www.tourguide.name ® Personal Beijing guide

Tales about travel experience of a personal tour guide in Beijing, China

2009-02-10T20:14:00.001-08:00

These stories are a litany of boats, trains, buses, frustrations, and
being sick (with a few other bits thrown in), but that's not what this
website for me. However, it's what this website about, and I hope to
provide an authentic "feel" of the process of getting around. Although
that process dominates these stories, they represent only a tiny part
of my tour guide experiences and pleasures. All these accounts stand
out in my mind, and I selected them because each seems useful. I hope
they provide support, comfort, and shared delight.
Be sure to note the dates: every aspect is changing unbelievably
swiftly. Keep in mind that China is a huge country, generalizations
are always a mistake, and everything will be differenct. Much will be
more modern than anything I mention, and the oldest things described
here still exist somewhere. The "newness" and my inexperience color
the earlier stories.

Find your own travel style: Group tour or Private tour?

2009-02-07T20:58:00.001-08:00

It is not always about money – you may have sufficient funds to afford
either but one of them would suit you more. And it is not always about
your general style or preferences as 'travel style' is totally
different. Many positive people may turn to be 'unbearable' fellows
while traveling only because they have chosen the wrong style.

You can go for group tours if you agree with some or most of the
statements below:

- You are single and do not have a travel buddy: Join group tours for
more fun, less cost and of course to make new friends.

- You are not alone but still enjoy knowing people from all over the
world; where else will you have this chance?

- You are female(s) traveling to less developed countries – stick to
group tours if possible. Groups can offer more safety and comfort.

- You seek for maximum efficiency: Group tours have pre-scheduled
itineraries to maximize your sightseeing. No matter how long your
wife/husband would prefer to stay at a shop or your photo addict
friend would like to take extra shots; the tour has to end when the
guide blows the whistle.

- Although money is not everything, it is something: In some countries
such as Turkey, Greece or Morocco private tours cost almost double or
even triple prices when compared to the group tours. For small
families or friend groups (2-3 traveler) it'll be more cost effective
to join escorted group tours

If you are not sure about your travel style yet, here are the reasons
why people prefer private tours despite the higher costs:

- You want to have full control on where to go, how to go, when to
relax, when to shop etc. No matter how much more it cots, take a
private tour.

- You are not control freak but prefer flexibility while traveling:
Well, check the group itinerary, see how tight their schedule is. Some
group tours provide flexibility to some extend. But at the end, there
will be at least 30 more people to share the same flexibility.

- You want to get off the regular tourist path; you prefer to visit a
less known sight hidden at the far end of the city, or to stop at a
local snack shop to mingle with the locals. If yes, you'll have
limited opportunity for this with a group.

- Your tolerance limit is somewhat low while traveling. Totally
understandable. Well, in a group tour there might be fellow travelers
that you dislike and you'll need to stick with them for the entire
tour. If this sounds like a nightmare, private tour might be a better
option.

- You have certain accommodation preferences such as design hotels,
awarded hotels, small B&B's etc. However group tours usually stay at
western type standard hotels to cater for the taste of the majority.

- You want to have the time and the freedom to ask silly questions.

- Simply you prefer privacy and personalized service!

- Last but not least, you have extra savings to afford all the reasons
mentioned above.

So what will you do for your next trip? You don't have to decide right
away. It all depends on the destination, on the tour company,
itinerary you'll be looking for, the price etc. You will see that it
is much easier to find group tour sellers. There are certain big tour
operators that organize these tours and most of the travel agencies
sell the same packages with same rates. However for private tours, you
definitely need to make your homework. Look for a smaller boutique
travel company that provides customized service. This company should
have some expertise about the destination, should have the patience,
and bulk purchasing power. The only way to understand all these are by
asking questions, asking for price and comparing at least few
companies. Always and always check the legitimateness of the tour
company. Where is it registered and licensed? Are you under the
protection of a provincial travel fund if anything goes wrong? All
these questions are crucial before traveling to a new destination. At
the end, when traveling is involved, cheapest is not always the best;
peace of mind is what every traveler will be looking for.

The Forbidden City Guide

2009-01-19T01:05:00.000-08:00

The Forbidden City
The largest and best preserved ancient complex in the world, used to be the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Ming Dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644 and Qing from 1644 to 1911, 24 emperors and their wives, concubines, maids and eunuchs lived here. In 1398, Zhuyuanzhang, the first Ming emperor died, leaving the throne to his grand son, Zhuyunwen, who is noted in history as emperor Jianwen, Zhudi, Zhuyuanzhang’s forth son and prince of Yan, which is the Beijing area launched a revolt in Beiping, today’s Beijing. Seized the throne and changed the title of the reign to Yongle, Zhudi valued the geographic location of Beiping with the sea to the east, Taihang Mountain to the west, rivers to the south and Juyong Pass to the north, he changed the name Beiping to Beijing, Jing means capital, in the first month of the first year of his reign 1403, and in 1406 decided to move the Ming Capital from Nanjing to Beijing, then he started the largest scale construction of the city of Beijing including building the Forbidden City and rebuilding of city wall of the moat, this huge project was completed in 1420, eighteenth year of his reign. In 1421 Zhudi issued the edict officially moving the capital to Beijing. The Forbidden City covers an area of 72 hectares with 9,999 rooms, what is the significance of this number? According to Chinese mythology, only the Jade Emperor in heaven have right to a perfect palace with 10,000 rooms. And the emperor, the son of heaven, or have a fewer rooms, so there are 9,999 rooms in the Forbidden City. Moreover, as the number 9 in Chinese is pronounced the same as the word for longevity, and in the old feudal society in which the spiritedness of the verbal expressions emphasized, the number of 9,999 also implied long years of the imperial reign. The Chinese name of the Palace is also associated with Yingyang according to each Chinese astrology, was the place for the Emperor of Heaven lived, so the son of heaven, lived in the palace supposed to be a sort of earthly Yinyang, soldering in the Forbidden City is like walking along the corridor of ancient Chinese history and culture. You can visit the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony where emperors lived and administered the political and government affairs. You can also see the Chinese culture and art treasures from ancient times at Exhibition Hall of Cultural relics, the Treasure Gallery, the Painting’s Gallery, the Ming and Qing Art crafts Gallery, the Partery Gallery, the Bronze Gallery and Clock Gallery. In Feudal times only emperor could have right to pass through the three middle gates, civil officials used the east gates and military officials used the west gates. Today of course, everyone can go to in and out through the middle gate.

Beijing travel guide

2008-05-18T01:07:00.000-07:00

Lonely Planet Beijing City Travel Guide. Beijing City travel information, advice, hotels, reviews, maps and itineraries.

2008-05-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

David Zhang was born and raised in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,Northwest part of China.David is a passionate guide who is entertaining, informative and amusing. He has a wealth of knowledge about Beijing, its history, the history of China, and how this links to the rest of the world. David acquired his love of history listening to his grandfather's tales of his ancestors. David is a graduate from Beijing International Studies University and has been guiding with TCT since 2006. He aslo has previously worked as a technical interpreter and translator for business meetings, traning courses,guided tours at L3 Communications Corporation. David enjoys good food, and love sharing this beautiful country with guests and friends who come to visit. In addition to tours, David moonlights as web designer.

Beijing Tour Guide - My customer

2008-03-20T04:27:00.001-07:00

John C. Englander
Partner
Exchange Place
53 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
617.570.1268
jenglander@goodwinprocter.com

David Zhang

Personal tour guide in Beijing

+8610 51298358 ext. 1

info@tourguide.name

Intellectual Property > Patents & Technology
Litigation > Consumer Financial Services Litigation
Litigation > IP Litigation

Areas of Practice
John Englander is a trial lawyer and former co-chair of Goodwin Procter's Litigation Group. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on patent litigation. He has extensive experience in banking and financial services litigation, including in particular class action defense. Mr. Englander also has litigated cases involving all manner of commercial disputes, business torts and unfair trade practices claims.

Work for Clients
An engineer by training, Mr. Englander devotes the bulk of his practice to intellectual property litigation, particularly patent litigation. He has been trial counsel in patent infringement cases involving semiconductor manufacturing tools (Applied Materials, Inc.), stem cell technology (ViaCell, Inc.) and generic drugs (TEVA Pharmaceutical). He also has been counsel in cases involving airport and home security systems (GE-Interlogix), telephone and internet routing and congestion control systems (Cisco Systems), and fax technology and software architecture (Brooktrout Technology, Inc.). Mr. Englander was prevailing counsel in PharmaStem v. Viacell, 491 F.3d 1342 (2007), and was trial counsel on remand from the Federal Circuit in Maxwell v. J. Baker, Inc., 86 F.3d 1098 (1996). In addition to his patent experience, Mr. Englander has litigated numerous trade secret, copyright, and trademark matters.

Mr. Englander also has extensive experience in banking and lending litigation. He has represented banking institutions and mortgage lenders in over 100 class actions around the United States involving the Truth in Lending Act, RESPA and other challenges to particular lending practices. Mr. Englander was prevailing counsel in both O'Sullivan v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., 319 F.3d 732 (5th Cir. 2003) and Vandenbroeck v. CommonPoint Mortgage Company, 210 F.3d 696 (6th Cir. 2000). He also represented...more ?

An engineer by training, Mr. Englander devotes the bulk of his practice to intellectual property litigation, particularly patent litigation. He has been trial counsel in patent infringement cases involving semiconductor manufacturing tools (Applied Materials, Inc.), stem cell technology (ViaCell, Inc.) and generic drugs (TEVA Pharmaceutical). He also has been counsel in cases involving airport and home security systems (GE-Interlogix), telephone and internet routing and congestion control systems (Cisco Systems), and fax technology and software architecture (Brooktrout Technology, Inc.). Mr. Englander was prevailing counsel in PharmaStem v. Viacell, 491 F.3d 1342 (2007), and was trial counsel on remand from the Federal Circuit in Maxwell v. J. Baker, Inc., 86 F.3d 1098 (1996). In addition to his patent experience, Mr. Englander has litigated numerous trade secret, copyright, and trademark matters.

Mr. Englander has represented a number of institutions and individuals in various disputes with federal, state and local government agencies. For many years he has represented the major domestic air carriers in disputes under federal and state law regarding the taxation of their aircraft. See, e.g., American Airlines, Inc. v. County of San Mateo, 912 P.2d 1198 (Cal. Sup. Ct. 1996). less ?

Professional Activities
Mr. Englander is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and The Best Lawyers in America and Marquis Who's Who 2007.

Publications/Presentations
Mr. Englander served on the Boston University Law Review. He has been a regular presenter over the years at various conferences addressing his areas of expertise. In particular, Mr. Englander has presented many times for the Practicing Law Institute on issues associated with patent trial practice.

Professional Experience
Before joining Goodwin Procter, Mr. Englander served as law clerk to the Honorable Bailey Aldrich on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and thereafter was law clerk to then Justice William H. Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bar and Court Admissions
Mr. Englander is admitted to practice in Massachusetts. He was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts in 1984, and to various federal courts since that time. Mr. Englander is also a member of the bar of the Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, he has been specially admitted to practice in courts in 25 states.

Education
J.D., Boston University Law School, 1983
B.S., Cornell University, 1980

"Have a good flight" or "Have a good trip"

2008-03-10T02:23:00.001-07:00

"Have a good flight"

I am sitting in my office here at work after spending a long morning finding 11"x17" clear plastic sleeves for some posters we're entering into a competition. Anyway, seeing as how my quest took all morning, I gave myself a gift. I took a long lunch and got a chance to see The Oracle shortly before her flight left back for Dallas and the Great Beyond (read: Florida).

See, The Oracle now lives in the Far, Far Away studying slugs or something that apparently has some medical value to humanity (here's to curing my cancer in 20 years, Oracle!), so it's rare that I get to see her anymore.

I got to see her one last time before she left today. We went to lunch at Chili's. Afterwards I dropped her off where she was staying and said "have a good flight" after a good hug goodbye.

It occurred to me on my drive to work that I always say "have a good flight" when someone is flying somewhere. I never say "have a safe flight." And I'll get to that in a second.

When someone drives somewhere, you say "have a safe drive," right? I know I do. You see, because you're in control of the vehicle you sort of have some say in the safety level of the voyage it makes sense to remind someone to drive safely. You don't get that when you're flying.

People tell me "have a safe flight" all the time when I fly. I always respond with "it's not really up to me, now is it?" I know that sounds kind of assy, but it's true; it's not up to you whether your flight is safe or not, that's the captain's job or possibly some guy on the ground with a Madonna headset. Point is, it's really not in your hands whether the wings fall off or you come in to the runway too fast. It's someone else's job to take care of that. All you gotta do is take your iPod or your book--if you're analog like that--and sit and wait for the flight attendant to throw you your soda and some peanuts.

So, whenever someone goes on a trip on an airplane, I say "have a good flight" because, well, they can usually control that part of the trip. Whether the plane goes down in flames, though, is out of their control. It's the captain's job to make it a safe flight.

Anyway, to The Oracle, I say have a good flight home. Say hi to your parents and your delightful puppy for me. Oh, and your brother, too.

If not, uh, I dunno, have a safe flight. Or something.

Beijing Tour Director Beijing Tour Manager Beijing Travel Director

2008-03-10T00:10:00.001-07:00

How to Become a Professional Guide, Tour Director/Manager or Travel Director
If you are already a guide or TD, and interested in joining,

CONTENTS:
Becoming a Professional Guide (Tour/Tourist Guide)
Becoming a Tour Director or Tour Manager
Becoming a Travel Director

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We have received numerous requests for information on how to become a Professional Guide, Tour Director/Manager or Travel Director.

Right now we have limited information that you can find below. We are currently developing this section of the site, which when complete will give detailed information on how to get into the field, including:

Courses and Programs Around the World
Organizations and Associations that can help you get started
Information on starting your own guide service or tour company
Frequently Asked Questions on topics such as what guides earn and what it's really like
Additional Resources and Advice
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Becoming a Professional Guide

Professional Guides, often known as Tourist Guides or Tour Guides, are professional communicators who are very passionate and knowledgeable about their city and often the surrounding area. Most tours that they lead are from a few hours to a day in length, though they can sometimes lead overnight trips . Professional guides can lead group tours, often as a step-on guide, walking tours, or private tours for independent travelers, small groups, families and business travelers.

The training required to be a Professional Guide varies widely depending upon where you live. In many places, formal training or licensing is not required. However, many cities or countries do require that you pass a formal licensing tests or graduate from a university. In some places there are schools and programs that train guides, certifications offered, or companies that will train guides. And in some cases guides are self-taught or learn from other guides.

To learn about local training programs, and guide organizations where you live, navigate to your destination, click on the "Travel Tips and Ask the Experts" link, and look for the special topic called "Information About Professional Guiding."

To list as a Professional Guide under a specific destination at Worldwide Guides, we do require experience, training, (a license, if applicable) or equivalent experience. Read more about this here.

We will soon post more information here on becoming a guide, including training programs and information about finding work, earnings, how to break in and how to develop your own tour business.

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Becoming a Tour Director or Tour Manager

Tour Directors or Tour Managers are professionals who travel with groups around the world, usually for one to two weeks at a time, managing the itinerary of a tour. Sometimes they live close to where the tour is located, sometimes they live where the group originates and they travel with the group to the destination and sometimes they are from somewhere else altogether.

The responsibilities of a tour director/manager varies widely with the type of tour (luxury, adventure, motor coach, seniors, students, etc) and with the destination of the tour (sometimes you give commentary, sometimes there is a local guide who does it, sometimes you are required to speak the language of the country, sometimes you are not).

The qualifications of a tour director/manager also varies widely: Some have advanced degrees and some never attended college. Some have attended training programs and some have not. Also, the age of tour directors/managers varies from those in their 20 to those in their 70s. Many Tour Directors/Managers have graduated from training programs and we will have information about these programs soon.

Because there are many tour companies around the world that will hire tour directors without previous experience or training and will usually send them on training tours, we do permit those seeking an entry level position as a tour director/manager to list in the ITDD , the International Tour and Travel Director Directory. (This is a separate section from the Professional Guides/Destination Experts section found under "Select a Destination." )

Listing in the ITDD will allow Tour Companies to find you and you will receive notice of job/tour openings that we receive. To read how you can list in the ITDD, click here

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Becoming a Travel Director

Travel Directors are professionals who travel worldwide staffing or coordination special events, corporate meetings, incentive programs, conventions and exhibits.

We will soon be posting more information about becoming a Travel Director.

If you are interested in being a Travel Director, you can list in the ITDD , the International Tour and Travel Director Directory.. As an ITDD member, companies looking for Travel Directors will be able to find you and you will receive notice of job openings that we receive.

1 Day Beijing Tour

2008-02-23T23:04:00.000-08:00

1 Day Beijing Tour

David Zhang
Web: www.tourguide.name
Email: info@tourguide.name

We leave the hotel at 7:30 in the morning and head to the Great Wall at Badaling, The Great Wall is a structure of superlative proportions. One of the seven wonders of the world, it was the largest construction project ever done. It was built to protect China from invaders from the north. Countless tens of thousands of people over centuries labored on the wall, giving rise to legends that give us clues about the conditions of the laborers who built the Wall. It is surely one of the wonders of world. We spend 1.5 hours hiking on the Great Wall and then back to the downtown at 10:30. We have lunch at a local restaurant in downtown and then drive to visit the Forbidden City.The Forbidden City or the Palace Museum, is just that, a palace. As you approach the palace buildings, you are flooded by a sense of awe - the buildings stand together in an architectural simplicity that is massive, austere and visually unified. As you approach closer still, they take on a life of their own. Your first impression of austerity and unity belies the ornate complexity and individuality of each structure. Each building was designed for a specific purpose - from important life events like marriages and coronations to more daily activities like banquets and sleeping quarters. In its day, the Forbidden City would hold up to one hundred thousand people. At 16:30, we visit a very interesting ancient Chinese social living structure, the Hutong. Beijing Hutongs tour by rickshaw will give you fresh insight into Beijing's local life. Our first stop is Beijing's Drum Tower area, a drum performance of drum beating in the Drum Tower is worth watching, it is very impressive. Then we enjoy rickshaw riding and learning how to make Chinese dumplings at a Hutong family, dumpling making will be awesome and fun during the visit to Hutong. At the end of the tour we take a go back to the hotel.

BUDGET TRAVEL to China

2008-02-18T01:32:00.001-08:00

BUDGET TRAVEL to China
Olympic-Sized Discounts Coming to Beijing This Fall

The world's most certain travel prediction is that the hotels of Beijing will be full of vacancies by Aug. 29 of this year.

The summer Olympics will have run from Aug. 8-24. Allowing the athletes, coaches, spectators, journalists and television crews five days to pack up and board planes home, you'll then discover empty hotels and restaurants. So many new properties are opening just prior to the Olympics - and so much single-minded attention will have been devoted to the period of the Olympics - that these new lodgings can't possibly have secured much of a continuing clientele for the subsequent period.

How many new rooms will have been built for the Olympics? A final tabulation shows the figure to exceed 15,000 - a giant increase in Beijing's hotel capacity. There will be major discounting and numerous deals.

To find an excellent personal tour guide in Beijing, please visit http://www.tourguide.name

Chances are excellent that they will have favorable rates and almost endless capacity to accommodate an autumn booking.

Or you can consider making a purely independent trip to Beijing, whose tourism today operates almost exactly as it does in Western Europe. You simply contact a hotel by e-mail and request reservations.

In the period immediately following the conclusion of the Olympics, many of the city's deluxe hotels undoubtedly will be charging no more than $175 a room. The first-class hotels will be down to their usual $120 or so per room, tourist-class hotels to $75 a room. And the new budget hotels - Home Inn, 7 Days Inn (a take-off on the familiar U.S. brand), Jinjiang Inn, Motel 168 (yes, that's their name!) and Hanting Hotel - will be down to charging less than $50 a night for a double room, including breakfast for two.

In fact, if you search Google, you'll immediately see that some new Chinese economy hotels are featuring promotions of 99 yuan ($14) per room per night for the post-Olympics period. Many of these budget lodgings are now operating in and around Beijing, including properties in the centrally located Wangfujing area within walking distance of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.

As a final alternative, you can make a reservation for your first night, and then simply wander over to other hotels to bargain for a good rate. If I were on an independent trip to China in the autumn, I would tell the room clerk (most of whom speak English): "I am looking for a room costing no more than (and here name a cheap but respectable price) per night." The chances are considerable that he or she will respond with: "It just so happens we have such a room."

It's important to make the trip soon. The Chinese yuan, which traded at a rate of about 8 to the dollar some 18 months ago, has now gradually strengthened to a rate of 7.24 to the dollar. And the Chinese seem committed to a policy of continuing slow depreciation of the yuan (although it is still vastly overpriced, even at the 7.24 level).

In this era of world history, China comes close to being an almost indispensable trip for thoughtful Americans wanting to experience or witness world trends. Since the Yuan certainly will be far more expensive in 2009 than in 2008, the time to go is now.

Estorted China Tours

2008-02-13T15:45:00.001-08:00

Escorted China Tours

Reservations

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Email us (info@tourguide.name) and learn more about our spectacular escorted tour specials all over China. Your adventure starts here. Let a personal tour guide in Beijing plan your China vacation! A Beijing travel expert will help you pick out the perfect China Vacation.

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FOREIGN SECRETARY SPEAKS ON ''THE DEMOCRATIC IMPERATIVE'', CHINA''S PATH TO REFORM, AND WHERE NEXT ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT...

2008-02-13T00:05:00.001-08:00

FOREIGN SECRETARY SPEAKS ON ''THE DEMOCRATIC IMPERATIVE'', CHINA''S PATH TO REFORM, AND WHERE NEXT ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT...

Event: Aung San Suu Kyi Lecture

Location: St Hugh''s College, Oxford University, UK

Speech Date: 12/02/08

I have called this speech ''The Democratic Imperative'' because I believe discussion about the Iraq war has clouded the debate about promoting democracy around the world. I understand the doubts about Iraq and Afghanistan, and the deep concerns at the mistakes made. But my plea is that we do not let divisions over those conflicts obscure our national interest, never mind our moral impulse, in supporting movements for democracy. We must not be glib about what democracy means - it is far more than a five year ballot. We cannot be self satisfied about the state of our own democracy. We cannot impose democratic norms. But we can be clear about the desirability of government by the people and clear that without hubris or sanctimony we can play a role in backing demands for democratic governance and all that goes with it. That is my focus today.

Victor Hugo said you can defeat armies, but you can''t defeat ideas. Last September when so many people were prepared to risk their lives by coming out onto the streets of Rangoon, in what I would call a ''civilian surge'', we saw that, for all its brutality and for all its corruption, the Military Junta in Burma has been unable to destroy the hope of a better and freer life. The people of Burma show that the hope for a life lived at liberty extends to all people in all parts of the world.

It is fitting, therefore, that I should make this speech in the Oxford College where Daw Aung San Suu Kyi not only undertook her undergraduate education but also met her late husband, the distinguished scholar, Dr Michael Aris.

Aung San Suu Kyi remains today what she has been for 20 years: a beacon of hope in the struggle for democracy in Burma. And a beacon of hope beyond Burma too - the civilian surge there is not an isolated phenomenon. It can be seen around the world. More literate, better informed citizens, more conscious of their rights, less deferential towards authority, more able to connect with each other through technology, are challenging incumbents.

But today, although we should be celebrating Burma''s 60th year as an independent nation, we are not. Instead, remind yourself that it is 18 years since Aung San Suu Kyi''s party won 82% of the seats in Parliament, and almost 5 years since she began her latest stint of house arrest.

Thanks to the efforts of many people in this room, and many others around the world, Burma has not and will not be forgotten. The campaigns, the resolutions, the sanctions are in place. And the world community looks closely, with caution rather than expectation but hope as well as scepticism, at suggestions from the regime about how to achieve progress and reconciliation.

The regime has this week called a referendum for May on a new constitution and elections for 2010. For any process to have credibility two things must happen. First Aung San Suu Kyi must be released immediately and allowed to participate along with other political leaders and ethnic groups in drafting the constitution and in the subsequent referendum campaign. Second the UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari should be allowed to return immediately to Burma to help facilitate the process.

I believe this is an important time to reflect on the situation in Burma and to think about what the international community can do there - and elsewhere - to help people fulfil their aspirations for democratic rule. There is a paradox here.

On the one hand the last 30 years have witnessed a remarkable ''third wave of democracy''. In the 1970s the collapse of authoritarian regimes led to the reestablishment of democracy in Portugal, Greece and Spain. But it was with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the crumbling of the Soviet Empire that the tide really turned. By the early 1990s most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe had democratically elected governments and many were seeking reintegration into the European family.

At the same time, several authoritarian regimes in Asia - South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia - converted to democracy. Much of Africa had also made the transition - the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994 was a defining moment. And by the end of the century, all of Latin America - except for Cuba - had established democratically elected governments. Today, there is only one region - the Middle-East - where democratic regimes remain the exception. According to Freedom House, in the early 1970s less than a quarter of the world''s countries were democratic. Thirty years later, the figure stood at over 60%.

At the same time as this dramatic growth in democratic governance, the belief that there is an inevitable tide of history has been discredited. After the end of the cold war it was tempting to believe in ''the end of history'' - the inevitable progress of liberal democracy and capitalist economics. Now with the economic success of China, we can no longer take the forward march of democracy for granted. Since the millennium, there has been a pause in the democratic advance. The rise in the number of democracies has plateaued. Countries with new democratic systems are struggling to establish roots. Our own democratic institutions struggle to bride the gap between citizens and government.

This reality makes my argument today all the more important. I will argue that we should back demands among citizens for more freedom and power over their lives - whether that is reforming established democracies, or supporting transitions to democracy. We should be on the side of the civilian surge.

We must resist the arguments on both the left and the right to retreat into a world of realpolitik. The traditional conservative ''realist position'' is to say that values and interests diverge, and interests should predominate. This will not do. Yet in the 1990s, something strange happened. The neoconservative movement seemed to be most sure about spreading democracy around the world. The left seemed conflicted between the desirability of the goal and its qualms about the use of military means. In fact, the goal of spreading democracy should be a great progressive project; the means need to combine soft and hard power. We should not let the genuine debate about the ''how'' of foreign policy obscure the clarity about the ''what''.

I want to begin by talking about what we mean by democracy and why we should support the spread of democratic ideals and practices. I then want to discuss how we can do so in a way that recognises both the diversity of cultures and the limits of our power and capacity to effect change.

Defining democracy

Democracy is plural not singular. There are many aspects to democracy and some countries are more democratic than others. It also makes sense to talk of the culture of democracy which is both a condition and a consequence of a democratic state.

But that doesn''t mean that nothing can be said. The root of the word is clear: government by the people. We can specify the indispensable conditions of a democracy - that the people choose the government, that they are free from arbitrary control and that the government respects the right of the people to dispense with it.

And I do not believe that this demand for civil recognition to be a curiosity of the modern West. There are very many forms of government by the people that are compatible with the demand for civil recognition. The demand itself I take to be universal. The checks and balances of human rights and democratic governance are important for the security and development of any society: from established systems like ours to the new democracies of Eastern Europe and Africa to the emerging economies of China and the Middle East.

According to global polling by Gallup, 8 out of 10 people want to live in a democracy, closer to 9 out of 10 in Africa. From Botswana to Indonesia, there are striking examples of successful representative democracies that demonstrate how universal values can be applied to diverse cultural, social and economic contexts.

The belief in the equal worth of each human being, and the desire for people to have sovereignty over their own lives is not only enshrined in the Universal Declaration of human rights, it is lived out in all corners of the world. Tellingly, even where democracy is absent, dictators seek to describe their rule as ''democratic'' to provide a veil of legitimacy for their regimes.

Universal values

This is a controversial case, I know. The claim that some values are universal is often thought to be a kind of intellectual imperialism. There are 3 schools of criticism of the case I have made. I want to dwell on each in turn.

First, the Asian values school. Spreading democracy, they say, is an attempt to impose Western values on countries with distinctive traditions and aspirations. Not so much intellectual imperialism as actual imperialism.

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore''s former Prime Minister once characterised ''Asian values'' as ''a certain attitude towards life which raises the interest of the community above that of the individual''.

In 1993, the Bangkok declaration of 34 Asian and Middle Eastern states supported the universality of human rights, but rejected the ''imposition of incompatible values'', emphasising the importance of ''national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds''.

I have 2 responses to this. The first I borrow from Amartya Sen who has brilliantly shown, from the Buddhist councils in India to the society of the Ochollo in Southern Ethiopia, that people from all cultures came together to deliberate over their communal affairs centuries before the emergence of the Italian city-republics.

The second response is that it is precisely liberal democracies that are most hospitable to the variety of histories and heritages that are said to make democracy impossible. Indeed, the great variety of cultures and peoples contained in the idea of "Asian values" casts grave doubt on whether it means very much. And even if something like "Asian values" can be adduced, they will find democracy a hospitable place. The kind of place that would welcome the "Asian values" of Aung San Suu Kyi, for example.

Values and interests

The second critique is what we might call the school of realpolitik. This is the charge that democracy is not always in the national interest. Sometimes democracy is a luxury that nations cannot afford because either prosperity or security must be achieved first. Trade and investment before democracy; fighting terrorism trumps individual rights.

This is dangerously narrow and short-term, in my view. Democracy is the best custodian of trade. Free trade and investment rely on confidence that governments will protect property rights, operate in a transparent way, and avoid hidden subsidies and distortions.

I also believe that established democracies are less likely to fight each other. Their intentions and motives are more transparent. They are better able to build trust with other states.

But today, the main security threat, from terrorism and conflict, comes not from conflict between states, but within states. Local disputes and ethnic divisions escalate into wider regional conflicts. Groups that begin with local grievances increasingly become co-opted by Al Qaeda into global terrorism.

In weak states, there are no military solutions to the insecurity and injustice that helps to breed terrorism, only political solutions. Democracy provides a way of resolving competing interests and claims on resources in a peaceful way. Without democratic legitimacy, it is hard to sustain the increase in state capacity needed to maintain law and order.

In my mind there is no doubt: the rule of law in a democracy is the best long term defence against global terrorism and conflict.

And in countries such as China seeking a stable path to political reform it''s important to recognise that democracy is not a threat to instability but a way to guarantee it. Globalisation, and the increasing complexity of modern societies, has strengthened this truth.

Democracy promotion

The third school of opposition is more pragmatic. It asserts that our ability to promote democracy is limited because the transition to democracy is usually the result of national convulsions. Democracies usually emerge as part of a bargain between citizens and the state. Where the state requires more resources - taxes, or military conscription for war - citizens are granted more accountability over the state. Or a growing middle class demands political representation as a concomitant of its growing purchasing power.

This can involve violent rupture. When powerful political players - the tribal or dynastic leaders, warlords or the military - jostle for position and try to co-opt the system, the birth-pangs of democracy can be anything but democratic. We know this from our own histories in Europe and America.

But, however the change comes, it grows in the soil of the nation. The argument is that our capacity to create democracies from here is limited. As Fareed Zakaria has argued, democracy flourishes in societies that are already constitutionally liberal, and based on the rule of law and property rights.

This is a better response than the previous 2. We need, of course, to be cautious about our capacity to change the world. But while we have less influence than we might hope, we have more than we might fear.

In an increasingly interdependent world, economic linkages mean countries care more about their external reputation and are increasingly subject to global rules and global institutions. International institutions - from the International Criminal Court and the World Trade Organisation to the European Union - provide a framework of norms, incentives and sanctions. And the revolution in media and communications enables new forms of global collective action, with government and global non-governmental organisations able to support bottom-up pressure from within countries.

So I am not persuaded that we should take a relativist view. I am quite comfortable asserting, to echo Churchill, that democracy is the least bad system of government we have yet devised. I am unapologetic about a mission to help democracy spread through the world - and by this I mean not just more elections, but the rule of law and economic freedoms which are the basis of liberal democracy. And while we must deploy different tools in different situations, flexibility of means must be combined with consistency in our goals.

The question, which is rightly raised by the pragmatic critique, is how should promote democracy? In the time I have left I''d like to point to 5 things we might do.

First, the civilian surge is being driven by more literate, better educated people, able to access information and communicate with others. Technology is playing a crucial role. The Gulf satellite channels Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiyya are a departure for the region. Al-Jazeera''s motto, roughly translated, is ''the opinion and the other opinion.'' If it lives up to it, it will make a major contribution to the region. Bloggers in Iran are challenging the conservative order online. Bloggers in Kuwait mobilised popular support for parliamentary reform in 2006.

We can and should support the creation of a free media and free debate. Last year, the BBC World service broadcast to 183 million people; and this year will see the launch not only of a 24-hour Arabic service but also a Farsi TV service - a source of genuinely independent reporting on world news and events. Through its education and cultural programmes the British Council last year reached out to over 16 million people; that is why we are extending the British Council work in the Middle-East, as well as Central and Southern Asia. Britain has global reach in its media and through the networks of it NGOs. That is why the Foreign Office and DfID continue to invest in national and global NGOs that can open up debate and stimulate pressure from civil society.

Second, we have very important, and potentially influential, financial and economic links. The integration of India and China into the global economy has created unprecedented flows of people, money, and ideas across national boundaries.

Economic openness can drive political and social change. For example, as the UAE has become more integrated into the world economy, it has tackled corruption, increased transparency, and improved institutional and legal mechanisms. China''s incorporation into the global economy has brought radical social change - Chinese society is more mobile, vocal and diverse than in the pre-reform period. Arguably more people in China are freer today that they have been at any previous time in Chinese history. But people inside China and outside are rightly concerned about the next stages in political development. President Hu''s speech to his Party Congress shows that democracy is an issue for China''s leaders as well as its people. I will discuss this for myself during my visit to China the week after next.

Third, as a world leader in aid, we can ensure that aid supports democracy and good governance. We can directly influence the activities of EU and international donors. DfID''s investment in governance has increased markedly in recent years: from ?5 million in 1997-98 to ?22 million in 2005-06.

Aid has different objectives according to circumstance. In Ethiopia, DfID investment has helped to build the capacity of federal and regional parliaments. In Pakistan and Bangladesh, women have been supported to stand as candidates in local elections. In other countries, where the power of the state threatens to dominate, we need to use aid to support civil society, from trade unions to the media. For example, our aid in Nigeria has has supported the work of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which has lead to 150 convictions and the recovery of US$5 billion since 2002.

Fourth, the attraction of becoming members of ''clubs'' such as the European Union, the World Trade Organisation, and NATO, can act as a powerful way of establishing democratic norms. As Vaclav Havel said in December 2002, "the vision of becoming part of the EU was the engine that drove the democratisation and transformation of" Central and Eastern Europe.

Unless the offer of joining EU remains on the table, and unless we can forge a more attractive Near Neighbourhood Policy, the EU will lose its power as a magnet for democratic reform. Nowhere is this more true than in the countries of the Western Balkans, where the prospect of EU membership is encouraging newly democratic regimes to bolster the rule of law and to ensure greater transparency and accountability. But we need to keep the door open to our Eastern neighbours and continue to deepen our ties with them, supporting those who filled the streets during the Rose revolution in Georgia in 2003 or the Orange revolution in Ukraine in 2004.

I also want the EU to engage more actively in promoting democracy beyond its immediate neighbourhood. EU election monitoring in places like Pakistan and Nepal is a good step. But the EU should be clearer about what it understands by democracy. This would help give real meaning to the commitments to democracy in our partnerships with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. And it would enable aid and trade more effectively to support democratisation. An agreed EU position on democracy would also give the EU a clear basis for engaging with partner organisations, such as the African Union or ASEAN, and encouraging them to develop similar agreements around democracy and good governance.

Fifth and finally, there will be situations where the hard power of targeted sanctions, international criminal proceedings, security guarantees and military intervention will be necessary. The UN has thirteen sanctions regimes; the EU has eight. They are an imperfect instrument. But targeted sanctions can send a powerful signal about the legitimacy of a state''s actions, and offer substantive pressure for changes in behaviour. The most famous example of success is South Africa where they helped persuade the white political establishment of the need to change and dismantle apartheid. In some cases, sanctions are not enough. In extreme cases the failure of states to exercise their responsibility to protect their own civilians from genocide or ethnic cleansing warrant military intervention on humanitarian grounds.

Paul Collier argues in his forthcoming work on ''democracy in dangerous places'', that the offer of a security guarantee to a new but fragile government, conditional on them abiding by democratic rules, could create a strong incentive for them to abide by the democratic process. To date, our only experience of security guarantees has been of the sort that NATO provides against external aggression. There are a whole range of reasons why Collier''s idea would be difficult. How would you judge which regimes merit the guarantee for instance? How would you avoid perverse incentives? Who would intervene to put down the coup and how would they avoid complicating or exacerbating political divisions? But it is surely right that we consider carefully how best we can support fledgling, fragile democracies, as we are doing in Afghanistan, Iraq and Sierra Leone.

Democratic Consolidation

Most democracies that fail, do so during the first few electoral cycles. While fragile democracies are safer the year before an election, they are more at risk of violence the year after. Democracy needs to be nursed through its early years.

There is no single blueprint. But there are important lessons. In particular, we must strengthen the capacity of the state to enforce the rule of law, while extending accountability to citizens. Three principles stand out.

First, at a national level, governments must ensure the plural distribution of power, with checks and balances between the executive, judiciary and legislature, and electoral systems that share power. In Kenya for instance, we have seen how the ''winner takes all'' system has raised the political stakes - all was seen to be lost if you ''lost'' the race for state house. An arrangement which allows for power to be shared, however, could help to defuse tensions. This is why we are supporting Kofi Annan''s efforts to mediate a solution. In Pakistan, the path to democracy begins with free and fair elections, but it needs deeper roots: an independent judiciary, a commitment from the army to stay out of politics, and devolution of powers to states and local government. The elections in Sierra Leone last year demonstrated the importance of a powerful and independent election commission. The Commission''s resistance to pressure and its determination to root out fraud and irregularities meant that the elections were amongst the most free and fair the continent has seen. Independent election observation can help to reinforce public confidence in the electoral process. I regret in this context that Russia has acted to prevent OSCE experts and parliamentarians from observing its Presidential elections in March.

Second, fledgling democracies need to build the capacity of local as well as national institutions. As Tocqueville wrote ''the strength of free peoples resides in the local community. Local institutions are to liberty what primary schools are to science; they put it within the people''s reach; they teach people to appreciate its peaceful enjoyment and accustom them to make use of it.''

Iraq is moving towards a new round of provincial elections. The Sunni and Sadrist boycott of the 2005 provincial elections left too many unrepresented and politically disempowered. But as the security situation has improved, former rejectionists accept that they have a stake in Iraq''s future and want their voice to be heard. In places such as Anbar in western Iraq which were previously dominated by Al Qaeda and other extremists, groups called ''Concerned Local Citizens'' are now conducting joint operations with the multi-national and Iraqi security forces, ousting Al Qaeda and restoring stability. The Iraqi government must seize the opportunity to bind these people firmly into the legitimate state structures - creating legitimate employment opportunities, including by integrating some elements into the Iraqi Security Force and holding provincial elections to give their leadership a chance to play a role in the political mainstream.

Third, while in some countries we need to strengthen the capacity of the state so that militias and other coercive centres of power fall under the control of the state, in others it is the checks and balances of a sustainable democracy that need strengthening, and it is the role of civil society to provide a voice for popular will. That is why, for example, we are supporting the International Labour Organisation''s work to strengthen national trade unions, particularly in Africa. It is why the work of NGOs is important. These are not alternatives to effective democracy; but they are essential to democracy''s effectiveness.

Conclusion

There are not many countries where democracy is achieved without a struggle. Nelson Mandela, Lech Walesa, Mahatma Ghandi, Rosa Parks, Shirin Ebadi, Aung San Suu Kyi and many other others have risked their lives and their liberty for it. Those are the names we know. Behind them are others, who, because they are not famous, are taking even greater risks.

In Burma:

Tin Oo, the National League for Democracy''s vice-chairman, who at 80 years old is under house arrest;

U Win Tin, the 78-year-old journalist who is the country''s longest-serving political prisoner, having spent 19 years behind bars;

Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and other student leaders from 1988, who have spent 15 years of their life in prison and are currently serving a third stint in detention;

Nay Myo Latt, one of Burma''s best known bloggers, who was recently arrested at his home; and,

U Htin Kyaw, who was arrested last year for protesting against the economic hardship faced by Burma under this leadership.

No one ever knows when the struggle will end. When they begin to crumble authoritarian regimes can collapse overnight. The fight needs uncompromising courage; but when it is over different qualities are needed: reason, patience, calm, a readiness to reconcile and forgive. Qualities that I find easy to associate with the patient suffering of Burmese men and women, and which Aung San Suu Kyi herself embodies.

When it awarded the Nobel peace prize to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Committee said in its citation that it wanted ''to show its support for the many people through the world who are striving to attain democracy, human rights and ethnic conciliation by peaceful means".

I would like to echo that sentiment today. I believe democracy can take root in all societies. I hope and believe that, in time, it will. The equal worth of human beings, their equal right to independence and self-government, requires no less. And all those brave people who are fighting to gain tomorrow the democracies that we, in the lucky, rich nations of the world are blessed with today, deserve our support. Not just in words, but in deeds.

UK cuts visa price for Chinese tourists

2008-02-13T00:03:00.001-08:00

UK cuts visa price for Chinese tourists

Beijing: 13 Jan 2008.

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British Ambassador Sir William Ehrman makes a parallel announcement in Beijing

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne announced today that the UK is to substantially lower the price of its group tourist visa in China from ?3 to ?4 (a reduced fee of - RMB660) for a pilot period of three months from 3rd March.

The importance of Chinese tourism to UK

The UK''s relationship with China is crucial and growing, and mobility between the two countries is essential to underpin it. The visa system needs to facilitate that mobility.

Against that background, Chinese tourists are visiting Europe in increasing numbers. The UK wants to welcome as many as possible and ensure that Britain is at the heart of the European destination for all Chinese visitors.

Mr. Byrne said: ''Our growing relationship with China is of critical importance to UK. Outbound Chinese tourism is growing rapidly and we want the UK to be the destination of choice''.

''The visas system has rigorous controls but we also want to make it as easy as possible for people to visit the UK legally. We are developing a new group tourist visa and it is fitting that we are trialling the lower cost aspects of this in China.''

''The lower priced visa will be available for 3 months from 3 March. Analysis of the impact on demand from Chinese tourists will inform the wider work we are progressing on development of the new group tourist visa.

I am pleased to be able to announce this as we celebrate Chinese New Year and trust it will be regarded as a sign of the welcome we extend to tourists and the importance we place on China in particular.''

Background Information

UK-China Approved Destination Status Memorandum of Understanding signed in Jan 2005, between the British Government and China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) to facilitate the visit of Chinese Tourist Groups to the UK.

55 ADS agents China-wide (Embassy and Consulates-General in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing)

Over 13,000 ADS visas issued in China in 2007

Price reduction from 980 RMB to 660 RMB at the current exchange rate of 15 RMB to ?.

26% increase on 2006 (95% issue rate)

Group (and any sub-group submitted at another VAC) must have at least 5 members (excluding tour leader).

ADS is the only route for group tourism into the UK

Successful applications issued with single or dual entry visa endorsed ''Visit ?ADS?valid for 30 days.

Useful websites
UK Visa Application Centres: www.vfs-uk-cn.com
UKvisas: www.ukvisas.gov.uk
Visit Britain: www.visitbritain.com

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Journalists attended Embassy Press Conference with the Ambassador and UKVisas officials

China, the most ancient empire on the Earth

2008-02-02T20:01:00.003-08:00

China, the most ancient empire on the Earth

A country with the biggest population on the Earth, a country closed for a several decades; nowadays China is becoming one of the most interesting tourist destinations in Asia. China is one of the oldest states in the world and the only, surviving till today. For visitors China offers a great variety of choices. Whether you are interested in Chinese history, Chinese culture or Chinese scenery, your trip will be very interesting.

Of course, those who like to know China should visit its Capital - Beijing. Beijing is a capital city for over 800 years now. Thirty-four emperors have lived and ruled the nation in Beijing and it has been an important trading city from its earliest days. Now Beijing is a modern metropolis, but you still can see the traces of the Chinese glorious story - Forbidden City - the largest and best-preserved imperial palace complex, a section of the Great Wall and the largest sacrificial complex in the world - the Temple of Heaven. In the old part of Beijing people still leave in small houses, that don't differ from those their ancestors lived in. This part of the city looks like they missed at least 100 last years. However there is another Beijing - modern, with skyscrapers and prestigious hotels, with restaurants and bars. The world-biggest central square, ruefully famous Tian'anmen Square attracts a lot of tourists. In 2008 Beijing will host the Olympic Games, so the amount of modern buildings and tourist services will increase significantly.

Shanghai with its population of about 18 millions is the biggest city in China. Originally Shanghai was a seaside fishing village, but today it has become a multi-cultural metropolis with both modern and traditional Chinese features. Known as "the Oriental Paris", Shanghai is the top shopping destination in China. It also can be called the most Western Chinese city. As a port city Shanghai survived a considerable foreign influence.

A very special place in China is Hong Kong. It became a part of China only in 1999 and still had strong links with the West, particularly with the Great Britain. Today Hong Kong is a great international trading post, a powerful manufacturing base and one of the world's largest financial centres. Hong Kong is also famous for its cinema.

Another interesting experience in China could become a cruise along Yangtze, the greatest Chinese river. Usually they last from 5 to 22 days. You will visit Chongqing, Fengdu, Sandouping and some other Chinese places of interest.

Amazing world of the mysterious Tibetan civilization is without any doubt worth visiting but it's a subject of a separate trip that will take about 2 weeks.

Anyway, China has a lot to offer and you can choose your own travel program to see what you want.

Guided tours are fun! For booking a tour guide in any part of China, please, go to www.tourguide.name

China Travel Tips

2008-02-02T20:01:00.001-08:00

China Travel Tips

Survival China Travel Tips and Tricks

These China Travel Tips, Survival Techniques, will help you get around and make your trip to China easier, so you will be able to experience the real China with a little less stress. China is an odd beast that needs to be respected; the major cities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Xian, all have their own personalities.

Some complex situations that you think would be an organizational disaster turn out to be great and you wonder afterward what all the fuss and worry was about. Then the simplest of tasks can turn out to be a major calamity.

This is when you have what we call here a "China day".

These days come and go and are part of the experience of everyday travel in China. One needs to have an open mind when travelling China. It is a place with thousands of years of history and culture that is trying overnight to adapt to Western ways of living.

You need to have a very open mind when you Travel in China. I have listed below a few China Travel Tips that will make life that wee bit more bearable on your Travel China experience.

China Travel Tips - Be Toilet Wise

*Never expect a clean toilet 100% of the time.

*Be prepared; Carry some tissue.

*You may have to use a squat toilet, again if you know this before hand it is not a shock. If you don't know how to use a squat toilet, try the following experiment at home.

While holding onto something for support with both hands, lower your body down into a low squat position, so that the cheeks of your bottom is almost touching your heels or the back of your calf. Now, let go with your hands. See if you stay in this position for at least 1 minute. If you fall backwards or you cannot get up, then a squat toilet could be a problem for you! Practice, you will be happy you did.

*If you see a clean toilet, Go… it may not come again for a while.

*There are many public toilets around the cities, usually the ones you pay for are OK, (RMB .5), the others best to stay away from if you can. You will soon notice them as you walk around the cities.

*Be warned that public areas like bus and train stations are usually what I class as "tough toilets", however if gotta go you gotta go. *Outside of the major cities, the toilet systems are old or have very narrow plumbing /pipes and get blocked easily. In these cases a small basket is usually beside the toilet, this is for your used toilet paper.

One of the best China Travel toilet Tips I can give you, is use hotel lobby toilets; these are everywhere and are always clean. Still they may not always have toilet paper. It depends on the class of hotel that you are using.

I do not wish to scare you. However, of all the China Travel Tips in all the other web sites I have read, this is a topic not often mentioned, but it is very important to us all.

So outside of the major cities conditions can be tough. But most of the time everything will be fine, especially if you book a tour; everything will have been checked out before hand. However even the best laid plans can go wrong, so be prepared, the toilets in the smaller cities, towns and villages can be scary.

China Travel Tips - The Food

*The food is great and the variety is overwhelming. Most of the time you get to choose what you eat, or you can recognize what you're eating, however sometimes you do not get a choice. Carry a chocolate bar or something; this will keep you going until some food that you can recognize turns up. Drink bottled or boiled water, as the tap water is NOT safe to drink, this is for the whole of China. Even boiled water, while sterilised can contain a lot of minerals and iron deposits that you probably do not want in your system. The safest bet is to drink bottle water. Tap water in most big cities is OK for brushing teeth.

*Eating habits - Most Chinese people have a great habit of being very noisy when they eat and lunch and dinner times can be a wonderfully noisy celebration, food tends to go in all directions, its just part of being in China.

*People also smoke at the table while everyone is eating, so some restaurants get very loud and smoky.

*If you get stuck what to order as most of the menu's are in Chinese just look at the table next to you and point to the dish you fancy and ask how much it is, this system works really well and know seems to mind.

*I have a basic menu that will help you order safe food, (no Cats or Dog) this will enable you to visit a larger selection of restaurants, not just the tourist ones with high prices. You can carry it with you and use it in the local restaurants where most will be able to serve what is on it. This way you will know what you are eating.

These local places are very cheap and the food it great. Contact me if you would like me to send it to you.

China Travel Tips - Taxis

*China Travel Tips- Taxis - Taxis are an experience that can have you griping the seat and gasping for breath; however you soon get used to it, after the first few rides, you're an old hand.

*The taxis in Shanghai are, overall, quite good. Try to get the Blue, Blue'ish Turquoise, Gold and White taxis, these are the best… these are the four major taxi companies and are generally recognised by their single colour paintwork. The others are OK, just older and a rougher ride (the others also may have faulty metres). No drivers will speak English.

*Carry your hotel or accommodation business card with you, written in Chinese, this helps if you get lost walking around town.

*In all the taxis around the country you will see the drivers name and taxi registration number in plain sight. If you have any problem, or if you think you have been over charged etc, just take this number down, make a big fuss about it, and the driver then should wake up and fix whatever problem you have. Even better is to take the receipt. This has all the trip details on it and you can ring the taxi company if you want to take things further or if you've left something in the taxi. *The government takes rip-off drivers in all cities, Beijing and Xian especially, very seriously and if you complain they will lose their license. This is their livelihood. So far I have had not one driver in 3 years that has not backed down and we have then agreed a price for the trip or solved our problem.

*In Shanghai, it is common practice for taxi fare increases after 11pm. However, one can usually bargain for a 20% discount, which will get the fare back to the pre-11pm rate. Be strong with the taxi drivers, never-the-less, keep your cool, smile and negotiate.

China Travel Tips - Shopping

*China Travel Tips - Shopping - China is a shopper's paradise, Markets, Bargains; Top labels… anything and everything if you have the time. With clothes, the larger (Western) sizes can be quite hard to find, however in the major cities where you get a lot of tourist traffic, you can find them.

*Electrical gear, DVD's, Cameras, stuff like this is not worth buying in China, Hong Kong is still the best place for this.

*Store hours in the major cities are from 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week.

*Visa card is still the best card to carry, with ATM's in good supply all with PLUS access etc. There is usually a surcharge for use of VISA, MasterCard or other forms of credit card.

*Wait on purchasing if you can, look around to get a feel for the prices. The Chinese are VERY experienced at selling and know that we halve the opening price when bargaining. In the markets go for 25% of what they first ask; go so low that they let you walk away. This will give you an idea of the bottom price. The resulting end-price will probably be around 40% to 50% of where they started.

Whatever the market people say, they are used to pushing and haggling for best prices. Do not worry about being too hard, they are used to it and will not sell you an item unless they make a profit. Don't be concerned with the apparently hurt body language when you go low - it is all part of the game. As soon as they have wrapped up your first purchase, they will try to sell you something more. Remember to keep smiling and having fun while bargaining.

China Travel Tips - Medical Treatment and Records *Most hotels will have a doctor that you can see. In the major hotels English will be spoken.

*Always take a small first aid kit, cold remedy, headache tablets at the very least. WATSONS is a very large chain chemist. Most of the remedies, tablets etc, that you may require should be in these shops. These shops are all over China.

*There is a great network of pharmacy type shops; these are indicated by a Green Cross. There will always be a 24 hr Green Cross pharmacy in the city you are in. It is handy to carry a Phase book, as no one will speak English, however you will end up with something that will help.

*INPORTANT POINT - for most of the mass produced packet type medicines, the packaging will be written in Chinese on one side, English on the other. However in the shops you only see the Chinese side. Have a good look, turn the packs over, it gives you a lot more confidence knowing you can read the package.

*If you have a specific medical issue, take records, most of the Doctors will have OK written / reading English, even though their oral English will be poor.

China Travel Tips - Telephone

*Using the phone is as easy as at home. However the person picking it up will not speak English or have very broken English… the Major 4- or 5-Star Hotels will all be OK.

*What is worth doing is buying a Chinese Telecom SIM card, they are about RMB100 and with this you get RMB50 in calls, the other 50 is for the price of the SIM card; this SIM card will go into all major brand phones and work OK.

By doing this, people can reach you within and out of China if there is an emergency. If you have a couple of phones, you can short (txt) message each other (SMS). Also you are able to call your tourist guide, hotel etc if you have any major problems. It is a cheap way to keep in touch.

NB.Before you buy a Chinese SIM card, check that it will work in your Cell / Mobile phone. There are plenty of China Telecom shops that can help. China Travel Tips on when NOT to move around China. *Spring Festival, this would be the Chinese New Year time, around the end of January / Early February

*Early May; Labour day Holidays

*Early October; National Day Holidays

Of all the China Travel Tips National Day is the biggest one. Millions of Chinese travel at these holiday times of the year. Most are travelling back to home towns or visiting family. Hotels, trains, planes, cars, buses, and roads are all crowded to the maximum. Major congestion, everywhere.

Also travel fares are at their full price. No discounts are offered! Stay in one place and enjoy where you are. It's best and causes fewer hassles.

China Travel Tips - TV

*If you want to watch TV, most of the major hotels will have cable and if you are in the smaller places, the national channel, CCTV9 is in English. Over the last couple of years it has got a lot better, with some great China Travel Tips programs, news and views on people and places around China.

China Travel Tips - Airport Tax *There is a "construction fee" at almost all airports.

Domestic flights RMB 50 International flights RMB 90 - which is to be paid in local currency. Just recently, tickets are being tissued with the Construction Tax included; however make sure you have the Tax money with you just to make sure.

I hope some of these China Travel Tips will come in handy and will make your trip to China that little bit easier.

If you have been to China and wish to share your China Travel Tips, please feel free to contact me anytime.

David Zhang http://www.tourguide.name

Hi I'm David Zhang, I am a professional tour guide and have lived in Beijing China now for 12 years.

I own and operate http://www.tourguide.name my site provides experienced based Travel and Tour information on the wonders of Travel in China, the Real China, Ancient China, China at its very best.

Personal Beijing tours

2008-02-01T06:46:00.001-08:00

You'll never miss any attractions with David,I can make your Beijing trip simpler than ever! As a licensed tour guide,I work closely with Travel Agents and other suppliers to provide you with a high quality comprehensive service.

Best wishes,

David Zhang

Web: www.tourguide.name
Email: info@tourguide.name
Tel.: +8610 51298358 ext.1
Fax: +8610 51298358 ext. 2
Add.: Room 2506, ShangDu International Center,

No. 6 Dongdaqiao Road, District ChaoYang,
Beijing, 100021 China

***************************************************************************
Design/Customize your own very special trip of Beijing.
Discover Beijing as it really is, with travel on exclusive private tours, where the cooperation among travel suppliers , the experienced tour operator and tour guide putting it all together is the key.

Discover Beijing with David

2008-02-01T05:02:00.001-08:00

If you come to Beijing, David can guide you through all the main attractions and then take you on some little trips to places that the average tourist does not get to see with big tourist groups. As a licensed tour guide with Beijing Tourist Board,he works closely with Travel Agents and other suppliers to provide you with a high quality comprehensive service. If he can't do it he probably knows someone who can!

Web: www.tourguide.name
Email: info@tourguide.name
Tel.: +8610 51298358 ext.1
Fax: +8610 51298358 ext. 2
Add.: Room 2506, ShangDu International Center,

No. 6 Dongdaqiao Road, District ChaoYang,
Beijing, 100021 China

***************************************************************************
Design/Customize your own very special trip of Beijing.
See Beijing with David, discover Beijing as it really is, with travel on exclusive private tours, where the cooperation among travel suppliers , the experienced tour operator and licensed tour guide putting it all together is the key.

Private tours of Beijing, how?

2008-02-01T00:13:00.001-08:00

Name: David Zhang
Age: 30
Cities I specialize in: Beijing, Peking, China;
Services: Guide for tourist attractions, Guide for hotels, restaurants, meetings, sports events, shopping;
Interests: Local Attractions, Sports Events, Shopping;
Languages: English, Chinese;
Age groups I prefer to guide: Any Age;
Places to see: All main attractions in the capital, secret hideaways only known to locals, local restaurants, shopping paradises, flea markets, sporting events;

My Chinese name is Zhang Feng, but please call me David. I'd like to extend a warm invitation to you to visit China with me very soon. I'm very proud of my tours and believe that they offer you a unique opportunity to experience this fascinating land in a deeply personal way. I am a 30 year old Chinese young man, born and raised in Xinjiang Province, Northwest Part of China! Studied English to degree level in Beijing and I have been working here that was almost 12 years ago and I have been living here in Beijing on and off ever since! I am the owner of China Guided Tours. In fact, I guide most of the tours myself! I want to tell you something about my tours, and about me, so you will know why you should choose David to introduce you to China.

Guide Descriptions:

Planning a trip to Beijing? Do you want to see the best of Beijing? Do you want to meet local people in Beijing....where they live? Do you love food and always wondered what real Chinese food tastes like? How about a railway travel? Railway Travel in China is an adventure and can be a real grass-roots experience whether you are travelling between the major Chinese cities, New high speed train from Beijing to Tianjin City, the 3rd biggest city in China, only takes 1 hour... An adventure it will be. Would you like to have a personal tour guide in Beijing to help you navigate shopping, theater and entertainment, transportation, sightseeing and more?

Personal Tour Guide and Beijinger is available to show you around our great city; book your sightseeing, show you where the bargain shopping is, where to buy what, best restaurants, bars and clubs, and help you navigate Beijing like a Native!

I have travelled a considerable amount through world for work and pleasure and find the best places lie hidden in Beijing but that's just my opinion! If you come to Beijing, I can guide you through all the main attractions and then take you on some little trips to places that the average tourist does not get to see with big tourist groups. You can experience local cuisine or if you've had enough, we can try almost any other type of food from around the world. Beijing really has everything! I love showing people the sights and sites of Beijing as I seem to discover new things myself almost every time I walk around the city! I have been the guide to Americans, Canadians, British and French and look forward to lots of other people joining in with me!

Each year, I offer only 20 tours from 1 to 35 people, concentrating on places that I know well and believe give you the best of Beijing. So you can have the benefit of my knowledge and enthusiasm. The size of my groups is limited to no more than 35 people, making it possible for us to visit local people's homes, small family-owned restaurants and other places where you can find the real life of China.

I am offering an exciting new option as part of my Ancient Capital Beijing and Scenic Wonders tour: the chance to experience the hospitality of a local family by spending a night with them in their beautiful traditional courtyard home in the picturesque city of Beijing. This is a unique opportunity to get even closer to the rhythms of daily life in China. As you can see, I try to make my tours as much unlike a standard group tour as possible. I hope this approach makes you eager to visit China with me.

My tours are specially designed for people who want to travel more freely, and more adventurously, than most tourists. If you want to see the real China up close, meet its people and taste its authentic local specialties, my tours are right for you.

My tours avoid big buses and over-stuffed itineraries. Although we visit the "must-see" sights, we also have plenty of time to get off the beaten track, where the real Beijing can be found. You will have time to walk through bustling street markets, wander through country villages, absorb the serene atmosphere of an ancient temple or monastery. We will explore these areas on foot, on a bicycle, from a cab, subway, bus...the way the local people do.I do everything possible to make sure you have a wonderful trip. How can I do all this? As you can tell from my name and experiences, I am Chinese. I was born in Wusu, in Xinjiang Province. I grew up and went to the university in Beijing, majoring in English and Economics. Of course, I am fluent in Mandarin and also speak some of the local dialects. After university, I worked as a tour organizer and national guide for one of the first-class travel services in China. I organized and guided dozens of trips for foreign friends throughout China. My family still lives in Xijiang. I go to visit often and keep in touch with all the big changes going on there. Over the years, I have met and become friends with many local people in all of the places we visit in China. They are very glad to welcome us into their homes and share their lives with us. Our visits to my friends have brought a special joy and understanding of Chinese life to the people on my tours. As you can see, I am very proud of my country, its people and its great beauty, and I am very eager to introduce it to you.

PLEASE NOTE

I give guiding services and work as an official professional tour guide; all travel services such as hotel bookings, rent-a-car, rent-a-boat etc. will be provided by an official & reliable local travel agency in China in order to secure your customer rights and fulfilling local regulations. Please contact me for prices, quotes and other information on traveling in China easily.

My philosophy is to provide the most attentive customer service and highest quality guiding and outfitting, some would say luxurious. I focus marketing on the Internet search engines and word of mouth. I pride myself at spending none of your money on advertising and many of the overhead costs associated with this industry. To keep our prices low, I do not use an 800 number phone line, do not print and mail out glossy picture catalogues and brochures, do not pay for a large office and staff, and do not hire Marketing and Public Relations companies. For my guides, travel and guiding is a lifestyle choice! Most of our people cycle to work - no Mercedes sports cars in our parking lot! Do not settle for less when booking a tailor-made adventure and cultural travel tour - book with China Guided Tours!

With warm wishes of happy travels,

David Zhang

Fees for Personal Beijing Tour Guides 2008-2009

Based on Beijing for the Year 1 April 2008 - 31 March 2009
Below are current guide fees.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Half Days (up to 4 hours maximum)
Morning tours to finish no later than 13.00
Afternoon tours to start no earlier than 13.30
Evening tours (up to 4 hours maximum) - After 23.00 unsocial hours apply.
In English from $ 60.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full Days
Beijing tours (up to 9 hours and finishing no later than 18.00)
Out of Beijing tours (up to 10 hours and finishing no later than 19.00)
In English from $ 100.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One Way Transfers
Timed from and to Central Beijing (07.00 - 23.00)
Up to 4 hours, morning or afternoon from $ 55.00
Over 4 hours from $ 80.00
Plus travel expenses to/from Central Beijing
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Working Through an Interpreter
Half Day from $ 65.00
Full Day from $ 98.00
Evening from $ 65.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Museum/Gallery Guiding
(up to 3 hours - some museums and galleries limit group size to 35)
Highlights In English from $ 60.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overtime Hours (between 07.00 - 23.00)
payable in addition to full/half day fee
In English per hour $ 10.00
Unsocial Hours (between 23.00 - 07.00)
payable in addition to full/half day fee
In English per hour $ 16.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Large Groups
Interior visit, over 57 passengers 2 guides
Any other group over 57 passengers +50%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meal Allowance
when not included (time of full day tour includes an hour for lunch)
Lunch from $ 5.00
Dinner from $ 5.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese Public Holidays
National Day Holiday, May Day Holiday, Mid-Moon Festival +50%
Chinese New Year's Day +100%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
China Extended Tours
Full day recommended rate (3 meals and single accommodation to be included)
In English from $ 85.00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Useful Chinese Phrases

2008-01-31T20:00:00.003-08:00

Useful Chinese Phrases

Try these phrases to enhance your travel experience in China. You'll be speaking like a native in no time!

Hello.
Nee How

I don't want it.
Boo yow

What's your name?
Nee jow shen muh ming zuh

Thank you.
Shee-yuh shee-yuh

My name is ...
Wuh jow

Where is the bathroom?
Tsuh swuh tseye nar

I'm from (California) USA.
Wuh tsung (jah joe) may gwo lie

Good-bye.
Tseye jen

Delicious!
Tie how chuh luh

China
Jong gwo

How much does that cost?
Dwo shau chen

USA
May gwo

Web: www.tourguide.name
Email: info@tourguide.name
Tel.: +8610 51298358 ext.1
Fax: +8610 51298358 ext. 2
Add.: Room 2506, ShangDu International Center,

No. 6 Dongdaqiao Road, District ChaoYang,
Beijing, 100021 China

***************************************************************************
Design/Customize your own very special trip of Beijing.
Discover Beijing as it really is, with travel on exclusive private tours, where the cooperation among travel suppliers , the experienced tour operator and tour guide putting it all together is the key.

Travel with David in Beijing

2008-01-31T20:00:00.001-08:00

My name is David Zhang, but please call me David. I am the owner of www.tourguide.name. In fact, I guide most of the tours myself! I want to tell you something about my tours, and about me, so you will know why you should choose David to introduce you to China.

I'd like to extend a warm invitation to you to visit China with me very soon. I'm very proud of my tours and believe that they offer you a unique opportunity to experience this fascinating land in a deeply personal way.

Each year, I offer only a few tours, concentrating on places that I know well and believe give you the best of Beijing. So you can have the benefit of my knowledge and enthusiasm. The size of my groups is limited to no more than 35 people, making it possible for us to visit local people's homes, small family-owned restaurants and other places where you can find the real life of China.

I am offering an exciting new option as part of my Ancient Capitals and Scenic Wonders tour: the chance to experience the hospitality of a local family by spending a night with them in their beautiful traditional courtyard home in the picturesque city of Beijing. This is a unique opportunity to get even closer to the rhythms of daily life in China.

As you can see, I try to make my tours as much unlike a standard group tour as possible. I hope this approach makes you eager to visit China with me.

I keep the size of my groups small, no more than 35 people. That means we have the flexibility to wander through old neighborhoods and back streets, even visit the homes of local people, to see the real life of China. We can eat at small, family-owned restaurants to taste the authentic Chinese cuisine, and linger in night street markets among the intriguing food stalls, where there are many kinds of small dishes and snacks to try. If you're adventurous enough, you can sample many new and delicious things, like the Moslem snacks of Xi'an, the stuffed chili peppers and fermented beans of Moon Hill Village near Guilin, the fried onion cakes of Lijiang, even the ultra-spicy Sichuan hotpot, which you can wash down with the local rice wine! This is one of the things my guests like best about their trips.

My tours avoid big buses and over-stuffed itineraries. Although we visit the "must-see" sights, we also have plenty of time to get off the beaten track, where the real China can be found. You will have time to walk through bustling street markets, wander through country villages, absorb the serene atmosphere of an ancient temple or monastery, or linger on an alpine meadow beneath the towering Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. I take you to remote and scenic places many tours don't reach, such as the small fishing villages on the shore of Lake Erhai, the mysterious rock carvings of the Shibaoshan Grottoes and the picturesque villages and farmer's fields of Guilin and Yangshuo. We will explore these areas on foot, on a bicycle, from a boat...the way the local people do.

I bring a strong commitment to personal service to my tours. I always inspect every restaurant and food stand we visit for freshness and sanitation, so that we may really enjoy the local cooking. I also carefully check the local conditions, particularly in remote areas. I arrange meetings with local people and translate for you so you can talk with them. I do everything possible to make sure you have a safe and wonderful trip.

How can I do all this? As you can tell from my name and photograph, I am Chinese. I was born in Wusu, in Xinjiang Province. I grew up and went to the university in Beijing, majoring in English and Economics. Of course, I am fluent in Mandarin and also speak some of the local dialects. After university, I worked as a tour organizer and national guide for one of the first-class travel services in China. I organized and guided dozens of trips for foreign friends throughout China. My family still lives in Xijiang. I go to visit often and keep in touch with all the big changes going on there. Over the years, I have met and become friends with many local people in all of the places we visit in China. They are very glad to welcome us into their homes and share their lives with us. Our visits to my friends have brought a special joy and understanding of Chinese life to the people on my tours. As you can see, I am very proud of my country, its people and its great beauty, and I am very eager to introduce it to you.

***************************************************************************
Design/Customize your own very special trip of Beijing.
Discover Beijing as it really is, with travel on exclusive private tours, where the cooperation among travel suppliers , the experienced tour operator and tour guide putting it all together is the key.

Are You Looking for a Private Sightseeing Tour in Beijing?

2008-01-31T17:51:00.001-08:00

"Are You Looking for a Private Sightseeing Tour in Beijing?"

www.tourguide.name provides daily sightseeing adventures from 2 - 8 hours in duration available 7 days a week year-round. For those of you that like to get off the beaten path and experience great things at your own pace, you have arrived at the right place.

www.tourguide.name provides your group with knowledgeable tour guides to make your visit to our area most enjoyable. Please send us an email info@tourguide.name to arrange for a private tour of Beijing.

We provide coach transportation, vans, stretch limousines for groups of all sizes. Email us with your suggestions of where you would like to go, what you would like to see and we would put together an itinerary and schedule for a really fun day full of wonderful attractions, museums, restaurants and sights from Forbidden City to Great Wall! We also provide step-on-guides, pick-up service at Beijing International Airport, hotels, inns, conference centers and residences throughout Beijing.

Whether you are a celebrity, tourist, business traveller or group leader, www.tourguide.name provides wonderful historical narrated tours from Beijing to Shanghai to Hongkong.

Cruise ship, Hotel, Airport meet/greet service is available.

For further information, please call or email us info@tourguide.name.

Web: www.tourguide.name
Email: info@tourguide.name
Tel.: +8610 51298358 ext.1
Fax: +8610 51298358 ext. 2
Add.: Room 2506, ShangDu International Center, No. 6 Dongdaqiao Road, District ChaoYang, Beijing, China

******************************************************************
Design/Customize your own very special trip of Beijing.
Discover Beijing as it really is, with travel on exclusive private tours, where the cooperation between travel suppliers and the experienced tour operator and tour guide putting it all together is the key.

The Top Four Tourist Cities in China

2008-01-31T17:17:00.001-08:00

The Top Four Tourist Cities in China

Do you know that Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Hong Kong are the most visited cities in China?

A lot of people refer it as the 'golden route' or 'presidential route' after Bill Clinton visited these cities in 1998.

Certainly the golden route has a good combination of everything: great historical heritages, beautiful landscape, delicious Chinese food, great shopping and so on.

Best time to visit China is spring and autumn when China has beautiful weather and fewer tourists.

If you are a first-time visitor to China, the golden route is your top pick. You would need at least two weeks to complete the tours.

Beijing you would need at least four nights to complete what you need to see and do.

Great Wall of China - the longest man-made architecture on earth. This should be your number one destination in Beijing.

Forbidden City - the former palaces and offices of Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is currently a museum with countless treasures.

Summer Palace - the most well preserved royal resort of Qing Dynasty.

Temple of Heaven is the symbol of Beijing. Ming and Qing emperors worshipped Heaven here.

Please do include a hutong tour in order to have an old Beijing feel. After all, don't forget a Beijing duck feast.

Tip: Beijing travel requires a lot of walking. Please be prepared for it.

Xian everyone should visit Xian at least once in life, Chinese and foreigners alike. Spend three nights here is necessary to cover the most important sightseeing.

Xian has been a capital city for 13 dynasties, totaling 1,100 years. It was the worlds most prosperous city in Tang Dynasty, 1300 years ago.

The Terra Cotta Warriors is a full-scale replication of the Qin Dynasty army. There is no other place in the world you can see a life-size army of over 2,000 years old.

Banpo Neolithic village is a famous site of 6,000 years old which has typical features of a matriarchal society. Youll also see clues of ancient burial, marriages, creative tools and artifacts.

In Xian, don't forget to go for a dumpling feast which usually goes with a first class entertainment show of Tang Dynasty music and dance.

Guilin is ranked second on Chinas list of top 10 tourists destinations. It has beautiful landscape integrated with fabulous countryside. Make sure you wont miss the Reed Flute Cave, the Crown Cave and some of the beautiful peaks.

Don't forget to make a day trip to Yangshuo where the best hills and waters are. Go there on a Li River cruise and return by bus. If you choose to stay overnight, you would be able to watch the spectacular Liu Sanjie performance, which takes place on the Li River. Yangshuo is truly a place for you to relax and enjoy.

In Guilin, make sure to go for a rice noodle feast. Or you can just eat it as a street food at 2 per bowl. They are extremely yummy.

China FIT Tours

2008-01-31T16:58:00.001-08:00

About Us

Dear Traveler,

Clever safe tailor-made China adventures and cultural journeys take experience. We have it and offer it to you by bringing you a wide scope of unique trips to all parts of China designed and led by the best in the field – the guides. China Guided Tours is run and managed by guides! We have done the trips we design and sell!

Our philosophy is to provide the most attentive customer service and highest quality guiding and outfitting, some would say luxurious.

We focus our marketing on the Internet search engines and word of mouth. We pride ourselves at spending none of your money on advertising and many of the overhead costs associated with this industry.

To keep our prices low, we do not use an 800 number phone line, do not print and mail out glossy picture catalogues and brochures, do not pay for a large office and staff, and do not hire Marketing and Public Relations companies. For our staff, travel and guiding is a lifestyle choice! Most of our people cycle to work - no Mercedes sports cars in our parking lot!

Do not settle for less when booking a tailor-made adventure and cultural travel tour - book with Footloose China!

With warm wishes of happy travels,

David Zhang

Managing Director

China FIT Tours

Design/Customize your own very special trip of China.

Beijing, 5-day Itinerary

2008-01-31T16:50:00.001-08:00

Beijing, 5-day Itinerary

Day 1 ARRIVE BEIJING
On arrival , be greeted and escorted to your Hotel to check in
MEALS: none

Day 2 BEIJING
Tour Tianmen Square and the Imperial Palace in Forbidden City. After lunch, visit Mao's mausoleum and the Summer Palace with a boat on placid Lake Kunming. Tonight, you are invited to a delightful Beijing Duck Dinner.

Day 3 BEIJING
Walk along the ancient ramparts of the Great Wall today, one of the amazing feats of mankind. Then stroll along the Sacred Way to the Ming Tombs and Changling Exhibition Hall. Tonight, enjoy an astonishing acrobatic show.

Day 4 BEIJING
After breakfast, out to visit the city zoo, see China's most celebrated animal- the giant panda. Then tour the ornately embellished Temple of Heaven. After lunch, explore the city by pedicab through Hutong's narrow ancient lanes with visit to courtyard-style family residence. Admire the panoramic view of the city from atop the scenic Drum Tower.

Day 5 DEPART BEIJING
Free at your own leisure until your transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Design/Customize your own very special trip of China.

Travel Tours of China Beijing

2008-01-31T16:32:00.001-08:00

Travel Tours of China Beijing

China Sample Itineraries

Here is some sample itineraries for a trip to Beijing

All the trips can be longer shorter, with meals,without meals, changed to meet your schedule, physical needs, food requirements,number of persons on the trip etc, very flexible.

The start and finish cities can be anywhere in China.

You are able to see the Great Wall at any section, please just specify.

Click here http://www.tourguide.name for more details on the Great Wall of China

If you live here in China, ALL the trips are flexible and can be arranged to suit, school holidays, Busy schedules etc.

The below itineraries just cover the basics, if you have, specific requirements, please fill out the China Travel Specialist trip form and I will customize a trip for you info@tourguide.name.

2 - day - Quick trip to Beijing

Day 1- Meet by guide in Beijing upon your arrival. Visit Forbidden City and Tian'an Men Square, have a traditional Peking Roast Duck Dinner.

Go and see a show - Acrobat show, Peking Opera or the KungFu show

Day 2 - Drive to see the Great Wall, then catch a late afternoon flight to your next destination or home.

3 - day - Beijing

Day 1 -Meet by guide in Beijing upon your arrival. Visit Forbidden City and Tian'an Men Square. Summer Palace Have the Peking Roast Duck as your Dinner.

Day 2 - Drive to see the Great Wall, the go and see a show - Acrobat show, Peaking Opera show or the Kung Fu show

Day 3 - Visit Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple , and have a Hu Tong tour., catch a late afternoon flight to your next destination or home

There is much more to see and do in Beijing, however most people are on a time schedule and wish to move on to the next destination.

If you have more time, and wish to see more, and have more days to really see all the wonderful sites of Beijing please contact me info@tourguide.name

All itineraries have the following or can be just a flight and hotel package.

Inclusion:

- Local English Speaking Guide

- Private Car or Van

- First Entrance Fees

- Meals as required

- Hotel Accommodations, 3 , 4, 5 Star Hotel, (Please specify)

- Domestic Air Fares

- Local Travel Insurance

Exclusion:

- Tips for guide and driver

Travel China It will Change your life Forever

www.tourguide.name aims to bring you Travel China information and advice on how to enjoy special experiences to take back home...when you travel with your personal tour guide.

Seeing and experiencing the Real China will change your life, the sites, the sounds, the people, the amazing food.

When you come to China, you will want to see and appreciate the Real China…the Old China... at its authentic best… as well as to experience the New Modern China

All this takes planning.

When you do plan your trip, the experiences of your Travel China vacation will touch you in a way that will remain with you for a lifetime.

Design your very own trip, to your own needs and requirements...

I price all my trips, for all my clients at local prices, not at international agent prices, as most are done here.

I wish to share my site www.tourguide.name my experiences and passion for China Travel. I hope this site will become like a China Travel Brochure, for you to experience the passion, the wonder of China and its people.

Please read and enjoy,

Take Care... Happy Holidays!

Design/Customize your own very special trip of China.