China (more formally known as The People's Republic of China), is the largest country in East Asia and the third or fourth largest country in the world. With a population of over 1.3 billion, roughly one-fifth of the world's total population, it is the most populous country in the world. Its capital is Beijing, which is also the hosting city for the 2008 Olympics.
Chinese culture is the oldest continuously developed culture in the World.
To give you an idea of just how old the roots of Chinese culture are, the first major Dynasty of China was a line of 29 kings called the Shang Dynasty ruling a small but strategically important state, probably incepted around 1580 BC - that's over 3,500 years ago.
Confucius lived from 551-479BC (he lived to an extraordinary age for the time period), the first Emperor of China arose in 221 BC when the state of Qin (Ch'in) conquered all before it, the famous Ming Dynasty ruled from a comparatively modern 1368-1644, and the Last Emperor of China Puyi abdicated on February 12th 1912 (the Republic of China had actually come formerly into being in Nanging on January 1st 1912, though political and army manoeuvring continued until the cabinet acceded to the Republic at the end of January).
If you are visiting China I would strongly recomend buying not only the usual guide books but also a history book . A Traveller's History: China by Stephen G Haw is good, and the (large) pocket sized Rough Guide: History of China by Justin Wintle is excellent, though overpriced.
Chinese food will not be what you are used to back home. The idea will be the same, but the range and ingredients will be much, much more exotic, and anything hot will be very hot! I would recommend though diving in to the local food (though be careful about roadside stall food. Avoid unless you have a strong constitution and are very sure about the cleanliness of the stall area). Sweet and sour fish battered and fried right on the bone is marvellous, Szechuan province food will generally be very hot (and inedible if you have a nut allergy), and contrary to every Chinese meal you have ever had at home, rice or soup is only server at the very END of the meal, not the beginning.
The one food constant on your trip (outside of Hong Kong) will be that the only desert available is melon (what happened to the fried banana fritters?). Everywhere you go throughout the country you will find melon for desert. And forget chocolate, it doesn't seem to exist. The best food I had during my 3 weeks in China was freshly hot-plate cooked in front of you Mongolian food. A good opportunity to sample lesser known meets such as goat. I did try to buy some vodka from a local store during our 3 night Yangtze river cruise, but the best I could find was some incredibly strong and bad tasting rice spirit (be warned!)
However, do not be tempted to eat a Chinese style breakfast. I wont go into detail as to exactly what the breakfast contains, but it will not be compatible with your pallet. You will be able to eat a Western style breakfast at your hotel, but if taking an early morning internal flight for instance I would strongly recommend preparing some alternative food in advance.
If you visit Hong Kong during your trip you will find that absolutely anything and everything food wise is available (thank you British!). The first thing I tucked into after more than two weeks of local Chinese food was a steak, followed by chocolate cake for desert. Heaven. One warning for Hong Kong is definitely the weather. If you are visiting outside of the dry season make sure you take a cagoule as well as an unbrella, as it will be very hot, very humid, and at the same time every day very wet indeed (full-on drenches).
Beijing
Beijing literally means "northern capital", in line with the common East Asian tradition whereby capital cities are explicitly named as such. Other cities that are similarly named include Nanjing, meaning "southern capital".
It is believed that Beijing was the largest city in the world from 1425 to 1650 and from 1710 to 1825. It is now the 17th largest city in the world. The Forbidden City was constructed between 1406-1420, followed by the Temple of Heaven (1420), and numerous other construction projects. Tiananmen Square, which has become a state symbol of the People's Republic of China and is featured on its emblem, was burned down twice during the Ming Dynasty and the final reconstruction was carried out in 1651.
Since 2001, when Beijing won the right to hold the Olympics, nearly $17 billion has been spent to clean the air, but the city remains under smoggy conditions on many days and athletes frequently complain about about the air quality. Air pollution levels on an average day in Beijing are nearly five times above World Health Organization standards for safety.China's extremely inefficient use of coal - the country's main source of energy - results in much of the pollution. Despite promises to stage a green 2008 Summer Olympics, Bejing has had persistent air pollution - thus city officials are planning to reduce its motor traffic by half during the Games to improve air quality. In February 2008, the Chinese government announced that it would close 144 gas stations in Beijing, which amounts to about 10% of such stations in the city, to improve air quality in preparation for the Olympics. Dust from erosion of deserts in northern and northwestern China also frequently result in seasonal dust storms that plague the city.
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is the largest plaza in the world, and is near the center of Beijing next to the Forbidden City. It is named after the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City.
The Tiananmen Gate was first built in the 1420s in the Ming Dynasty. During the demise of the Ming Dynasty, heavy fighting between Li Zicheng and the early Qing emperors damaged (or perhaps destroyed) the gate. In 1651 (early Qing Dynasty), the Tiananmen Gate was renovated. During the Ming and Qing eras, there was no public square at Tiananmen; instead, it was a T-shaped walled courtyard flanked by offices various ministries, bureaus and agencies. It was enlarged to it's present size and cemented in 1958.
Near the centre of today's square, close to the site of the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, once stood one of the most important gates of Beijing. This gate was known as the "Great Ming Gate" during the Ming Dynasty, "Great Qing Gate" during the Qing Dynasty, and "Gate of China" during the Republic of China era. Unlike the other gates in Beijing, such as the Tiananmen and the Qianmen, this was a purely ceremonial gateway, with three arches but no ramparts, similar in style to the ceremonial gateways found in the Ming Dynasty Tombs. This gate had a special status as the "Gate of the Nation", as can be seen from its successive names. It normally remained closed, except when the Emperor passed through. Commoner traffic was diverted to two side gates at the northern and eastern ends of today's square, respectively. Because of this diversion in traffic, a busy marketplace, called Chessgrid Streets developed in the big, fenced square to the south of this gate. In the early 1950s, the Gate of China (as it was then known) was demolished along with the Chessgrid Streets to the south, completing the expansion of Tiananmen Square to (approximately) its current size.
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, and the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.
Built from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 square metres. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
http://www.dpm.org.cn/English/default.asp
Chinese Opera
Chinese operas continue to exist in different forms, the best known of which is Beijing opera, which assumed its present form in the mid-19th century and was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911).
In Beijing opera, traditional Chinese string and percussion instruments provide a strong rhythmic accompaniment to the acting. The acting is based on allusion: gestures, footwork, and other body movements express such actions as riding a horse, rowing a boat, or opening a door. Spoken dialogue is divided into recitative and Beijing colloquial speech, the former employed by serious characters and the latter by young females and clowns. Character roles are strictly defined. Elaborate make-up designs portray which character is acting.
With their elaborate and colourful costumes, performers are the only focal points on Beijing opera's characteristically sparse stage. They utilize the skills of speech, song, dance, and combat in movements that are symbolic and suggestive, rather than realistic. Above all else, the skill of performers is evaluated according to the beauty of their movements. Performers also adhere to a variety of stylistic conventions that help audiences navigate the plot of the production. The layers of meaning within each movement must be expressed in time with music.
The traditional repertoire of Beijing opera includes more than 1,000 works, mostly taken from Chinese history, folklore, and increasingly, historical novels about political and military struggles.
The accompaniment for a Beijing opera performance usually consists of a small ensemble of traditional melodic and percussion instruments. The lead melodic instrument is the jinghu, a small high pitched two string spike fiddle. The second is the circular bodied plucked lute, the ruan. Percussion instruments include the Daluo, Xiaoluo, and Naobo.
Chinese Opera is hard for the typical Western ear to appreciate. It does not sound like anything you are likely to have heard before, and can be quite jarring. The concept of "beauty" that the Opera instils to a local audience may be lost on you, and the storyline will be incomprehensible if a translation is unavailable. That all said, the skill required in order to sing and move as required (especially in "combat" moves) is evident, and the make-up and costumes are quite stunning.
I attended a performance of segments from three different operas, which had an English translation running on a ticker-tape display just like that used in Western Operas in the London West End. One performance in particular was very funny, and may have been part of the Monkey King story which is probably the most well known Chinese story in the West (and the basis for the cult Japanese 1980s TV series "Monkey"). The acrobatic requirements on the performers is high without usually being actually acrobatic itself. The "dance" moves require the grace and disciple of ballet, and the "combat" moves also need speed and accuracy.
I cannot promise that you will enjoy Chinese Opera, but it is worth trying to appreciate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_opera
The Ming Tombs
The Ming Dynasty Tombs are located some 50 kilometers due North of Beijing at a specially selected site. The site was chosen by the third Ming Dynasty emperor Yongle (1402 - 1424), who moved the capital of China from Nanjing to the present location of northwest Beijing. The Ming tombs of the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty were located on the southern slope of Mount Taishou (originally Mount Huangtu). The third Ming Dynasty emperor Yongle is credited with envisioning the layout of the ancient city of Beijing as well as a number of landmarks and monuments located therein. After the construction of the Imperial Palace (the Forbidden City) in 1420, the Yongle Emperor selected his burial site and creating his own mausoleum. From the Yongle Emperor onwards, 13 Ming Dynasty Emperors were buried in this area.
The site of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Tombs was carefully chosen according to Feng Shui principles. According to these, bad spirits and evil winds descending from the North must be deflected; therefore, an arc-shaped area at the foot of the Jundu Mountains north of Beijing was selected. This 40 square kilometer area - enclosed by the mountains in a pristine, quiet valley full of dark earth, tranquil water and other necessities as per Feng Shui - would become the necropolis of the Ming Dynasty.
The entire tomb site is surrounded by a wall, and a seven kilometer road named the "Spirit Way" leads into the complex which is one of the finest preserved pieces of 15th century Chinese art and architecture. The front gate of the complex is a large, three-arched gateway, painted red, and called the "Great Red Gate".
The Ming Tombs were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in August 2003.
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties.
The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.
Badaling:
Badaling is the site of the most visited section of the Great Wall of China, approximately 50 miles northwest of Beijing city. The portion of the wall running through the site was built during the Ming Dynasty, along with a military outpost reflecting the location's strategic importance.
The portion of the wall at Badaling has undergone heavy restoration, and in 1957 it was the first section of the wall to open to tourists and is now visited annually by millions. US President Richard Nixon accompanied by Vice Premier Li Xiānniàn visited here on February 24, 1972.
After parking with all the other tourist coaches at Badaling and walking up the hill to the point that you can actually ascend onto the wall, you can choose to walk in the the "easy" or "hard" directions. I took the "hard" direction, and it quite quickly became pretty steep, strenuous, and an all round good cardiovascular workout. Definitely not for the old or obese. Being unfit myself I found it a struggle, but was very glad I did it.
The first photo above is pointing towards the "easy" direction, as once you turn round from where it is taken and look in the opposite direction you will find that it gets much steeper, to the point where you are literally "walking" up a 45 degree slope before steps appear in the walkway. The photo to the right is taken towards the "hard" direction.
We delayed the timing of our visit that day as a thunderstorm descended upon the area, and it would have been extremely unsafe trying to walk the slipper stones of the wall during it. After it cleared the temperature had dropped, and that helped during the subsequent walk/climb.
http://www.kinabaloo.com/badaling_great_wall.html
The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace is the second most important palace in Beijing, China, after the Forbidden City. The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by the Kunming Lake which covers 2.2 square kilometres, which is entirely man made, with the excavated soil being used to construct the 60 meter high Longevity Hill next to the Lake.
The initial construction of the Summer Palace began in 1750, commissioned by Emperor Qinglong as a gift for his mother's birthday. The construction took 15 years to complete. It had the name "Qingyi Yuan" (Garden of Clear Ripples) at that time. The plundering of foreign troops in 1860 destroyed most of the buildings, but they were renovated in 1888 by Empress Dowager Cixi, who was said to have embezzled 30 million taels of silver from the Imperial Navy to build the garden. After China's liberation, the garden became a park and got the name Yiheyuan (Summer Palace).
In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace an "outstanding expression of the creative art of Chinese landscape garden design, incorporating the works of humankind and nature in a harmonious whole." 
The two most famous features of the Summer Palace are the "Long Corridor" and "Marble Boat".
The Long Corridor was first built in 1750, when the Qianlong Emperor commissioned work to convert the area into an imperial garden. The corridor was constructed so that the emperor's mother could enjoy a walk through the gardens protected from the elements. The total length of the Long Corridor is 728 meters, with crossbeams under the roof dividing it into 273 sections. The Long Corridor is richly decorated with paintings on the beams and the ceiling. In total there are more than 14,000 paintings, which depict episodes from Chinese classical literature, folk tales, both historical and legendary figures, and famous Chinese buildings and landscapes along with flowers, birds, fish, and insects. In each of the four pavilions, there are two major paintings over the two doorways on the eastern and western sides.
The Long Corridor really is quite beautiful. Colourful, detailed, gently mirandering along the entire length of the Kunming Lake bank, it seems to progress on forever, some sections being straight as an arrow, others following gentle curves, so that however far you can see, you can never see to the end. Take the time to enjoy some of the 14,000 paintings as they are quite beautiful, and the sheer number of individual painted panels is amazing. 
The Marble Boat (also known as the Boat of Purity and Ease) was first erected in 1755 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The Marble Boat is 36 meters long and stands on the northwestern shore of Kunming Lake, near the western end of the Long Corridor. The original pavilion was made from a base of large stone blocks which supported a wooden superstructure done in a traditional Chinese design. In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the pavilion was destroyed by Anglo-French forces. It was restored in 1893 on order of the Empress Dowager Cixi. In this restoration, a new two-story superstructure was designed which incorporated elements of European architecture. Like its predecessor, the new superstructure is made out of wood but it was painted to imitate marble. On each "deck", there is a large mirror to reflect the waters of the lake and give an impression of total immersion in the aquatic environment. Imitation paddlewheels on each side of the pavilion makes it look like a paddle steamer. The pavilion has a sophisticated drainage system which channels rain water through four hollow pillars. The water is finally released into the lake through the mouths of four dragonheads.
The Marble Boat is often seen as an ironic commentary on the fact that the money used to restore the Summer Palace largely came from funds originally earmarked for building up a new imperial navy. The controller of the Admiralty, the 1st Prince Chun, owed much of his social standing as well as his appointment to the Empress Dowager, who had adopted his oldest son to become the Guangxu Emperor. Because of this, he probably saw no other choice than to condone the embezzlement.
http://www.beijingtrip.com/attractions/summer/
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in south-eastern Beijing constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City.
In ancient China, the Emperor of China was regarded as the Son of Heaven, who administered earthly matters on behalf of, and representing, heavenly authority. To be seen to be showing respect to the source of his authority, in the form of sacrifices to heaven, was extremely important. The temple was built for these annual ceremonies, mostly comprising prayers for good harvests.
Twice a year the Emperor and all his retinue would move from the Forbidden city through Beijing to encamp within the complex, wearing special robes and abstaining from eating meat. No ordinary Chinese was allowed to view this procession or the following ceremony. In the temple complex the Emperor would personally pray to Heaven for good harvests. The highpoint of the ceremony at the winter solstice was performed by the Emperor on the Earthly Mount. The ceremony had to be perfectly completed; it was widely held that the smallest of mistakes would constitute a bad omen for the whole nation in the coming year.
http://www.cctv.com/lm/176/71/88864.html
http://www.kinabaloo.com/temple_of_heaven.html
Xi'an
As one of the most important cities in Chinese history, Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, as it has been the capital (under various names) of 13 dynasties, including the Zhou, Qin, Han, the Sui dynasty, and the Tang. Xi'an is also renowned for being the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and for the location of the Terracotta Army, made during the Qin Dynasty. The city has more than 3,100 years of history. The two Chinese characters in the name "Xi'an" literally mean Western Peace.
Xi'an became a cultural and industrial center of China in 11th century BCE, with the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. The capital of Zhou was established in Fēng and Hào, both located just west of contemporary Xi'an. Following the several century long Warring States Period, Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) unified China for the first time and the capital was Xianyang, just northwest from modern Xi'an. Before his death, Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army and his mausoleum in Xi'an.
The Terracotta Warriors
Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China.
The Terracotta Army was buried with the Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huangdi) in 209-210 BC (his reign over Qin was from 247 BC to 221 BC and unified China from 221 BC to the end of his life in 210 BC). Their purpose was to help rule another empire with Shi Huangdi in the afterlife. The terra cotta figures, dating from 210 BCE, were discovered in 1974 by several local farmers drilling a water well near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China near the the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures vary in height (184–197cm - 6ft–6ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the Generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were about 7,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority still buried in the pits. 
The terracotta figures were manufactured both in workshops by government labourers and also by local craftsmen. The head, arms, legs and torso were created separately and then assembled. Studies show that eight face moulds were probably used and then clay added to give them individual facial features. Once assembled the intricate features such as facial expressions were added. It is believed that their legs were made in much the same way that terracotta drainage pipes were manufactured at the time. This would make it a factory line style of production, with specific parts manufactured and assembled after being fired as opposed to crafting one solid piece of terracotta and subsequently firing it. At the time each workshop was required to inscribe its name on items produced so as to ensure quality control; this has aided modern day historians as they can tell that workshops that once made tiles and other every day items were commanded to begin working on the terracotta army. After completion, the terracotta figures were placed in the pits outlined above in precise military formation according to rank and duty.
The terracotta figure are life-like and life-sized. They vary in height, uniform and hairstyle in accordance with rank. The colored lacquer finish, individual facial features, and real weapons and armor used in manufacturing these figures created a realistic appearance. The weapons were stolen shortly after the creation of the army and the coloring has mostly faded. However, their existence served as a testament to the amount of labour and skill involved in their construction. It is also proof of the incredible amount of power the First Emperor possessed to order such a monumental undertaking as the manufacturing of the terracotta army.
http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=441
The South Gate
Small Wild Goose Pagoda
more to come...
Other Links
Religions of Ancient China
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Religions_of_Ancient_China
Moa Zedong Wikipedia Entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong
Quotations from Mao Tse Tung
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/red-book/
The Times Obituary for Mao Zedong September 10th 1976
Constitution of the Republic of China (Dec 25th 1947)
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Republic_of_China
Constitution of the People's Republic of China (Dec 4th 1982)
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China
Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sino-British_Joint_Declaration
Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Basic_Law_of_the_Hong_Kong_Special_Administrative_Region
more to come...
Tour DVD
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