Did you know that silk and ice cream originated in China? Here are fascinating and fun facts about China, its culture and history.
The People's Republic of China, or simply China, is a stupendous country in the world with diverse culture, language, people, and scenic beauty. It is the most populous country in the world and the third largest nation by area. The Chinese or the Mandarin language is the largest language spoken in the world.
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Interesting Facts About China
➜ China is one of the oldest continuous civilizations in the world. ➜ The Chinese calendar is nearly 2600 years old and is based on the lunar cycle.
➜ In Chinese astrology, the 12 zodiac signs are represented by 12 animals (viz., rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar), with each animal representing a full year.
➜ The Mandarin or the Chinese language is the world's longest continuously used written language system.
➜ The current flag was adopted in 1949 after the revolution that lead to the Communist rise of power. ➜ The red color stands for the blood shed during the revolution; The large star stands for leadership and the small stars for the classes (farmers, workers, bourgeoisie and capitalists).
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➜ The Great Wall of China is one of the best known structures in China. It is also one of the wonders of the world.
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➜ The Terracotta Army or the Terracotta Warriors is one of the most visited sites in China and is considered as an archaeological wonder in the world.
➜ The Forbidden City is one of the most ancient and largest wooden structures in the world.
➜ According to the Chinese culture, red color is considered lucky and is widely used for celebrations and decorations. It is traditionally used in making wedding dresses.
➜ The traditional Chinese medicine is used in China and many other parts of the world.
➜ In the times of Kublai Khan, silk notes were used as currency. In the later years, jade was used as currency. Today, the Chinese currency is known as Renminbi, which means people's currency.
➜ Tea is one of the most loved and widely used Chinese product. It is being cultivated in China for more than 2000 years now.
➜ At the same time, rice was also known to the Chinese some 4000-5000 years ago.
➜ The Giant Panda is also one of the most popular animals found in China. Unfortunately today they are endangered with only 1000-2000 of them alive.
China Fun Facts
➜ Production of silk first began in China and then it was a well guarded secret. It is said that anyone who betrayed this secret could be killed.
➜ Ice cream was first invented in China. It was produced accidentally when people packed milk and rice and kept it in snow.
➜ Apart from ice cream; gun powder, silk, paper, printing, umbrella, etc., are the notable inventions made by the Chinese.
➜ The Great Wall of China is also known as the "Ten Thousand Li Wall" where one single Li is equal to 500 meters. ➜ Tea, dim sum, dumplings, and rice (and not noodles) are considered as important aspects of traditional Chinese food and cuisine.
➜ Chopsticks are used to eat the traditional Chinese cuisines. Every year billions of chopsticks are manufactured in China.
➜ In China, while writing one's name, the surname is written first followed by one's first name. ➜ The Chinese language consists of characters or symbols, rather than alphabets which have a specific meaning. Peculiarly, it is simply impossible to spell out a word in Chinese language.
China is one of the most beautiful countries in the world that has diversity in myriad things. If you wish to know more interesting and random facts about this great nation and experience its beauty, it is recommended to visit it at least once in a lifetime.