Tourism in china

Tourism in China has greatly expanded over the last few decades since the beginning of reform and opening. The emergence of a newly rich middle class and an easing of restrictions on movement by the Chinese authorities are both fueling this travel boom. China has become one of the world's most-watched and hottest outbound tourist markets. The world is on the cusp of a sustained Chinese outbound tourism boom.

China is the world's third most visited country in the world. The number of overseas tourists was 55.98 million in 2010. This figure is limited to only mainland China and does not include Hong Kong (16.9 million visitors in 2009) and Macau (10.4 million in 2009) or Taiwan (4.4 million). Foreign exchange income was 41.9 billion U.S. dollars, the world's fifth largest in 2009. The number of domestic tourist visits totaled 1.61 billion, with a total income of 777.1 billion yuan.

According to the WTO, in 2020, China will become the largest tourist country and the fourth largest for overseas travel. In terms of total outbound travel spending, China is currently ranked fifth and is expected to be the fastest growing in the world from 2006 to 2015, jumping into the number two slot for total travel spending by 2015.

China's tourism revenue reached $185 billion in 2009.

History

Between 1949 and 1974, the People's Republic was closed to all but selected foreign visitors. Beginning in the late 1970s, when Deng Xiaoping decided to promote tourism vigorously as a means of earning foreign exchange, China started to develop its tourist industry. Major hotel construction programs greatly increased the number of hotels and guest houses, more historic and scenic spots were renovated and opened to tourists, and professional guides and other service personnel were trained.

The expansion of domestic and international airline traffic and other tourist transportation facilities made travel more convenient. Over 250 cities and counties were opened to foreign visitors by the mid-1980s. Travelers needed only valid visas or residence permits to visit 100 locations; the remaining locales requiredtravel permits from public security departments. In 1985 approximately 1.4 million foreigners visited China, and nearly US$1.3 billion was earned from tourism.

Famous sites

The most popular tourist attraction in China is the Great Wall of China. Also popular are the Forbidden City in Beijing, which was the center of Chinese Imperial power, and the Terracotta Army of the Qin Dynasty Emperor's mausoleum in Xi'an, a vast collection of full-size terracotta statues of Chinese Imperial soldiers and others.

See also: World Heritage Sites in China

• The Bund, Shanghai, an elegant parade along the Huangpu River of colonial architecture juxtaposed with Shanghai's skyscrapers
• Caohai Lake, Guizhou, where many experience being punted along this shallow lake to see many of China's varied birdlife
• Changbai Mountains, an important nature reserve home to the rare Siberian Tiger
• Confucius Mansion, the site of this complex in Qufu, Shandong, was home to nearly eighty generations of the great sage's clan.
• Dazu Rock Carvings
• Forbidden City, Beijing, once the center of the 'Chinese imperial universe' and off-limits to the masses - now open to all
• Grand Canal of China
• Great Wall of China
• Guangzhou, Guangdong where the finest of the classic Cantonese breakfast dim sum is tried
• The Hanging Temple at Mount Heng is a temple clinging to a precipice and a series of grottoes containing a panoply of Buddhist statuary
• Yungang Grottoes, near Datong in Shanxi is a renowned Buddhist site.
• Hong Kong cityscape, especially the skyline of Hong Kong Island from Tsim Sha Tsui
• Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, Harbin, Heilongjiang, where extravagant and bizarre sculptures can be seen from life-size ice castles with rainbow lighting to fantastical snowy tableaux
• Jiuzhaigou Valley
• Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan the world's largest carved Buddha
• Lijiang River, Guangxi, where boat trips are taken to see the contorted peaks that have been immortalized in Chinese scroll paintings
• Longmen Grottoes, a parade of Buddhist figurines and reliefs, near Luoyang, Henan
• Mogao Caves, these 1,000-year-old man-made caves on the old Silk Road contain some of China's most impressive Buddhist heritage
• Mount Emei
• Mount Everest, highest mountain on Earth
• Mount Huang
• Mount Jiuhua
• Mount Lu
• Mount Qingcheng
• Mount Tai (or Tai Shan), Shandong, a holy peak home to immaculate temples and pavilions
• Mount Tianzhu
• Potala Palace, originally built by King Songtsän Gampo in 637 to greet his bride Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty of China.
• Wudang Mountains
• Old Yalu Bridge, Dandong, Liaoning, this half-demolished bridge to North Korea is still an important relic of the Korean War.
• Sichuanese teahouses
• Silk Road, abandoned cities along this famous ancient trading route.
• Summer Palace
• Temple of Heaven
• Terracotta Army, in Shaanxi near Xi'an, the former ancient capital, these 2,200 year old life-size soldiers guard the tomb of China's first emperor.
• Three Gorges
• West Lake
• Xiamen, Fujian -- Gulangyu Island, famous for its colonial architecture
• Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, home to one of China's most unique minorities - the Dai people
• Yabuli Ski Resort, Heilongjiang, the country's largest ski resort where many Chinese take their skiing holiday.
• Yangtze River, a river cruise down this river to see the awesome scenery and a wealth of historical sights
• Yellow River, one of the world's greatest rivers, offering a range of vistas, including the turbid Hukou Falls