Mystical to Westerners who’ve never been there, China is now a modern country as people who’ve visited will attest.

China is forever linked to its ancient civilization and many of the world’s most revered treasures, such as The Great Wall, Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses and the Yangtze River.

Today, you can also find spectacular architecture and towering skylines in major cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

China’s building boom and infrastructure upgrade since the early 1990s has brought its tourism industry up to Western standards. Tourist facilities and transportation in large cities are almost on the same level as we expect in North America. You’ll find comfortable four- and five-star hotels, Chinese delicacies and familiar Western cuisine.

While there are still centuries-old markets and shopping arcades for visitors to explore, you can also browse merchandise in modern designer boutiques.

Tourists can travel the countryside in modern motor coaches, relax in first-class train compartments, or speed to the next destination by jet. And you can get around safely as China’s crime rate is very low.

The country’s countless tourist attractions include 100 famous national historical and cultural cities, 750 protected national cultural sites and 120 major scenic resorts and sites of historical and cultural interest. UNESCO has included 27 renowned Chinese scenic places on its list of world cultural and natural heritage sites.

The world’s most populous country has a “continental” climate, meaning it blows hot and cold. With China’s latitudes spanning nearly 50 degrees, the southern part of the nation is in the tropical and subtropical zones and its northern portion near the frigid zones.

The country boasts an intriguing and many-splendoured landscape with beautiful beaches, statuesque mountains, breathtaking waterfalls and lush meadows.

China’s folklore is as richly varied as its landscape. More than 40 major festivals are staged each year, many of them paying homage to the country’s cultural legacy filled with renowned historical figures such as Confucius, Qinshihuang and Genghis Khan.

The Year of the Tiger is packed with an array of festivities and events in many of China’s towns, cities and at tourist sites from Hangzhou and Shenzhen to Beijing and Shanghai. Regardless of whatever party is going on, though, there’s never been a better time to see and experience China.