China Photos (Assorted)

From the Forbidden City (China's imperial palace during the Ming Dynasty) in Beijing, to the Great Wall spanning east to west along the country's historical northern borders, and moving on towards the southwestern corner of the country where the highest mountain ranges in the world are located, China is loaded with a generous amount of tourist hotspots to explore.

An artist applying her craft on a side street in Beijing.

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries, and China is no exception.

Colorful shoes on the street in Beijing. If you travel to China buying shoes can be a bit difficult if you have larger feet. Make sure you have at least one pair of good, comfortable walking shoes because the last thing you want to be doing is nursing blisters on the Great Wall.

Trying to read a Chinese map in the Forbidden City is no easy task. Built between 1406 to 1420, the Forbidden City complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 720,000 m2 (7,800,000 sq ft), so a map will certainly be needed.

The Chinese love to play games, especially the men. This group is enjoying a game of Xiangqi Chess. It is one of the most popular board games in the country, and besides China, it is also a popular pastime in Vietnam.

All across China dogs are a very popular pet. This is a Chow Chow, one of the most unusual dog breeds, as it has the mane of a lion, the (unusual black) tongue of a bear and the fur coat of a dowager. In China it has been bred for more than 2,000 years for its flesh and its fur, and more recently as a hunting and companion dog.