China—the name alone makes you want to get packing. It’s going places, so jump aboard, go along for the ride and see where it’s headed.

Its modern face is dazzling, but China is no one-trick pony. The world’s oldest continuous civilization isn’t all smoked glass and brushed aluminum and while you won’t be tripping over artifacts – three decades of round-the-clock development and rash town planning have taken their toll – rich seams of antiquity await. Serve it all up according to taste: collapsing sections of the Great Wall, temple-topped mountains, villages that time forgot, languorous water towns, sublime Buddhist grottoes, and ancient desert forts. Pack a well-made pair of traveling shoes and remember the words of Laotzu: “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

The months May, June, September and October have a nice average temperature.
On average, the warmest month(s) are July and August.
On average, the warmest month is July.
On average, the coolest month is January.
The average annual maximum temperature is: 66.2° Fahrenheit (19.0° Celsius)
The average annual minimum temperature is: 53.6° Fahrenheit (12.0° Celsius)

PASSPORT
For U.S. citizens, a valid passport is required to travel to China. The passport must be valid for at least six months and have one blank page for the visa.

VISA
A visa is required for U.S. citizens entering China. According to the U.S. Department of State, “A U.S. citizen arriving without a valid passport and the appropriate Chinese visa will not be permitted to enter China and will be subject to a fine and immediate deportation at the traveler’s expense.” The type of visa required depends on the purpose of your visit. There various types of visas including business, tourist, student, among others.  A Tourist Visa allows U.S. citizens the choice of single entry (valid for three to six months), double entry (valid for six months) or multiple entry (valid for six or 12 months).  Visas may be obtained from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. or one of the five Consulate-General offices in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco.

VACCINATIONS
In most cases, no specific vaccinations are required for entry into China. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting routine and preventable disease vaccinations, and malaria prophylaxis if needed, four to six weeks before departure.