Trivia Pills: 10 interesting facts about China
These small snippets are extracted from longer posts on China. Be sure to check out the China page for more information and articles.
history
#1 – Ancient Inventions
It is well known gunpowder was invented in China, but several other inventions can be attributed to the ancient Chinese empires. Some of these are the compass, silk, porcelain, and paper. The groundbreaking invention of paper was in fact so groundbreaking that it soon lead to other inventions such as toilet paper, and the first use of paper money.
Other lesser known inventions are soccer (that’s right and all European countries can stop fighting over who invented it) which was invented during the second century BC and known as ‘Tsu’ Chu’ (meaning ‘kicking ball’).
Also ice cream was discovered in China around 4,000 years ago. It is said that emperor Tang of Shang had over 94 so-called ice men at his service.
history
#2 – Panda Power
Every single living Panda world belongs to China (except for two: the Mexican Pandas Xin Xin and Shuan Shuan who live in the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City), and in China, all captive Pandas can be found in Chengdu, Sichuan’s capital city.
Panda Diplomacy, a practice that dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), consisted of offering a Panda to another nation as a symbol of goodwill and good relations among countries. In the past 50 years Pandas are no longer gifted but loaned (for a price) to other countries, but they are still considered “envoys of friendship” and are used to reward trading partners or to express displeasure with a nation when recalling a loaned Panda.
The giant Panda is a highly endangered species with little over 2,500 individuals in the world. They belong to the bear family but do not hibernate. Also, they feed exclusively on bamboo, but because they maintain a carnivore digestive system, they do not assimilate nutrients efficiently and up to 80% of their food is not digested. This leads to Pandas spending up to 16 hours a day eating.
country
#3 – 2nd most World Heritage Sites in the World
With 59 sites, China has the second highest number of UNESCO sites in the world (after Italy which has 60).
Some of the most visited UNESCO sites include the Forbidden City in Beijing (which has 9,000 rooms and is one of the largest and oldest imperial palaces in the world), The Great Wall of China (which, contrary to popular belief, cannot be seen from space), the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the world-famous Terracotta Army in Xi’an (which took around 37 years to make and where each of the around 8,000 clay soldiers built to guard an Emperor’s tomb has unique and distinguishable facial features).
country
#4 – Leaders in Mega Infrastructures
It is a well known fact that when China builds, it builds BIG. The country is unrivalled when it comes to the ambition of its infrastructure engineering, such as with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as the New Silk Road, which is a project that invest in more than 150 countries and international organizations all across Asia, Europe and Africa.
The massive country has such an extensive and capillary railroad network that all of its railways could loop around Earth twice.
Other examples are the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge between Hong Kong and Macau is 55 kilometers long (including a 6.7-kilometer tunnel) and is the longest sea-crossing bridge in the world. As a matter of fact China has built 17 of the top 35 longest bridges globally.
The Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Station is the worlds largest dam by capacity, and with a capacity of 22,500 MW it is over double the second most largest (always in terms of power capacity).
Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than any other city in the world. In fact it is said that China builds a skyscraper every five days.
Even a “simple” elevator for tourists, such as the Bailong Elevator in Wulingyuan area of Zhangjiajie, is the world’s heaviest and highest outdoor elevator. Also nearby is the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, which with its 430 metres length used to be the longest and tallest glass bottomed bridge in the world.
society
#5 – Colors Symbolism
Chinese traditions are deeply rooted in the culture and color (and numbers) symbolism is arguably felt more strongly compared to other places. It is also often very different from western traditions.
For example in China, white, rather than black, is considered a color for mourning and worn at funerals.
Red is maybe the most important color and symbolizes good luck, happiness and joy. Brides wear red (or pink) wedding dresses at their weddings and it is also used in the stock market where red arrows indicate well performing assets, while green is given to assets losing value.
Yellow is a color representing power and nobility, and opulence (being akin to gold) and historically it was the color of the emperor. In the west on the other hand it is often either considered a cheerful “sunshine” color, but may also represent envy and jealousy.
country
#6 – Massive Country with a Single Timezone
China also has the most international borders, neighboring 14 countries: Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and North Korea.
There are over 300 Chinese dialects in the country but the Mandarin dialect is the official recognized national language. It is also the most spoken language in the world (in terms of first language).
country
#7 – Economic Powerhouse
China is the world’s largest exporter and second-largest importer of merchandise goods.
The country’s labor force is the largest in the world, with over 779 million people employed as of 2023.
China is also the largest forex reserve holder in the world, followed by Japan and Switzerland.
China has the second-largest number of billionaires, after the US.
history
#8 – Dragons
Dragons in China are very different from their western counterparts and are not depicted as scary fire breathing monsters.
Instead they are auspicious and symbols of wisdom. They represent imperial power, good fortune, and a pioneering spirit. Their role is more mystical and divine and are believed to control the weather as well as being the rulers of water – one of the Five Elements in Chinese philosophy and mythology.
Dragons can take on many forms such as turtles or fish (in fact it is believed that the carp, with its whiskers and scales is a dragon in disguise). Most often though they are depicted as snake-like creatures with four legs. They are also less izard-like compared to western dragons, and may have fur, ox-like ears, and almost dog-like head. They are also often portrayed without wings but are still capable of flight.
During China’s imperial dynasties, emperors used dragons as symbols of their authority, and it was forbidden for common people to use dragon-related items.
Dragon children are highly wished for in China as it is believed that the this zodiac animal creates leaders and influential people. The last year of the dragon was 2012, the next 2025.
history
#9 – Religious Melting Pot
The People’s Republic of China is officially an atheist state, and over 90% of the population declare themselves as non-religious.
However the country has historically been influenced by numerous religions and spiritual teachings and today many people practice Chinese folk religion, which encompasses aspects of Buddhism and Taoism with Confucian influences.
Buddhism itself is the most widespread religion with over a third of the population, followed by Taoism which accounts to 20%.
Christianity (mostly Catholicism) is also present and became more widespread in the modern era, although accounting to less than 3% of the population.
Islam also has ancient roots but counts less than 2% of the population, mostly residing in the north western part of the country bordering Mongolia and Kazakistan.
history
#10 – The Chinese Zodiac Animals
The Chinese zodiac is based on 12 animals and, like western zodiac signs, each animal influences personalities, with for example the rat being cunning and resourceful, or the tiger being idealistic and independent but tending to be impulsive.
According to mythology, the different animals and their sequence in the calendar comes from the “Great Race” established by the Jade Emperor where the animals would have to cross a river.
In Chinese culture, the top 5 luckiest/most popular zodiac signs are Dragon, Snake, Pig, Rat, and Tiger, while the Goat is often considered unlucky, with a popular saying implying that most people born in a Goat year are destined for bad luck.
The cat is not present in the zodiac as cats had not been introduced to China yet. According to mythology though, the cat was indeed one of the first animals to almost finish the Great Race but was pushed in the water by the mischievous rat and never reached the finish line. This is the reason why cats hunt rats and are afraid of water.
