The third-largest country in the world, China is bounded to the north by the deserts of Mongolia, to the west by the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas, and to the east by the East and South China Seas. China's 22 provinces and 5 autonomous regions are governed from Beijing, along with some 5000 islands. China isn't just a country - it's a different world.

From shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the epic grasslands of Inner Mongolia - with deserts, sacred peaks, astounding caves and imperious ruins - it's a land of cultural and geographical wonders. It is not that China has done away with its Maoist past - it is more that the yin of revolutionary zeal is being balanced with the yang of economic pragmatism. The old guard communists are giving way to the new wave entrepreneurs.

It is also a land of towering mountains and epic landscapes - background scenery to the fall of dynasties, the rise of emperors and the turning of the revolutionary wheel. Unless you have a couple of years and unlimited patience, it is best to follow an itinerary such as Beijing to Tibet via Xian's Terra Cotta Warriors or following the Silk Route or sailing down the Yangtze River