China, Hainan Island
  
About the country

The Chinese civilization has 4,000 years. Mysterious Celestial since Marco Polo beckons travelers. China - a country with the largest population in the world (one fifth of all the inhabitants of the Earth), and the third area. China goes through four time zones. The People's Republic - a socialist state. Although the communist regime is not the same as in the days of Mao Zedong, but belongs to the Communist Party of the veins full power. Since 1979, China has a state program to limit the births "2 +1". The family signed a contract with the state in which pledges to have one child, in return for the tax and other benefits. Violation of the terms means the loss of benefits and a high fine. Prior to the 1990s. in China were forbidden to own private vehicles, all vehicles owned by the state. Chinese mass move on bicycles. The average household has two or three bikes (usually used to not tempt thieves).
For the peoples of the East has always been a focal point of the Celestial mighty civilization and rich culture, the same torch as Athens and Rome to the ancient world. China to the West - is a huge faraway country of power and wealth of legend, the subject of fairy tales and dreams, the purpose of many famous travel.
More recently, on China knew very little, for many it is still an unknown country. Here we are, in a sense victims of the classic stereotypes. For some, China - an exotic country with thousands of years of history and culture, for others - an anthill, whose inhabitants are threatening to flood the whole world, for the third - a new giant in the global economy and a vivid example of successful reform, for others - the country has recently experienced the Cultural Revolution and preserved the features of the socialist system.
China has awakened, but, contrary to the prediction of Napoleon, the world shuddered. Beijing today invades another's limits by product, not a soldier. With them in our homes comes the understanding of ancient traditions, and that's about all we know about China. In the daily news reports from China are rare, and mostly as a sample of the economy of the future, and we kind of do not take into account that it is an ancient and very beautiful country with its own traditions, unique monuments and breathtaking landscapes. According to Deng Xiaoping's favorite maxim "no matter black cat or white, just to catch mice" after the death of Mao, the Chinese Dzeduna gladly traded ideology for pragmatism. As the result, their cities are experiencing economic growth. However, outside the cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, etc. - still lies a little-known China. The vast western provinces through which the Great Silk Road, the majestic flow of the river. They are inhabited by many small nations. This is a land of sharp contrasts: it soar up the Himalayas, here is the Turpan Basin - one of the lowest places on earth. On the banks of the mighty rivers of the country - the Yangtze and the Yellow River are scattered man-made treasures and natural wonders. For example, the magical Three Gorges on the Yangtze, as often sung by poets or Buddhist complex, situated in the rock, and many other wonderful places. Far as the eye reaches the Great Wall of China ...
Basis of China - it's consistency, uniformity of language, race, customs and beliefs that govern fifty-five minorities. This can be seen in churches, mosques and monasteries in every corner of the country, and is particularly evident in the religious tolerance that was born as a result of the millennial coexistence of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. For centuries the vast territory of China, comparable in size to the entire continent, was the crossroads of people, ideas and beliefs that came from Siberia and Mongolia, Asia and India. And in cities such as Hong Kong and Macao, Tianjin and Qingdao, Chinese culture is closely related to the European, was born as a result a whole new style of life.
Now striving for modernization and wealth, China has not forgotten his roots and traditions, restore ancient monuments destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and, as a result of the reforms of Deng Xiaoping, are currently available. This should remember the one who wants to understand this country. It is this desire leads to a new understanding of Chinese Confucian pragmatism in which nationalism is easy to get along with the free market, and servility to the dream of universal well-being. In this new China, the red flags are increasingly giving way to the traditional red lanterns, reopened monasteries and churches, historic buildings and the Imperial Palace are a matter of national pride. Typical Chinese city neighborhood of skyscrapers with ancient temples manifested in social life: a modern business with antique ceremonies. This is the uniqueness and attractiveness of China.
  
Geographical position

China is the third largest (9.6 million sq. km.) Country in the world after Russia and Canada, and is almost equal to the whole of Europe. The distance between the northern and the southern border is 5,500 km, from west to east - 5200 km. So in the east and south of China comes to the Pacific Ocean - the coastline is 18 thousand kilometers - there are extensive lowlands in the west of the country is vast desert, the world's highest plateau and mountain ranges, and to the north lie boundless Mongolian steppe. More than two-third of China's territory occupied by mountains.
Dominant position in the landscape of China is the Tibetan plateau, the height of which exceeds 4000 m above sea level. Here are some of the highest peaks of the world, including the highest peak - Mount Everest (elevation 8848 m). From here originates the major rivers of China - the Yangtze and the Yellow River.
Yangtze River, also known as the Chang Jiang (Long River), and the Blue River - the largest river in China, the world's second largest river in length, second only to the Nile. Its course is 6300 km. Yangtze covers about one fifth of the country, passing through nine of the twenty-three provinces, supplies water to 400 million people and eats almost seven hundred tributaries. The second-largest waterway in China - is the Yellow River, the Yellow River. Its length is 4845 km. It is in the basin of the Yellow River in 7-5 centuries BC Neolithic cultures were born, of which eventually grew great Chinese civilization.
China has a land border with almost all the major countries of East Asia, and much of it comes from Russia and the Central Asian CIS countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. China's neighbors to the west are also Afgvanistan, India, Nepal, in the south - Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, and in the north-east - North Korea. China borders on the sea and with Japan and the Philippines. In the territorial waters of China there are about 5000 islands, among which Taiwan and Hainan.

Administrative system

The structure of China has 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities under the central government (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing), and the special administrative regions: Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR), Macao (Macau) and the island of Taiwan. The country's capital and seat of government - Beijing.

Climate
China is in the moderate range. subtropical and tropical zones. In the mountains, the climate is continental. In the south, through the province of Guangdong, Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is the Tropic of Cancer (Tropic of Cancer). In the east and south-east China, mainly monsoon climate. A characteristic feature of the climate - significant temperature amplitudes, especially in winter. The average temperature in January is-AIA in the north, in the bend of the Amur,-20C in Harbin,-1C on the plain of Kashgar - 15C in Tibet, from 2 to 10C in the Sichuan basin, and 13-15C in the North China Plain. Hainan Island average January temperature reaches 19C. In turn, the average July temperature ranges from 29C in Hainan. North China Plain and the Sichuan basin to 19C in northern China. The highest temperature (47.6 C) is observed in some Turf basin (eastern foothills of the Tien Shan). The most abundant rainfall in the mountains of South China (1000-3000 mm per year) and in the North China Plain (900 - 1500 mm). In the Central and Western China rainfall is low (100 - 1000 mm in Tibet, and 40 - 150 mm in Inner Mongolia).
  
Rivers and lakes in China
The river network in China, branched and well developed (mainly in the east). As the country takes more than 5000 rivers and catchment area of more than 100 square meters. km. Chinese river divided by the average water flow. According to this index the undisputed leader - Changjiang (Yangtze, the Blue River). Average discharge at the mouth - 34 thousand m3 / s, and fixed maximum - 90,200 m3 / s. Average water consumption Huanghe (Yellow River) is significantly lower (around 2 thousand m3 / s, the maximum in summer). Yangtze valley - the most populous region of China. The population density here is 2000 people per 1 sq. km. km. Hence it is half of all agricultural products in China. In their mouths of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River have an extensive and ever-growing delta. River endure over huge masses of silt and sediment. For example, the Yellow River has an average of 34-40 kg/m3 sediment. This is the highest concentration of all the major rivers of the world. The growth rates of the river deltas up to 20 km in 50 years. For 5,000 years, has moved to the mouth of the Yangtze River 230 km. China has the world's most powerful hydroelectric potential (especially in mountainous provinces with extensive river network - Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet).
Most silted rivers flow through the planet Loess Plateau of China (the middle part of the Yellow River basin). Portable Yellow River silt suspension gives it the characteristic yellow color of the water. Hence the name - the Yellow River.

Population
In terms of population, China is known to be far ahead of all other countries. Now China has more than 1.3 billion people, representing 20% of the world population. The surplus population in the Chinese society has created many serious problems. In the past two decades, the PRC authorities are pursuing a policy of strict birth control, which does not apply to national minorities. No less serious problems creates a very uneven distribution of the population. 90% of China's population live on only one-fifth of its territory, mainly in the east. Vast expanses to the north and west of China inhabited by very weak or generally deserted.
The Chinese call themselves the Han people, who trace their existence, from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), and make up 92% of all of China. The remaining 8% are 55 nationalities who called national minorities: Zhuang, Uygur, Hui (Dungan), Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, buoys, Koreans and others

Language
Most of the population of China said in Mandarin Chinese pu-tong-hua. He is the official language of China. The population is about 1.3 billion people, and therefore, Mandarin is used more than any other world languages, including English. In addition to the pu-tong-hua, there are nine other Chinese dialects such as Cantonese, Manchurian, Miao.
In China, there is no written alphabet, it is replaced with hieroglyphics. Writing system was inspired by the icons used by primitive hunter-gatherers, to write the words for people, animals and objects. Of course, in the long history of mankind writing has changed, but there are still a few characters that are stored in its original form. Today there are about 50,000 characters, are actively used by about five thousand. It is believed that a well-educated Chinese must know six to eight thousand characters. To read Chinese newspapers, need to master two or three thousand characters.
Traditional pu-tong-hua written in columns and read from top to bottom and left to right.

Chinese cuisine
Gourmet Chinese food known throughout the world - the Peking duck, fried May beetles, shrimp, a variety of vegetable dishes, turtle soup, grilled octopus, and so on to the food in China, a special attitude - this is not just a means of satisfying hunger, but and a way to protect himself against disease. The Chinese believe that every ingredient of the dish is one of the two osnovopolozhnyh and opposing forces - yin and yang (the basic concepts of the ancient Chinese philosophy of nature, the universal cosmic polar and continuously into each other's strength, female - male, passive - active, cold - hot and so etc.). Dishes that have an element of yin (eg, green tea), are considered cold, so that the body is cooled. A dish endowed element yang (dog soup), typical hot start. The variety of Chinese cuisine - an echo of the primitive fear of hunger. Over thousands of years of Chinese history the country has undergone periods of famine. Terrible famine years 1958-61. was the result of ongoing communist government policy, "the great leap forward." Wiped out entire villages, there were cases of cannibalism. For the first time in the history of famine gripped the whole country. Above all, China is famous for its tea.

Religion
Major philosophical systems of China have about 5 centuries BC These philosophies, unlike Western, had strict ecclesiastical hierarchy prescribing believers how they should think and act. Religion in Asia - a purely personal matter, the ability to communicate with their gods. Founders of religions in Asia, is revered as the wise men, not gods.
The most common exercises are: Confucianism (200-300 million adherents), Buddhism (over 300 million) and Taoism (about 20 million).
  
Currency
The unit of currency is the yuan, in which 10 jiao, one jiao - 10 feney. All three units are known collectively as the renminbi (RMB), or "people's money."
Notes are issued in denominations of 100, 50, 10, 5, 2 and 1 yuan, 1, 2 and 5 jiao. There are also coins of 1 yuan, 1, 2 and 5 jiao.
1 U.S. dollar is equal to about 8 yuan.
The yuan exchange rate is set by the state. Credit cards American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club mostly accepted only in major cities. All cash transactions in the country are made in local currency. Currency can be exchanged at banks or exchange offices in hotels and airports.

Time
Throughout China operates Beijing time. The time difference with Moscow in winter 5 hours, 4 hours in the summer.

Telephone communication
For calls to Russia, you need to dial 007 (Russia code) + area code + phone number you need.
Call for better phone card, which can be purchased at the reception in the hotel (it is 25-30% cheaper than a call from the room).

Electricity
Mains voltage - 220 V power sockets and plugs are usually the European model.

Transport
The main means of transportation in China - bicycles, buses and taxis. In the major cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou - a subway.
To get around the city is better to use a taxi. On the vehicle a plate "TAXI", and on the glass surrounding the payment for 1 km. Payment is by meter reading. Trishaw - exotic species movement. Quite expensive, it is desirable to negotiate the price before you travel.

Car rental
Rent a car with driver is only as international law are not considered valid in the territory of China.

Tip
They decided to give porters and a massage at the hotel, but not in restaurants or in a taxi, where you have to make change.

Visa
Visa to China and Hong Kong make out in the Consular Section of the Embassy of China in Moscow. Documents required for visa: a passport, valid for at least 6 months, 1 photo, personal data, an invitation. Turnaround time - 7 days.
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Hainan Island

Island south of the sea, a huge tropical island located in the south of China.

Territory Hainan is 34 000 square meters. km. It is the second largest (after Taiwan) in China and the only island with a tropical climate. Being on the same latitude as Hawaii, Hainan has similar climatic conditions and is called "Oriental Hawaii". The average annual temperature is 24 ° C, annual precipitation - 1500 mm. The coastal line of 1,500 km. The island is washed by the South China Sea with a distinct clear water and rich marine life.

Main hotels and year-round recreation area is in two bays in Sanya - Dragon Asia (Yalong) and Big East Sea (Yes Donghai). Clear water, sandy beaches attract thousands of tourists. The nearby "Museum shells of tropical seas" and "Museum and Butterfly Garden," whose beauty is mesmerizing.

Main hotels and year-round recreation area is in two bays in Sanya - Dragon
  
Yes Donghai Bay, located 3 km from the city center, attracts tourists who enjoy an evening party. Here, on the beach is the largest in Sanya seafood restaurant.

24 km west of Sanya is located Cape TYANYA HAYTSZYAO. According to legend, during his endless wanderings, visited the mythical king of the monkeys of the famous works of "Journey to the West" - Sun Wukong. He allegedly gave this place name, which means "Land of the Sky, the limit of the sea" or "end of the world." Extraordinarily beautiful landscape in this place: on a sandy beach in the picturesque nature of the disorder has scattered large and small stones, covered with different legends. At 40 km from the town of Mount Nanshan (South Mountain) stretched "International Zone, Nanshan Tourism." Area - 50 square kilometers Opened in 1999. To create the park took eight years of intensive work. In the park - Buddhist temples, magnificent landscapes. The statue of Buddha of Mercy Guan Yin, made of pure gold (140 kg), decorated with precious stones and standing on a jade base enchants with its grace, elegance and subtlety of jewelry work. This is the largest Buddha statue in Asia, made of pure gold. Entered in the Guinness Book of Records. Here is a vegetarian restaurant, where all meals are prepared from soybean and cleverly mimic meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, mushrooms, fruit, etc.

In China, no tipping, but you can haggle. You can haggle in shops, street stalls, hotels, but not in large stores.

Rent a car - not recommended, too complex motion, can get lost or knock several cyclists who are very much in the streets of all cities. Buses are generally crowded. Use a taxi. Taxis are present in three forms: for 1.20, 1.60 and 2.00 for a mile. To find the fare you have to look at the side window, there is a price tag affixed blue. And do not be surprised if the driver sits behind bars. He is the way, can accept payment by card!

Incident - in the case of conflict with police officers or controllers in transport say "Budun" (translated as "do not know"), and often helps you to fall behind, even if you have done something wrong.

The further away from the capital, the less chance to get a fork, so that immediately get used to eat with chopsticks. However, you can always ask, maybe you are lucky.

If you order food for yourself, keep in mind that the term "per serving" in China does not exist, even if you are convinced of the opposite. Therefore, ordering, remember that it is able to saturate the dish quite a few people.

The temples can not shoot. You can stand on the street through the open door to try to remove the interior. But even if you shoot in the temple, the camera you have or who will not pull out. May simply be asked to leave.

The high threshold of the church attack is not recommended.

In Hainan is always warm. In the year of 300 days of sunshine.

A good time to rest from mid-December to the end of May, the end of December, beginning of January, the cold current, in June and July during the rainy season to Hainan (is little rain, and then the weather "expenses" and appears again in the summer sun and hot enough), October, November-typhoon season. The average annual temperature of 26 degrees.

Hainan Island is very clean and healthy air. According to studies, Hainan is the second largest in the world in clean air (1st place - Cuba - Havana).

Currency: The national currency of China - Yuan. Denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100 yuan - the main means of payment in circulation as coins in denominations of 1 yuan. There are also smaller components yuan. 1/10 yuan officially called "fen" (this is evident from the Latin script on the banknote or coin) and exist in denominations of 1, 2 and 5 jiao (as banknotes and coins).

Exchange: Dollars for RMB exchange in banks, hotels and exchange offices. Reverse exchange not. Commercial banks are open from 8.00 to 17.00 on weekdays and from 8.00 am to 11.30 am on Saturdays. In the hotels exchange points are open longer and work seven days a week.

Customs rules: come to China to foreign nationals are allowed to import duty-free for personal use camera (1 pcs.), A portable tape recorder (1 pcs.), Camcorders (1 pcs.), A portable movie camera (1 pcs.), PDA ( 1 u). In case of exceeding the established norms of import above items traveler must declare their exact number. The above items imported with the permission of the customs in China, on the way back at the border to be shipped out of China. Tourists arriving in China are allowed to import for personal use and for a reasonable amount of gold, silver and articles of these metals. If the weight exceeds the '50, you should complete a declaration and 'departure from China to export them to the declared amount. The transportation or transportation abroad of gold, silver and their products purchased in China, Customs shall permit only if the owner of the "Special Invoice" issued by the People's Bank of China. Foreign nationals wishing to take out Chinese art treasures, you should get expert advice to the relevant administrative authority for culture, and then submit a detailed declaration of the exported items to Customs.
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Attractions in China

The main attraction of China - The Great Wall of China - the largest fortification in the world, a grand monument of architecture of ancient China. Length about 4 thousand miles, more than 20 thousand towers. In addition to its original purpose, the wall was used as a convenient thoroughfare, prolegshey through mountainous terrain. The tomb of Emperor Tsnn Shek Wu-Gandhi (Qing Dynasty), archaeologists discovered an army of 8,060 terracotta soldiers called safeguard peace emperor after his death. During the Ming and Qing dynasties flourished his traditional landscape architecture. Essential attributes of Chinese gardens are artificial hills, lakes, islands and rivers, heaps of stones, among which are bent oddly delicate bridges, whiten gazebos and pavilions. A fine example of landscape architecture is the imperial summer palace in Beijing. The complex consists of the "Palace of benevolence and longevity," "Palace of virtue and harmony," "Palace of dizzying heights," "Temple shining virtue," pagoda "sea of wisdom and reason," construction "Jade Belt", etc. Since 1976. Attractions in China are open for foreign tourists, and the number who visited in China is growing.

Excursion and medical tours to China are in demand all more people including in Russia: tours to China from Samara sell out very quickly. The cost of staying there by today's standards is not sky-high, but not only that causes the growth of the number of those wishing to buy a ticket to China. So what is attractive in a holiday in China, including Hainan vacation?

Acquiring tours on holiday in China (Hainan tours) - you get will meet ancient culture and history throughout Asia, learn the secrets of the Chinese national philosophy. Trips to China will allow you to see with your own eyes the world's most famous sights of this ancient country. Going to travel on vacation, you will realize that this is no longer a dream, but a real reality.

Prices for holiday tours on the island of Hainan in China

Tours to Hainan - perhaps the most popular trend, associated with the country. Tours to Hainan - a holiday, full of exotic Chinese also quite close to the highest European standards. Hainan - a huge tropical island, which is located in the south