Embark on an unforgettable journey across China

China’s remarkable range of cooking styles can be divided into eight major categories, each with its own distinctive flavor profile:

• Chuan (Sichuan Cuisine)
  Chuan is beloved throughout the country for its bold, spicy flavors and abundance of fresh herbs. Popular spicy and savory dishes include kung pao chicken, ma po tofu, Sichuan hot pot and dandan noodles.
• Jing (Beijing Cuisine)
  The birthplace of royal dishes that later made their way outside the walls of the courts, Beijing boasts richly flavored dishes such as roast Peking duck, mu shu pork and boiled dumplings.
• Lu (Shandong Cuisine)
  Given Shandong Province’s long coastline, freshwater fish and seafood feature prominently in Lu cuisine. Salt and vinegar are used frequently, and food is often prepared over high heat. Popular choices include stir fried pork kidneys and sweet-and-sour carp.
• Su (Jiangsu Cuisine)
  Refined Su cuisine uses an incredible array of seafood, meat and plants to create beautiful, healthy dishes. Seasonings are used sparingly in order to highlight the ingredients’ natural flavors. Examples of Su dishes include Nanjing salted duck, sweet-and-sour Mandarin fish and watermelon chicken (a preparation that involves marinating chicken inside a hollowed-out watermelon).
• Hui (Anhui Cuisine)
  Hui cuisine hails from a mountainous region known for its abundance of wild game. Mao tofu, Luzhou roast duck and stewed turtle with ham are among the most popular Hui-style dishes.
• Xiang Hunan (Mandarin Cuisine)
  This distinctive style is marked by its profusion of spicy, salty and sour flavors. Favored menu items include steamed fish heads with spicy red peppers and “immortal chicken with five elements"—braised chicken stuffed with lychee (a tropical fruit native to China), longan (a musky fruit), jujube (a Chinese date), lotus seeds (from the aquatic lotus plant) and medlar (a tangy fruit).
• Min (Fujian Cuisine)
  This seafood-based cuisine, in which no meal is considered complete without soup, is noted for its carefully honed cutting methods. Menu staples include hot-and-sour squid and “Buddha jumps over the wall,” a hearty soup filled with seasonal meats, vegetables and seafood.
• Yue Guangzhou (Cantonese Cuisine)
  This popular style features meat and fresh vegetables that have been lightly steamed or stir fried. It is a light and healthy cuisine boasting fresh, natural flavors in dishes like snake soup, braised shrimp with sea cucumber and boiled chicken.

In Chinese culture, certain numbers are considered lucky because of their pronunciations. For example, the Chinese believe the number eight is lucky because the Chinese pronunciation of the number “eight” and the pronunciation of the Chinese word for “prosperity” are similar; hence, the number eight has great value.

Even numbers, in general, are considered luckier than odd numbers in China, so gifts are always given in even numbers. The exception to this rule is the number four (or any other number containing it), as the word sounds like si (death) in China. Just as superstitious Westerners tend to avoid anything associated with the number 13, Chinese people will often avoid booking hotel rooms with the numbers 4 or 14. In many buildings in China, the fourth floor is skipped entirely in the numbering system.

The number two is auspicious because doubles are considered especially fortuitous in China. Symmetrical decorations are a frequent sight at festivities such as Chinese New Year celebrations. Three is also a lucky number, as its pronunciation is similar to the Chinese word for “life.” The Chinese word for “six” is pronounced in a way that sounds like the word for “flow.” Water is powerfully symbolic in Chinese culture, standing as a metaphor for the Tao, stillness and purity. The word for “nine” sounds like the word for “eternity” in Chinese and is thus a popular choice for weddings.

The Terra Cotta Warriors were discovered by accident in 1974 in Xian, China, when local farmers digging a well broke into a pit containing 6,000 life-size terra-cotta figures. Excavation in 1976 revealed two further pits, both filled with Terra Cotta Warriors, chariots and warhorses. Here are some more interesting details about these remarkable artifacts:

• On the eastern side of the tomb, a number of small pits have been found containing the bones of horses and smaller terra-cotta figures of grooms. Since then, discoveries of terra-cotta figures have continued at the site, with nearly 8,000 recovered to date.
• The Terra Cotta Warriors were built to guard the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who lived over 2,200 years ago.
• Qin Shi Huang is remembered for instigating the building of the Great Wall of China and his obsessive quest for the secret of immortality. It is this obsession that most likely inspired the army of Terra Cotta Warriors, built to silently guard his tomb for all eternity.
• The hands and the heads of the Terra Cotta Warriors were made separately; each head is reputed to be unique, with its own individual features and facial expression.
• There is still much more to be uncovered, including the emperor’s actual burial chamber.