ANOTHER WORLD
China is not a country, but at first sight the completely different world full of geographical and cultural contradictions! The spectrum ranges from gigantic cities with a cornucopia of goods for sale to monuments of the Imperial Dynasties in various stages of preservation, holy mountains and impressive caves to the incredible spaces of Inner Mongolia and the empty, forbidding deserts. As the 1970s drew to a close, China began to open up to the west. China is accordingly no longer a “far distant land” although many areas still seem somewhat mysterious to outside observers.

COUNTLESS CULTURAL MONUMENTS
However, the beauty of the country is just as remarkable as its contrasts. A journey through China is also a rendezvous with more than 4000 years of history, and a culture and philosophy that is foreign to us. The Great Wall, the symbol of the People’s Republic of China, is superb; an absolute must for every visitor. It was included in the list of the world’s cultural and natural heritage by UNESCO. Other cultural monuments include the Yuanmingyuan Garden, the Dajue Temple, the caves of Guyaju, the Imperial Palace in Beijing, the “Temple of the White Clouds”, the Yungang Grottos and Wulingyuan, a scenic area in the north-western part of Hunan province. China has more sights than one can ever visit, once you have learned the art of making your way through crowds of people and swiftly avoiding the heedless spitting of passers-by.