|
Beijing |
Shanghai |
Hong Kong |
The People of China
China
is the most populous country in the world, with
1,265.83 million (2001), about 22 percent of the world's total.
This figure does not
include many Chinese in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Macao.
The population density in
China is 130 people per square km. This population,
however, is unevenly distributed. Along the densely populated east coast there are more than 400 people per sq km; in the central areas, over 200; and in
the sparsely populated plateaus in the west there are less than 10 people per sq
km.
Forbidden City
Tourism in China
China has 340 million families, with 3.63 people per household on
average. In general, a Chinese family is composed of a couple and their
children, but big families with three or more generations can also be found in
China. Along with the pursuit of personal freedom, the trend of forming
small families with only directly related members is now prevalent.
Modern
tourism in China sprang up in the early 1950s. In 1954, the China
International Travel Service was established, with 14 branches in Guangzhou,
Shanghai, Beijing and other major cities. In 1964, the State Tourism
Administration of China was formally established.
Since the initiation of
the policies of reform and opening to the outside world in 1978, China's tourism
has entered a stage of rapid development. In 1998, the number of tourists
entering China reached 63.48 million, of which 7.11 million were foreign
tourists, 35 times the figure for 1978.
Consequently, the foreign exchange
income from this industry reached US $12.6 billion, 48 times that of 1978.
Currently, China has become an important tourism destination in Asia, and ranks sixth in the number of arrivals in the world. Domestic tourism is also
growing vigorously.
Hong Kong
TRAVEL
ORGANIZATIONS AND TOURIST SERVICE
The State Tourism
Administration, functioning under the State
Council, is the administrative organ of the
nation's tourism trade. Its functions are to
formulate policies and establish systems for
developing tourism, draw up development plans,
organize foreign publicity and issue tourism
information, and supervise and examine the
implementation of policies and plans. The
State Tourism Administration has branches in all
provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities,
as well as offices in Tokyo, New York, Paris,
London, Frankfurt and the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region.
There are travel agencies in
every city in China. Among them, the
following three major agencies host and make
arrangements for tourists coming to China:
China International Travel
Service - With headquarters in Beijing and
branches in all provinces, autonomous regions,
municipalities and some of the open cities, it
specially serves foreign tourists.
China Travel Service and the
Overseas Chinese Travel Service of China -
Both cater to overseas Chinese residents, Hong
Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots, and foreign
Chinese returning as tourists or to visit
relatives. Both are headquartered in
Beijing, and have branches in open cities, open
areas and hometowns of overseas Chinese, as well
as permanent offices in Hong Kong, Macao and
Thailand.
China Youth Travel Service -Based
in Beijing, it hosts mainly young foreign people,
young overseas Chinese and young compatriots from
Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
In addition, there are the
China International Sports Travel Company, China
Culture Travel Service, China People's
International Travel Company, China Tian'e
International Travel Company and China Women's
Travel Service, all catering to foreign tourists.
Since the initiation of the
policies of reform and opening to the outside
world, China has built, expanded and renovated
many hotels and restaurants to satisfy the needs
of tourists. China today has over 3,000
star-rated hotels. Leading five-star hotels
are the Palace Hotel, Grand China Hotel and
Shangrila Hotel in Beijing, the Hilton Hotel,
Garden Hotel and New Jinjiang Hotel in Shanghai,
the White Swan Hotel, China Hotel and Oriental
Hotel in Guangzhou, the Fulihua Hotel in Dalian
and the South China Sea Hotel in Shenzhen.
Besides, there are now hotels to meet the needs of
travelers in all large and medium-sized cities and
special scenic areas.
|