China- The Wonderland

People's Republic of China is an eastern Asian Country. It is diverse in climate, ethnicity and subcultures. The ancient history of China reflects the beauty of Chinese culture and morality. With more than 5000 years of history, It has a wonderful culture and splendid civilization.

Ancient cities, towns and villages are treasures for visitors to understand China. Zhouzhuang in Suzhou(Water town), Tongli (oriental Venice) are famous for their natural beauty.

Beijing's courtyards, earth towers of the Hakkas in Fuzhou, Huizhou local residences in Anhui and the farmers' caves in Shaanxi are outstanding representatives of local residences in different areas of China.

Temples, Gardens and monasteries are emblems of China's long history. White Horse Temple is the oldest temple and the cradle of Buddhism in China. Jokhang Temple, Labrang Monastery and Ta'er Monastery are famous Tibetan Buddhist shrines. As to Confucianism, there are several Temples of Confucius (Kong Miao) in many cities.

Chinese Folk Culture Villages in Guangdong and Xishuangbanna Nationality Culture Park in Yunnan are comprehensive scenic areas to gather flavors of many ethnic groups together in one place.

Top Attractions

The Great Wall

The Great Wall Known to the Chinese as the 'Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li', One of the wonders of the world, is the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance and was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO .

It is a 2,000-year-old wall winds up and down across the deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 5,500 miles from east to west. It starts from Hushan in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai. The formidable defensive structures built to ward off invasions.

The Great Wall of China is the largest man made structure in the world, stretching an incredible 8,850 kilometres (5,500 miles).

Forbidden City

 
Forbidden city is called “Gu Gong” in Chinese, It is located in the middle of Beijing and one of the interesting places to visit. It served as the imperial palace for the emperors and their households, and as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture.

Shaolin Temple

Shaolin temple is an Mahayana Buddhist monastery, the temple is situated on the Songshan mountain, range, Dengfeng City, Henan Province,. It is famous for its association with Chinese martial arts particularly with Shaolin Kung fu , Shaolin Temple embraces many exciting attractions like Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Pagoda Forest, the Dharma Cave and the Shaolin Temple Martial Art Training Center.

Summer Palace

Summer Palace radiates fully the natural beauty and the grandeur of royal gardens. Being the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China, famous for its natural views and cultural interests, which also has long since been recognized as 'The Museum of Royal Gardens'.

Ming Tombs

Ming tomb is at 50 kilometers northwest of Beijing, because of its long history, palatial and integrated architecture, the site has a high cultural and historic value. The layout and arrangement of all thirteen mausoleums are very similar but vary in size as well as in the complexity of their structures.

Chinese Ancient Silk Road

Silk Road or Silk Routes is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe.

Terra Cotta Warriors is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum in Lintong, these are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century.

It is very interesting to visit china during festival seasons.

The New Year Celebrations. We can see the fireworks display, Yangke dancing, lion and dragon dancing, holding temple fairs and many other great folklore-inspection events.

Lantern Festival: We can see the spectacular backdrop for lion dances, dragon dances, and fireworks.

Dragon Boat Festival: Dragon Boat races and eating Zong Zi are the major attractions during this event.

Cleaning ancestors' graves and holding memorial ceremonies, spring outing, and flying kites are the indications for the Qingming festival.

Never miss a chance to try one of the best Chinese cuisines

Scallions,tofu dumplings, thin pancakes, Kung Pao Chicken, Dim Sum, Shu Mai Dumplings With Pork and Shrimp, noodles ,Mandarin pancakes 

 



At the last some of the hotspots for the travellers are

Longmen Grottoes, Xian City Wall, Suzhou Garden, Yangtze River Cruising, Yellow mountains, Temple of Heaven Cuandixia Village, Stone Flower Caves, Jietai Temple, Tanzhe Temple, Guyaju Caves, the Longqing Gorge, Yunju Temple, Zhoukoudian, Jingdong Stalactite Cavern, Marco Polo Bridge.

Chinese Culture

The over 5,000 years' history endows China with a profound culture, which penetrates in every aspect of the life of the local people. The diversity of ethnic groups with interesting folk customs and traditions infuses different vigor to the development of this nation. Some of the cultural heritage like the Chinese food, martial arts, traditional medicine and craftworks raise an aspiration and pursuit worldwide. Ready to capture the ethos of the country? Let us lead you through the encyclopedic scope of Asian civilization.

Experience Chinese Cuisines with Indian Flavour 

Chinese desserts, pancake, sun cakes, Chinese noodles 
Chilli Chicken, Manchurian Chicken,Chowmein

Spectacular Snow Sculptures Transform Chinese Province Into A Winter Wonderland

Visitors to the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Heilongjiang Province in North East China were treated to an early sight of the dazzling giant snow sculptures. The festival officially kicks off on 5 January and lasts one month.

The sculptures were carved out of ice from the frozen Songhua River nearby and they ranged from woolly mammoths and reindeers, to a T-Rex and a replica of the Sagrada Família cathedral in Barcelona. Visitors climbed an ice palace, posed for photos and generally had a blast.

If you’re wondering how they stay solid, Harbin’s extremely low temperatures and cold winds ensure the sculptures remain intact. 

See the most beautiful attractions of Zhangjiajie, featuring pristine natural scenery of grotesque peaks, clear water, and dense forests. We will help you make the best use of your time and energy to see the essence of this World Heritage Site, and see in person why it inspired Avatar’s Hallelujah Mountain.
  

What documents are needed for visiting China?

1) All foreigners to China must have a valid passport and a China visa. Note that the passport should be valid for a minimum of 6 months after your visit to China and the visa should be approved before you enter China. The most common type of visa is single-entry visa which is usually valid for 3 months and allows a maximum stay of 30 days.

2) Visit Tibet: to enter Tibet, foreigners must hold a Tibet travel permit which shall be obtained 15 days before entering Tibet. A Tibet permit is sufficient if you only stay in Lhasa, however, if you want to extend to the "unopened" areas, an Alien's travel permit issued by the PSB of Tibet is required. In addition to a travel permit, a fitness certificate from a registered doctor is also required to show that you’re fit to travel and your blood pressure and heart condition are normal to acclimatize the high altitude of Tibet.

3) Visit Hong Kong: People from most countries are exempted from applying a China visa if only travel and stay in Hong Kong.

4) Just in case of need, we suggest you bring your medical record attached with your doctor’s name, address and phone number, emergency contact name and phone number, and your insurance company’s name, address and phone number. 

How to get a visa? 

It can be quite easy to obtain a China visa, which usually permits you to stay in China for one month.
 

For citizens of United States of America or Canada, there are several ways of obtaining a China Visa:

1) Contact the China National Tourist Office in New York or Los Angeles, or
2)Contact your travel agent or visa services, or
3)Obtain it directly from the Chinese embassies or consulates in the following cities:
4)Or you can contact us. We can give you detailed instruction to help you process your visa application after you booked your tour to China with us.
5)For tourists from other countries, please inquire with your nearest PRC embassies or consulates, or contact with us, we can help anyone with a valid passport to process applications for a China visa. For more information, please refer to the Visa& Passport page. 

What are used for visa application? 

To obtain a visa you have to fill in an application form and provide a passport photo (head-only, full frontal, white background, approximately 1-1/2" by 2") obtained from any "passport photo" service. The processing of your application will take about 7 working days. It’s more likely to take longer time if you travel to Tibet because the Chinese embassy must get the approval of Tibet Tourism Administration to issue a visa. 

What type of visa do I need?

For most travelers to China, a single-entry visa will be enough. This kind of visa usually has 3 months of validity from the date of issue. You can stay in China for less than 30 days. 

Can I get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong? And how?

Yes. It's pretty easy to get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or agents/tour companies who are specialized in applying visas. 

Should I need to apply for visa again after leaving and re-entering mainland China? 

The answer is yes. A double or multiple entry visa is needed to apply for even just left for Hong Kong/Macau and then re-enter mainland China. 

If I want you to send me an invitation letter, what kind of information do you need from me?

We need following information:

•  The date of your entering China; 
•  How many days you plan to stay in China;
•  Cities that you plan to visit;
•  Name (must be the same as those on your passport);
•  Gender;
•  Date of birth;
•  Passport Number;
•  Passport expiration date;
•  Occupation;
•  Telephone- fax number and your email address;
•  Your address.  

Do I need to buy a travel insurance before I go to China? What does the travel insurance cover provided by China Odyssey Tours?

China Odyssey Tours provides a limited insurance for all customers who have booked tour packages with us, including any tours for over half day, and pickup & transfer service. The insurance is not applicable for the non-tour bookings (i.e. only accommodation or airline tickets booked via China Odyssey Tours).

The type of insurance is China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance, of which the policy only covers accidents that occur within China.

China Odyssey Tours endeavors to make your tour in China delightful and worry- free. We highly recommend that all travelers should purchase comprehensive travel insurance from reliable insurance providers before leaving their home for the tour.

Here is official Chinese Government help site for foreign tourists. http://www.cnto.org/# 

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