Living In China Introduction Living in or just visiting China today is an eye-opener, offering you more to see than just a few well-known historic landmarks that have fascinated so many around the world. You will be greeted with the hospitality of 56 ethnic groups throughout the country with their unique cultures and customs, in contrast to only a few places open to foreigners in the 1980's when China had just opened its door to the outside world. These 56 ethnic groups, of which the Han people make up 93.3 percent of the total population, have their own dialects, but they also share a common language that is Putonghua or Mandarin. In section 6 of this book you will find basic Chinese survival language to help you get around. This book is more than a travel guide; it will help you to understand the past and present of the world's largest population, especially the way Chinese people live, work, and play today. However, it is a changing China that we are presenting to you - China is changing fast, and that must be kept in mind. Nevertheless, we are sure that this book will make it easier for you to work or study, or just to visit China and to communicate with the Chinese people. Above all, we are writing this book to build bridges of understanding and cooperation. China and America are two great nations in the world sharing mutual aspirations of peace and development. Better understanding and cooperation are in the interest of the people of these nations and all other nations. We are confident that this book will serve as a bridge builder with new, useful, and interesting information about China, a fast-changing country.
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