For centuries, the Chinese have sought inspiration and self- knowledge in nature. Hence, the gardens in China evoke the natural world. Because land has always been expensive in cities，urban China gardens are relatively small, but the space of every Chinese garden de¬voted to rocks，plants and water seems much greater than it actually is because of the clever ways in which Chinese garden designers lead the visitor from one unique vantage point to another

　　中國旅游研究院(China Tourism Academy)表示，大陸游客 (mainland tourist)在海外旅游上花費了 420億美元。同時，海外游客 (overseas tourists)只花了 380億美元在中國大陸，同比下降7%。雖 然2009的官方統計數據還沒有公布，研究院估計2009年的旅游赤字將是4億——中國旅游業首次赤字。

　　China Tourism Academy, said that mainland tourists spent some $42 billion in overseas destinations. At the same time，overseas tourists spent only $38 billion on the mainland, down by 7 percent year- on-year. Though official statistics for 2009 are yet to be released, the academy estimated that the tourism deficit will stand at $4 billion in 2009 —the first ever tourism deficit in China.

　　中國是一個文化、語言、風俗和經濟水平都很多樣化的地方。 經濟格局尤其多樣化。大城市如北京，廣州和上海是現代的，相對 富裕的。然而，約50%的中國人仍然生活在農村地區，盡管中國只 有10%的土地是可耕地(arable land)。數百萬農村居民仍然依靠體 力勞動或役畜(draft animal)耕作。兩三百萬農民遷到城鎮尋找工作。 一般來說，南部和東部沿海地區比內陸地區更富有，西部和北部， 以及西南部是非常不發達的地區。

　　China is a very diverse place with large variations in cul¬ture, language, customs and economic levels. The economic landscape is particularly diverse. The major cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai are modem and comparatively wealthy. However, about 50% of Chinese still live in rural areas even though only 10% of China’s land is arable. 　　　　Hundreds of millions of rural residents still farm with manual　labour or draft animals. Some 200 to 300 million former peasants have23 migrated to townships and cities in search of work. Generally the southern and eastern coastal regions are wealthier while inland areas, the far west and north, and the southwest are much less developed.