The Chinese dragon has not only woken up but is also moving aggressively to dominate the world business economy. With its annual GDP growth exceeding 9%, China has suddenly become the business destination of the mighty and rich multinational business corporations. China offers great business opportunities to a large variety of businessmen and therefore business travel to China is a must for every business executive.

Although China offers great business promise, there are certain factors you need to keep in mind before planning a business trip to China. While traveling through China, you may have to face the language barrier in communicating with the Chinese – starting with the cab driver to the hotel manager and ending up with your counterparts in your business. English, though the lingua franca of the world, is usually neither spoken nor understood in China.

Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Guangzhou are the main business destinations – besides numberless other smaller places. It is therefore advisable to contact a travel agency that specializes in China tours in these cities, and book a suitable hotel for you as per your budget.

The first important item to deal with is the language problems. For that you need an English-speaking guide as soon as you land in China. You should make sure that your travel agency provides you an English speaking cab driver who will be the first man to meet you as you step out of the airport. A non-speaker of Chinese cannot move about China without a guide. Therefore you need a guide who has thorough knowledge of the topography of the area you are visiting and can fluently communicate with you in English. You must ensure that the guide you get is professionally trained and certified by the China Travel Administration.

Two more pointers: first, protect your credit card from fraudulent activity, which is widely prevalent in China. Second, you must be aware that you cannot drive a car in China even if you are a licensed driver in your country. So you have to rent a car along with a driver for travel around the city.

What many of us know about Chinese tea fits in the small teapot served to us at our nearby Chinese restaurant. But, as many of us can surmise, this hardly encapsulates the variety of Chinese tea. In fact, Chinese tea includes a bold and flavorful variety of many different combinations of tea – the history of which extends to nearly 4,000 years ago. Often used primarily for medicinal purposes, Chinese tea has a long and complex history of experimentally combining herbs to find the balance that would yield a cure. As the centuries passed, the drinking of Chinese tea became more for enjoyment purposes and less for medicinal purposes.

In these early days, Chinese tea was the beverage around which centered much of the culture’s social rituals. Today, Chinese tea is enjoyed all over the world for the same reasons it was so enjoyed in China all those years ago and still today – the unique depth of flavor. When referring to Chinese tea, eight different classifications are often cited: black tea, green tea, white tea, yellow tea, red tea, compressed tea, flowered tea – such as jasmine, and oolong tea. Within these classifications are literally thousands of different types.

The advantages of drinking Chinese tea go beyond the flavor; Chinese tea has been shown to have significant health benefits including the lowering of blood pressure and increased immunity. Chinese tea is sold loosely or in processed packets depending on the level of convenience required. Chinese tea can be found in most stores around the world. For a more comprehensive selection you are best to visit an Asian market where you’ll find the greatest variety of Chinese tea.