About China :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.

The Chinese border stretches over 22,000 kilometers on land and its coastline extends well over 18,000 kilometers, washed by the waters of the Bohai Sea, the Huanghai, the East China and the South China Seas. The Bohai Sea is China’s only inland sea.

Beijing: As the capital of China, Beijing is one of the world's truly imposing cities, with a 3,000-year history and 15.3 million people (2005). Covering 16,808 square kilometers in area, it is the political, cultural and economic center of the People’s Republic.

Guangzhou : Guangzhou, often known as Canton, is the capital of southern China’s Guangdong Province. Long a major port city and commercial gateway to southern China, , it has an extensive history of foreign contact, reaching back to Arab traders of the Tang period, through British merchants of the 19th century and on to today’s multinational participants in the famous biannual Trade Fairs.

Guilin: The city of Guilin was founded in the Qin Dynasty in 314 BC as a small settlement on the Lijiang River. It became increasingly important following the construction of a canal joining the river with another further north, providing a transport link with the Yangzi. The imperial court could thus send food and provisions by water from the Yangzi plains to its armies in the far south.

Shanghai: The largest city in China, Shanghai contains the most striking blend of oriental and western cultures and of the past and present. In this city, European-style buildings can be seen standing alongside typical Chinese structures and ancient temples. Modern ocean-going vessels sail past junks. A flourishing commercial and industrial center, Shanghai has a population of over 16 million and a land area of 3,355 square miles.

Xian: Xi'an was one of the most important cradles of Chinese civilization. The famous “Silk Road” that linked China with central Asia and the Roman Empire starts in Xi’an in the east. The city served as the first capital of a unified China and capital of 11 dynasties periodically from the 11th century BC to the early 10th century AD.