Explore China: Your Official Travel Guide

Explore China with Official Guides

China is a global powerhouse and home to the world's second largest economy.

It's a fast-paced country that can lead to high levels of culture shock, but it remains an attractive expat destination. With employees of large international companies often lured by attractive packages, and English teachers and students moving there in search of an exciting cultural experience. China's affluent areas boast a strong and disciplined education system, a reliable healthcare sector and efficient public transport also make it attractive to families.

Chinese people value honor, respect and dignity, which influences everything from everyday interactions to business meetings and gift giving.

Quick Fact

An everyday guide to expatriate life and work.

Capital: Beijing

Population: 1.4 billion

Major languages: Mandarin, Cantonese and English. Portuguese is also spoken in Macau.

Major religions: Folk religion and Buddhism

Currency: Renminbi

Time zone: While China spans five geographic time zones, it follows UTC +8 for the sake of unity.

Emergency number: 110(Police),119(Fire)

Electricity: 220 volts, 50Hz. Plugs have two flat pins but flat three-pin plugs are also used.

Drive on the: Right

Climate and Weather

Because China has such a vast geographic territory, the weather can vary dramatically across different regions. The Himalayas lie to the west, the Gobi Desert stretches to the north, and smog lies thick over city skylines, contributing to a myriad of climate shifts.

Temperatures can drop to subarctic or rise to high levels of tropical humidity. South China has hot summers, typically with frequent rainfall, which normally eases off in the winter months. This is mirrored in the east, with cities like Shanghai experiencing snow during colder periods.

Central China is warm all year round, with monsoons in the summer and light winter snowfall. Western China sees dry and cold winters, with the weather sweeping over deserts towards the region of Tibet. Northern China, including the city of Beijing, gets colder and colder as one moves to the northern border.