emperor through the Treaty of Aigun
in 1858 and the Treaty of Beijing in 1860. In addition to these
humiliating defeats, unequal treaties were signed, and in the 19th
century China became increasingly ethnically heterogeneous, losing
territory and paying large reparations to foreign countries.
Foreign pressure on China led to self-liberation movements,
modernization of the educational system and military, and the first
Chinese began to study abroad. Industrialization also began, but this
was largely driven by foreigners. However, the Hundred Days Reforms
initiated by Emperor Guangxu ended in failure. Not an anti-government
uprising, but a movement against the imperialist powers, the "Yihe Dan
Rebellion," which the Chinese government tried to encourage, gathered
forces with the goal of expelling all foreigners. Misunderstood as an
"uprising," this battle of "boxers" (first they were trained in
traditional martial arts) led to war between China and eight nations:
the German Empire, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Austria-Hungary,
Russia , and the United States. After the suppression, the victorious
powers forced the imperialists to make further concessions in the
so-called "Yihe Dan Protocol" of 1901. In this environment, Sun Yat-sen
founded the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance in Tokyo in 1905, which
became the forerunner of the Kuomintang. He called for the establishment
of a republic, the end of the Qing dynasty, the building of a
nation-state, and land reform. 1911 saw the outbreak of the Wuchang
Uprising, followed by the Xinhai Revolution, which deposed Emperor Puyi.
This ended the succession of several dynasties that had ended with Qin
Shi Huangdi in 221 B.C. At the end of 1911, Sun was elected provisional
president of the Republic of China in Nanjing. The proclamation of a
republic was endorsed, especially in the larger cities. It was
short-lived, however, and Yuan Shikai dissolved the Congress in 1914 and
ruled as a dictator.
Yuan Shikai had sufficient military forces under his command to avoid
the collapse of China. However, Yuan Shikai was unable to stop the
advance of foreign powers. Attempts at civil society were suppressed and
the Kuomintang was banned in 1913. Thus, during this period, the
domestic elite turned their backs on the state and pursued their own
interests. Yuan Shikai himself ascended the throne as emperor on January
1, 1916, but Japan deliberately weakened Yuan Shikai by issuing
twenty-one demands. The central government lost control of Chinese
politics, the country was divided, and local military governors and
hundreds of warlords vied for influence with shifting alliances. Chaos
and misery reigned, and the population suffered oppression. Mongolia and
Tibet declared independence. But the period of division was also a
creative period of intellectual climate change through conflict with
Western ideas. The May Fourth Movement became the starting point for
many political and intellectual currents, and schools and universities
were established. Capital and knowledge from abroad flowed into the
treaty ports, laying the foundation for economic development.
After the October Revolution in Russia, China was also attracted to
socialist and communist ideas, and in 1921 the Communist Party of China
was established. Because China lacked the industrial base for a
proletarian movement, the Comintern supported both the Kuomintang and
the Communist Party. As part of the First United Front, both parties
worked together against the warlords and Japanese expansionism. With
Soviet assistance, the Whampoa Military Academy was established in 1924
and produced a number of officers who would play important roles in
later Chinese history, including Chiang Kai-shek and Zhou Enlai. after
Sun Yat-sen's death in 1925, tension on the united front delayed
progress in the northern campaign. After securing Shanghai in March
1927, Chiang Kai-shek sent several thousand (supposedly) communists, and
on April 12, 1927, he suppressed the strike and collapsed the united
front. Chiang, who had taken control of the army within the Kuomintang,
outflanked the left faction of the party and established a rebel
government in Nanjing; In June 1928, Chiang Kai-shek's troops succeeded
in capturing Beijing, and China was initially unified.
Communists, pushed out of the countryside, revolted in several cities
and attempted to set up Soviet districts. However, uprisings in Nanchang
in August 1927, Canton in December 1927, and Changsha in 1930 were
suppressed. Meanwhile, after the Autumn Harvest Uprising, Mao managed to
seize large mountainous areas in Hunan and Jiangxi and established a
Soviet republic with a strategy adapted to the rural situation.
Surrounded by Kuomintang forces, he was forced to retreat in 1934, and
the CP leaders retreated with the Long March to the northern part of
Shaanxi, arriving a year later ideologically unified and united. During
this march, Mao Zedong won the intra-party struggle and was elected
President of the Central Committee.
Japan, which had been
stationed in northeastern China since the Yihe Dan Rebellion of 1901,
occupied Manchuria from the warlord Zhang Xueliang in 1931 and
established a Manchukuo province; In 1933, Japanese troops occupied
Jehol. In view of the Japanese threat, the Communists demanded an
alliance of all parties and all armies. Chiang, however, preferred first
to consolidate KMT rule in the CP, and in December 1936 Chiang was
forced to agree to a second united front. This united front was formed
after the Ruho Bridge Incident occurred and the Sino-Japanese War broke
out openly. Despite the united front, Chiang deployed his most powerful
forces against the CPC. The united front was correspondingly weakened,
and Chiang Kai-shek's army, despite support from the United States and
the Soviet Union, was poorly organized and morale low. This allowed the
Japanese to occupy the Great Plains and coastal areas of China. In
Nanking, weeks of mass killing ensued. However, they were unable to gain
permanent control over the conquered areas. Chiang Kai-shek's regime was
forced to retreat to Chongqing.
Immediately after the Japanese
surrendered, Mao Zedong held sterile settlement negotiations with Chiang
in Chongqing. The Kuomintang then attempted to bring the whole country
under their control, but their army was undisciplined, had no clear
mandate, their representatives were corrupt, and were feared by the
people. However, the KMT won the parliamentary elections held in 1947.
Meanwhile, the People's Liberation Army had enough supporters among the
people. They conquered Manchuria in 1948, Nanjing in April 1949, and
Shanghai in May 1949. The Kuomintang government fled to the island of
Taiwan, which it had occupied in 1945, and established a dictatorship by
wiping out the local elite.
On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed.
This marked the end of national government in mainland China. The
seizure of power by the Chinese Communist Party was not a coup d'etat
brought from outside, but an uprising supported by a broad majority. The
first phase of land reform following the proclamation of the People's
Republic took place between 1949 and 1952, when nearly half of the
agricultural land was distributed to some 120 million peasants. In 1950,
the Communist Party passed the Marriage Law, which, in addition to the
Constitution, enshrined equality between men and women. In particular,
the right of women to decide for themselves whether or not to marry, the
prohibition of dowry demands on brides and cohabitants, the introduction
of a minimum age for women, the abolition of child and forced marriage,
or the legalization of divorce and the consistent regulation of property
division between spouses, permanently improved the situation of Chinese
women. However, overthrowing traditional rural cultural practices and
educating rural women about the law ran into insurmountable hurdles: in
1949, active and passive women's suffrage was introduced, and in 1950,
the Chinese government introduced the "Women's Suffrage Law," which
allowed women to vote for themselves and for their husbands.
In
February 1950, Beijing signed a Friendship and Assistance Treaty with
the Soviet Union. As the CP concentrated its activities in rural areas
during the civil war, priority was given to the development of the urban
economy. To this end, under the slogan "New Democracy," a "four-person
coalition" was formed consisting of workers, peasants, petty
bourgeoisie, and national bourgeoisie. At the 8th Party Congress, Mao
was unable to find a majority with values such as activism, altruism,
unity with the popular masses, and renunciation of consumption, and
confirmed the path of imitating the Soviet model of development in favor
of heavy industry.
Mao initiated the shift away from the Soviet
model in his speech on the "Ten Great Relationships" in April 1956; in
May 1957, he launched the Hundred Flowers Movement to mobilize the
intelligentsia; and in May 1956, he launched the "Hundred Flowers
Movement" to mobilize the masses. When calls for healthy criticism of
the party and individual party leaders were met with criticism of the
party and its leaders, the party countered with a "right-wing dissident
movement" that resulted in the execution of 400 critics and the sending
of 500,000 people to labor camps In 1958, the Great Leap Forward policy
was announced and secession from the Soviet Union became definitive. As
part of this campaign, nearly the entire rural population was assembled
into 26,000 people's communities, organized on military principles. The
"production battle" between agriculture and heavy industry was to be
carried out simultaneously. However, due to planning errors, confusion,
and natural disasters, some 30 million people died to death during the
three years of hardship from 1960 to 1962. Liu Shaoqi took over the task
of rebuilding the economy in 1963-1964, but his actions were criticized
as "revisionist."
In the early summer of 1966, Mao launched the
Cultural Revolution under the pretext of correcting undesirable
developments and cleaning up the bureaucracy. Young people were
organized into the Red Guards, and a wave of terror began against state
representatives, decision makers, and intellectuals. Schools and
universities were sometimes closed for several years. China became even
more closed to foreign countries: in 1968, the "Go to the Countryside
Movement" began, in which 15 million young urban dwellers were to be
engaged in agriculture. President Liu Shaoqi and many other high-ranking
party officials were criticized as "revisionists" and removed from
office. However, even during the Cultural Revolution phase, the growing
fear of a Soviet attack after the Sino-Soviet confrontation necessitated
the normalization of relations with the United States. After President
Nixon's visit in 1972, Beijing established diplomatic relations with
Washington and took over Taiwan's seat at the U.N. The Cultural
Revolution ended after Mao's death in September 1976 and the arrest of
the "Gang of Four" in October.
When Mao died, his supposed successors were already dead: Lin Biao
died in 1971 in a suspected coup attempt, and Deng Xiaoping was demoted
after the death of Premier Zhou Enlai and his involvement in the 1976
Tiananmen Square incident. Thus, the previously little-known Hua Guo
Feng was chosen as Mao's successor. Hua and his supporters, who stood
for the continuation of Mao's policies, were outflanked and deposed by
Deng by 1980, and in December 1978 the "four modernization" lines
closely associated with Deng's name were confirmed by the Party
leadership. Victims of the Cultural Revolution and other excesses were
rehabilitated and economic freedom was expanded. To improve economic
efficiency, a market economy gradually replaced the centrally planned
economy introduced from the Soviet Union. A peace and friendship treaty
was signed with Japan, a former enemy, and foreign investment was
gradually allowed. Deng Xiaoping visited the United States, which
subsequently became an important diplomatic partner. Special economic
zones identified areas where market economic mechanisms could be
experimented with, and 14 coastal cities were opened up again in 1984.
However, the expansion of economic freedom did not coincide with the
expansion of individual freedom. Already in parallel with the Party
Congress in December 1978, the people had expressed their
dissatisfaction with the restrictions on freedom at the "Wall of
Democracy. The "Campaign Against Intellectual Pollution" was directed
against intellectuals who had gradually expanded their freedoms. The
adverse effects of economic reforms-increasing inequality, corruption,
inflation, and lack of social security-increased the potential for
protest, which broke out when a memorial rally for General Secretary Hu
Yaobang, who stepped down in 1987 and died in the spring of 1989, led to
a renewed demonstration in Tiananmen Square. The demonstrations were
radicalized in parallel with Gorbachev's violent end of diplomatic
normalization negotiations in Beijing in early June. From the Chinese
side, the colonial return of Hong Kong and Macau under the "one country,
two systems" principle was a further step towards ending Chinese
colonization. In addition, relations with Russia have been restored.
Although the undesirable side effects of economic reforms were
controversial within the Party leadership, the Deng era was one of
relative consensus. Rapid economic growth had sharply reduced the number
of poor people from 250 million in 1979 to 45 million in 1999,
justifying the measure. Deng Xiaoping was succeeded by Jiang Zemin, and
under Jiang and his successors, the CCP sought to quell the protests
that still potentially existed by resolving disputes and applying the
law. Since then, challenges that the Party and state leadership have had
to face include the social conditions of migrant and factory workers,
the rapid aging of society due to the "one-child policy," and demands
for the rule of law and the fight against corruption and state
arbitrariness.
During the first two decades of the 21st century, China experienced
unprecedented economic growth: from 2000 to 2019, the Chinese economy
grew on average 8.9% annually. China's share of world trade doubled and
its gross domestic product increased six-fold during this period. This
has had a positive impact on the quality of life of more than 200
million Chinese, lifting them out of absolute poverty.
Backed by
a foreign policy aimed at economic expansion, China also began to
underpin its claim to power in the world with massive development loans
to Africa and the One Belt, One Road project.
In the 2010s, China
began attempting to systematically re-educate the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
From China's perspective, the decade was also marked by a confrontation
with the Hong Kong protest movement in 2014, which was revived by
protests starting in 2019.
In 2020, an epidemic broke out in the
Chinese city of Wuhan, leading to a global pandemic. While Western
countries were suffering from the growing damage of the pandemic, China
was spared the second wave in the fall of 2020 and was able to return to
normal daily life.
With the 14th Five-Year Plan from 2021 to
2025, adopted in March 2021, and its associated long-term goals through
2035, the KPC is shifting its economic focus to domestic market
development. This is the expansion of research and development,
especially basic research, and the strengthening of the supply of
manufactured goods and services for national consumption. It is
noteworthy that all key figures remain on target for the first time,
with a clear divergence due to market forces. In addition, targets have
been set for the development of energy supply and climate policy.
China is located in East Asia. To the east, it faces the West Sea of
the Pacific Ocean. It borders the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
and Russia to the northeast; Mongolia to the north; Russia and
Kazakhstan to the northwest; Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan to
the west; Gilgit-Baltistan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan under Pakistan rule
to the southwest; Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam to the south. It shares
borders with Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam in the south. China covers an
area of 9.6 million km². It is the fourth largest in Asia, after Russia,
Canada, and the United States (depending on the method, the area of the
United States may be greater or less than that of China). China's
unified time zone is UTC+8.
China is bordered by the Yellow Sea,
East China Sea, and South China Sea. The island of Taiwan is separated
from the mainland by the Taiwan Strait. It is about 4.5 thousand
kilometers long from west to east (from the Pamir Plateau to Shanghai)
and about 4.1 thousand kilometers long from north to south (from the
Amur River along the Russian border to the southern tip of Hainan
Island).
China's topography is extremely diverse, with high mountains,
plateaus, depressions, deserts, and vast plains. Mountains, highlands,
plateaus, deserts, and semi-deserts occupy more than 2/3 of the
country's land area. Three major geomorphic regions are usually
distinguished:
The Tibetan Plateau, which is more than 2,000 meters
above sea level, is located in the southwestern part of the country;
The belt of mountains and plateaus between 200 and 2000 meters above sea
level is located in the north;
The low-altitude plains and low
mountains in the northeast, east, and south are located below 200 meters
above sea level, where most of China's population lives.
The
Great Plains of China, the Yellow River basin, and the Yangtze River
delta are united near the coast, extending from Beijing in the north to
Shanghai in the south. The Pearl River (and its major tributary, the
Xijiang) basin is located in southern China and is separated from the
Yangtze River basin by the Nanling Mountains and the Wuyi Mountains (a
Chinese World Heritage Site).
From west to east, the Chinese
relief forms three steps. First, the Tibetan Plateau, which is more than
4,000 meters above sea level. Here the vegetation changes dramatically,
and in a relatively short distance the natural zone changes from high
mountain cold deserts to subtropical forests. The last step is the
fertile plains, which occupy less than 1,500 meters above sea level.
China's climate is very diverse, ranging from subtropical in the
southeast to abruptly continental (arid) in the northwest. On the
southern coast, the weather is influenced by the monsoons, which are
caused by differences in the absorption characteristics of the land and
ocean. Seasonal air movement and associated winds result in large
amounts of moisture in summer and considerably drier in winter. The
arrival and departure of the monsoon largely determines the amount and
distribution of rainfall throughout the country. Because of the great
variation in latitude, longitude, and altitude throughout China, there
is a wide variety of temperatures and weather regimes, even though most
of the country is in the temperate climate zone.
More than
two-thirds of the country is covered by mountain ranges, highlands,
plateaus, deserts, and semi-deserts. About 90% of the population lives
in only 10% of the country's land area, in the coastal areas and flood
plains of major rivers such as the Yangtze, Yellow, and Pearl Rivers.
These areas are in severe ecological condition as a result of long-term
intensive agricultural cultivation and environmental pollution from
industry.
Heilongjiang Province in the northernmost part of China
has a temperate climate similar to that of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk,
while Hainan Island in the south has a tropical climate. The temperature
difference between the two regions is large in winter but small in
summer. In the northern part of Heilongjiang Province, winter
temperatures drop to -38°C, and the average January temperature is
around -16°C. The average July temperature in this region is 20°C. In
southern Guangdong, average temperatures range from 10°C in January to
28°C in July.
Precipitation varies more than temperature. Much
rain falls on the southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains, reaching a
maximum during the summer monsoon season. As one moves north and west of
the range, rainfall becomes less likely. The northwest is the driest,
with desert areas (Taklamakan, Gobi, Ordos) receiving little
precipitation.
The southern and eastern parts of China are often
hit by destructive typhoons (about five times a year), as well as
floods, monsoons, tsunamis, and droughts. Each spring, China's northern
regions are covered with yellow sand. Yellow dust originates from the
deserts in the north and is carried by the wind towards Korea and Japan.
China is endowed with various types of fuel and unprocessed mineral
resources. Reserves of petroleum, coal, metal ores, and precious metals
are of particular importance.
China has many mineral reserves.
Coal is China's main source of energy, and although China is behind
several countries in terms of its reserves, it ranks first in the world
in terms of production, producing 356 million tons in 2013. The reserves
are mainly concentrated in northern China. Northwest China also has
significant resources. Other regions, especially the south, are scarce
in coal. Most of the reserves are coal. Coal deposits are mainly located
in northern and northeastern China. The largest coal reserves are
concentrated in Shanxi Province (30% of total reserves), in the Datong
and Yangquan coal mines. China is also the world's number one importer
of coal, with 320 million tons imported into China in 2013.
Another important source of energy resources is oil. In terms of oil
reserves, China occupies a prominent position among the countries of
Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Petroleum deposits are
found in various regions, the most important being Northeast China
(Sungari-Nongni Plain), coastal areas, terraced fields in Northern
China, and parts of the interior (Dungaria Basin, Sichuan Province).
China has been the world's largest gold producer since 2007; in
2013, Chinese gold production increased by 6.23% over 2012, reaching 428
tons. Chinese companies continue to actively develop mines at home and
abroad.
China also has very large shale deposits from which shale
gas can be extracted; In 2015, China plans to produce 6.5 billion cubic
meters of shale gas. By 2020, China plans to produce 60 to 100 billion
cubic meters of shale gas annually.
China has many rivers, with a total length of 220,000 km. More than
5,000 of them carry water over an area of more than 100 km² each.
China's rivers form internal and external water systems. The external
rivers are the Yangtze, Yellow River, Heilongjiang (Amur), Pearl River,
Lancang (Mekong), Nu River, and Yalu River, which lead to the Pacific
Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean, with a total runoff area of about
64% of the country's land area. Inland rivers, although few in number,
are quite far apart from each other and shallow in most areas. These
rivers flow into inland lakes or into deserts and salt marshes, which
account for about 36% of the country's land area.
China has many
lakes, covering a total area of about 80,000 square kilometers. There
are also tens of thousands of artificial lakes (reservoirs). Most of the
lakes are located on the Tibetan Plateau and in the middle and lower
reaches of the Yangtze River. The largest freshwater lakes, Poyang Lake,
Dongting Lake, and Taihu Lake, are also located in the Yangtze River
basin. Many large salt lakes in western China are inland lakes, the
largest being Lake Kukunol (Qinghai Province). Most inland lakes are
dry.
China is home to more than 500 species of bamboo, making up 3% of the country's forests. Bamboo thickets, found in 18 provinces, are not only a habitat for many animals, but also a source of valuable raw materials. Their woody culms (stems) are widely used in industry.
They include the Amur tiger, the David's monkey, the giant panda
(found only in China), the red-crowned crane, the Birch's mantis snake,
and the praying mantis.
China's Fauna China ranks first or second
in the world in terms of the number of wildlife species. It is home to
about 6,300 species of vertebrates and 3,862 species of fish, which is
about 10% of all species on the planet. It is home to rare animals such
as the golden monkey, South China tiger, brown hen, red-footed ibis,
beluga whale, and Chinese crocodile, which represent the fauna of the
planet.
Chinese culture is among the oldest and most original in the world,
and has greatly influenced the development of the cultures of many
neighboring peoples who later inhabited the vast territories of
Mongolia, Tibet, Indochina, Korea, and Japan.
Calligraphy
elevated ordinary Chinese characters to an artistic level and has
traditionally been equated with painting and poetry as a method of
self-expression. Because hieroglyphic images are limited to a small
number of features (lines), their thickness, bending angles, and the
dynamism they impart to the picture determine the artist's individual
style. The main elements of calligraphy, which the Chinese call the
"four treasures of knowledge," are ink, stone (ink), brush, and paper.
Astronomy: Astronomers observing the sky in ancient China developed
their own understanding of the sky. Chinese constellations are referred
to in traditional Chinese culture and are very different from modern
constellations based on ancient Greek astronomy.
The asteroid (139)
Ruihua, discovered by Canadian-American astronomer James Watson in
Beijing on October 10, 1874, was named after China. Translated into
Chinese, the asteroid's name means "Chinese Happiness Star."
Chinese astrology: each year has a special symbol and is associated with
one of the 12 animals that repeat the astrological cycle. On the eve of
the New Year, the Chinese usually talk about the coming of the "Year of
the Dog," for example. In Chinese astrology, a person born under the
sign of an animal has characteristics specific to that animal.
Printed books, porcelain, silk, mirrors, umbrellas, and paper kites
are just a few of the everyday items invented by the Chinese and still
used by people around the world today. The Chinese developed the art of
making porcelain 1,000 years before Europeans. And two of China's most
famous inventions came from philosophy. Taoist alchemists, in their
search for the elixir of immortality, accidentally derived the formula
for gunpowder.
Printing: The invention of movable type did not
have a major impact on Chinese society, and most printers continued to
use the previous type. In Europe, the invention of movable type
revolutionized the It is easier to manipulate the 30 different types of
type printed in the Latin alphabet than the more than 3,000 different
characters used in Chinese newspaper production. Printing hieroglyphics
on a single printing plate requires more labor and expense.
Chinese Porcelain: Even though ceramics had long been known in China, it
was not until the Bronze Age (1500-400 B.C.) that they acquired a
particularly potent glue and learned to build high-temperature firing
kilns. Full-scale porcelain did not appear until the Sui Dynasty.
The influence of Chinese philosophy, part of Eastern philosophy, on the cultures of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam is equivalent to the influence of ancient Greek philosophy on Europe. Common: Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, Buddhism.
In contrast to Western European literature of the New Age, literary
texts in China occupied a secondary place relative to literature of
historiographical and ethical-philosophical orientation, as a direct
consequence of the dominance of Confucian ideology.
The absence
of the most ancient layer of epic oral creativity and the fragmentation
of mythological ideas are striking. It is assumed that Confucian
ideology was also involved in their eradication; traces of their
existence are found in the folklore of Chinese national minorities.
A distinctive feature of the hierarchy of Chinese literary genres is
the low position of drama and its relatively late emergence. The memoir
and epistolary genres turned out to be underdeveloped relative to the
European tradition, but their place was taken by the so-called. genre of
biji “notes”, close to essays.
The music of China dates back several thousand years of its development. She was influenced by the musical traditions of the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and Southeast Asia. It also absorbed elements of the music of the peoples who were part of the Chinese state (Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongols, Jurchens, Manchus, etc.), and in turn had a significant influence on the music of Korea, Japan, some peoples of Southeast Asia and the Basin Pacific Ocean. Since ancient times, Chinese music has developed under the influence of religious and philosophical-ideological doctrines.
There is an assumption that cinema in China was originally viewed as
a form of ancient art, shadow theater, which is why the film in Chinese
is called “electric shadows.” The first demonstration of “moving
pictures” in China took place on August 11, 1896 in Shanghai, a city
that for many years became the center of Chinese cinema. The first film
company in China, China Cinema Company, aka Asia Film? was founded in
1909.
After the formation of the PRC in 1949, the new authorities
began to pay special attention to cinema (and starting in 1951, old
Chinese films, as well as film production from Hollywood and Hong Kong,
were banned), while the strengthening of ideological control after Mao
Zedong announced a course to fight right-wing elements noticeably
weakened artistic value of Chinese films. During the Cultural
Revolution, film production was subject to severe restrictions. Almost
all films made before were banned, and some directors were subjected to
repression.
The mid-1980s were marked by the emergence of the
so-called. “the fifth generation of Chinese film directors” (the first,
after the Cultural Revolution, to graduate from the Beijing Film
Academy). PRC filmmakers who emerged in the 1990s are called the “sixth
generation of Chinese cinema” (they are also sometimes called the
“returning generation of film enthusiasts”, as the lack of large budget
funding or other forms of support led to the fact that low-budget films
were quickly made, often using the cheapest means). After the
reunification of Hong Kong and Macau with the PRC (1997), more and more
joint films began to appear, work on which was carried out jointly by
representatives of the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Foreign broadcasting:
China Radio International is China's
international public radio station based in Beijing, broadcasting on
short and medium wave, VHF (FM), satellite and the Internet. Radio China
International broadcasts in 62 languages, including Russian.
CCTV-Russian is an international television channel of China Central
Television (CTK), broadcasting in Russian. Thanks to the launch of the
CCTV-Russian television channel, Chinese television and radio
broadcasting abroad has become the absolute leader in the world in the
number of foreign languages broadcast and the number of individual
television channels in foreign languages.
Printed books, porcelain (see Chinese porcelain), silk, gunpowder,
magnetic compass, mirrors, umbrellas and kites are just a small part of
those everyday items that were invented by the Chinese and which people
still use today all over the world.
Now China is a leader (along
with the United States) in significant areas of science. In 2020, China
spent $582.8 billion (PPP) on research and development (R&D), which is
slightly less than the US spent ($720.9 billion), but more than the
total expenditures of Japan and Germany , South Korea, France and Great
Britain. R&D expenditures in 2022 reached 3.09 trillion yuan (about $456
billion in nominal terms), which amounted to 2.55% of the state's GDP.
World leader in the number of patent applications. A feature of China
has been the active use of “foreign brains”: the number of foreign
scientists in the research centers of the Celestial Empire increased
from 1989 to 2009 from 2.5 thousand to 480 thousand people (in total,
about 1.6 people worked in China at the end of the 2000s million
scientists). In 2022, China rose to 11th place in the Global Innovation
Index, overtaking France. China is home to 21 of the world's 100 leading
science and technology clusters, three of which are in the top ten
rankings: Shenzhen - Hong Kong - Guangzhou (2nd place), Beijing (3rd
place) and Shanghai - Suzhou (6th place).
The Chinese Academy of
Sciences (CAS) is engaged in the development of mathematics, physics,
chemistry, medicine, geosciences, information technology, biotechnology,
etc.
The Chinese Academy of Engineering Sciences is involved in
mechanical engineering, metallurgy, construction, agriculture, light and
heavy industry, and transport.
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
(CASS) focuses on economics, history, philosophy, law, international
relations, sociology.
The China Academy of Space Technology is the
country's main spacecraft development and production center.
China's Space Program: With a multidisciplinary space program, China has
become the world's third-largest space superpower with independent
manned missions since 2003. Since 1990, the PRC began commercial
launches and in 1990-2012. Chinese launch vehicles launched 43 foreign
satellites into orbit. Since 2010, second only to Russia, China has
carried out more space launches annually than the United States. As of
July 2012, China ranked third in the world (after the United States and
Russia) in the number of functioning artificial Earth satellites (96,
including 87 launched into orbit by Chinese launch vehicles). In 2021,
China launched its own orbital station.