The special Chinese culture and the hospitable Chinese people offer foreign tourists rich cultural and recreational activities including operas such as Peking Opera, Shanghai Opera, and Sichuan Opera, Henan Opera and Shanxi Opera, acrobatic performances and folk singing and dancing. Foreign guests can know China better by joining in the celebrations of traditional festivals of China's 56 ethnic groups.

All hotels' guest rooms are equipped with television sets where one can watch English programs on CCTV as well as local television stations. Foreign television programs are also available in hotels with satellite receivers. Many hotels have music bars, teahouses, bowling alleys, electric-game rooms, movie theaters, health centers, sauna and massage rooms, swimming pools, and dance halls.

Foreign visitors can take part in sports activities, such as learning Chinese martial arts and taijiquan. Every day, martial-art fans do their morning exercise in parks and other open places,
offering good learning opportunities for foreigners. Foreign visitors can also learn Chinese martial arts at martial-art schools or short-term training classes in such places as Dengfeng County, where Shaolin Temple is located, and Chenjiagou, which is famous for the Chen-style boxing. Both
are in Henan Province.

In addition, there are skating grounds, shooting ranges, golf clubs, and other places for sports games in many municipalities. Special activities, such as grass skiing, sand surfing, and visiting hutongs, or lanes, are also available. Many tourist attractions offer tourist activities with local features.