China is the world's fastest-growing economy - an irony not wasted on Russia, as China retains fully-fledged Communism as its single-party political system.

Beijing is the capital and principle city, but is dwarfed by the economic and industrial giant of Shanghai, which is nearly three times bigger, and is home (officially) to a population of over 30 million people.

Although official Chinese policy is that there is only “one China”, the cultural diversity within China's borders is the single most-misunderstood factor by tourists.
China's regions differ widely, and time spent exploring them is invariably rewarding and pleasant. Guilin, for example, could not possibly be more different in appearance, style, scope and atmosphere from Shanghai.

Perhaps the most obvious area in which these differences are brought home to visitors appears on their plate in the evening when they finally put the digital camera and guidebook down. The spicy food and exotic ingredients (snake, frog...) of Sichuan cooking are quite different to classical Beijing cuisine - and different again to what most visitors believe “Chinese food” ought to be, which is usually closest to Hong Kong cuisine.

Aside from the vast array of cultural attractions, historical sites, and performances of every kind, China offers a dazzling range of shopping experiences - from traditional handicrafts to fake antiques, along with Dadidas sports-shoes and Noth Face rucksacks.

Looking out of the train window as you travel through China you will see a vivid panorama of places and people. A holiday in China is a veritable feast of sights, sounds and tastes.