China is a country of diverse culture and environments. The country’s history dates back thousands of years and is chock full of civil war, philosophy, and technological advancements. Below are 30 facts about China that you might not have been aware of.
- China stakes its claim to fame as being the longest continuously operating civilization, 6,000 years approximately.
- China is the fourth largest country in the world in terms of land mass.
- It has approximately 5,000 islands off its coast.
- China’s population is four times the population of the US.
- Approximately 1 in 5 people in the world is Chinese.
- In the late 1300s toilet paper was invented in China and was only for emperors.
- China is the birthplace of gunpowder.
- It’s also the birthplace of fireworks.
- Crickets are often kept as pets by Chinese children and cricket fighting used to be a popular form of amusement.
- The Chinese invented paper.
- They invented the compass.
- Printing was a Chinese invention.
- Kites (or “paper birds” as they’re known) are also a Chinese invention.
- One of the most popular games in China is ping pong, which was invented in Britain.
- The first rudimentary seismograph for monitoring earthquakes was invented in China by Zhang Heng in 130 AD.
- Bats are considered to be a symbol of good luck in China and are often depicted in paintings, and crafts.
- The world’s oldest and longest canal is 1,114 miles long and has 245 locks and 60 bridges. It is the Chinese Grand Canal.
- Bicycles are the most common form of transport in China.
- Dragons in the western world are seen as evil or bad omens. In China, there are many different types of dragons and are the greatest of the four creatures prevalent in Chinese mythology.
- The border between China and Nepal runs across the exact summit point of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain.
- Mount Everest is known as “Qomolangma” in China, which translates to the “Mother Goddess of the Earth.”
- China is home to the world’s oldest calendar, dating back to 2600 BC.
- The calendar runs for 60 years at a time.
- China is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of goods. Many countries outsource their production to third world countries including china.
- China hosted the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. These Olympic Games cost a grand total of 40 billion dollars.
- China’s longest river is the Yangtze River. It stretches for a total of 3,494 miles.
- In the late 1700s, suspension bridges made an appearance in the western world and were deemed revolutionary. 1800 years prior, in 25 B.C., suspension bridges were already in use in china.
- The first civilization to use stirrups for horse riding was the Chinese civilization, as early as 300 AD.
- When a silk worm cocoon fell into a cup of hot tea in the emperor’s palace in 3,000 BC, the cocoon began to unravel and silk was born.
- Panda bears in China are considered a national treasure. Only about one-thousand of them exist in the wild.
A Few More Interesting China Photos for Your Enjoyment
