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INFORMATION

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Regions Map of ChinaChina is vast, but it can be divided into the following regions: North-east: Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang. Dongbei, the "rust belt" North: Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin. The Yellow river basin area, historical heartland of China. North-west: Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang. grasslands and deserts, nomadic people, Islam. South-west: Tibet, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou. The exotic part, home to most of the Chinese minorities and spectacular scenery. Southern-central: Anhui, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi. Farming areas. South-east: Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian. The traditional trading center. East: Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang. The new economic center. The Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau are covered in their own articles. The island of Taiwan is claimed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) but is currently administered by the Republic of China (ROC), see the separate Taiwan article for more details. For the full list of administrative regions — provinces, municipalities that are not in provinces, Autonomous Regions for various ethnic groups, Special Administrative Regions (SARs) such as Macau and Hong Kong and Special Economic Zones (SEZs} set up to encourage development — see List of Chinese provinces and regions.

Cities China has many large and famous cities. Below is a list of the nine most important to travelers. Other cities are listed under their specific regional section. Beijing — capital city and host of the 2008 Olympics Guangzhou — one of China's most prosperous and liberal cities. Guilin — popular destination for both Chinese and foreign tourists, sensational mountain/river scenery Hangzhou — former capital, famously beautiful city, major center for the silk industry Kunming — capital of Yunnan Nanjing — a former capital with many historic relics Shanghai — one of China's largest cities, famous for its riverside scenery. Major commercial center. Suzhou — old city, famous for canals and gardens Xi'an — a former capital, terminus of the ancient Silk Road, home of the terracotta warriors.

Other destinations Great Wall of China Tibet Silk Road Hainan island, tropical paradise

Sacred mountains China (including Tibet) is home to many sacred Buddhist mountains. These are five of the most well known: Mount Tai, Shandong Province (1545 meters) Mount Emei, Sichuan Province (3099 meters) Mount Jiuhua, Anhui Province (1342 meters) Mount Putuo, Zhejiang Province (297 meters) Mount Wutai, Shanxi Province (3058 meters) Mount Kailash, known as Gang Rinpoche in Tibetan, Tibet (5,656 meters)

Sacred sites Several UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China have famous Buddhist art: the 1,500-year-old Yungang Grottoes near Datong in Shanxi Province. There are more than 51,000 Buddhist carvings in the recesses and caves that cover the mountain-sides in the Yangang Valley. the Dunhuang caves in Gansu province, with both art and manuscripts, some dating back to the 4th century Dazu Rock Carvings near Chongqing, date from the 7-13th century