Over 16,000 soldiers join in disaster relief after Sichuan quake

As of 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, 16,760 Chinese soldiers have joined in disaster relief efforts after a major earthquake jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province Monday afternoon.

China will also send 20 military planes to transport armed forces and armed police to the quake-hit areas, according to the military emergency response office on Tuesday.

Additional 34,000 armed forces from the Jinan and Chengdu military commands are advancing towards the disaster-hit regions by planes, trains, and trucks, and on foot.

A rescue team composed of 227 military medical staffs and seismologists arrived in Dujiangyan City, northwest of Sichuan's capital Chengdu earlier Tuesday morning.

The epicenter of the quake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, is located 31 degrees north latitude and 103.4 degrees east longitude.

The road from Dujiangyan, a city northwest of the provincial capital Chengdu, to Wenchuan, the epicenter, was blocked by rocks and mud slides, holding up rescue, medical and other disaster relief teams, a witness said via mobile phone.

Premier Wen Jiabao asked military personnel waiting in the city to enter into the area as soon as possible even if they had to walk to Wenchuan.

The earlier the troops arrived, the more lives they could save, he said.

China Xi'an On Trip Motel

On Trip Motel(Xi-an) Environment: To Airport: 30km;
To Railway Station: 5km;
To City Center: 2km;
The view around: Province international exhibition center, Clock building, drum building, Ming dynasty old wall, wild goose tower.

On Trip Motel Address: NO.87 Chang%26#39;an North Road, Xian, China
Equipment: 24-hours Hot Spring, Mineral Water, Internet Service, Air-conditioner, Dining Hall and Small-scale Meeting Room.

On Trip Motel Memo: Check out at 12:00pm;
Unless upon request, the hotel will only keep the reservation till 18:00.
Price may be subject to surcharge during peak periods;
Above price includes service charge;
Free internet service in each room;
Breakfast: RMB 5 per person.

Xi-an On Trip Motel Position:

Beijing Hotel Reservation

• Beijing DaWan Hotel
  Dawan Hotel Beijing, is a three star standard hotel centrally located in Beijing%26#39;s well known shopping and sightseeing district of Wangfujing area.

• Beijing East Gate Plaza Service Apartmen
  Beijing East Gate Plaza Service Apartment is a residential, commercial, retail and entertainment multiplex holding apartments, office towers, retail floors, banks, restaurants, health clubs, swimming pool, basketball, squash, bowling lanes, billiard, movie theatre, beauty salon, supermarket, laundry, florist, travel agency, tea house, and parking for 700 vehicles.

• Beijing Eastern Morning Sun Youth Hostel
  Beijing Eastern Morning Sun Youth Hostel is in the Floor B4 east building of Oriental Square which is the largest architectural complex in Asia.

• Beijing Exhibition Centre Hotel
  Beijing Exhibition Centre Hotel, which lies in the compound of the famous Beijing Exhibition Centre, is a three-star Sino foreign joint venture hotel.

• Beijing Fangyuan Hotel
  The Beijing Fang Yuan Hotel is conveniently located in the Wangfujing area, downtown of Beijing.

• Beijing Far East Hotel
  The Beijing Far East International Youth Hostel is located in the center of the city.

• Beijing Feiying Hotel
  Beijing FeiYing International Youth Hostel is located quite in the heart of Beijing, close to Xidan shopping area, Liulichang Culture Street .

• Beijing Fujian Hotel
  The four-star Fujian Hotel, located near the International Exhibition Center, Beijing%26#39;s Silicon Valley, the Asia Games Village and major shopping centers, features a luxurious movie theater, a fully equipped gym, a ballroom, a karaoke bar and a billiards room.

• Beijing HWA(Apartment) Hotel
  The hotel is located in Xidan Commercial Street, in the entertainment and shopping centre of Beijing, with the central financial area around.

• Beijing Jianguo Garden Hotel
  The Hotel faces Beijing railway station, and just 5 minutes walking distance to Wangfujing shopping area.

Administrative Map of China

China's Location on the Map of the World

China Map

China is located in East Asia, on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has a land area of about 9.6 million sq km, and is the third-largest country in the world, next only to Russia and Canada.

From north to south, the territory of China measures some 5,500 km, stretching from the center of the Heilongjiang River north of the town of Mohe (latitude 53° 30’ N) to the Zengmu Reef at the southernmost tip of the Nansha Islands (latitude 4° N). When north China is still covered with snow, people in south China are busy with spring plowing. From west to east, the nation extends about 5,200 km from the Pamirs (longitude 73° 40’E) to the confluence of the Heilongjiang and Wusuli rivers (longitude 135° 05’ E), with a time difference of over four hours. When the Pamirs are cloaked in night, the morning sun is shining brightly over east China. China has land borders 22,800 km long, with 15 contiguous countries: Korea to the east; the People’s Republic of Mongolia to the north; Russia to the northeast; Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan and Tajikistan to the northwest; Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan to the west and southwest; and Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar to the south. Across the seas to the east and southeast are the Republic of Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Chinese mainland is flanked to the east and south by the Bohai, Yellow, East China and South China seas, with a total maritime area of 4.73 million sq km. The Bohai Sea is China’s continental sea, while the Yellow, East China and South China seas are marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean. A total of 5,400 islands dot China’s vast territorial waters. The largest of these, with an area of about 36,000 sq km, is Taiwan, followed by Hainan with an area of 34,000 sq km. Diaoyu and Chiwei islands, located to the northeast of Taiwan Island, are China’s easternmost islands. The many islands, islets, reefs and shoals on the South China Sea, known collectively as the South China Sea Islands, are subdivided into the Dongsha, Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha island groups.