China is reputed as the oldest continuous civilization in the word. Its unique culture and customers make it a charming place for visiting. Before setting foot on this enchanting land, you are suggested knowing some facts about China including its people, language, Chinese names, etiquette and holidays.

 Chinese Names
Chinese names are composed of the surnames and the given names. The main sources of surnames come from the following cases: first, in matriarchal clan society, people took their mothers' given name as the family name, such as 姬 (Ji), 姚 (Yao) and 姜 (Jiang); second, in the distant past, the worshipped living creatures were taken as the family names, like 牛 (Niu), 马 (Ma) and 羊 (Yang); third, the ancestors' country names were taken as the family names, such as 宋 (Song), 秦 (Qin), 赵 (Zhao) and 吴 (Wu). The given names often connect with good wills, and men's given names are generally different from women's.

 Chinese People
Chinese people are the largest nationality in the world. Since the earliest historical times, they have lived, multiplied and labored in this land. During the several thousand years' development, they have made great contribution to the world due to their wisdom and hard working. The advanced agriculture and manufacture, as well as the Four Great Inventions, have impressed and shocked the world.

 Country Description
China is one of the earliest places where mankind originated. Chinese civilization is the longest of the four ancient civilizations (the other three being the civilizations of the ancient Egypt, the Babylon and the ancient India). Early in the 21st Century BC, China entered the heritable imperial stage. Having experienced Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties and many other turbulent times, the country finally ended the feudal society and the People's Republic of China was set up in 1949. Now with the correct policies issued by the Central Government, it is developing vigorously, becoming a main economic force in the world.

 Dress Code
How people wear, what they wear can sometimes manifest a country's culture to some extent. Like most westerners, Chinese people also pay much attention to their dressing. In traditional festival, people will wear more formal than usual. On different occasions, different styles of clothes will be dressed. Sometimes, people are particular about the color of their dresses.

 Dual Nationality
According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on Nationality, China does not recognize the dual nationality for any Chinese citizen. If a Chinese citizen bears another citizenship of a foreign country, the Chinese citizenship he possesses will be automatically invalid.

 Etiquette
Being a state of ceremonies, China takes the etiquette as an important part of its traditional culture. The civilization of etiquette, rich in content, has made great influence to the history and development of Chinese society, and it almost permeates all aspects of ancient China. Moreover, endowed with the 5,000 years of civilization, Chinese people are known to the world for their politeness and good manners.

 Holidays in China
The public holidays Chinese people enjoy now include the New Year's Day, the Spring Festival, the Qingming Festival, the May Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-autumn Festival and the National Day. During these days, many people would like to have a good rest or go traveling. The Spring Festival and the National Holiday, these two 'Golden Weeks', are the peak times for passenger transport, as during these periods of time, Chinese people will go for family reunion or traveling, so you should avoid these days on your plan to China.

 Language
Chinese people speak mandarin (Putong Hua, Hanyu, Huayu, Guoyu, standard Chinese) which is based on Beijing Dialect. From the inscriptions on oracle bones in the Shang Dynasty, it is concluded that the formation of Chinese characters has a history of more than 3,000 years. Its development can be divided into two major periods: from inscriptions on oracle bones to mini-seal script, and from Li calligraphy to modern character

 Media
There are many different ways to know China, such as through television, newspaper, radio and internet, all of which are English-version available.

 Photography
China is a beautiful land. The charming scenery will certainly impress you and make you cannot stop snapping the shutter. As in all countries, there are certain military/sensitive areas where pictures are prohibited. These areas are clearly marked.

 Time Difference
The standard time used throughout China is eight hours ahead of the Universal Time Coordinated. It is called Beijing Time, but not refers to the Beijing (116.4 E. longitude) local time, instead, it is the time taken in Lintong District, Shaanxi Province whose longitude is 116 degrees east, the geometric centre of China.

 Weights & Measures
In this part, you will get to know the metric system used in China, including the units of weights and measures.

 Adoption
The Adoption Law of the People's Republic of China allows qualified foreigners to adopt Chinese children aged less than 14 years old.