We will be visiting Qingdao soon and I was wondering if you could give us some info on a dolphin show that is held there

Dolphin lover, Melbourne.

I think you must be talking about the Dolphin Park in Qingdao which was constructed in May 1995 and is the first Dolphin Park in China. It covers an area of 40 thousand sq. m. with 2500 seats. You can enjoy the dolphins` performance while gaining some knowledge on these wonderful marine mammals while you are there.

My daughter has an ice skating competition to attend the day after we get back from our two week break in Beijing, is there a rink there that she can practice at while there?

Patricia Hemlock, Gross Point Farms, Michigan

Ice Skating can be done on many lakes throughout China in the winter months (you don't state when you plan on visiting) and in Beijing's it's very popular though Westerners are advised to bring their own boots especially if you wear a size larger than 4 or 5. Indoor skating is available at the Ditan Ice Arena, Zilongxiang Liubing Chang, near the Ditan Park north gate, 14A Hepingli Zhong Jie, Dongcheng District (tel. 010/6429-1618), open daily from 10am to 10pm (from 9am on weekends). Beijing's newest skate rink is the upscale Le Cool, Guomao Liubing Chang (tel. 010/6505-5776), boots can be hired at both venues but again Westeners are advised to bring their own.

Will I be able to find vegetarian food in China? I have a digestion problem and cannot eat meat in any form.

Trevor Hunt, Bromley, U.K.

You won't have any problem at all. Take a look at the following web page that lists the various types of dishes available:
http://www.hoteltravel.com/china/guides/dining_shopping.htm

Can you tell me something about the Forbidden City? I am doing a school project about it as my mum and dad are taking me there for the school holidays and I would like to start on my project before I visit.

Gary Plant, Williamstown, USA

The Forbidden City occupies a total space of more than 720,000 square meters. The surrounding palace walls are 10 m high and have a total length of 3,400 m, and are protected by a 52-m-wide moat. The Forbidden City consists of two parts, the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court centres around the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Midway Hall of Harmony and the Hall of Military Prowess. The Inner Court centres around the Hall of Celestial Purity, the Hall of Union and Peace and the Hall of Terrestrial Tranquility, which are flanked by the Six East Palaces and the Six West Palaces. If you need more information I suggest you search the www or wait till you get there.

Do you know of any boat trips in Shanghai worth going on? It will be our 40th wedding anniversary while there and I wanted to treat my wife to a river cruise or similar.

Angus Preacher, Canada

Yes you can go boating along the Huangpu River. Visitors can glimpse back into China’s past as well as see Shanghai as it is today. On one side of the river is the bund, which is regarded as a landmark as well as the birthplace of Shanghai. Now, a 646.7-meter-long sightseeing tunnel, connecting the bund to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, has been completed and opened to public in October 2000, through which visitors can experience a marvellous trip under water as well.

I am a beer bottle collector and will be visiting Quigdao in the near future. I believe this is the home of one of China's famed breweries, can you tell me more?

Down another one, Sydney, Australia

Do you have any information on transport in China? I will be travelling to various parts of the country and can't seem to get much info out of my travel agent.

Maggie Chu, Singapore

Yes, we do. Open the following web page: http://www.hoteltravel.com/china/guides/transport.htm which I think you will find fairly useful. If you require more accurate information on each area you plan on visiting please feel free to contact me again or contact the Tourist Transport HOTLINE (Shanghai) 6252 0000 for English, Chinese, Japanese services. Open 24 hours, this tourist helpline is run by friendly English-speaking staff who can advise on bus routes, train times and help with other transport questions.