In China, the Buddhist, Taoist, Islamist, Christian and some other religious communities are officially recognized. All of them have their own national organizations in the form of associations registered with the Chinese Religious Affairs Administration and enjoying a certain autonomy, subject to the observance of laws and non-interference in state affairs. Buddhism is the most widespread religion. In addition, an extremely small number of adherents of other religions, in particular Orthodoxy, Dongbaism, shamanism, etc., remain in the country. There are many adherents of atheism in the country.
Transport in China, center
China has a well-developed network of domestic airlines, with Beijing as its central point. More than 700 routes link provinces and central cities. The schedule is quite tight, and it is better to book tickets in advance.
The main mode of transport between cities in China is rail. There are four classes of carriages in passenger trains: soft sleeping, hard sleeping, soft sitting, hard sitting. The difference in ticket price between each type is quite large (it can reach up to three times). Railway tickets are of a single sample and are valid only for a strictly defined train. Tickets are checked at the entrance to the platform, when boarding the train, when leaving the platform. The level of service depends on the carrier company and can sometimes be very disappointing. Railways and trains in China are overloaded. If you want to travel in comfort, book tickets in advance and only first class.
If there is no railway connection to the city you need, then you can use intercity buses. The bus trip will be cheaper, but the travel conditions will be worse. Many hotels have their own tour buses, tickets for which are sold in the lobby.
The main means of transportation in Chinese cities are bus, trolleybus, taxi and bicycle, in Shanghai there is a subway. The Shanghai metro has 5 operating and 4 lines under construction. Plasma panels at the stations display the arrival time of the next two trains. The name of the next station is displayed on liquid crystal monitors or LED displays in the cars. The trains also play a recording with the name of the next station in Chinese and English, and information about attractions and shops near the next station – only in Chinese. The fare depends on the distance. In order to get on the subway, you need to purchase a card.
A bus and trolleybus ticket is purchased from the conductor (and on suburban lines – from the driver). There are also fixed-route taxis serving tourist congestion areas and railway stations. The fare for them varies depending on the distance and usually ranges from 1 to 3 RMB. Public transport is often overloaded to the limit, so a more comfortable means of transportation is a taxi. There is a sign “TAXI” on the roof of the car, and payment for 1 km of the way is marked on the glass. Payment is made according to the meter. Taxis are more than enough, but due to the increase in the number of cars, traffic jams often occur.
A convenient means of transportation is a bicycle, as the roads are very smooth and you do not have to stand in traffic jams. Bicycle parking fee 1-2 jiao. Some hotels provide bicycles for rent. At the same time, they usually require a deposit of 200-800 yuan and charge an hourly fee of 4-8 yuan for using a bicycle. The rickshaw is an exotic form of transportation. Quite an expensive pleasure, it is desirable to agree on a price before the trip.
In China, a dense network of roads has been laid, in the flat areas they reach every village center. Due to the fact that the international driving license in China is not valid, car rental is only possible with a driver.
Plant and Animal World in China, center
The natural vegetation of Central China is coniferous-deciduous and broad-leaved forests north of the Yangtze from oak, linden, maple, Korean cedar, Manchurian walnut and subtropical evergreen forests south of the Yangtze from trees of the laurel, camellia and magnolia families. There is practically no natural vegetation left. Due to the ancient dense population, forests have been preserved in small areas, mainly in the mountains. In the west of the region, in the mountains, relic coniferous forests of cunningamia and broad-leaved species have been preserved. In the east there are relics of ancient flora – ginkgo, metasequoia. The lowlands are almost entirely cultivated.
The eastern regions are characterized by the Chinese type of fauna, represented by many endemic and autochthonous species (Manchurian hare, raccoon dog). Tropical species (monkeys, flying squirrels, mongoose, clouded leopard) are also noted here. In the uplands and mountains of Central China, tiger, bear (red-faced) macaque, deer and large civet are occasionally found. Birds are very numerous, especially waterfowl, blue magpie and pheasants. In the summer, the common oriole flies here.
Within the province of Anhui, a rare species is found in the Yangtze River – a Chinese alligator about 2 m long. In the mountain bamboo groves of Sichuan and Yunnan, there are giant and lesser pandas, musk deer and other animals. On the lower tiers of the relief, rhesus monkeys and a large civet are common. The avifauna is rich, including parrots, shrubs (thymelia) and many species of pheasants.
Minerals in China, center
Oil fields have been explored in Central China (Sichuan province). There are also deposits of iron ore, in the south-east of the region – deposits of manganese ores, tin, tungsten, mercury, copper and polymetallic ores.
Banks in China, center
Banks are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 14:00, on Saturday – from 9:00 to 12:30. Commercial banks are open from 8:00 to 17:00, on Saturday – from 8:00 to 11:30. A single opening time is not always observed, a particular bank can set its own opening hours.
Money in China, center
China accepts American Express, JCB, Visa, Master Card and Diners Club credit cards. They can be used to pay in hotels, international restaurants, as well as large state-owned department stores. Credit card purchases are subject to a special fee (usually 4% of the purchase price) and are not eligible for discounts. You can withdraw cash from a credit card at the branches of the Bank of China (Bank of China); while the commission fee is usually 4%. There are many ATMs in Beijing, but you can withdraw money only at ATMs (Bank of China) or at the airport, ATMs of other banks will most likely not give you money. In general, there are few such ATMs in China.
Rate: 1 Chinese Yuan (CNY) = 0.15 USD
Political State in China, center
According to politicsezine, China is a people’s republic. The highest body of state power in the country is the National People’s Congress (NPC) – a unicameral parliament whose term of office is 5 years. The head of state is the President of the People’s Republic of China, who is elected every 5 years. Executive power is vested in the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. It is formed by the NPC and is accountable to it.
Population in China, center
China ranks first in the world in terms of population. The country is home to 1.2 billion people, of which 491.8 million are in Central China. Ethnically, more than 90% of China’s population is Han, or Han Chinese. On the territory of Central China, in addition to the Han, there are Hui, Manchu, Mongols, Zhuang, Sheyan, Miaochan, Dong, Tujiang, Yian, Ilaochan, Shui, Yaochan, Yaolaochan, Qiang, Tibet, Lisuan, Nasi, Bai, Buit, Dai, Tui, Uighurs, Daurs, Mulaotians, Lahuts, Vaytsy, Koreans, Russians.
Language:
The official language of China is Chinese. Chinese does not have an alphabet; instead, hieroglyphs are used in writing. It should be remembered that the dialects in the provinces are so different from each other that often people from different provinces can understand each other only by writing a message, since the written version of Chinese is the same for everyone. Chinese dialects include Beijing, Zhejiang, Cantonese, and Fujian. Most national minorities have their own languages.
