Life in China

About
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), with coasts on the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, in total borders 14 nations. Its roughly 4,000-year old civilization has endured through millennia of tumultuous upheaval and revolutions, periods of golden ages and anarchy alike. Through the recent economic boom, China is once again one of the leading nations in the world, buoyed by its large, industrious population and abundant natural resources.

People
The population is approximately 1.4 billion, the largest in the world. China officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, the largest of which are the Han Chinese, who constitute about 92% of the total population. Over the millennia, Chinese civilization has been influenced by various religious movements. The “three teachings”—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—historically have a significant role in shaping Chinese culture, elements of which are often incorporated into popular or folk religious traditions.

Language
Standard Mandarin, a variety of Mandarin based on the Beijing dialect, is the official national language of China and is used as a lingua franca in the country between people of different linguistic backgrounds.

Climate
Given China’s size, the climate is extremely diverse, from tropical regions in the south to subarctic in the north. Hainan Island is roughly at the same latitude as Jamaica, while Harbin, one of the largest cities in the north, is at roughly the latitude of Montreal and has the climate to match. North China has four distinct seasons with intensely hot summers and bitterly cold winters. Southern China tends to be milder and wetter. The further north and west you travel, the drier the climate. Once you leave eastern China and enter the majestic Tibetan highlands or the vast steppes and deserts of Gansu and Xinjiang, distances are immense and the land is very harsh.

Capital
Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, is the third most populous city in the world, with a population of 22 million. It is home to the headquarters of most of China's largest state-owned companies, and is a major intermodal transportation hub. The Beijing Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic. The city is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, parks, gardens, tombs, walls and gates, and its art treasures and universities have made it a center of culture and art in China. Beijing has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites—the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Zhoukoudian, the Great Wall, and the Grand Canal.

Time
China Standard Time UTC+8:00.

Economy
China has had a remarkable period of rapid growth shifting from a centrally planned to a market based economy. Since initiating market reforms in 1978, China has shifted from a centrally-planned to a market-based economy and has experienced rapid economic and social development. GDP growth, relying largely on exports and investment, has averaged nearly 10 percent a year—the fastest sustained expansion by a major economy in history—placing China in the category of an upper middle-income country. It has the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP ($11 trillion) and largest by purchasing power parity ($19 trillion), and is increasingly playing an important and influential role in the global economy. The Yuan Renminbi is the currency of China.

How to get there?
China is served by most of the world’s major airlines. The majority of travelers will fly in and out of Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (PVG and SHA), or Hong Kong (HKG) international airports.

Will I be liable to any taxes in China?
Most foreign citizens who work in China for longer than 90 days in a calendar year (183 days if your country has signed a double taxation treaty with China) are liable to pay individual income tax.