Many people choose to spend holidays in China. With a long and fascinating history, China offers beautiful art and architecture, a thriving and interesting culture, varied regional cuisine and more. International travel has become easier than ever with many international flights available in the UK, even allowing for direct London Hong Kong flights, flights to Shanghai, China or cheap flights to Beijing. With the coming Olympic Games in 2008, many people are considering Beijing 2008 travel options, including flights from UK to Beijing. Whether you plan a holiday to see the Beijing 2008 Olympics or to see the Great Wall of China, a visit to China is sure to be remembered for a lifetime.

Booking China travel is easier than you might think, but does come with some complexities. While you can find a cheap flight to China or cheap flights to Hong Kong, a travel service may be able to help you with visas and other needs for your trip. Online sites can help you find the best options as far as a cheap flight to China. Tour groups to China are also available and typically include your flights to Shanghai or London to Hong Kong flights as needed. Local Chinese business resources may also help you find cheap flights to Hong Kong or flights to Shanghai. You may wish to plan your travel well away from typical Chinese holidays, as flights and lodging may be at a premium at these times.

Visitors to China from the UK may be travelling on their gap year, as a chance to experience a different culture, may be returning home to the land of their ancestors, or can simply be touring this beautiful and historic country. There are some must visit sites on your China travel excursion. Nearly all visitors to China will want to see the Great Wall of China. If you have taken one of the many flights from UK to Beijing, you should be sure to visit the Forbidden Palace and Summer Palace in the city. Both are astonishingly beautiful, and offer excellent examples of traditional Chinese art and architecture. Flights from the UK to Beijing allow you to see many of China's most popular sites quite easily. If you have taken flights to Shanghai, you may find the western colonial architecture of the Bund interesting. If you have opted for a London Hong Kong flight, you can see the interesting island, which blends east and west in its own unique style. You can even make a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland. English is widely spoken in Hong Kong, but less so on mainland China, so do prepare yourself for possible communication difficulties, and consider hiring an interpreter if needed to make your China travel go smoothly.

If your China travel is spiritually motivated, you may wish to visit some of the many exquisite temples in China. The Grand Buddha at Leshan (Sichuan Province) is the largest Buddha in the world, at 71m high. The Buddha is carved into a cliff face overlooking the meeting of the Dadu and Min Rivers. The Labrang Monastery in Xiahe is a centre of Tibetan culture in China, and may be of interest to many people on their China holidays. Many of China's mountains are considered sacred, and the 1,500-year-old Yungang Grottoes near Datong in Sichuan Province may allow you to experience both the mountains and the art of China. There are more than 51,000 Buddhist carvings in the recesses and caves that cover the mountain-sides in the Yangang Valley.

If you know you wish to visit a specific site in China, you may wish to take that into consideration when booking your flight. China is a large country, and can be difficult to navigate, particularly in rural areas.

Visitors should be aware that some areas in China, particularly Tibet, are closed to tourists and foreigners unless special permission is attained. You may be wise to consult a travel service if you wish to travel widely through rural China. Tours are available that provide transportation and interpretation services into less visited areas of China, and may be a wise choice unless you are particularly adventurous when you travel. A tour may also help you to book a cheap flight to China or help you find flights from the UK to Beijing.

Many visitors travel to China from the UK each year and flights to Shanghai, cheap flights to Beijing and London Hong Kong flights can all be booked to allow you to visit this beautiful country. China travel is less difficult and less expensive than you might expect. The Beijing 2008 Olympics will bring a great many visitors to China, and the government is working to prepare for this influx. If you are looking for a cheap flight to China, book well in advance, and travel outside of typical holiday times.