Overview
China is a country in Asia according to thesciencetutor. China is an emerging country where ancient traditions coexist with modern marvels of engineering and architecture. The incredible energy of this vast country, whose people are breaking free of the chains of the past and rushing into the future, is immense, making this (perhaps only) world power a must-see destination. China is also a country of natural and cultural superlatives. Among the 45 UNESCO World Heritage Sites are the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City in Beijing, Xi’an’s Terracotta Army, the traditional Suzhou Gardens and the mist-shrouded mountains of Huangshan. Chinese cuisine is among the best in the world. China is also famous for its acrobatics, traditional martial arts and Chinese opera. In addition to Beijing and Shanghai, the autonomous region of Tibet also leaves unforgettable impressions. The tourism infrastructure has continued to improve after the 2008 Olympic Games, the 2010 Shanghai Expo and the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. On October 1, 2019, the People’s Republic of China celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding. The tourism infrastructure has continued to improve after the 2008 Olympic Games, the 2010 Shanghai Expo and the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. On October 1, 2019, the People’s Republic of China celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding. The tourism infrastructure has continued to improve after the 2008 Olympic Games, the 2010 Shanghai Expo and the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. On October 1, 2019, the People’s Republic of China celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding.
Getting there
Arriving by plane
Air China (CA), China’s national airline and Lufthansa (LH) offer non-stop flights to Beijing from Frankfurt/M., Munich and Dusseldorf and to Shanghai and Shenzhen from Frankfurt/M. Air China (CA) also offers non-stop flights to China from Geneva and Vienna. Swiss (LX) flies non-stop from Zurich to Beijing and Shanghai. Austrian Airlines (OS) connect Vienna non-stop with Beijing. Chengdu, Dalian, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Xi An, Wenzhou and Chongqing are all served by connecting flights from Beijing. China Southern Airlines (CZ) operates the route Frankfurt/M. – Changsha – Guangzhou and Vienna – Ürümqi – Guangzhou. Hainan Airlines (HU) flies from Berlin to Beijing and from Zurich to Beijing and Shenzhen. Numerous other airlines such as British Airways (BA), Air France (AF), Finnair (AY), KLM (KL) and Qantas (QF) also fly to Beijing, Shanghai and/or various other Chinese cities. LOT (LO) flies from Warsaw to Beijing Daxing. Feeder flights to Warsaw start in Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and Vienna, among others.
Flight times
Frankfurt – Beijing (Beijing): 9 hours 10 minutes; Frankfurt – Shanghai: 10 hours 25 minutes; Vienna – Beijing (Beijing): 9 hrs 25 mins; Vienna – Shanghai: 13 hours 30 minutes (with a stopover); Zurich – Peking (Beijing): 11 h 40 min (with stopover); Zurich – Shanghai: 12 hours 30 minutes (with a stopover).
Departure fee
Airport Fee: Approximately €6.50 (¥50 RMB), payable in cash upon check-in. Departure tax for international flights (including flights to Hong Kong): approx. €11.50 (¥90 RMB), from Hong Kong approx. €6.50 (¥50 RMB).
Arrival by car
The main routes to China follow historic trade routes through Myanmar, India, CIS, Mongolia and Nepal. The mountain pass Nathu La connects the Indian Sikkim with Tibet. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge connects mainland China with Hong Kong and Macao. Toll: Most of the highways, some national roads and bridges (Donghai Bridge, Hangzhou Bay Bridge, Danyang-Kunshan Bridge) have to pay tolls, which mostly have to be paid in cash. Electronic toll collection is possible on some highways around Beijing, Shanghai and in the province of Guangdong, among others. Documents: Drivers must hold a Chinese driver’s license and obtain a Chinese registration and license plate for the vehicle. However, even with this it is not certain that entry will be granted. For entry via Tibet, special visa regulations must be observed.
Arrival by train
There is a regular train connection between Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Canton). International trains usually offer more comfort than domestic trains. Travelers with plenty of time can take the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing. We recommend booking at least 2 months before departure. Driving times: Beijing (Beijing) – Moscow (Russian Federation): 5-day journey (7,622 km); Beijing – Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia): one-day trip (1,356 km). The Trans-Mongolian Railway serves the route Ulan-Ude (Russia) – Ulan Bator (Mongolia) – Jining (China) and the Trans-Manchurian Railway the route Chita (Russia) – Dalian; formerly Port Arthur (China).
Arrival by ship
China’s main ports are Shanghai and Hong Kong; other major ports are Fuzhou, Guangzhou (Canton), Qingdao (Tsingtao), Tianjin and Xiamen. There are numerous ferry connections to Japan, including from Shanghai to Osaka and Kobe. Cruise lines from all over the world have Chinese ports in their program.
Cruise ships
Among others, the shipping companies Phoenix, Cunard and Hapag Lloyd Cruises call at Shanghai and Hong Kong on their world cruises that start in Hamburg. Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises and Cunard offer cruises from Yokohama with stopovers in Chinese ports.
Ferry provider
The Shanghai Ferry Co. operates a regular ferry service between Shanghai and Osaka (Japan). The Japan-China International Ferry Co. connects Shanghai with Osaka and Kobe (Japan).
