Page 3 - China Destination Guide - Alluring Asia

POPULATION HISTORY China, with over 1.34 billion people (excluding Hong Kong, Dynastic Period Macau and Taiwan), is without China is the oldest continuous major world civilization with records doubt the most populous country dating back about 3,500 years. Successive dynasties developed a system in the world. The ratio of the of bureaucratic control which gave the agrarian-based Chinese an sexes is about 51.5% male and advantage over neighboring nomadic and hill cultures. Chinese 48.5% female. Some 41.76% of the civilization was further strengthened by the development of a Confucian population lives in the urban (Kongzi) state ideology and a common written language that bridged the PAGE 3 gaps among the country's many local languages and dialects. cities and towns while the rest is Population | Time | Visas Insurance | History in rural areas. The last dynasty was established in 1644 when the nomadic Manchus PAGE 4-6 TIME overthrew the native Ming dynasty and established the Qing dynasty History with Beijing as its capital. EST + 13 hours. Despite the vast PAGE 7 size of the country, Beijing time is Government | Language standard throughout China. During the 19th century Qing control weakened and prosperity diminished. China suffered massive social strife economic stagnation PAGE 8 explosive population growth and Western penetration and influence. The Climate VISAS Taiping and Nian rebellions along with a Russian-supported Muslim United States Citizens require a PAGE 9 separatist movement in Xinjiang drained Chinese resources and almost visa. Your passport must be valid The Land | People | Religion toppled the dynasty. Britain's desire to continue its illegal opium trade for at least 6 months from the with China collided with imperial edicts prohibiting the addictive drug PAGE 10 date of arrival into China. Currency | Credit Cards and the First Opium War erupted in 1840. China lost the war; Changing Money | Tipping subsequently Britain and other Western powers including the United INSURANCE States forcibly occupied "concessions" and gained special commercial PAGE 11 You should not assume your U.S. or privileges. Etiquette | Health & Vaccinations other existing health insurance will PAGE 12 cover you while traveling abroad. Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanjing and Communications | What to Pack Since the standard of emergency in 1898 when the Opium Wars finally ended Britain executed a 99-year treatment is not always as high as in PAGE 13 the West, it is advisable for travelers lease of the New Territories significantly expanding the size of the Hong Shopping | Customs to take out an additional travel policy Kong colony. that includes evacuation in addition PAGE 14-15 Early 20th Century China Food & Drinks to their normal medical insurance. Frustrated by the Qing court's resistance to reform young officials PAGE 16-17 military officers and students--inspired by the revolutionary ideas of Sun Culture & The Arts | Religion Yat-sen--began to advocate the overthrow of the Qing dynasty and creation of a republic. A revolutionary military uprising on October 10 1911 led to the abdication of the last Qing monarch. As part of a compromise to overthrow the dynasty without a civil war the revolutionaries and reformers allowed high Qing officials to retain prominent positions in the new republic. One of these figures General Yuan Shikai was chosen as the republic's first president. Before his death in 1916 Yuan unsuccessfully attempted to name himself emperor. His death left the republican government all but shattered ushering in the era of the "warlords" during which China was ruled and ravaged by shifting coalitions of competing provincial military leaders.