Top 10 Fun Facts about China

Top 10 Fun Facts about China

The People’s Republic of China consists of 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong and Macau). It emerged as one of the world’s first civilizations, with archeological evidence suggesting that early hominids inhabited China 2.25 million years ago.

For millennia, China’s political system was based on absolute hereditary monarchies, or dynasties, beginning with the semi-legendary Xia dynasty in the 21st century BCE. The Chinese monarchy collapsed in 1912 with the Xinhai Revolution, when the Republic of China (ROC) replaced the Qing dynasty. Below are top 10 facts about China;

1. The story of tea begins in China

Tea – Flickr

According to legend, tea was first discovered by the legendary Chinese emperor and herbalist, Shennong, in 2737 BCE. It is said that the emperor liked his drinking water boiled before drinking it, so it would be clean, so that is what his servants did. One day, on a trip to a distant region, he and his army stopped to rest. A servant began boiling water for him to drink, and a dead leaf from the wild tea bush fell into the water. It turned a brownish color, but it was unnoticed and presented to the emperor anyway. The emperor drank it and found it very refreshing, and cha (tea) came into being.

Tea is still consumed regularly, both on casual and formal occasions, in modern China. It is the nation’s national drink.

2. Toilet paper was invented in China

Toilet paper – Flickr

In the 2nd century BC Chinese invented a wrapping and padding material known as paper which resulted in the subsequent invention of the toilet paper. The first recorded use of paper for cleansing is from the 6th century in medieval China, discovered in the texts of scholar Yen Chih-Thui. In 589 A.D, he wrote, “Paper on which there are quotations or commentaries from the Five Classics or the names of sages, I dare not use for toilet purposes.”

Historically, the first modern toilet paper was made in 1391, when it was created for the needs of the Hongwu Emperor’s imperial family. Each sheet of toilet paper was even perfumed. Mass manufacturing of modern toilet paper began in the late 19th century.

3. Colors are very important in Chinese culture

Color spectrum – Unsplash

Colors are important in Chinese culture, as certain values are attached to certain colors. In traditional Chinese art and culture, black, red, qing, a conflation of the idea of green and blue, white and yellow are viewed as standard colors. These colors correspond to the five elements of water, fire, wood, metal and earth, taught in traditional Chinese physics. Other colours were considered by Confucius as ‘inferior’.

Yellow of a golden hue, corresponding with earth, is considered the most beautiful and prestigious color, black, corresponding to water, is a neutral color, white, corresponding with metal, represents gold and symbolizes brightness, purity, and fulfilment, red or vermilion, corresponding with fire, symbolizes good fortune and joy and generally blue or azure and green is associated with health, prosperity, and harmony. The old term is qing.

4. China has the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge in the world

Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge – Unsplash

The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge is a 55 kilometre (34 mi) bridge–tunnel system consisting of a series of three cable-stayed bridges, an undersea tunnel, and four artificial islands. It is both the longest sea crossing and the longest open-sea fixed link in the world. It three major cities on the Pearl River Delta, which are geographically close but separated by water.

Construction of the HZMB project began on 15 December 2009 on the Chinese side and completed on 6 February 2018. On 24 October 2018, the HZMB was opened to the public after its inauguration a day earlier by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

5. Only one time zone in China

Clock – Flickr

Despite spans almost five geographical time zones, China follows a single standard time offset of UTC+08:00. The official national standard time is called Beijing Time (BJT) domestically and China Standard Time (CST) internationally.

However, it was not always like this. In 1912, the year after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, the newly empowered Republic of China established five different time zones in the country, ranging from five and a half to eight and a half hours past Greenwich Mean Time. But in 1949, as the Communist Party consolidated control of the country, Chairman Mao Zedong decreed that all of China would henceforth be on Beijing time for the purposes of national unity.

6. China has the largest army

People’s Liberation Army – Flickr

In 2022, The People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) of China had the largest armed forces in the world by active-duty military personnel, with an estimated 2 million active soldiers. Active-duty military personnel are those individuals whose full-time occupation is being part of a military force.

The People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) of China was established in 1927 and is one of the major military divisions of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). China is also the second-largest military spender in the world after the US.

7. China has the fastest train in the world

The Shanghai Maglev train – Flickr

The Shanghai maglev train or Shanghai Transrapid is a magnetic levitation train (maglev) line that operates in Shanghai. Construction of the line began on March 1, 2001, and took two and a half years to complete. The line is 30.5 km (18.95 mi) track and has a further separate track leading to a maintenance facility. The train was inaugurated in 2002 by the German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, and the Chinese premier, Zhu Rongji.

Based on German technology, the Maglev trains fly along an elevated track, the powerful magnets providing a super-smooth, friction-free ride.

It is the oldest commercial maglev still in operation, and the firsts commercial high-speed maglev with cruising speed of 431 km/h (268 mph). It is also the fastest commercial electric train in the world.

8. Chinese New Year’s is the most important holiday

Chinese New Year celebration – Flickr

Chinese New Year, commonly referred to as the Spring Festival, is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, and has strongly influenced Lunar New Year celebrations of its 56 ethnic groups. The festivity is associated with several myths and customs.

 The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February. According to tales and legends, Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian during the annual Spring Festival.

9. There are more than 400 sub-styles of Chines Kung Fu

Kung Fu – Wikipedia

Chinese martial arts, commonly known as Kung Fu, are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. The genesis of Chinese martial arts has been attributed to the need for self-defense, hunting techniques and military training in ancient China.

These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as “families” of martial arts. Examples of such traits include Shaolinquan physical exercises involving All Other Animals mimicry or training methods inspired by Old Chinese philosophies, religions and legends. Styles that focus on qi manipulation are called internal, while others that concentrate on improving muscle and cardiovascular fitness are called external.

10. China has the most international borders

Globe -Unsplash

China boards a total of 14 other countries. On the northern border, China borders (west to east) Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. To the west, China shares boundaries with (north to south) Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The southern border of China is shared with (west to east) India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Vietnam. On the eastern border, China’s neighbor is North Korea (and, again, Russia).