China

How do you sum up a country that’s home to almost a quarter of humanity and an ancient civilization stretching back 5,000 years? With immense difficulty, is the answer, but here goes. Modern China contains striking contemporary metropolises such as Shanghai and Hong Kong, and rural areas where life has changed little for centuries.

After the upheavals of Maoism, the country has become a capitalist powerhouse in all but name, a transition symbolised by the hosting of the 2008 Olympics. Han Chinese make up most of the population, but there are 55 other major ethnic groups, notably the Uighurs and the Tibetans, and the country contains a similarly diverse range of landscapes, plus renowned cultural treasures such as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an.

There’s no denying this can be a tricky place to get around, so it is best done in conjunction with a tour operator who knows the country well, and uses the best people on the ground. Like us, for example. Several of the Original Travel team have travelled in this fascinating destination so can talk you through what best to do in a fast-changing land.