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Fresh advice from Local Friends and travelers: what to do in China, and what to avoid.
Keep exploring: these are the countries in Asia with the most Local Friends.
Language, money, timing and the details travelers sort out before they land.
Promoted nationwide by Article 19 of the Constitution.
ISO 4217 code CNY, numeric 156.
Standard time spans UTC+6 to +8.
Tropical south to subarctic north; avoid Golden Week.
Total surface area, World Bank, 2023
Also worth knowing
Vehicles keep to the right.
International dialling code (ITU E.164).
42 cultural, 15 natural, 4 mixed; shared sites count for each state.
Population
1.41 billion2025 estimate, World Bank
A nation since
1 October 1949Proclaimed in Beijing by Mao Zedong.
Climate
Tropical to subarcticSummer monsoon; alpine highlands, dry northwest.
Capital
BeijingSeat of national government.
Did you know?
48,000 km of high-speed railOperator plans about 60,000 km by 2030.
Weather decides how a day in China starts. In the humid south an afternoon downpour sends everyone under awnings to share snacks, while in the north a cold morning has the street bundled in padded coats. One trip can hold palm trees, desert dunes and snow.
The climate runs from tropical in the far south to subarctic in the far north, with alpine highlands in the west, so plan by region and season. A Local Friend tells you when to go early, when to linger, and when a shower is the cue for a long lunch.
Our guide to Aba Zangzu Qiangzu Zizhizhou is on its way.
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