Full country name: People's Republic of China
Area: 9.59 million sq km
Population: 1.28 billion
Capital City: Beijing (pop 12.6 million)
People: Han Chinese (93%), plus 55 ethnic minorities
Language: Chinese
Religion: Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism (no stats available); Muslim (14 million), Christian (7 million)
Government: Communist republic

This place is just huuuuuge. It was one of the final additions to our itinerary and we had to save up an awful lot more money to get it on the destinations list.
This will be our first stop and we think this is going to be the largest culture shock after India. So our induction to Asia should be pretty rapid. We attempted to learn some Chinese before we left, but not with much success. I don?t think there is one particular area we are looking forward to more than others. I just think the whole experience will be breath taking.

Expected highlights: Peking duck, Great Wall, food in general, the culture shock, bargain shopping
Expected lowlights: some of the food, language barrier, the spitting affliction

We are on an organised tour of China with Intrepid titled ?Mountains and Monasteries?. This is our itinerary for the China part:

Days 1-3 Beijing 
In the heart of Beijing the symbols of old and new stand side-by-side, the lavish Forbidden City and the vast expanse of Tiananmen Square. To the north is the Great Wall that once protected this mighty empire.
Days 4-5 Xian
Bell and Drum Towers mark the centre of vibrant Xi'an, imperial capital for 2000 years. Walk the city wall, sample mouth watering kebabs, haggle for souvenirs and be awed by the 7000 strong terracotta army.
Days 6-11 Xiahe/Tibetan Plateau
In Xiahe Tibetans wander the streets in traditional attire. The harsh nomadic life survives in the surrounding grasslands, and in the Repgong area Tibetan art traditions are being preserved. Langmusi, a magical peaceful town on the Sichuan - Gansu border is home to one of the most important 14th century monasteries outside of Tibet.