There are currently three subway lines in the Shanghai system with a fourth under construction. Line One runs generally North-South through the heart of the city, with a three stop East-West stretch along HuaiHai Lu (Lu means “road”), one of the two major shopping streets. The ShanXi Nan Lu stop on HuaiHai Lu will take visitors to the Xiang Yang Market to shop for knock-off items.

Additional useful Line One stops are:

* Shanghai Stadium – venue for sports and concerts and the location of the Shanghai Tour Bus Center

* XuJiaHui – another major shopping area with large computer product markets and near Shanghai JiaTong University

* HengShan Lu – a major nightspot and restaurant area

* HuangPi Nan Lu – access to XinTianDi tourist and restaurant area

* Peoples Square – City Center, Nanjing Road shopping and the Shanghai Museum

* Shanghai Railway Station – Main rail station in Shanghai

Line Two runs directionally East-West and crosses Line one at Peoples Square where transfers can be made. Line two crosses the HuangPu river which separates the older western part of Shanghai, PuXi from the new Eastern development zone of PuDong.

Line Two stops of interest include:

* JingAn Temple – tourist area and shopping

* HeNan Zhong Lu – access to East Nanjing Lu for shopping and to the western side of the Shanghai Bund tourist area along the HuangPu River

* LuJiaZui – Shanghai Bund east bank and Shanghai Pearl TV tower

* Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

Line Three is really not a subway at all but an overhead light rail train. It crosses Line One at Shanghai South Railway Station, Shanghai Stadium and again at Shanghai Main Railway Station. Line three connects with Line Two at its western most terminal, ZhongShan Park.

Line Three does not offer much of interest to the short time traveler to Shanghai.

Using the Shanghai subway is easy after you understand the system. All of the stations have multiple entrances which are marked with the large red letter M on signs at the street level.

Tickets are bought in the underground station, either at a ticket booth or from a machine. The cost ranges from 2 to 5 rmb depending on how far you are traveling. The ticket machines are handy at peak travel times to avoid the lines at the ticket windows. One rmb coins are needed for the machines. In operating the machines, you must push the button for the value of the ticket before putting the money in the machine. Otherwise, the money will fall out and the machine will appear to be out of order.

After buying the ticket, the subway loading platforms are entered through a turnstile where you put the ticket in and then retrieve it. Keep your ticket. You will need it when you get off.

Get on the train when it arrives, going in the right direction. You will usually have to stand as most seats will be taken. When you get off you will exit through another turnstile, using your ticket to get through and the ticket will be kept in the turnstile.

The Shanghai subway trains and stations are clean, modern and usually dependable. The stations and trains are well lit and safe except for the occasional report of a pickpocket.

Shanghai subways are an extremely easy way to move around many important and interesting areas in Shanghai. Visitors will find the Shanghai subway an easy and convenient way to travel in Shanghai.

China is growing as such a fast rate that many foreign companies are attracted to it. However, foreign investors need to understand China itself as a country economically and culturally.

China market is a good investment but also a big problem to many foreign companies. Due to language and culture barriers, many foreign companies do not have the ability to communicate in the China market and many ideas and opportunities are interpreted the wrong way. Hence, foreign companies would need to fully understand the Chinese culture and language before entering the China market.

The China market also works in a way that networking is an important tool among the locals. The Chinese feel that relationship (”guan xi”) is the method to work around the China market. Having a good relationship with others will aid in paperwork and procedures and minimize any problems or issues. For example, if a new local company wants to register itself with the government, having “guan xi” with some government officials will allow the company to know how to go about registration and what to look out for.

Foreign companies would also need to do up a detailed China market research as the China market is considered to be relatively new compared to that of the US and Europe. Thus, foreign companies would need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the China market.

In addition, a up-to-date consumer research would also need to be done. The local consumers play a big role in the China market and with more of them getting more affluent, their needs and wants are changing over the years. Thus, an updated consumer research is important to the marketing strategy and product development of foreign investors.

However, conducting a market research may not be the same as carrying a research overseas. The Chinese tend to be overly-concerned about “face”. The Chinese have the mindset that they need to present their ought self in front of others all the time. Thus, it may not be easy getting the true response and feelings of the Chinese consumers as they tend to give the politically and safe response.

The Chinese have their own style of expression which may tend to frustrate a lot of foreign companies. Many foreign investors are unable to communicate effectively with the locals as they do not understand the different responses and expressions of the Chinese.

Thus, foreign companies really need to understand the China culture before entering the China market as the China market may create a lot of frustrations to the foreign companies. The best way to understand the China culture is to engage a local party to guide you as they are more familiar with the local touch. Furthermore, the possess the language skills and tactics to interact not only with the locals but they also understand the needs and wants of that of the foreign companies. Furthermore, they would be in a better position to negotiate in business meetings as not only would clients prefer to talk to someone familiar, they know how to read expressions of that of the Chinese clients.

There are numerous reasons for a person to want to start learning Chinese. The two main reasons include, first, Chinese is spoken by more people in the world than any other language. And second, the Chinese economy is the world’s fastest growing. These two reasons make learning Chinese the most useful and practical thing for anybody to do.

There are several other reasons for a person to want to start learning Chinese, besides being beneficial to a person’s future prospects. Learning Chinese opens up an entirely new world to the learner. The Chinese language and culture is quite different from the Western cultures. This is something that not many people get to experience, but learning Chinese will start to open up your world view. You don’t have to go to China in order to gain an understanding of their culture, just by studying the language you can gain great insights into the way that the Chinese mind works.

The rolling hills of the high plateau and the stunning Himalayas exert an awesome draw to Tibet travelers and adventurers ever since. Most visitors’ trip to Tibet will start in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. Lhasa is home to an amazing UNESCO registered collection of spectacular palaces and temples which you should not be missed on a Tibet tour.

Potala Palace: Located in Lhasa, the Potala Palace is the symbol of Tibet. It was formerly the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. This 13-storey edifice containing 999 rooms is absolutely awe-inspiring and you will be enchanted as you visit the rooms, halls and chapels of the palace.

Jokhang Temple: As the spiritual center of Tiber, the temple is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Thousands of pilgrims come here for worship everyday. Many of the pilgrims were crawling on the ground. Many others were spinning prayer wheels.

Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery: They are two great Gelugpa monasteries in Lhasa. Drepung Monastery was once one of Tibet largest monasteries and monastic universities. Sera may not be as majestic as Drepung, but is more serene surrounded by many small temples. The ‘Buddhism Scriptures Debating’ in Sera is very famous.

Travelling to Tibet, visitors can witness the unique overland landscapes, the snow-covered mountains, plateau lakes, more and different monasteries and have the chance to get close to the real people of Tibet. There are many activities to offer you on a Tibet tour depending on if you are interested in nature, trekking, monasteries or Tibetan culture.

A typical Tibet trip starts in Lhasa, and includes short trips to Ganden Monastery and Nam Tso Lake, follows by a week trip to Mt Everest via Yamdrok Tso, Gyantse, Shigatse and Shegar, Lhaste. Visitors not only can see all the famous sites in Lhasa, but also can witness the other must sees of Tibet including the Yamdrotso Lake, the Palkhor Temple, the Tashilumpo Monastery, the Sakya Monastery and the Everest Base Camp along the way.

Yamdrotso Lake: One of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the world’s highest freshwater lake. For Tibet people, Yamdrotso Lake is the home of the “wrathful deities”. Here visitors can enjoy the intoxicating plateau natural scenery at the sacred, turquoise-blue lake. Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang (7191m).

Pelkor Chode Monastery in Gyantse: Built in the 15th century, this monastery is unique in Tibet for it has the characteristics of Tibetan, Han, and Nepal architectural styles. And what’s more, visitors can view the three sects of Buddhism-Sakyapa, Kadampa, and Gelugpa existing in harmony under one roof.

Tashilumpo Monastery: Located on the slops of Mt.Tara, southwest of Shigatse, the Tashiilumpo Monastery is one of the six big monasteries in Tibet. Besides the grand palace and gigantic statues, the Tashihunpo also treasures characteristic wall paintings. These are priceless and rare historical relics for researching the history and society of Tibet.

Sakya Monastery: Built in 1073, the Sakya Monastery has long been renowned for its large collection of Buddhist scripture, evaluable porcelain and vivid wall paintings dating back nearly one thousand years.

Base Camp of Mt Everest: The Base Camp is a small flat piece of land in front of the north face of Mt Everest with an altitude of 5200m. Recently more and more mountaineers start off from the Base Camp trying to conquer the world highest peak while travelers trek to the foot of the peak to enjoy its beauty through their own eyes.

Taking a Tibet vacation is surely different from most in the world. There are so many unique attractions, too numerous to mention. Many people might experience difficulties with the high altitude here. But when you witness the magnificent monasteries, pious pilgrims, snow-capped peaks and overwhelming ethnic culture, which all are located in the stunning landscape of the Himalayas, all the hardship you bear along the way make sense.

Huiya_Chen

People touring all the important countries of the world; prioritize their travel to China. Peoples Republic of China is the worlds most populated country, touching the 1.3 billion mark. With such a huge population and the large area, it is bound to be diverse and hence makes for a hot tourist destination..

Natural And Man-Made Wonders

China is a beautiful blend of natural beauty and man-made architecture. Nature here is bountiful with magnificent mountains of Guangxi Zhuang, deserts like Xinjiang and rivers as Yangtze. Man has erected splendid structures like The Great Wall of China, beautiful bridges, structurally planned buildings and other monuments. This makes it one of the worlds most sought after tourist spot and the reason for people to travel to China.

Getting and Staying There

While planning to visit China, it would be wise, if you take a tour package for travel to China. However, be sure to do some research of your own, so that you can choose a suitable tour. While in China, you can go around by road, train or even by air. Accommodation is available to suit all budget and taste.

Places to Visit

Beijing, the capital of China is a must-see during your travel to China. Cities of Hangzhou and Suzhou are extremely beautiful. The most popular destinations in China are: The Great Wall of China, which is one of the seven wonders of the world; Tiananmen Square; the Forbidden City of China [http://www.travelto-china.info/forbidden-city-of-china.php], the famous temples of Shibaozhai and Yangtze River, which is a very astounding natural marvel. Boat cruise on River Yangtze is breathtakingly beautiful as it takes you through various exquisite Chinese cities and places of historical importance.

People of China

People of China are very gentle, hardworking and thoughtful. Their main religion is Buddhism and Taoism. Most people speak Chinese and local people do not understand English very well. This can cause a little problem for the tourists. Other languages spoken here are Korean, Tibetan, and Mongolian etc.

China is rich in culture and has vast areas to explore. Your world-tour will never be complete, if you do not visit this oriental country.

by Barney_Garcia