Celestial! This is the name of this fabulous country, which is known for its centuries-old culture, incredible beauty of natural resources, one of the surviving wonders of the world - the Great Wall of China. In addition, this country is known to everyone as the largest in the world in terms of population. Over 1 billion people! Naturally, tourism in China is a highly developed sector of the economy, and it has reached a special level of development over the past 10 years. According to the number of tourists who annually visit China (and this is about 60 million people), this Asian state ranks third in the world. At the same time, not only international tourism in China is developed, but also domestic. During the year, the inhabitants of the country, without crossing the borders of their state, make more than one and a half billion tourist trips.
General Description
Modern China is undoubtedly an economically developed country. It's efficient and progressivesuch sectors of the national economy as trade, construction, services, medicine, culture, various business areas, including hotel business, are developing, which contributes to the development of tourism in China. Every year the interest of Russian travelers to this unique country increases. Moreover, it attracts both as a center of culture, and as a beach destination, and as a country where you can combine relaxation with shopping or treatment. In a word, tourism between Russia and China is gaining momentum every year, which, of course, is beneficial to both the first and second parties. The Celestial Empire attracts many people with an abundance of bright folk holidays, which stand out for their colorfulness and originality of traditions, besides, here you can completely plunge into the world of history and find yourself at the origins of human civilization.
Mysteries of China
Cooperation between Russia and China in tourism is largely due to the fact that our compatriots are often attracted to destinations that stand out for their mystery. Tourist objects of the Celestial Empire belong to this category. And in general, for Russians, China is a very mysterious country. First of all, we are surprised by the degree of their diligence, the breadth of their thought, and, well, the abundance of everything, from shopping centers to various entertainment facilities and incredibly beautiful parks and squares. Once you come here, you become addicted and want to come back again and again. This seems to be the secret to China's tourism success.
The birth of the tourism industry
Somewhere in the middle of the 20th century, an international travel agency was founded in the country - first in the capital, and then in 14 major cities. This was the impetus for the development of tourism in the People's Republic of China. About 15 years later, a tourism department was also established in Beijing, and it was of a state character. However, until 1978, when reforms began to take place in the PRC and a policy of openness began to operate, this industry did not develop much. Only after that, China's tourism entered the stage of active and continuous progress. And now, by 1999, the number of arrivals in China reached 63.4 million people. And today this country is the leading tourist center of Southeast Asia, and on a global scale it is in 6th place.
Attractions
The rich historical past has left China with a huge number of ancient monuments, and among them the Great Wall of China is in the first place, of course. Zijincheng - "Forbidden City" is especially popular. Lovers of natural beauty will find a walk through the famous Yiheyuan and Beihai parks. Fans of mountain scenery visit the Xiangshan Mountains and make the ascent to the Temple of Heaven. The country has many architectural sights that amaze with the boldness of the imagination of ancient architects. For lovers of antiquity and especially inquisitive people, there is always some interesting museum where you can get acquainted with the history of Chinese culture. Tourism, recreation in resorts, excursion program - promisingsectors of the country's economy. That is why every year more and more various objects involved in the tourism business appear in China. Nevertheless, the most important objects of national importance are the Temple of Heaven, the national park, the imperial tomb, the Beijing oceanarium, the botanical garden and zoo, etc.
A bit of history
China has had 6 ancient capitals throughout its history: Xi'an, Nanjing, Luoyang, Keifeng, Beijing and Hangzhou. The richest from a historical point of view is the first of them, that is, Xi'an. It is not only the most ancient in China, but also one of the four most ancient capitals in the world. The city has many attractions that are called the "eighth wonder of the world", for example, the figures of warriors located in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang. They are made from terracotta. At one time, more than 6,000 such figures were discovered during excavations. And this find is considered the most grandiose in the 20th century. The rest of the capitals of the ancient Chinese state also have many interesting sights and are of great interest to tourists. Being the cradle of civilization on our planet, China is a state of mystery. Its history began a long time ago, but the veil of Athina began to be lifted relatively recently. Only after the end of the war with Britain, in 1840, did the world again begin to talk about China. It was then that Hong Kong came under the rule of the English kingdom. Then China fell under the influence of the socialist camp and became a closed country.
China tourism today
At the moment, this country is improving the content and forms of the tourism business, as well as the quality of the service provided to guests. There was a time when the majority of visitors to China were ethnic Chinese from the capitalist islands of Taiwan and Hong Kong. This happened after the implementation of the “open door” policy. And the Chinese, who found themselves on the other side of the Iron Curtain, on the islands that came under British control, wanted to visit their historical homeland.
It was for their needs that new hotels were built. Many of them are now undergoing reconstruction to meet modern requirements. Today, China as a tourist destination has become popular with citizens of Great Britain, the USA, Japan, etc. It has also become an integral part of Russian tourism. China attracts our citizens primarily as a country where you can make grand shopping, and all without exception. However, there are many tourists who go to the Celestial Empire precisely in order to appreciate all the historical, natural and other attractions of this eastern country. By the way, every year the holiday in the seaside resorts of China is gaining momentum. Naturally, this is facilitated by the expansion of tourism infrastructure and the improvement of the quality of services provided.
Reforms
Various changes that took place in China in the early 80s, influenced the growth of the country's tourism market. And yet it is the politicalevolution in the PRC had a direct impact on the development of this most important branch of the national economy. Since then, the number of tourist areas has been increasing every year. Already by 1986, 274 Chinese cities were included in the tourist routes.
Popular travel destinations
The most popular are the northeast and central regions of China. It is here that its main attractions are concentrated. However, the southern part of the country also has its fans. The nature here is especially beautiful, besides, beach tourism will never go out of fashion. Well, the islands off the coast will always attract citizens of other countries.
Islands
Oh. Hong Kong is attractive for tourists primarily in terms of trade. In addition, grandiose shopping can be combined with a rich variety of entertainment, especially the so-called nightlife. Many festivals, fairs, conferences, equestrian competitions, etc. are held here. Another popular Chinese territory is Macau, which for the time being was a Portuguese colony and only by the beginning of the 21st century passed to the PRC. Macau is bordered by the Macau Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane. It is more convenient to get here from Hong Kong. By the way, this place is in great demand among locals and is a center for the development of domestic tourism. Today, this area is experiencing a real flowering, as the country has increased the number of holidays and days off.
Medical tourism inChina
Who does not know about the famous healers of China? Until now, for many European scientists, the phenomenon of Chinese medicine remains unsolved. Naturally, in this regard, China is considered by foreigners as an excellent destination for medical tourism. In fact, there are many clinics, sanatoriums, as well as alternative medicine centers that provide visitors with a huge range of restorative, he alth-improving, preventive and rejuvenating procedures at relatively low prices. By the way, many seriously ill patients rely on Chinese doctors, for whom China is the last hope for recovery.
China's medical centers are distinguished not only by the excellent composition of the medical staff, but also by the excellent state-of-the-art technology, thanks to which the impossible becomes possible. In this regard, the Celestial Empire is also interesting for Russian tourists, especially considering that local medical clinics always have Russian-speaking personnel or translators for their needs, which is very important when it comes to he alth.