Chinese cuisine has a very long history and is renowned all over the world. Cantonese (the style the majority of Westerners are most familiar with) is only one regional style of Chinese cooking. There are eight major schools of Chinese cuisine, named after the places where they were conceived: Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejian. For a brief appreciation of the cuisine, it is possible to break it down into four major regional categories:

Northern cuisine:
Beijing food has developed from the Shandong school of cuisine.
Specialities:
• Peking Duck, which is roasted in a special way, and eaten in a thin pancake with cucumber and a sweet plum sauce.
• Mongolian Hotpot, a Chinese version of fondue. It is eaten in a communal style and consists of a central simmering soup in a special large round pot into which is dipped a variety of uncooked meats and vegetables, which are cooked on the spot.
• A cheap and delicious local dish is shuijiao, which is pasta-like dough wrapped round pork meat, chives and onions, similar in idea to Italian ravioli. These can be bought by the jin (pound) in street markets and small eating houses, and are a good filler if you are out all day and do not feel like a large restaurant dinner. It should, however, be noted that in the interest of hygiene, it is best to take your own chopsticks.

Southern cuisine
Guangdong (Cantonese) food is famous for being the most exotic in China. The food markets in Guangzhou are a testimony to this, and the Western visitor is often shocked by the enormous variety of rare and exotic animals that are used in the cuisine, including snake, dog, turtle and wildcat.
Specialities:
• Dim sum served at lunch.
• Shrimp wonton noodle soup.

Eastern cuisine
Shanghai and Zhejiang cooking is rich and sweet, often pickled. Noted for seafood, hot and sour soup, noodles and vegetables.
Specialities:
• La Mian (pulled noodles) served with curry beef soup.
• Xiao Long Bao (small steamer bun), pan fried pork buns eaten dipped in vinegar.

Western cuisine
Sichuan and Hunan food is spicy, often sour and peppery, with specialities such as diced chicken stirred with soy sauce and peanuts, and spicy doufu (beancurd).
Specialities:
• Sweet and sour chicken.
• Orange beef.

National drinks:
• One of the best-known national drinks is maotai, a fiery spirit distilled from rice wine.
• Local beers are of good quality, notably Qingdao, which is similar to German lager.
• There are now some decent wines, which are produced mainly for tourists and export, such as Qingdao white wine.

Visitors can follow itineraries drawn up in advance, when sampling the nightlife of the larger cities, including a selection of prearranged restaurant meals and visits to Chinese opera, Chinese state circus, ballet and theatre. Local Chinese will tend to only drink socially with a formal meal so bars and nightclubs will generally only be found in the more cosmopolitan cities and major towns. Karaoke (written OK+ on Chinese signs) is a popular form of evening entertainment.

All consumer prices are set by the Government, and there is no price bargaining in shops and department stores, although it is possible to bargain fiercely in small outdoor markets (of which there are many) for items such as jade, antique ceramics and also silk garments. All antiques over 100 years old are marked with a red wax seal by the authorities, and require an export customs certificate. The antique market in Changqing opens everyday. Access to normal shops is available, offering inexpensive souvenirs, work clothes, posters and books; this will prove much easier if accompanied by an interpreter, although it is possible to point or get the help of a nearby English-speaker. Items are sometimes in short supply, but prices will not vary much from place to place. In large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, there are big department stores with four or five floors, selling a wide range of products. The best shopping is in local factories, shops and hotels specialising in the sale of handicrafts. Arts and crafts department stores offer local handicrafts. Special purchases include jade jewellery, embroidery, calligraphy, paintings and carvings in wood, stone and bamboo. Shop personnel often pack and arrange shipping for bulky items. It is advisable to keep receipts, as visitors may be asked to produce them at Customs prior to departure. Shopping hours: Mon-Sun 0900-1900.