Capital-	Beijing
Official Language-	Mandarin Chinese
Best Time to Visit-	China is a year-round destination
Currency-	Renminbi (RMB)
Must Eat-	Peking Duck in Peking; Chinese Steamed Eggs in Guangzhou; Don Don Noodles in Chengdu
Must Drink-	Baijiu, a Chinese liquor that can be very, very potent. Exercise caution!
Learn to Say-	"Zao an!" (Good morning!)
Life in China-	If you are drinking with locals and they toast you with the word "ganbei", they are expecting you to drain your glass in one gulp!

Although this Asian country is best known for the massive and awe-inspiring Great Wall of China, there is so much more to see and do on a vacation in China. China is also home to plenty of scenery that was around long before mankind was. Travel to the Changbai mountains at the border of China and North Korea – perhaps you’ll be lucky (or unlucky!) enough to spot a rare Siberian tiger! Or take a tour around China’s mountains and visit each of the Five Sacred Mountains: Tai Shan in the east, (Nan) Heng Shan in the south, (Bei) Heng Shan in the north, Hua Shan in the west, and Song Shan in the center of China.
 
If being up so high makes you a little nervous, maybe you’d feel more comfortable down low – like in China’s Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. These Three Gorges, made up of the Qutang Gorge, the Wu Gorge, and the Xiling Gorge, are full of lush vegetation and rolling waters. Speaking of water, China’s lakes are not to be missed, either. The Tianchi (the Heavenly Pool) is located in the Tianshan Mountains and is a crystal clear, inviting haven among all the towering mountains and colorful wildflowers.
 
China has plenty of manmade landmarks as well, aside from the world-famous Great Wall of China. Some of these sites go pretty far back in history, since China is home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world! For example, the Dazu rock carvings (which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site) date back to the 7th century! And the Magao Caves, also called the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, are over 1,000 years old and contain very ancient Buddhist art.
 
Although slightly more modern than that, Beijing is home to some pretty spectacular manmade creations as well. The Summer Palace, where China’s royalty used to spend their summers, is a sight to behold. And Beijing is also home to the Temple of Heaven, Temple of the Earth, Temple of the Sun, and Temple of the Moon. On top of that, Beijing has the 13 Tombs of the Ming Dynasty, where 13 separate former emperors are buried! While you’re in Beijing, be sure and pay a visit to the Beijing Zoo and see a cuddly panda in their hometown habitat!
 
So whether you’re taking a river cruise around the gorgeous limestone formations of Mount Wuyi, lying on the beaches in Sanya, "China’s Hawaii", or reaching the summit of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in China AND the tallest in the world, you will find so much to do during your vacation in China that you’ll already be planning another trip to finish what you started!