It has been said that China is not a country. It's really a different world, one possessing origins of the oriental civilizations. China is considered to be the third largest country in the world with reference to area and population. This country of dragon occupies Central and East Asia. It is bound by many countries: Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan to the north, North Korea, to the east, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Nepal to the south as well as India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to the west. China's territory consists of mountains in the west, semi-desert in the north, fertile plains in the northeast, and a basin way down in the farthest east as well as the south with the Yangtze River running through it.

China is composed of a vast variety of highly different landscapes, with mostly plateaus and mountains in the west, and lower lands on the east. As a result, principal rivers flow from west to east, including the Yangtze (central), the Huang He (central-east), and the Amur (northeast), and sometimes toward the south (including the Pearl River, Mekong River, and Brahmaputra), with most Chinese rivers emptying into the Pacific Ocean.

In the east, along the shores of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea there are extensive and densely populated alluvial plains;. On the edges of the Inner Mongolian plateau in the north, grasslands can be seen. Southern China is dominated by hills and low mountain ranges. In the central-east are the deltas of China's two major rivers, the Huang He and Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). Most of China's arable lands lie along these rivers; they were the centers of China's major ancient civilizations. Other major rivers include the Xijiang River, Mekong, Brahmaputra and Amur.

In the west, the north has a great alluvial plain, and the south has a vast calcareous tableland traversed by hill ranges of moderate elevation, and the Himalayas, containing the highest point Mount Everest. The northwest also has high plateaus with more arid desert landscapes such as the Takla-Makan and the Gobi Desert, which has been expanding. During many dynasties, the southwestern border of China has been the high mountains and deep valleys of Yunnan, which separate modern China from Burma, Laos and Vietnam.

Since China is comparable to a continent, first-time travelers had better spot their itinerary to the outstandingly attractive tourist sites so as to see landmarks identifying the symbols of the country. For tourists visiting for the very first time, these sites in China are a must see, like seeing the Eiffel Tower or La Champs-Elysees when in France. It is also recommended that you shouldn?t miss these cosmopolitans: Beijing, the China?s capital city, Shanghai, the Paris of China and Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province where you can see the Great Wall and the recently discovered Army Terracotta Warriors. Also, if you want to, you can include Hong Kong and Macau in your trip so as to have a customary shopping spree after a long quest for exotic experiences.

Generally, most travelers from the other hemisphere would find no difficulty in appreciating the completely different atmosphere in this country. One, especially the health-minded, might even find him/herself too easy to adopt this way of commuting. Isn't it appealing to cycling around while indulging in the authentically awesome oriental ambience?

However, visitors are not bound to climb the Great Wall or marvel at the extravagant structures only. Plenty of adventurous recreational activities also exist. Up north, the highlands are superb for hiking while camel rides through the desserts of the inner land are also worth trying. Horse riding allows you to immerse into nature as does cycling. You can also opt to ice-skate and ski in the winter, even explore caves in the southwest provinces or follow the footsteps of Marco Polo on the Silk Road at Xi'an.

Also worthwhile is taking note that China is creating new avenues for tourism. The China National Tourism Administration has set up a new series of tours based on different themes that will take visitors to the very indigenous essences of China. Folk Arts are being focused on with the Culinary Kingdom in 2003, Catch the Lifestyle in 2004, and Visit China in 2005. There has never been a time like now that you are being given an opportunity to dismantle your doubts that have long cast over on this mystic land.