Natural Conditions

Geographical Features

The landform of China is varied, of all the landforms, 33% is mountains, 26% is plateaus, 19 percent is basins, 12 percent is plains, and 10 percent is hills.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, also known as the “roof of the world,” with an average elevation of over 4,000 meters, is the highest terrace.

Due to the topographical features, most rivers flow east or south into the ocean, thus forming vast outflow river valleys that constitute nearly two-thirds of the national total area. These abundant rivers also provide much of China’s electricity.

Climate

China is an enormous country and the climates in different areas are complicated. From the south of China to the north, the climate zones are: Tropical zone, subtropical zone, temperate zone, medium temperate zone, and frigid temperate zone.

Ice and snow can be found all the year round in some alpine regions. Most regions are cold and dry in winter and have a warm and rainy climate in summer.

Click here to find the best time to visit China.