1. Gov.cn
This is the official web portal of the Chinese Central Government. It provides comprehensive information about Chinese government, including the state structure, its leadership, and links to the ministries. Non-residents can also find useful information about visa and travel on it.
2. China.org.cn
This site is hosted by the State Council Information Office of China. Although it is a news portal of the government, you may find its online Chinese learning programs useful. I recommend the interactive flash files of the Chinese idioms and ancient poems on this site.
You can consider this site as the “Voice of China”. It is the online news service of Xinhua News Agency, the official news agency of China. It has a worldwide information-gathering network and releases important news about China around the clock.
4. China Daily
This is the website of the official Chinadaily newspaper. It is the the largest English portal in China, consisting of three major sections: English Portal, World Online, and English Study. Its Citylife section deserves special attention.
5. CCTV
This is the site of CCTV (China Central Television), the predominant television network of China. Needless to say, this is the place to check out its TV schedules and watch the online video streaming. It will extensively cover 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.