Fodors Travel Guides - Fodors Essential China

Look for the following icons to help you identify our listings:

Sights

Hotels

Restaurants

Shops

Nightlife

Performing Arts

Activities

Beaches

Symbols used in our listings:

Address

Telephone

Fax

Website

Email

Admission fee

Closed times

Transit info

Directions

Number of hotel rooms

Hotel meal plans

Reservations

Dress code

No credit cards

Price

Cross-reference

Golf facilities

Everything in this guide is worth doingwe dont cover what isntbut our favorite places are designated Fodors Choice to indicate our highest recommendation.

We look high and low to find the most interesting things for you to see and do. For attractions, we always list adult admission fees; additional discounts are usually available for children, students, and seniors.

Unless we state otherwise, restaurants are open for lunch and dinner daily. We classify every restaurant with a price category as well as listing the average cost of a main course at dinner (or if dinner is not served, at lunch). For more detailed restaurant reviews, visit Fodors.com .

While we like all the hotels we recommend, we promise to always give you both the pros and cons. Unless otherwise specified, you can expect private bath, phone, and TV in your room. We classify every hotel with a price category as well as listing the average cost of a double room in high season. For more detailed hotel reviews, visit Fodors.com .

Assume all establishments we recommend take credit cards unless we say otherwise.

We value your opinion and want to know when you think were right and also when weve missed the mark. Want to recommend a new find or an old favorite? Write to us: .

EUGENE FODOR

Hungarian-born Eugene Fodor (190591) began his travel career as an interpreter on a French cruise ship. The experience inspired him to write On the Continent (1936), the first guidebook to receive annual updates and discuss a countrys way of life as well as its sights. Fodor later joined the U.S. Army and worked for the OSS in World War II. After the war, he kept up his intelligence work while expanding his guidebook series. During the Cold War, many guides were written by fellow agents who understood the value of insider information. Todays guides continue Fodors legacy by providing travelers with timely coverage, insider tips, and cultural context.

Chinaold and newis a feast for the senses. The vast, awe-inspiring landscapes run the gamut from river deltas, subtropical jungles, and deserts to pulsing megacities with space-age skylines. Tranquil palaces and fog-wrapped mountain peaks evoke the Taoist philosophers of yesteryear. Hong Kongs and Beijings dizzying modernity exhilarates city culture vultures. Full of diverse peoples and traditions, this fast-changing country reveals its riches to travelers who seek them out, from foodies on a quest for the best dumplings to explorers trekking the Silk Road.