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>Beijing Beijing is the capital of People's Republic of China, and is the second largest city in the country after Shanghai. Beijing, meaning "northern capital", has a population of 7,36,425. The old city itself consists of two sections, the Outer City and the Inner City. In the Outer city, people live in old, one-story houses that line the narrow alleyways extending from a main roadway. The Inner City has the Forbidden City which is part of what is called the "Imperial City". Beijing destroyed its city walls in the 1950s although much of the moat and a small portion of the original wall remain to surround this area. Tiananmen Square, many government offices, several museums , shopping area and restaurants make up this area. The Great Wall begins just north of Beijing, and expends all the way to Lintao in the southwest. The Beijing Opera keeps traditional theater and music alive. Tea houses can be found in various locations throughout the city with performances scheduled at a variety of times. > Dalian Dalian is in Liaoning Province and has a population of 2,400,000. The City is located on the coast and because of its history as a port and trading city for foreign elements such as the Russians and others there is a wealth of highly distinctive architecture which still exists. The city is extremely clean and orderly and has several beautiful hotels plus some of Northern China’s best Golf. > Canton (Guangzhou) Canton(Guangzhou) is the capital of the Guangdong province and is located on the Pearl River, near the South China Sea Coast. It has a population of 5.3 million and is one of China's major ports. Canton was from early time an active merchant city and it is in Canton that China and the west engaged in much of their early trade. Canton was never considered a beautiful city and in fact was known as a slum city for many years until a major improvement campaign began in the 1920's . Much of the city was rebuilt and modernized. Today, it is a thriving economic center. >Guilin Guilin is located in Guangxi province. The City is located on the Li River and is a pretty city of flowering trees and of river views. With population of 324,200, the city is relatively small by China standards. Both along the nearby river and also by car and bus can be viewed beautiful scenery that is often a subject of traditional Chinese painting as well as being breathtakingly spectacular in its own right > Hangzhou In ancient times, Hangzhou was one of China’s richest cities. A city of gardens, parks and beautiful houses. Many of the parks and gardens remain and Hangzhou and Suzhou vie with each other as sites to see and enjoy the best of Chinese lanscape and gardening. Today the area also has worked to attract investment in high tech and other industries and the city has gained a prosperity that is high by Chinese standards > Harbin Harbin is an industrial city and the capital of China's northernmost province, Heilongjiang. Harbin is a large city with population of 3,120,000. Harbin is an important railway junction linking China with Mongolia and Russia. It is a city that was inhabited by Russians escaping the Revolution, which explains the many Russian churches and European-style building. During the winter months, Harbin is the site of a world famous ice carving festival plus the site of several winter sport areas where skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports are all enjoyed. >Kunming Kunming is located in Yunnan province with a population of 1,500,000. Kunming is also known as the City of Spring. Because Kunming is located in the South of China, the climate here is more temperate. As a result a wide variety of plants and flowers thrive in this area and the area is known for large flower shows that occur throughout the year. Kunming was the China end of the Burma Road and of “the Hump”, the air bridge between India and China that allowed the World War II allies to support China’s efforts to resist Japanese forces. The famous “Flying Tiger” airwing of American volunteers was located here during the early part of the War and their is a very good museum not too far from the city. >Shanghai Shanghai is China's largest city with 8.2 million people in the city and 13 million in the metropolitan area. Shanghai is located about 700 miles southeast of Beijing or a one hour plus flying time. It is located on the coast of the South China Sea and was built up around the Huangpu River. Shanghai is China's major port. Shanghai's most famous boulevard is called the Bund, which was once the home to many international banks and trading companies. Thus, many of the buildings are old European style structures. Nanjing Road is the busiest in Shanghai. Lined with shops, restaurants, and theaters, it extends for several miles and leads into the Bund. Shanghai is a major port and a center of industry, education and research. Today, one quarter of China's foreign trade is handled through the port of Shanghai. Shanghai is comprised of the old foreign section which still bears the imprint of western development and where skyscrapers tower over landscaped parks and gardens. There also is the original Chinese settlement with winding streets that are home to a large number of Shanghai's citizens plus new suburbs that surround these area. The government has put substantial effort into establishing 11 suburbs surrounding the original city, but still half of the city's population lives in only two percent of Shanghai's metropolitan area. The Shanghai residents live well by Chinese standards and have opportunities for ongoing training programs through Shanghai's many universities and trade schools. Recently the City and National government have put tremendous investment into improving an area across the river from old Shanghai as a center for trade and investment. This area which is called Pudong now contains many high rise towers where foreign and Chinese companies now locate their China head offices. Travel Journal on Shanghai's must-see places >Suzhou Suzhou is located about an hour and a half on a modern highway from Shanghai. The city has been famous throughout Chinese history as a city of beauty and culture with beautiful canals, gardens and parks. The city is world renown for its Traditional Chinese Gardens which today draw countless visitors. The city is also renown for its embroidery and tea houses which are among the finest in China. Although Suzhou is a city of culture and history, recently it has become a center of many high tech and other industries that have located just beyond the old city boundaries. >Tianjin Tianjin is China's fourth largest city, with a population of over 5 million. It is a centrally administered municipality and, therefore, is not part of any of China's 23 provinces. Beijing and Shanghai and Chungching are the only other cities with the same status. Tianjin has always been an important trading city, and for centuries it was completely enclosed and protected by a city wall which was in place until the Boxer Rebellion in 1860. During the late Ching Dynasty and the early years of the 20th century European powers dominated the area followed later by the Japanese. During this period, the town continued to flourish as a trading center. Since 1949, however, Tinajin has also become a substantial manufacturing center. Textile, chemical, and consumer industries such as manufacturing of cellphones and other products have continued to help Tianjin develop. Tianjin is only a two hour train or drive from Beijing. The city is known for its markets where antiques, rugs and many other attractive items can be found. >Wuxi Wuxi is located approximately two to three hours by road from Shanghai. Wuxi is also the site of several beautiful Chinese gardens and parks. Recently the city has worked to attract high tech and other investment. >Xiamen Xiamen is located in Fujian province and was known in earlier times as Amoy. The city is located on the coast nearest to Taiwan. Because of this proximity the area has benefited from investment from both Taiwan and Hong Kong. Despite the industrial investment, Xiamen is an area that also boast beautiful parks and many other attractions of interest. >Xi'an Xi’an (formerly called Chang-An) was ancient China's capital on and off for nearly 2,000 years from 1066 BC to AD 907. It is located on the south bank of the Wei River, which flows eastward into the Yellow River (Huang Ho), in Shaanxi province. The population of Xian is close to 3 million. Xi’an is a fascinating city for a visit. Xian is one of the few cities in China still surrounded by walls and a moat which gives you a chance to see how ancient China really looked. Xi’an was the China end of the Silk Road and at the time of its high point was considered the largest, richest and most advanced city in the world. The present-day walls were built by the Ming Dynasty. There are numerous interesting historical places. One is The Bell Tower which is located in the center of Xian and is often used as a symbol for the city. The present tower was built is 1384 under the Ming Dynasty. Another of Xian's attractions is the Little Goose Pagoda, located where an ancient Buddhist temple once stood. Xian is perhaps most famous for the Qin Terra Cotta Warriors that guard the tomb of the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. Over 7,000 Warriors were found in 1974, just 23 miles east of Xian. This is trully one of the wonders of the world and must be seen to be appreciated.
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