According to usprivateschoolsfinder, China (Chinese:中华人民共和国) is a country in Asia bordering North Korea, Russia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. Sometimes people speak of Continental China. This means China, without the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The capital of China is Beijing (Beijing). Some major cities in China are: Shanghai (Shanghai), Guangzhou (Canton), Hangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Xi’an, Shantou, Tianjin, Wuhan, Dongguan and Chongqing. In addition to the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, China’s borders also include the autonomous regions of Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Ningxia and Sinkiang (Xinjiang). In addition, China has several thousand islands, of which Hainan is by far the largest.
According to topschoolsoflaw, China is the largest country in the world in terms of population (1,349,585,838 inhabitants). In terms of area, Russia is larger. Because of its size, China leaves its mark in many areas. For example, China is home to various inventions that are of great value worldwide. Examples include gunpowder, the clock, paper and the compass. China has a rich culture with its own customs. For example, China has different eating habits, its own horoscope and a calendar with, among other things, a different date for New Year. China has a lot of variation in the field of nature. More than 35% of China consists of mountains, of which Mount Everest is the best known. In addition, there are also pieces of rainforest and a large desert plain (Gobe).
China’s most famous structure is the Great Wall of China. This is a wall that is 6,200 kilometers long. This wall used to protect the empire. The first parts of the wall date back to 200 BC. The wall was built by approximately half a million workers. At present, many pieces of the wall are gone or impassable. Other parts that are still passable are mainly a tourist attraction.
Where is China?
Travel information of China
Official name: People’s Republic of China
Continent: Asia
Area: 9,596,961 km²
Capital: Beijing (Beijing)
Country code: CN, CHN
Population: 1,394,015,977 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: People’s Republic
Highest point: 8,848 m (Mount Everest)
Distance (Amsterdam – Beijing): 7,841 km
Flight time: approximately 8 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: All non-essential travel to certain areas in China is discouraged.
Current color code: Yellow and orange.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in China that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of China, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete tours and holidays to China. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about China?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in China at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
China has different climate zones. For clarity, we divide China:
– Northern China (region: Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjinang).
Northern China has both a continental and desert climate with temperatures in the winter averaging -15 to 5 degrees and in the summer an average of 20 to 30 degrees.
– South China (region: Sichuan, Hubei, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai Shi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Hainan).
South China has both a maritime and a tropical climate with temperatures in the winter averaging 5 to 20 degrees and in the summer an average of 30 to 40 degrees.
– Western China (region: Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and Tibet).
Western China has both a desert and a high-altitude climate with temperatures in the winter averaging 0 to -15 degrees and in the summer an average of 25 to 40 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for China can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of China can be found at Climate info.
Best time to travel
April, May, September and October are the best months to travel to North and Central China.
April and May are the best months to travel to Eastern China.
May, June and September are the best months to travel to South China.
This avoids the cold winter period and the months with the most precipitation.
Language
Several languages are spoken in China. The most widely spoken language is Mandarin Chinese. In addition, Cantonese, Wu and Hakka are spoken locally. There are also many different dialects in China.
Would you like to translate from or into Chinese for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 7 months when applying for a visa.
A visa is required. This is valid for 3 months and can be requested at the consulate of China in The Hague, which can be reached via visaforchina.org.
You can visit the cities of Beijing (Beijing), Shanghai (Shanghai) and Guangzhou for 3 days without a visa, for example during a stopover.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in China: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in China: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Chinese Embassy and Consulate in the Netherlands: nl.china-embassy.org.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting China, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs outside the major cities. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In China, payments are made with the Chinese Yuan Renminbi (CNY).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in China can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in China are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -38% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (65% cheaper), food (14% cheaper), imported beer in catering (37% cheaper), cigarettes (60% cheaper) and public transport (90% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In China it is not customary to tip. Only in tourist areas is it becoming more and more common to tip. The tip is approximately 10%.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 6 hours later in China.
During our winter time it is 7 hours later in China.
China has no difference between winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone of China can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route In Hong Kong and Macau
Special Administrative Regions, you must drive on the left side of the road. In China, you must have a Chinese driver’s license to rent and/or drive a motor vehicle. You will receive this after taking driving lessons through a local police station and showing a Dutch driving license. With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within China.
Electricity
In China you need a travel plug.
More information about common plugs and sockets in China can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 110
– Fire: 119
– Ambulance: 120
– Traffic accidents: 122
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to China can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from China can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from China end in.cn.
China official websites: gov.cn and tourismchina.org.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in China is 0086 or +86.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from China? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
All China area codes can be found on Wikipedia.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of China.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of China.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from China.
Holidays
China’s National Day falls on October 1 (National Day of the People’s Republic of China).
An overview of all public holidays in China can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in China, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about China?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited China. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in China can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in China can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to China? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported from China.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with China, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about China, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in China? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, accommodation, scholarships, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to China.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.2.
– Tobacco: Buying and or smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…China and India are the only countries with more than 1 billion inhabitants?
… Tea is the most consumed drink in China and there are many tea houses?
…Paper, porcelain, silk and gunpowder were all invented in China
…Red is a lucky color in China?
…Most Chinese can’t swim?
…The unlucky number in China is 4?
