The history of China, as documented in ancient writings, dates back some 3,300 years. Centuries of migration, amalgamation, and development brought about a distinctive system of writing, philosophy, art, and political organization that came to be recognizable as Chinese civilization.

China is not just a country - it's a whole different world. From shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the epic grasslands of Inner Mongolia, with deserts, sacred peaks, astounding caves, and imperial ruins in between. Along with the stark contrasts comes stark beauty.

The topography included in China's vast panorama runs the gamut from towering mountains to featureless plains, the terrain descending across the planet from Tibet's "roof of the world" in the west, down through the Inner Mongolia Plateau and east to the plains of the Yangze River valley.

In the south-west, the Yunnan-Guizhbou Plateau has a lacerated terrain with numerous gorge rapids, waterfalls, underground caverns and limestone pinnacles, making it one of the country's most spectacular regions.

Inland features include the Taklamakan Desert shifting salt lakes and the Turpan Depression (China's hottest region, and known as the Oasis of Fire). Melting snow from the mountains of western China and the Tibetan Plateau provides the headwaters for many of the country's major trade routes: the Yangze, Yellow, Mekong and Salween rivers.

Despite the ravages of time, war and ideology, there's still a lot to see architecturally. Traces of the past include the imperial structures of Beijing, the colonial buildings of Shanghai, the occasional rural village and Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist temples. Funerary art was already a feature of Chinese culture in Neolithic times (9000-6000 BC), ranging from ritual vessels and weapons to pottery figures, jade and sacrificial vessels made of bronze. Earthenware production is almost as ancient, with the world's first proto-porcelain being produced in China in the 6th century AD, reaching its artistic peak under the Song rulers.

Travel to China and let Value Holidays show you this unique civilization. View the Great Wall from Badaling, taste Peking Roasted Duck for dinner, and walk through largest square in the world at Tiananmen Square when you travel to China. Discover the amazing shopping, the wondrous temples, the dazzle of Shanghai, the grandeur of Beijing or the magnificent scenery of the Yangtze River Cruise. After a day of exploring China, retreat back to your elegant 4-star hotel to rest for tomorrows exploring.

Travel China with Value Holidays’ six, eight or even ten day tours of China.

View Travel China Itinearies:
 6 Day Ancient Capital and Modern Metropolis Tour
 8 Day Beijing, Xian & Shanghai Tour
 10 Day Beijing & Shanghai Tour with Yangtze Cruise