China is situated in eastern Asia, bounded by the Pacific in the east. The third largest country in the world, next to Canada and Russia, it has an area of 9.6 million square kilometers, or one-fifteenth of the world's landmass. It begins from the confluence of the Heilong and Wusuli Rivers (135 degrees and 5 minutes east longitude) in the east to the Pamirs west of Wuqia County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (73 degrees and 40 minutes east longitude) in the west, with about 5,200 kilometers apart. In the north, it starts from the midstream of the Heilong River north of Mohe (53 degrees and 31 minutes north latitude) and stretches south to the southernmost island Zengmu'ansha in the South China Sea (4 degrees and 15 minutes north latitude), with about 5,500 kilometers in between.

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China is the cultural treasure-house of East Asia: its social riches and 5000 years of tumultuous history place it, without doubt, among the world's greatest travel destinations. China has one of the world's oldest continuous civilisations. The Great Wall, X'ian's Terracotta Army, the Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square: the very names reverberate with history and legend.

China's paradoxes are many: Shanghai's skyscrapers contrast with Beijing's historical treasures, while in rural provinces, mechanisation is slow. This is not simply due to its sheer enormity and population of over one billion. China's history is one characterised by the collapse of a dynasty or the accession of a weak ruler that would fragment the country into smaller kingdoms until reunited.
What has defined China most in recent times is the outcome of the civil war in 1945. Defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan, while victorious Communists founded the People's Republic of China. Internally, the China of the 1960s was dominated by the convulsions of the Cultural Revolution. But in 1976, the two towering figures of post-revolutionary China, Premier Zhou Enlai and Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong, both died.

China's contentious policies, however, did not end there. A major reform programme allowing little political 'liberalisation', despite economic change, prompted widespread protest; in 1989, thousands occupied Tiananmen Square in Beijing, only for the army to clear the Square with great loss of life and the Government to reassert political control. US support for Taiwan is a constant irritant. Within East Asia, China is involved in an intractable territorial dispute concerning the status of the Spratly Islands, claimed by no less than six nations and thought to sit above substantial oil fields. In the continuing tension between India and Pakistan, China has provided military support to Pakistan, considering India a political rival. When the Japanese imperial army invaded China in 1937, eight years of brutal occupation followed, which sours relations between the two countries to this day.

Such complex history and politics are worrying, but, for some, infuse the landscape with greater allure. And what a landscape it has – this is the land of the Yangtze River, the Silk Route and the bamboo forests of the panda, bringing the vistas of rivers and misty peaks in traditional ink paintings to life. China justifiably holds 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites within its borders. Even Chinese food ranks among the world's great cuisines. From acrobatics to martial arts, calligraphy to Chinese opera, the vibrant, distinctive culture of this great land is everywhere to be seen.

Tibet (Xihang) is known as 'the Roof of the World' and even the mere mention of the word evokes dreamy images of a mystical and dramatic territory. Tibet has only been open to tourists since 1980, so if you get the chance to go there, you should not turn it down. The Cultural Revolution, driven by Han Chinese, inflicted serious damage on Tibet's cultural identity, but despite this, it has preserved its own way of life and religious traditions, helped in some cases by apologetic Chinese attempts at restoration. What any potential visitor should bear in mind is that the Chinese authorities react strongly to overseas visitors becoming involved with any political activity for Tibetan independence, including taking photographs or videotaping demonstrations, or taking Tibetan nationals' correspondence or parcels out of the country. What makes up for this political quagmire is the spectacular scenery and uniquely fascinating Tibetan culture: its tradition of esoteric Buddhism is followed across Asia and is of great historical importance.

China's rapid economic growth, with predictions that it may become the world's major economic power within decades, has generated controversy surrounding global warming and insufficient oil supplies. However, it has also spurred on China's rapidly improving tourist infrastructure.
Beijing is a perfect example. The city is currently undergoing great investment in both tourism infrastructure and historical renovation due to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Flexibility and patience are still required to travel around China but, in return, China rewards visitors with memories to be treasured for a lifetime.