China by MasterChef Travel
China’s exotic cooking was one of the country’s great exports long before the modern age.
Since the early 19th century, Chinatowns emerged in cities all over the western world and Chinese restaurants have been found in even remote regions for years.
MasterChef Travel offers you the opportunity to discover the source of its culinary traditions and explore many of the extraordinary icons of its fascinating history, from ancient dynasties through to the dramatic modernity of 21st-century China.
Experience a tea ceremony
Meditate on the refreshing, grassy flavours of a freshly brewed green tea, and immerse yourself in Chinese traditional food culture with a tea ceremony – a ritual linked with Buddhism and philosophy.
Dine on peking duck
Savour peking duck, the national dish of China. The very thin, slightly sweet and salty skin is crispy and delicious, and the tender, succulent and flavoursome meat will melt away in your mouth.
Have a dim sum dinner
Choose from a dizzying array of tempting, bite-sized snacks ranging from dumplings to baozi, to egg rolls and chicken feet, as ladies rattle around with silver carts – this is dim sum.
Seek out unusual snacks
Make your way through the bustling street markets, brimming with unusual foods – watch vendors whip up anything from seahorses on a stick to stir-fried starfish or buttery cooked snails.
Taste the world in Hong Kong
Labelled as a ‘gourmet paradise’, Hong Kong’s cuisine has been influenced by China, Japan, south-east Asia and the western world. Try roasted suckling pig, beef brisket, claypot rice and egg tarts for dessert.
Five icons of China
Tai chi
The martial art of tai chi is widely practised in China and early risers will often see local people going through the distinctive graceful moves in public parks. It is supposed to represent the merging of yin and yang into a single ultimate entity.
The Great Wall
The Great Wall stretches along the southern edge of Inner Mongolia and, at its peak, is thought to have extended more than 20,000km.The earliest sections date back to the seventh century BC and today vast stretches remain remarkably intact.
Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Army in Xian is a collection of more than 8,000 soldiers, horses and chariots that were buried with the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (d. 210BC) to protect him in the afterlife. The figures were only rediscovered by farmers in 1974.
The Giant Buddha Statue, Leshan
The Giant Buddha statue in Leshan, Sichuan, was carved out of a cliff during the Tang dynasty, starting in 713AD. Facing Mount Emei and with a river flowing past his feet, it is the largest stone Buddha statue in the world.
Hong Kong
The former British colony of Hong Kong is quite distinct from the rest of the country and an ideal place to extend a trip to China, with its dramatic architecture, spectacular setting and infectious energy.
Location: The third largest country in the world and the most populous, China borders 14 different countries and is located in east Asia.
Capital: Beijing
Religion: Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism
Etiquette:
- Visitors are often greeted with applause and it is good custom to applaud back.
- Generally speaking, the Chinese are reserved and prefer courtesy over familiarity
- Always use the Chinese family name first when mentioning someone
- If using chopsticks, do not position them upright in your rice bowl as the gesture symbolises death
Languages: Mandarin Chinese
Population: 1,353,821,000 (approx.)
Size: 9,572,900 sq km
Time Zone: GMT +8
Currency: Renminbi Yuan (CNY / ¥)
Visa requirements: Holders of British citizen passports require visas for entry into China and these must be obtained in advance of travel.
History: The construction of the Great Wall of China during the Qin dynasty in the third century BC signifies the first time that the whole of China was united into a single empire. It wasn’t until the end of the Qing dynasty, which ruled from 1644 to 1912, that the long history of dynasties came to an end when Sun Yat-sen founded the Republic of China. After the Japanese invaded in 1937 and brutally occupied the country for eight years, civil war ensued between nationalists and Mao Zedong’s communists. The communists were victorious and that made way for the formation of the People's Republic of China and the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.
What to read
China: A Portrait of the People, Place & Culture
Looking at China’s past, present and future through 700 photographs, this is a lavish portrait of China that explores its landscapes, history, traditions, architecture and people.
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
by Yiyun Li
This is a lovely collection of short stories that cover China past and present. The different stories cover key historical periods, Chinese traditions, ways of life and human emotions, in a mythical style narrative.
Wild Swans
by Jung Chang
With sales in excess of 2m copies, making it one of the best-selling non-fiction titles in British publishing history, this book charts three generations of women in the same family. It encapsulates China’s history during the 20th century, looking at warlords, Chairman Mao, the Manchu empire and the Cultural Revolution, and is very moving.