Geography
Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous region is situated on the North-West of China. The total area of Xinjiang is 1664, 9 sq. km. It covers 1/6 part of the territory and this is the largest administration unit of China according to the square. Xinjiang borders with Mongolia and Russia in the north-east, with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the north-west, with Afghanistan, Pakistan and India in the south-west. Xinjiang was very important point on the Great Silk Road and nowadays it is very important point on the way between Asia and Europe. The distinctive feature of Xinjiang is weaving of 3 mountain systems with 2 large gorges: Dzungarian and Tarim gorge formed by Altai mountain chain in the north, Tien-Shan mountain chain in the west and Kunlun mountain chain in the east.
Altai Mountains stretched in the north; Kunlun, Karakorum and Altyntag mountain systems – in the south; high Tien-Shan mountains stretched in the central part and divide Xinjiang into southern and northern parts. The Tarim gorge is located in the south and its total square more than 530 thousand sq. km. Dzungarian gorge is situated in the north and its total about 380 thousand sq. km. As Xinjiang is located far away from oceans and it’s surrounded by high mountain ridges, the climate is sharp continental. The average temperature is 9.3̊ C. About 117 mm of precipitation falls in a year on plains, what approximately occupies the 4th part of annual number of rainfalls in a country; therefore Xinjiang is area of dry climate. Here winters are long and severe, summer is short and hot. Climate is changeable in spring and autumn. Turpan valley is the hottest area in China. The highest temperature, which has been registered here was 49,6̊ C. The lowest temperature was registered in Fuyun county is -51,5̊ C.
Climate
The features of China’s climate are determined by sharp differences of atmospheric pressure in winter and summer seasons. China occupies a large part of Asian mainland, which is cooled faster than seas adjoining to it. Looses of heat goes very fast on high plateaus. In summer time the mainland is heated more than sea. The warm air widens and rises, that’s why there is formed an extensive area of low pressure (cyclone) over the Tibet. The streams of very moist air rush there from South China and East China seas bringing abundant summer rainfalls in South and Central China. As deeper air masses penetrate into continent as drier they become and there are fewer rainfalls. Thus the climate of China is monsoonal; it is characterized by seasonal changes of atmosphere pressure and winds.
Tarim basin is the most arid region of China, which is isolated from moist south-eastern summer winds. For instance 100 mm of precipitation a year falls in Kashgar, while two-thirds fall to April – June. Usually the sky is cloudless, due to daily and annual amplitudes of temperature. The average temperature in Kashgar in January is -6̊ C, in July +20̊ C. The percentage of moisture in summer lowers to 25%. The driest parts of basin are completely devoid of vegetation. In surrounding mountains – Kunlun, Altyntag and Tian Shan at great heights are spread highly productive alpine meadows, but in rest parts are predominate steppe landscapes.
The climate of Xinjiang is dry, sharp continental, highly variable in time and space with abundant sunlight and low precipitation (150 mm a year). Comparing with other regions placed on the same height Xinjiang differs by the duration of frost free period and sunlight with high heat accumulation and sharp daily fluctuations of temperature. All this creates favorable conditions for development of agriculture, rice cultivation, sericulture cattle breeding and especially for cultivation of cotton, fruits and melons.
-
Telephone
Trunk-line telephones which can be found in special kiosks around the country are widely used for everyone can make a phone call in any part of China. Guests can also use the link services in any hotel. In order for one to call to another country he should get a card from porter (it is better to call by card as it is cheaper for 20%).
-
Mobile Phone
It is advisable to buy Chinese SIM cards for making telephone rings around the country. The mobile telecom network is rather cheap. At first you should get to know whether there is 3G on your tariff. The basic Chinese mobile phone providers are China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom. IP-telephony is also well-developed in China. So it is possible to make use of it. The phone calls to other countries are cheaper, if you dial-up a special prefix before phone number which is usually used for IP-telephony.
Here are telephone codes of some cities: Beijing – 10, Guangzhou – 20, Dalian – 411, Guiyang – 851, Yinchuan – 951, Kunming – 871, Lanzhou – 931, Nanjing – 25, Xian – 29, Xining – 971, Xiamen – 592, Taiyuan – 351, Tianjin – 22, Urumqi – 911, Fuzhou – 591, Haikou – 898, Hangzhou – 571, Harbin – 451, Hohhot – 471, Hefei – 551, Heihe – 456, Jinan – 531, Jinzhou – 371, Changchun – 431, Chungking – 23, Changsha – 731, Qingdao – 532, Shanghai – 21, Shenyang – 24.
-
Internet
Nowadays the Internet in China consists of main four parts: China Net – is the leading commercial network belonging to the Ministry of information industry; Golden Bridge Network – is a smaller commercial network of Jitong corporation; China science &Technology Network scientific network; China Educational & Research academic network, which combines educational and academic institutions. These four networks weren’t connected between each other and all internetworking contacts passed through USA. Today they are connected by loaded to the limit channels 128kb/s and the work is already underway on the construction of fiber optic and wireless SCDMA channels. Most of users in China connect to internet by dial-up telephone lines. For instance the clients of China Net enter the network through the telephone code which is common for the whole country.
-
Post
The China Post is a state enterprise and it is a member of Universal Postal Union almost from the beginning of the 20th century, but in spite of that its modern infrastructure was formed only in 1949. Nowadays the number of post offices of China Post exceeds 82 thousand and the number of workers is almost 900 thousand. The service of China post includes registration, shipping, sorting, sending and delivery of internal and international postal items. There are more than two hundred post offices of sorting and processing, the largest offices are located in Shanghai and Beijing. The registration of mailing from China is almost has no difference with other countries. Besides it is possible to send and pay remotely in Internet. This way of sending is more favorable, as electronic handlings are processed above all.
As other post operators – the members of UPU, China Post obey the rules which regulate limitation of receiving parcels with weight until 20 kg. In the case when shipment is made by EMS express service, this limit increases to 31 kg. The terms of delivery are about two months or more in particular circumstances. In winter holidays the delivery terms become longer as 2-3 weeks in February (New Year on the lunar calendar) China Post doesn’t work at all. It is possible to get your order earlier only with the help of EMS service, which abide by the terms and meet deadlines.
-
Currency
Yuan (Renminbi or RMB) is the official currency unit of People’s Republic of china. Renminbi means “People’s currency” and in English it is “Chinese Yuan”. Yuan is issued since October 1 in 1949. The international designation on ISO is 4217 – CNY. The rate of Yuan to foreign currencies was established through the pound sterling and Hong-Kong dollar. In 1974 on August there was established daily quotation rate of Yuan to US dollar.
Since 1994 there was established a strict peg between the rate of Yuan and US dollars (1 RMB/8.27 USD). In July of 2005 People’s Bank of China refused the peg of Yuan to US dollar, but the rate of Yuan became determined in accordance to currency basket. In result of exchange rate reform Yuan became more expansive in relation with US dollar for 25%, with Euro – for 14%. The banknote has relief inscription, hologram and transparent window. On banknotes of small denominations there are no any protective stripes and the level of protection is lower. There is a portrait of Mao Zedong on all banknotes.
The coins differ from each other by material of manufacture and flower depicted on coin: 10 Jiao is made of aluminum and orchid on the reverse; 50 Jiao is made of copper and lotus on reverse; 1 Yuan is made of nickel-plated steel and chrysanthemum on the reverse. In the special administrative regions of China there is circulated their own currency: Hong Kong (Siangan) – Hong Kong dollar; Macao (Aomin) – pataca of Macao; Taiwan – Taiwan dollar.
-
January 1 – New Year
Until the 20th century New Year was celebrated according the lunar calendar instead of European. Even nowadays Chinese people still don’t celebrate this public holiday without perceiving it as a holiday which signifies the change of years. On the 27th of September in 1949 the government of recently formed People’s Republic of China decided to call the first day of lunar calendar as “The holiday of Spring” (Chūnjié), but the 1st of January in western calendar – “Yuan-Dan”. Beginning from this time January 1 became an official holiday of China.
However this holiday goes without feasts, New Year celebrations and traditional glittering Christmas trees and gifts. Only in large stores and trade centers one can see artificial Christmas trees and Santa Claus toys.
-
March 8
International women’s day is the official holiday of Xinjiang and whole China. But in fact in this day only women work half of a day here. The day of working women’s solidarity in struggle for rights equality and emancipation in China lost its sense. Here this holiday became as mothers' honoring instead of other countries, where usually men give various gifts, presents and flowers to beloved women and their mothers both. The first time when this international holiday was celebrated here was in 1924.
Working women carried out demonstration in Guanzhou city under the management of Chinese Communist party. The first woman in China who was standing for their rights was Khe Xianing. She’s like a Clara Zetkin, but in China. This holiday became official after forming People’s Republic of China in 1949.
-
March 12 – Arbor Day
March 12 is a spring holiday – The Arbor Day - it is an official holiday of China and Taiwan. Mass tree plantings are held annually around the whole country on the 12th of March in the day of prominent revolutionist’s Sun Yatsen’s death. Sun Yatsen stood out with initiative of mass tree planting, in which nowadays the chiefs of parties and government take a part.
In 1981 on the 4th session of Fifth National Congress of China there was adopted a Resolution on the unfolding of a nationwide voluntary tree-planting campaign, where there was established a holding of the Arbor Day in China. Resolution concerns that every citizen at the age from 11 to 60 years old has to plant and grow up from 3 to 5 trees once a year. If the citizen is not able to plant a tree because of particular circumstances, he or she should do the work equal to planting – seeding, cultivation, weeding, trees cutting, etc.
-
April 4
Qingming festival or Tomb sweeping day – is a holiday which is associated with the time when bright and clear days come. It was considered that Yang and Yin are equilibrate on this day. The sky (Yang) fertilizes the earth (Yin) and a new life starts.
On the day of Qingming festively dressed people walk on the streets holding the branches of willow and fly a kite, that’s why the Qingming holiday is also called as day of walking on the first spring grass. In present time on the day of this holiday people began to arrange events in memory of revolutionists fallen in battle and killed heroes. This festival lasts several days. In these days people clean graves, make ritual sacrifices and arrange memorial dinners.
-
May 1– Labour Day
The 1st of May is the official national holiday of the People’s Republic of China. The first, second and third days are officially free. Because of various holidays’ moving on the 1st of May, they have 7 days off. The emergence of Labour Day in China was formed in 1918, when revolutionary intelligent people started to spread leaflets about this day in Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and other places. On the 1st of May in 1920 there were held the first demonstrations devoted to the Labour Day in Beijing, Shanghai etc.
May 1 was announced as official holiday by the Chinese governmental resolution on December in 1949. Nowadays during this week people can meet with their friends and relatives or just have a rest. On this holiday it is also possible to see festive performances and concerts in theatres, squares and TV. Families with their friends visit different holiday events, have a trip around different cities, go to cinemas, shops etc.
-
June 1
June 1 - International Children’s day was announced as official feast on the 23rd of December in 1949 by governmental resolution (in Chinese this holiday is called Ertong Jie – “Children’s day”). One of the oldest international holidays is International Children’s Day. The taking a decision of its carrying was adopted in 1925 in Geneva on the world conference relative to the children’s welfare problems. History dissembles the matter why it was approved to solemnize this feast on the 1st of June.
In accordance with one of the versions General council of China provided Dragon Boat festival (Duanwujie) for orphans in San-Francisco and the celebration of this event was on the 1st of June in 1925. This day was concured with the day of conference in Geneva.
-
August 1
People’s liberation army of China was founded on August 1 in 1927; therefore the day of its founding is solemnized every year. The name of this day was given in 1946, but before it had been called Worker-Peasant revolutionary army, Worker-Peasant red army, the eighth army and new fourth corps. People’s liberation army consists of naval forces, military air forces, land forces and technical forces.
For the last years only thematic releases in press, and celebrations for military servicemen organized on governmental level reminds about this holiday. Thus formerly anniversaries of party and army were widely solemnized with ceremonial parades.
-
1st of October
One of the grandiose holidays in the People’s Republic of China is National Day that is solemnized on the 1st of October. In the 1950th grandiose military parade was the part of solemnization of the festival; it was held on the Tiananmen Square in Beijing. After 1959 China governmental authorities decided to stage the parade only on the anniversaries, but later the parade was annuled because of the Cultural Revolution. And only in 1984 (the 35th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China Formation) forces and military vehicles marched forefront of the grandstands.
Celebration of this holiday lasts seven days. This week is one of three annual off-time weeks in China (“gold weeks”). Except the week of rejoicing National Day of the People’s Republic of China other two are Chun Jie holiday (traditional New Year of the lunar calendar) and solemnization of Labor Day (the 1st of May).
On the 1st of October festivities held in the central parks of China; in the evening people also can watch great fireworks.
-
22nd of December
Every year winter solstice happens to be on the 21st and 22nd of December: the shortest day and the longest night. After the winter solstice days become longer and nights become shorter.
In Ancient China people thought that from this period of time “men’s strength” of nature rose and new cycle began. That is why the day of winter solstice considered being happy day; it was hold worthy of celebration.
-
Moon cake festival
People of China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines start to sell small cakes with the decorative ornament in the form of Chinese hieroglyphs in the second half of September. Such original and delicious cookery is called Chinese moon cake or just Yue bing. “Zhongqiujie” festival, which means “Mid-autumn”, loses its religious meaning outside of China, when the time of worship to Chinese goddess of Moon – Chang E comes.
The inwrought cakes (muffins) with meat or sweet filling are sold in this time as a symbol of Chinese culture. The sweet moon cakes may be bought not by only religious people.