Twelve pages of background: the land, the calendar, the dynasties, the languages, how people pay for things, what the country makes and how it sees the world.
Nothing here expires in a season. It is the layer that makes the rest of the site legible.
- China and the World: What You Already TouchHow have you already met China before you ever set foot in it?
- China's Land and Climate: Two LinesWhich two lines explain China's population, food and winter heating?
- Chinese Dynasties You Will Actually MeetWhich Chinese dynasties does a first-time visitor actually encounter?
- Chinese Society in One Breath: People, Rank, Family, YouWhy are Chinese streets so full, why is everything booked, and why does it feel cheap?
- Digital China: The Phone Is the KeyCan a foreign visitor manage in cashless China, and where does it go wrong?
- Getting Around China: Distance Is Measured in HoursHow far apart are China's cities in travel time, and where does the high-speed rule stop?
- How China Eats: The Vegetable BasketWhy are vegetables in China so fresh and so cheap?
- Peoples and Languages of China: Read the Second Line on the SignHow many ethnic groups does China have, and where do the minorities live?
- Religion in China: Five Faiths and Three BuddhismsWhat religions does China have, and which parts are open to visitors?
- Safety in China: Something You Can SeeIs China safe for foreign visitors, and where does the safety come from?
- The Chinese Year: Two Calendars, and a Third ClockWhat calendars does China use, and when is Chinese New Year?
- What China Makes: The Cluster Map for BuyersWhere in China is each thing made, and is made in China one place?