China is unique among travel destinations. A journey through this colossus of a country is a mind-boggling encounter with the most populous and perhaps most culturally idiosyncratic nation on earth. Whatever China does to you - entertains, stimulates, beguiles or bemuses - you will witness a country undergoing a specstcular transformation. Long-range forecasts see China leapfrogging rival destinations to emerge as the world's leading tourist destination by 2020. Everyone is talking about China, so why not find out what all the fuss is about.

Tipped by pundits worldwide to shape - and perhaps lead - the 21st century. China is a land of ferocious contrasts. Shanghai's ambitious skyline is a triumphant statement, but it coudn't be further from the worldly renunciation acted oun in Tibet's distant monasteries. The land is also a baffling tangle of tongues, from Tibetan to Uighur to Shanghaihua and, increasingly, badly spoken English.If you're after history, indulge yourself on China's imperial monuments, stretching from Beijing to Xian and beyond. Seekers of modernity will find their requirement's met in Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Beijing, Dalian and Qingdao, but if it;s Chinese food that has seduced you, prepare for an aromatic adventure from highly spiced Hunan to the dainty morsels of Hong Kong and on to the Islamic dishes of the vast northwest.

Domestic tourism is in a state of supermova showering sights around the land with much needed invertment (and less-needed noise pollution and litter). China remains huge and wild enough to satisfy your explorer instinct, and. crisscrossed with an extensive transport network, you won't be left high and dry. Enjoy your trip!

Village Life

China harbours an amazing number of traditional villages where you can step back in time. Amble alongside the picturesque canals of Zhouzhuang in Jiangsu. Escape into the terraced orchards and courtyard homes of Chuandlxia outside Beijing or experience traditional Dong culture in Guizhou's colour- ful village of Zhaoxing.Trundle round Pingyao, a splendid portrait of traditional China,in Shanxi. Yung Shue Wan is Hong Kong village living at its 21st-century best: peace, solitude, restaurants, bars and even some shopping. Drop in on a local artist in Tongren and buy a thangka direct.

Foreign Architecture

Travellers interested in the tangible legacies of the colonial period will want to visit Macau for the magnificent ruins of the Church of St Paul and spend time in Hong Kong for the spectacle of the Central business district. Enjoy the backstreets and villas of Shanghai's French concession, travel to Qingdao for its historic German haunts, peruse Yantai Hill Park in Yantai or tour the pompous Treaty Post architecture of Tianjin . For a further teste of yesteryear, stroll about the European-style villas of Lushan, Jigong Shan or Gulang Yu, admire the mouldering nobility of Shamian Island ,or explore the Russian heritage of Haerbin's Daoliqu district .

Dynastic China

The Han Chinese heartland provinces are embellished with imperial remains and dynastic relics such as Beijing's Ming City Wall. Admire the Buddhist carvings at the Yuangang Caves outside Datong or journey to the ancient dynastic capitals of Hangzhou, Kaifeng and Luoya'ng. Foam among the riverside Buddhist statues at the Longmen Caves outside Luoyang and put aside a few days foravisit to Xi'an, where you can clamber up the city's Tang dynasty pagodas. Visit the Confucius Temple in Qufu and make your way up the slopes of sacred Tai Shan.

Minority Cultures

Admire the Bai architecture of Xizhou or sample Ruili's borderland feel. Voyage south to Xishuangbanna and trek from Damengidng to Bulangshan , exploring Dai, Hani, Bulang and Lahu villages. Wander round Longsheng and Sanjiang, gateways to minority hamlets, before roaming into Guizhou to discover Xijiang and more minority settlements. Travel be- tween Shantou and Cha'ozhou, and pass fortified Hakka villages chock-a-block with traditional house and ancient temples. Delve into Tibetan culture in Qinghai Sichuan Yunnan and of course, Tibet For a Central Asian experience, visit Kashgar or Inner Mongolia.

Great Escapes

China abounds wit h scenic getaways and dramatic landscapes. Evade the Hong Kong crowds on Lantau Island, size up the stupendous scenery of Jiuzhaigo, set foot on the Sichuan-Tibet Hwy, hike through tranquil Moo Canyon, or go to Hainan for its tropical white beaches. The views of Mt Everest from Rongphu Monastery are a milion miles from Beijing's trafic-clogged roads, as is the Changtang plateau at Nam-tso Lake, Sleep in a Kazakh yurt at Tian Chi,get a taste of the Siberian taiga at Kanas Lake in Xinjiang, or spend days hiking through Jilin's Changbai Shan .

FAST FACTS: CHINA

Population: 1.3 billion

Life expectancy male/female: 70.4/73.7 years

GDP per capita: US$5000

Population below poverty line: 10% (2001 estimate)

Literacy: 86%

Internet users: 59.1million

Major exports: textiles, clothing, footwear, toys and machinery

Religions: Buddhism, Tao- ism, Islam, Christianity

Number of Chinese characters: over 56,000