People's Republic of China

Background

The People's Republic of China plays a major part on the world scene. Being the fourth largest country in the world, practically the same size as the United States, and the most populous, it is a country of huge weighting.

With its history spanning almost 4,000 years, balanced with the rapid rate of change that currently dominates its culture, China is an exciting place to be. This high level of change and development has created some of the world's most high-tech modern inner cities alongside its beautiful rural landscape that exists untouched.

Languages: The official spoken language of the Chinese is the Putonghua (standard speech) dialect of Mandarin, the mother tongue for around 70% of the population. More than a dozen other languages are also spoken such as; Zhuang, Buyi, Mongolian, Tibetan, Miao, Uygur, and Kazakh.

Currency: Renminbi (RMB, literally "the people's money") or kuai (formerly known as yuan). One yuan breaks down into ten jiao, also known as mao. Paper money (invented in China) is available in ¥100, ¥50, ¥20, ¥10, ¥5 and ¥1 notes, with a similar selection of mao.

Geography: The People's Republic of China lies on the eastern side of the Asian continent and on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean. The Republic covers seven per cent of the world's land area. Many countries share a border with China. They include North Korea, Russia (Siberia), Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), Laos and Vietnam. China also has thousands of offshore islands including Hong Kong Island.

China boasts a great diversity of landscapes and varying scenery, a wealth of minerals and resources and a rich plant life. Only 12% is classed as flatlands with mountains occupying 43% of the country's terrain. A third of China comprises fertile river plains, a third arid deserts, plateaux or mountains. China's 3 longest rivers are the Yangzi, Huang He, and Xi. The highest peak is Qomolongma Mount Everest (8850m), on the Nepalese border.

Flora/fauna: Several species of primates can be found in the tropical south whereas other animals such as antelopes/deer and a varied birdlife can be found all over the country. Members of the leopard family and large carnivores (bears, etc.) exist in less populated and confined areas. An extensive marine life is also abundant.

Economy: China currently has the fastest growing economy in the world. Following more than 2 decades of rigid authoritarianism it is now experiencing what many are calling a second industrial revolution. After decades of state planning, the economy is now mixed, with state-owned enterprises on the decline and free-market principles ubiquitous. China's main exports are clothing, textiles, tea and fossil fuels, and its main trading partners are the US, Japan, South Korea and Europe.

Politics: The People's Republic of China is governed by Communist Party member President Hu Jintao, who was elected by National People's Congress in March 2003. Although the government still retains control on the country's media, these restraints are beginning to relax in distribution and content with the most recent development, for example, in widening the access of the BBC News web coverage to the general public. Television is highly competitive due to its huge popularity with the introduction of pay t.v.

Religion: Chinese traditional way of life is influenced by three systems of belief: the teachings of Confucius, Taoism and Buddhism. Confucius laid great stress on the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness. Obedience and respect for elders were emphasised. Taoism is the study of the "Way" (Tao means Way) and is concerned with remaining harmonious with the universe. Buddhism aims to teach its followers how to reach a state of nirvana through rejection of the material world. Christianity and Islamic groups are also much more active since religious rights were guaranteed.

Climate: Varies from region to region; south-eastern China, (Yangzi Valley southward) has a subtropical/tropical climate. Summer 26°C (79°F) average. Winter temperatures 17.8°C (64°F) declining to 3.9°C (39°F) along the Yangzi River. Typhoons (about 8 per year) July and November. Rainfall exceeds 990mm (39in) annually in nearly all parts of southern China and is especially abundant in summer.

Getting there: China has many important long-haul international gateways such as; Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai, though many other Chinese cities are served by international flights, operated mainly by airlines based in East Asia. Overland routes into China are also well established, including road and rail links from its southeast Asian neighbours, not to mention the Trans-Siberian train from Moscow.

Average flight time from U.K.: Beijing (10hr), Hong Kong (12hr) or Shanghai (11hr)

Travelling around: Slightly more expensive than the rest of Asia, but travelling around and eating are still fairly inexpensive in comparison. As a basic rule, the farther west you go, the cheaper things are (with the inevitable inflated costs at tourist spots).

China's rail network is vast and efficient, and the most reliable way to get around the country. But despite an ever-growing network, some places are only reachable via bus. For shorter journies China still has the highest number of bicycles, although expect heavy congestion in the larger cities.

Eating and drinking: With one of the greatest world cuisines, China will not disappoint when eating out. Once you've got to grips with ordering you can eat well whatever your budget and experience a far wider range of tastes than is generally represented on the international scene for this country. Chinese tea comes in many varieties; red, green and flower-scented although drunk black and rarely with sugar. Popularity of beer (pijiu) also rivals that of tea and is the preferred drink at mealtimes for men. Drinking in public for women is fine for foreign women also but is considered improper for Chinese women.

Places to visit: With so many differing scenes in this amazing country you can easily be inspired and awe struck in all corners. Don't miss: the infamous and immense Great Wall, The atmospheric Huanglongxi Qing-dynasty village in Sichuan (used in the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) not to mention the Terracotta Army, the Yellow River and Mount Everest. Try and catch a Peking opera performance for a real flavour of the country's artistic history. Travel to Beijing for the Forbidden City, Beijing Underground City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven Park and the Lama Temple, or take in the jaw-dropping skyline of Hong Kong.

And finally... Teachers considering teaching in China have the unique opportunity to see the sleeping giant awaken, to see a culture that has recently been sheltered from the western world grow and change, and to gradually become open to western business in its own methodical way. China's population represents about 20% of the world's population and is the fastest growing economy in the world. Working in China will allow you to better appreciate this fascinating and important country in a way not available to the average tourist!