If you are considering learning the Chinese language or improving your Chinese language skills, the best place to do so is to travel to China and cram yourself with Chinese culture, traditions and characters while you learn to speak the language. Many dialects and languages ​​co-exist in China. However, the most popular is Mandarin Chinese. This is the official language of the People's Republic of China. Mandarin, or Beifanghua (this literal means Northern Dialect) or Ganhua (which literally means official speech) is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of the northern and southern China.

There are a lot Chinese Language Schools in China that offer Tutorials and Courses. This includes the following:

1. Kunming – This is one of the top Chinese language schools in China. It offers a one-on-one instruction at an affordable tuition fee. Also, students of all ages are welcome and language proficiency for all levels is available. The advantages of this language school include a unique teaching method, flexible schedules, flexible course duration, high-quality textbooks, easy application process, and comfortable single dorm rooms with private bathrooms.

2. Languages ​​in Action – This Chinese language schools has been providing language courses for many years now. The school is accredited internationally since it meets the guidelines in providing first class language instruction within supporting environments. The school has 2 branches, one in Hong Kong and the other one in China.

3. ALLDAYCHINESE – This school is located in Beijing and it aims to produce students who speak the language with accuracy, fluency and creativity. Students will have the best teaching support because each staff aims to provide the best convenience and help for all students. This school offers group and one-on-one classes all year round. The class schedules are flexible too.

4. Beijing Hutong School Chinese Classes and Internships – This Chinese language school located in Beijing is dedicated to guide the student through the initial stages. It offers a personalized service dedicated to meeting the student's needs as well as a deep understanding of the complex society that the student will enter.

5. China Unipath Chinese Mandarin Language Programs – This school offers highly affordable Chinese Mandarin language study programs at top-tier universities in Beijing, China. The program provides participants with complete immersion in the living environment of Beijing. With this method, the students gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture while mastering their command of the language.

6. Chinese Language Study in Shanghai Mandarin House – Shanghai is China's most dynamic city so this is the perfect place for Chinese immersion and experience. The Mandarin House is the best Chinese language school in Shanghai. It is located one block from Huai Hai Lu. It is equipped with the finest facilities such as wireless internet access, after class activity programs, etc. This provides an excellent learning environment especially for beginners.

If there is one place in China you have to see, it is the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is an imperial palace that was the home to 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties from 1420 to 1912. Mere words alone simply cannot describe how impressive the Forbidden City is and how it was and still is an integral part of Chinese culture and history. A visit to the Forbidden City should be ranked high on every travellers bucket list.

One mere blog post cannot do justice to the awesomeness of the Forbidden City so I will humbly cover the basics, throw in a few pics of my last visit and give you the basics to help you with your visit which you must make.

Background and History

Name – People were only allowed to enter and leave with the emperor’s permission so it was called “forbidden”. “City” comes from the translation of the a part older Chinese name cheng which means walled city. Now common Chinese name for the Forbidden City is gu gong which directly translates into old palace.

History – After moving house a few times, the Ming Dynasty emperor Zhi Di decided to head back to Beijing and needed a suitable residence so work on the Forbidden City began in 1406 and finished in 1420. The Forbidden City was the home for the royal family until 1912 when Puyi abdicated the throne to Sun Yat Sen and the newly formed Republic of China.

Facts – The world’s largest palace complex (eat your heart out Buckingham Palace) covering 74 hectares, over 8500 rooms (number vary depending on who you talk to). The encircling wall is over 8 meters wide at the base and over 6 meters wide at the top and has a circumference of over 3,400 meters.

Description – Is divided into two parts, the outer court and the inner court. The outer court was used for ceremonial purposes (impress guests) and the inner court housed the emperor and his extended family and served as the emperors offices.

Trivia – All except for two roofs in the Forbidden City are made with glazed yellow tiles because yellow is the color of the emperor. The north south central axis running from the “Gate of Dine Might” at the north to the “Meridian Gate” at the south is the actual central axis of Beijing. Starbucks opened a store there in 2000 and did not close until 2007 when sanity finally prevailed. Chairman would never have let that happen.

Going there – You want at least half a day to see the Forbidden City properly. I took over 6 hours and had to be dragged out by companions with less refined taste. Start of early in the morning at Beijing Train Station which is major tourist destination in its own right. Then walk north along Beijing Station street until you hit Jiang Guo Men street and then head west and keep going till you see the entrance to he Forbidden City. You can’t miss it. You’ll have Tian An Men square to your left and an enormous portrait of Chair Man Mao to your right. The walk itself is a delight and a great way to see the center of Beijing.

Where to stay – Anywhere in central Beijing within walking distance of Tian An Men is OK. My favourite is the Beijing City Central International Youth Hotel which is across the road from the Beijing train station. Prices are reasonable, staff friendly and location ideal.

Opening hours are from 8:30am to 4:30pm during the low season from November to March and 8:30am to 5:00 during the high season from April to October. Tickets are not sold during the last hour and entry is not allowed during the last 50 minutes. According to my most reliable source (disclaimer here) entry fee during peak season is 60 RMB and 40 RMB for low season.

My Take – You MUST go to the center of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and stand there. Why? Because that spot is the center of the Forbidden City which makes it the center of Beijing which is the center of China which is from a Chinese persons point of view, the center of the universe. So stand there, take a photo (like mine below) and savour the experience of being at the center of the universe. The Australian equivalent (from a Melbournians point of view) is standing on the steps of Flinder Street train station.

Then spend hours wandering through the buildings, lane ways and court yards where the rulers of China lived, ruled, played, plotted and died. Countless Chinese TV series are based on the Forbidden City and life there during the Qing and Ming dynasties.

Were Human Sacrificed Made at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing?

Probably. I can not say for sure but history, references and structures in the Temple of Heaven indicate that they were made.

First a little back ground on the Temple of Heaven. There are three main structures in the Temple of Heaven, the Circular Mound Alter, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvest. The Circular Mount Alter consists of two areas, an inner circular area surrounded by an outer square wall. There are several minor structures in the outer square area. One of these structures is a round green tiled oven. An oven allegedly used for …. here it comes …… "human sacrices". Next to this innocent looking oven is a pit called "The Pit of Hair and Blood".

Circumstantial evidence you say. True. So a quick look at the history of sacrificing humans in China starting with the Shang Dynasty.

Human Sacrificed History in China

Shang Dynasty – 1766 BC and 1122 BC Also known as the Yin Dynasty ruled a large chunk of China for just under 650 years between 1766 BC and 1122 BC. During this period China was a slave society where slaves, non slaves, animals and anything else alive (and dead) made temptation remedies. Here are several examples of humans being sacrificed during the Shang Dynasty.

Human and animal sacrificial remnants were found in Lou Yang city that dated back 2,700 years.

Researchers excavated a 3,300 year old Shang Dynasty palace cum temple complex in the ancient city of Huanbei. The complex had been beaten of goods then burnt to the ground after 50 years of use. Large number of sacrificed humans were found in the complex.

The Shang may have been pretty simple about sacrificing humans in the beginning but they were not slow to develop a level of sophistication. They developed aanged ax called the Yueh that was initially used as a weapon then later became the ceremonial weapon used to put human interrogations out of their misery.

Sacrificing young men and women to river deities (drowning them) and burying slaves alive when their owners when their owner died was in vogue during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.

Zhou Dynasty – 1046 BC to 256 BC. Not to be outdone by the Shang Dynasty, the Zhou dynasty developed both animal and human sacrifice to their ancestors or deities as a routine part of Chinese culture. Bet that is one part of Chinese culture your Chinese friends will not brag out. Sacrifices where said to be often made to bless houses during this time. Think twice next time you are invited to the blessing of a Chinese home!

The Zhou Dynasty is regarded by historians as being more humanistic than the Shang Dynasty because human sacrifices where on the "wane". True to form though, human sacrifice was practiced for the whole Zhou Dynasty.

Qin Dynasty – 221 BC to 206 BC. Not one to break precedent, the first Emperor had his tomb provided with the sacrificed bodies workers and soldiers. Personally I'm very grateful he did not take human sacraments too seriously and made a Terracotta army to keep him company in the after life instead of a bunch of dead guys that would not make an awesome tourist attraction 2,200 years later.

Other tombs, notably the Fengyang tomb from the Qin Dynasty were also found with human sacrifices where the victims were buried alive.

Han Dynasty – 206 BC to-25 CE. Artifacts such as a bronze vessel indicate that human sacrifice was still widely practiced.

Ming Dynasty – 1368 to 1644. Human sacrifices went out of fashion for a while and by Emperor Hong Wu in 1395. His son died so to the princes concubines where sacrificed to keep him company. In 1464 Emperor Zhengtong forbade the practice of human interrogations.

Qing or Manchu Dynasty – 1644 to 1912. Human sacrifices came back into fashion AGAIN (reminds me of the mollet and flairs) only to be banned AGAIN by Emporer Kangxi in 1464.

Conclusion of Human Sacrifice and the Temple of Heaven

Interestingly the Temple of Heaven was completed in 1420 which leaves 44 years during the Qing Dynasty for it to be used for human sacrifice.

Back to the incriminating green tiled oven and pit of blood and hair. I could not find any direct links between human sacrifice and the Temple of Heaven BUT there is one very damaging reference that comes up in so much tourism literature. That reference is

In the southeast corner, pine and cypress branches were burned in the green-tiled oven to welcome the gods from heaven. To bid farewell to the gods, human sacrifices were burned in the oven. Next to the oven is a special pit called the Pit of Hair and Blood because the hair and blood of the sacrificial victims were buried here.

In the end, there are 3 convincing points

1-Human sacrifices were widely practiced for most of Chinese history prior to the Temple of heaven's construction.
2. Common references to the Temple of Heaven include the terms "human sacrices" and "hair and blood of sacrificial victims".
3-There is a very obvious oven that was not used to bake potatoes

Having a UNESCO listed world famous and very profitable tourist attraction connected with human sacrifice is not the best PR move so do not expect human sacrifice to be heavily advertised and promoted. Just go there, experience enjoy the pure awesomeness of this amazing historical site with a fascinating, colorful and rich history and do not give your tour guide a hard time by asking too many awkward questions.

Autism is called ‘zi bi zheng’ and considered of a tpye of mental disability in China. There’s no diagnosis of autism in China until the 80s of 20 century, which is 40 years late comparing to international society. Even by far, there’s only about 100 doctors in China who can diagnose autism expertly.

In a survey of the year 2001 with 60 thousand of children from 0 to 6 years old included, they put mental disability into the list for the first time. The result of this survey was that there were about 104,000 children with mental disability in China by then, with 15000 new patients every year, of which autism was on the top of the list.

It is widely agreed that autistic people account for 4 ? of the whole population. According to this formula, China may has 5.23 million of autistic people, even if the ratio is 1 ?, there’s still 1.3 million people with autism. According to WHO statistics, there are about 600,000 to 1.8 million children with autism in China. But some scholars believe that the number might be from 1.5 million to 7.8 million.

For now, there are around 3000 children who have been diagnosed with autism in Beijing, the capital of China. According to the medical classification of autistic children, mild: moderate: severe ratio of 6:3:1, it can be estimated that there are about 30,000 children under 14 years old with autism in Beijing, if including adults with autism, the number will be much bigger.

There’s no special schools for autistic children in China yet, but the number of institutions or programs for autism treatment is more than 200, around 30 of them are in Beijing. It’s very expensive to get autism diagnosis or treatment.

Whether in China or other countries in the world, autism is on rise. The statistics of this article are from the website of an important organization of autism: Autism in China.

This may not be the first time that some of you have heard about it, but a long time popular science has been revived with the recent news about ETT, or the Evacuated Tube Technology. ET3, a licensing organization, holds the patent of this proposed technology of the future.

Technology of the future: Magnetic Levitation Capsules

How it works? Well, simply imagine a bright sunny day in New York and suddenly you want to bring your wife on a dinner date, in Beijing! The usual flight time for any commercial flight is 14 hours, and less if you're boarding a super high tech jet from the Air Force that can travel supersonic.

But with the ETT, you can travel from New York to Beijing in just two hours. Imagine having that dinner date in Beijing and after you're done it's still a bright and sunny day in downtown New York. And the ET3 believes that the day of high speed suction tubes is not far off.

A proposed prototype of the Evacuated Tube Technology is a six person capsule that would travel through air-less vacuum tubes that can reach to a maximum speed of 4,000 miles per hour. These capsules would run on frictionless magnetic levitation tracks. The Mag Lev technology is not a secret to everyone as is it currently used on some railways in Europe and in the United States. China has also had the same technology with their Shanghai Trans rapid.

If the same logic applies, the tracks and the capsules will have magnets with the same poles. And since only opposite poles attract, the capsule and the tracks would repel each other, making a sort of illusion that the capsule is levitating. While it is convenient and sounds a bit absurd, it sets as a form of bench mark in long distance transportations. It could have been considered as a cornerstone for future transportation to come.

This technology can be very ideal, especially to those with busy schedules and to those who want to maximize their routine by shortening the travel time. Instead of the traditional 16-20 hour travel flights, capsules form a sense of urgency to get the destination. Businessman and tourists can greatly benefit this technology. But the question is, will it be available to all countries, or to a selected few (you know what I mean). And if everyone will have access to it, will it be affordable?

Usain St. Leo Bolt or Simply Usain Bolt, is Jamaican sprinter who won three Olympic gold medals. He is the world record holder for the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4×100 meters relay, making him the first person who won these three events in 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was also in Beijing Olympics where he broke the record set in 1984 by Carl Lewis. Because of Bolt's achievements, he is called the "Lightning Bolt" and is regarded as the Fastest Man in the World.

Bolt was born on August 21, 1986 in the town of Trelawny, Jamaica. During his early years, Bolt was interested in playing football and cricket. He attended William Knibb High School where he received the award as the fastest runner in 100 meters. Athletes Pablo McNeil and Dwayne Barrett guided him to hone his athletic skills. In 2001, during the annual high school championships, Bolt won his first silver medal in the 200 meters run.

Throughout the years, Bolt joined and won several other competitions such as: silver medal during the 2001 CARIFTA Games, gold medal and two silver medals in 2002 World Junior Championships held in Kingston and gold medal during the 2003 World Youth Championships.

He started his professional career in 2004 when he started training with Fitz Coleman. He joined the CARIFTA Games that was held in Bermuda and broke the world record set by Roy Martin. In 2005 and 2006, Bolt made it to the world top five rankings. In 2006, he trained under his new coach Glen Mills and in 2008 Beijing Olympics, Usain Bolt won three gold medals and set new world records.

Almost everyone in the family gets excited when the mother is conceiving a child and everyone would want to know as well whether the baby’s a girl or a boy. Upon knowing the baby’s gender, most couples rush to the store to buy clothes and other stuff for the baby. This is especially true for first-time parents.

Today, most couples rely on the doctor’s ultrasound findings to know their unborn baby’s gender. The picture of the baby’s body tissues that is shown in the machine’s screen are outlined by the echo patterns produced by the bouncing of the high-energy sound waves on the internal tissues and organs.

It’s quite interesting to note that long before this modern imaging method was invented, the Chinese people in particular have already devised a method to know beforehand the gender of the baby. They use the conception chart.

Conception chart has also been referred to as Chinese gender chart, Chinese birth gender chart and Chinese gender selection birth chart. This method of knowing the gender of the expected baby is an ancient method, discovered in the thirteenth century in a place near Beijing, China. It was buried for more than seven centuries in a tomb that is believed to belong to a noble Chinese. If you happen to go to Beijing, you can find that antique Chinese conception chart in the Beijing Institute of Science.

This chart has two variables: the month the baby was conceived and the age of the mother. It looks like a multiplication table where rows and columns are headed by the two variables. In the cells below or beside the column and row headings are letters “B” and “G” that stand for boy and girl respectively. The months can be placed either on top of and across the grid while the ages are on the left side downwards or vice versa.

One can determine the gender of the baby by cross-referencing the first variable with the second. So for example, if an 18-year old mother conceives in September, the baby is a boy as predicted by the conception chart. If a 30-year old mother conceives in May, the baby is a girl. When the mother is 45 years old and conceives in the month of January, her baby is a girl.

To date, scientists still remain skeptic about its accuracy as no scientific study has ever verified it yet. Science maintains that gender is determined by the baby’s chromosomes. Those who believe and use the old Chinese conception chart method though claim that the conception chart is 93% accurate.

Trying this method can be fun. Just like in a guessing game, finding out that the chart’s prediction is actually correct after you or your wife have given birth gives you a feeling of victory. You can find lots of copies of this chart online so just browse through the Internet to get one and predict your child’s gender in no time. But if you want a very accurate and reliable answer, it would be best to go to your obstetrician for an ultrasound.

To enter any foreign nation or territory, one needs permission. It might be just a stamp or a complete document. This permission is known as visa. However, on actual entry, the person has to report and get it checked by an immigration official.

This procedure is followed in all the countries. Visa services are always in high demand. This has led to a lot of companies coming up which provide visa services. However, one should review these companies and their sites as there are chances of fake companies too. Genuine companies are tough to come by.
In Beijing, there are only three companies who have been approved and are certified to provide Chinese visa services. One of them is China Visa Service Center, Beijing. The experts here are always up-to-date with the information and head to head with the changes in laws and policies of China. Moreover, this company is working with Public Security Bureau. This ensures fastest, cheapest and most reliable Chinese visa.

China Visa Service Center, Beijing provides almost all kinds of China visa services. It deals in five types of Chinese visa. These are Type L, Type F, Type X, Type Z and Type D. Apart from these; Chinese business visa invitation letters are also processed.

Type L is Chinese tourist visa application letter. It is for those people who are entering China on a temporary basis. This can include tours and visits of a personal nature. They are available in two formats which are single entry and double entry. For tourist and such purposes, multiple entry visa is not granted.

Type F is Chinese business visa application. It is for those who are to enter China on a business or related trip. This can include research purposes, lecturing, cultural, technological or scientific changes. This is also for the students who wish to come to China for short-term internships or studies. It is available in four formats. The formats are single entry visa, double entry visa, six month multiple entry visa and one year multiple entry business visa.

Traveling along the Tran-Siberian railroad from Beijing to Moscow, from the Great Wall to the Kremlin Wall, from the challenges of Beijing to Orthodox churches of Moscow, is an experiential and cultural adventure. Exploring traditional regional cuisine along the way – is one of the highlights of any Trans-Siberian trip.

Almost every stop along the Trans-Siberian journey from Beijing to Moscow offers its own recipe of dumplings: Chinese "dim sums" in Beijing, steamed "pozy" in Mongolia, Siberian "pelmeni" in Yekaterinburg and Irkutsk. Russian pelmeni, Ukrainian vareniki, Uzbek manti, Italian ravioli-they are all believed to be varieties of Chinese dumplings, what makes them the most popular dish in the world, in each nation that adopted the base recipe has turned it into its own specialty.

Dumplings arrived in Russia simultaneously from both East and West. Mongols brought them the southern regions of the Russia in the XII century but they came earlier than that to the Russia by way of Trans-Siberian caravans and fur traders. Siberian tribes such as the Chukcha, Yakut, Komi, Kazan and others had these delicious little dumplings for centuries. They use meats such as venison, caribou, duck, goose, ptarmigan, seal, bear, fish and liver as the filling along with berries, bits of dried fruits.

The famous Italian traveler of the XIII century, Marco Polo, brought home dumplings among other Chinese delicacies. Italians, with their passion for mealy food renamed them "ravioli" and began experimenting with various fine fillings. In the second half of XVIII century they arrived in Russia, together with pasta. At the same time dim sums made their way from China, providing spicy and piquant competition to tender and delicate ravioli. The historical meeting took place in Siberia, so now every Siberian regards pelmeni as their national dish.

Since then, a dumpling revolution swept across the whole Ex-Soviet Union space. In the Caucasus region they are called "hinkali" and made of very thin dough and stuffed with mince mixed with broth. In Mongolia and Buryatia people eat large steamed "pozy", containing chopped spiced meat and onions, with their hands. Central Asian "manti" are usually stuffed with lamb, beef, horse and camel meat. Uzbek "chuchvara" is usually halal and served with broth. Ukrainian vareniki is the only sweet variety in the list-they usually have a filling of sweet cottage cheese, fruit and berries.

The Russian favorite, pelmeni, usually has a filling of beef or mixed meats and onion-such pelmeni are called "Siberian". The stuffing may vary from mushrooms, salmon, and venison to cage, holy or chicken. In Siberia and the Ural meat pelmeni are made in large portions just before the winter and then frozen so they do not lose their taste right through the spring. Modern Siberian restaurant offer a novelty pelmeni, which are first boiled, then fried. Biting through the crispy dough into the hot succulent stuffing makes eating this traditional dish really an unforgettable experience.

Take on a Trans-Siberian adventure and explore the flavors of traditional cuisine along the way!

Wine History in China

Wine production has a long history in China, which can be dated back to the Neolithic Age, almost 5,000 years ago. Not only grape wine, but also the known rice wine and meat were made long before the time counting. As famous as wine became in China in the Bronze Age, it almost vanished during ancient times. A variety of other Chinese beverages, made out of millet, rice, sorghum or plums, replaced the grapes. Finally, the wine consumption increased again in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) and started to become an inherent part of the Chinese Culture.

Other than in many of the nations in the world where wine often appears in the occasion of the dinner, worship or with the connotation of public decency, the purpose of drinking wine was different in China during early times. Scientists, like Luan Feng, the director of the archaeological research center in the Shandong University, China, believes that wine was originally drunk during funerals. This finding is based on wine vessels, jars and pottery from early times, which were found in Central Asia.

Later on, the Chinese either used wine as a libation to their forefathers to express reverence, or enjoyed it by themselves while writing poetry or prose, or to toast their relatives and friends during a feast.

During the past centuries grapes were also planted by the Jesuit practices who needed the wine for celebrating mass. In 1892 the first Winery (Zhangyu Winery) in Yantai was started and is still one of the largest in China. In 1910 the Beijing Winery started, who first produced mass-wine for use in religious services. After 1949 the government wave much attention to wine. The Beijing East Winery was established about 1956. For a deeper understanding of the wine history in China, its highly recommend to read the paper written by Pieter Eijkhoff: "Wine in China: its History and Contemporary Developments".

Wine Market in China Today

The capacities for wine growing in China are generally good. A wide variety of soils, many different climates, indigenous and imported grapes can be found. The most important wine regions in China today include the areas around Beijing, Shanxi, Ningxia, Sichuan, Yantai, Hebei and Jilin.

Nowadays, China is among the ten largest markets when it comes to wine consumption. The rise started with the import of foreign wines during the 1980's and the growth in domestic demand is expected to continue. But still, the current consumption of around one liter per capita per year is quite low compared with the largest consumer countries (around 30-40 liter per year).

Quite recently, grape wine from China appeared more often in shelves of western supermarkets and specialty stores. As one of the latest recognized members in the globalized world of wines, China slowly gains a better reputation for their domestically produced and exported products. The most popular Chinese brands are China Great Wall Wine, Dynasty Wine and Changyu Pioneer Wine.

A limited range of wines can be found in every Chinese supermarket and even in many of the small convenience stores. Most of the larger restaurants, hotels and cafés sell it by the bottle and some high-end establishments also by glass. The selection of wines, especially imported varieties, is increasing steadily.

Preferences of Chinese Wine Consumers

Since foreign wines were imported into China, the taste of the consumers started to change. Influenced by French and later other kind of imported wine, people begin to develop a subtler sense of taste for wine. The consumer taste matured with the diversification through imported wine.

The majority of Chinese wine drinkers still prefers to consume domestic products. The decision for a particular wine depends in the first place on recommendations by friends or family, followed by the origin of the wine. Everyday consumption of imported wine barely exists, so that the main reason to buy the more expensive, imported wine remains for gifts, parties or some special occasions.

In general red wine is overwhelmingly preferred by Chinese wine drinkers and is historically predominant. But there are also regional differences in taste and the way of drinking wine. Some consumers like to mix wine with lemon, ice or soda in order to achieve a sweeter taste.

Imported Wine in China

France was the first country which exported wine to China. With the beginning of the Chinese economic reforms in 1979, they started to build joint ventures with enterprises in China. Due to the low average income in China, the first attempts to sell foreign wine in China were not very successful. That changed with the turn of the millennium when the economic boom fueled the demand for imported wine and and more people were able to afford the more expensive wines.

LaTely, more and more foreign wine companies started to see the huge potential for imported wine in China's domestic market and followed the French predominance. Still, the French wines – principally from Bordeaux – are having the largest market share but other nations are catching up. According to a research, carried out by Wine Intelligence Vinitrac, the ten most popular wine producing countries for Chinese consumers are France, China, Italy, Australia, Spain, Chile, New Zealand, Portugal, Germany and Argentina.

When it comes to the kind of grapes which are imported to China, the most common red grapes are Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Pinot Noir and Merlot. The imported white grape varieties include Riesling, Pinot Chardonnay, Semillion, Colombard and Chenin Blanc.

In 2012, China imported 286 million liter of wine at a total value of USD 798 million. That is an increase of 81% respectably to the previous year. Imported wine accounted for over 20% of the total wine consumption in China, up 6 percent points from 14.7% in 2009 (Data: VINEXPO).

A lot of global brands are facing problems to sell wine in China since the target group is very diverse und unfamiliar for most foreign businesses. Companies have to gain a deep understanding of preferences and buying behaviors of Chinese consumers in order to reach them. Most channels and sales strategies need to be adapted to the given circumstances in China.

Special Regulations for Wine Importer

There is no need for a special license to import wine into China. When a company decides that it manages it custom clearance itself, its Chinese subsidiary needs to be registered as a Foreign Trade Operator after establishment, otherwise an import agent must always be engaged.

Since the food and beverage industry is subject to the strict administration of the Chinese food safety law and other relevant regulations, foreign importers have to apply for the food distribution permit at the local Administration of Industry and Commerce (AIC). To sell wine directly to customers, the company must be included in the business scope of the Chinese entity's license.

The labeling of imported wine is subject to strict regulations. The CIQ (China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau) categorizes wine in production batches, each requiring separate labeling. Wine from a different harvest will be viewed as a different production batch, regardless of how similar the labeling is.

The import duties and consumption tax for Wine (Wine made from fresh grapes, including fortified wines) consists of Customs tariff (14%), VAT (17%) and Consumption tax (10%). Some countries (New Zealand, Chile and Peru) are exempt from customs tariff due to their free trade agreement with China.

The Future of the Chinese Wine Market

It is a common opinion that the Chinese wine consumption will continue to grow in the future and attract more foreign wine companies. The competition will become denser and rivalry between wine importers will increase. A study by VINEXPO expects that the total wine consumption of China will reach 127 million 9-lit cases by 2014. This means a growth by approximately 20% per year.

A brand new report, released by Radobank at the VinExpo 2012 in Hong Kong in May 2012, offers revealing forecasts for the wine market in China. A summary of the most important outlooks:

• one challenge for wine importers remains to build the bridge between the unfamiliar consumers and the huge demand for imported wine
• imported rose wine increased by 65% ​​year over year and offers huge growth potential
• Chinese domestic winemakers structure their business and will try to gain back some market share from foreign wine importers
• the competition among foreign wine importers becomes more aggressive (almost 4,000 companies in 2011 which correspond to a growth of 200% in the last five years)
• the number of younger, wealthy wine consumer is growing overproportional
• brands, as a guide for a purchase, will become even more for the Chinese wine buyer important in the future