2008 CTDA China Trade Mission Tour Information

2008 CTDA China Trade Mission Tour Highlights

In the past 30 years, China has been growing at an unprecedented pace. It is the most amazing development in human history. The country lifted hundreds of millions of people from absolute poverty and hunger, and at the same time making a thriving economy with a fast growing economy. Today's China is the world's largest construction site, and it also has some of the best preserved ancient architectures. Join us to tour this amazing "Central Kingdom" and witness the history in the making.

Shanghai is the biggest city in China, and its 18 million population also makes it the biggest "Chinatown" in the world. It is also an exciting city to experience the "old" China and the future of China as it is evolving to become an international metropolis. It started as a small fishing village, and later became a major trading port. It was once a colony of many western powers. This part of history is clearly marked by its multinational architectures alone the famous "Bund" (shown below). Shanghai is financial center of China. The famous Shanghai stock exchange performed remarkably in the last couple of years.

Above: Shanghai Skyline

Shanghai at night

Above: Shanghai the "Bund" at Night

Above: Shanghai, the "Bund"

Zhou Zhuang, a 900-year old town nested in a web of cannel and rivers near Shanghai that still retains her very charming beauty after centuries. Zhou Zhuang is a popular tourist destination. It is one of the most famous water townships in China, noted for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs. It has been called the "Venice of the East".

Above Left: Shanghai Pudong Skyline. Above Right: Zhou Zhuang

Beijing is the political and cultural center. Its rich history makes it very "China" compared to Shanghai which is a much younger city. It is unmistakably a modern "Chinese" metropolis. Beijing has been the capital of China for centuries for various dynasties, and it has the best and biggest royal palaces in the world, 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, it 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 center 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 meters. To understand the sheer size of the complex, one story goes: if a kid is born in the Forbidden City, and she stays in a different room every night, by the time she stays in all the rooms, she will be almost 24 years old! The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. 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.

Tiananmen Square plays an important role in China's historical events. Many of the China history defining moments happened here. It is also the world's largest city center square.

Below: Forbidden City

Forbidden City

Tian An Men Square

Above: Tiananmen Square

In Beijing, you will not only experience the magnificent ancient architectures, but also you will also witness the most fascinating modern architectures being completed for the 2008 Olympics.

National Stadium National Aquatics Center