About China+

China is the oldest continuous major world civilization, with records dating back over 3,500 years. Successive dynasties developed a system of bureaucratic control which gave the agrarian-based Chinese an advantage over neighboring nomadic and hill cultures.

Chinese civilization was further strengthened by the development of a common written language that bridged the gaps among the country's many local languages and dialects. TravelBC - Travel Canada

There are several major Chinese dialects and many subdialects. The Beijing dialect, often called Mandarin (or Putonghua), is taught in all schools and is the medium of government.

Most Chinese cities have excellent hotels. Most airlines have flights to China. Shop for a cheap airfare to China by contacting several airlines with routes to China. Beijing and Shangahi are popular China travel destinations.

The population of China

in mid-1995 was over 1.2 billion, with an estimated growth rate of 1.2%. China is full of natural and man-made wonders. Its great rivers include the Yellow and the Yangtze. There are also many mountain ranges including the Himalayas along the southern border of Tibet and the Kunlun Mountains stretching east and west along Tibet's northern edge. Part of the Gobi desert is located in China's Inner Mongolia.

China's most popular man-made wonder is the Great Wall. The Great Wall was built in the 3rd century B.C. (completed in 204 B.C.). It extends for about 1500 miles from Gansu province to the Bohai Gulf. The wall averages 20 to 50 feet high and 15 to 25 feet thick. The actual length, including branches and windings, is more than 2000 miles.