A big portion of East Asia is housed by China the second biggest country in Asia after Russia. Known as the sleeping giant of the world, China has since opened up its business market to the world and has created a major impact in the world economy ever since. It has since taken back Hong Kong from the British as well as Macau from the Portuguese who are both members of East Asia as well. Even if they belong to the administration of China, both Hong Kong and Macau still have their own set of legislation and government systems.
Japan, another economy big player is also a member of this cluster while countries like Taiwan, and South Korea too are big players in the manufacturing and electronic sectors globally. North Korea and Mongolia makes up the rest of the cluster. Most of the countries in around East Asia exudes some very strong Chinese influences perhaps due to its close proximity with the global giant. Where cities are concerned, Beijing who just hosted the recent 2008 Olympic games are renowned for its historical sites, Hong Kong and Tokyo are shopping paradises which are also fast moving metropolitans.
To some, East Asia is also known as the ‘Far East’ and is strongly linked with the Buddhist religion due to its strong Chinese ties. Most of the cities in around these countries serve international routes that come from all over the world. From neighbouring countries however, there are constant direct flights to cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macau, Tokyo, Seoul and others. On top of that there is also a Trans-Siberian Railway that connects Northern China with Mongolia and Russia.
At East Asia, there are a wide array of things you can do, like visiting the Great Wall of China or the Forbidden City in Beijing, taking the ride towards the Mount Everest base camp in Tibet, shop in Hong Kong, taking the fast speed bullet train in Tokyo or go the tallest building in Taipei. There is a documented travel guide included in asia.com.my that provides you with all the information you need in travelling to these sites. It is important for you to read these guides because there are certain landmarks like the Forbidden City that has a lot of accompanying stories which you might not have known before. Read this part first to find out what you need to know prior to visiting so that you can keep a lookout later.
