The first thing that strikes visitors to China is its vastness in terms of both geography and population. It is a country with an incredible history of dynastic rule, which was eventually replaced by communist domination and closed to the outside world for many years. However, modern day China has advanced far from the image of uniformly clothed peasant workers on bicycles. The country now has a growing middle class determined to practice their capitalist principles in what is still a communist political system. In larger cities you may experience the shove of railway station crowds, the noise of construction work and the sight of young entrepreneurs holding mobile phones and eating "fast food". But venture away from the large cities and you will be rewarded with an experience that stays with you for years after you leave. From the deserts of Xinjiang, to the Terracotta Warriors in Xian, from the beauty of the Li River near Guilin to the mystery of the "Silk Road", from the relaxing getaway towns of Yangshuo, Lijiang and Dali to Tibet's magnificent mountains and monasteries - China's diversity is more evident than perhaps in any other country in the world.