China is one of the most diverse countries on earth, in terms of ethnicity, geographical variety, and culinary and cultural influences. There’s a lot more to this vast and ancient land than just the Great Wall and Forbidden City, as you’ll soon discover when you travel to China with Qatar Airways.

The apparent modernity of China’s huge and sprawling cities hides deep links with the past and its older civilisations. The country has been continuously replenishing and recycling itself for over four millennia, but its roots haven’t changed much throughout its modernisation era. The greatest flowering of this austere culture took place about 200BCE during the reign of the Han Dynasty, and the fearsome stone lions that guard many a modern office blocks made their first appearance as temple guardians three millennia ago. It’s this sort of contrast between change and tradition that makes China such an endlessly fascinating country to visit. 

The country showcases a variety of attractions and sites across all its areas. The southern region is home to sparsely populated towns, cities and villages that encompass such an ethnic diversity in their populations. This is the land of mist-covered hilltops and paddy fields, whereas to the northwest you’ll find epic landscapes flanking the route of the original Old Silk Road and the start of the Tibetan mountains.   

Modern China retains much of its secret life, and the tourist trail tends to be confined to particular sites such as the Forbidden City, Great Wall, Yangzi gorges, and of course the Terracotta Army. The tourist sites in locations like Shanghai represent wonderful photo opportunities, and to find out more about the culture be sure to visit the large museums that chart both ancient and more recent history.

Fly to China with Qatar Airways and you’ll discover a world of Oriental wonder, modern expansion, and a fascinating glimpse into the distant past of this ancient land.