Why the Chinese chomp while eating and other little-known facts about the Middle Kingdom that you won't find in textbooks

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

China is not only protracted tea ceremonies and a tribute to traditions, but also the very thin line where the past is closely intertwined with the present. The Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army of the Qin Dynasty are still preserved here, and it is here that the beloved football and uncultured habits, which are considered the norm in the Celestial Empire, originated here.

1. Football was invented here

In 2500 BC. in this country invented a popular game, which is called "Tsu-Chu". It was she who became the progenitor of modern football, which is loved all over the world. Interestingly, the first soccer ball used in this game was a genuine leather ball stuffed with feathers and hair.

2. China is the most populous country in the world

Today, China is considered the main record holder in terms of population in its territory. So, today in the Celestial Empire there are over 1.4 billion people who huddle in a small area. India is breathing in China's back with its 1.3 billion. And, according to experts, after a few years, it will probably surpass China and take the honorable first place.

3. Sunrise

Surprisingly, despite the fact that China is a fairly large and wide country in terms of borders, only one time zone operates on its entire territory - Chinese time. This means that in the west the sun rises at ten in the morning.

4. Law "On the Rights of Older Persons"

If Chinese people have parents over sixty years old, then they are obliged not only to take care of them, but also to visit regularly. Otherwise, failure to comply with the rules established by law is punishable by a fine or serving a sentence in prison. And this is perhaps the most interesting fact about this country, since in many other states it is customary to treat elderly people in a completely different way, for example, the most common practice in the world is the surrender of old people to nursing homes, which is prohibited in China.

5. Another largest economy in the world

In 2014, it became known that the Chinese economy became the largest in the world. It is the largest exporter and its economy is considered the strongest in the world when it comes to purchasing power parity. However, if we take into account the nominal GDP, then the first economy in the world is still the American one.

6. Chinese New Year

Curiously, the Chinese New Year is not celebrated at the same time as our usual holiday. The first day of the year in this country falls on the period from January 21 to February 20, and therefore every year it is different. In addition, the New Year in this country is celebrated not for one day, as is customary in the West, but for two whole weeks.

7. Fortune cookies

It is believed that everyone's favorite fortune cookie was created in China, but more recently it became known that it was actually made in San Francisco. Interestingly, more than 3 billion fortune cookies are produced annually, and this is an American, not an Asian tradition, as everyone thinks.

8. The largest army in the world

Do you still think the United States has the largest army? No and no again. A superpower such as China currently has over 2,183,000 members who are ready to go to war at any moment. And that's exactly a million more than America's regular army.

9. The number of men exceeds the number of women

One of the biggest challenges facing people in China is their policies to reduce the birth rate. So, in China, a family is allowed to have only one child, and therefore it is not surprising that many want a son, and not a daughter. Since almost every modern Chinese family adheres to this opinion, this has led to rather strange consequences. Today, more than 40 million men in China are forced to live without a couple, since there are much fewer women in this country and most of them are already married.

10. The longest railway in the world

China ranks fourth in the list of the largest countries in the world, and therefore it is not surprising that the most popular transport there is rail. It is noteworthy that the railway in this country is so large that you can wrap the Earth twice in its tracks.

11. Animal tests

Perhaps this is not the most exciting fact about China, but it is interesting in that this is prohibited not only in Europe, but also around the world since 2018, since there is no longer a need to conduct animal tests in order to achieve the desired result in cosmetology and similar areas. But, nevertheless, every cosmetic product that is on the Chinese market must be tested on animals in order to achieve the desired effect.

12. Skyscrapers

Another curious fact about China is its phenomenal growth. His cities are overgrown with new buildings almost instantly. It is estimated that a new high-rise building is being built in the city every five days. This means that about seventy-three new large buildings are being built in China every year.

13. Facebook has been banned in China since 2009

China is also known for running a program called the Golden Shield, which restricts users' access to the web and certain foreign sites. However, this does not prevent almost 95 million people from surfing the Internet using proxies and VPNs. Most Chinese people just love social media and have also been spotted on sites like Baidu and WeChat. Also popular is a resource called Sina Weibo. And in this country they prefer to create their own sites, rather than use the original ones. This is how the Youku Tudou service appeared, which replaces American YouTube for the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom.

14. Popular surnames

The most popular surnames in China are Wang (or Wong), Li, and Zhan. Experts estimate that every fifth Chinese has this surname, which is about 21% of the total population of this country.

15. Every fifth person in the world is Chinese

Many people in the world prefer to study English, thinking that it is the most demanded and popular language. However, this is far from the case, since every fifth person on the planet speaks Chinese. And this is about 20% of the total population of the world. Of course, most of these people live in the PRC, which means that if you come across native speakers of this language, they are more likely to be Chinese.

16. 5 more fun facts about China

Did you know that:

• Over thirty-five million Chinese people still live in caves; • China and Macau are separated by a mainland bridge, where motorists are forced to change to the left and right side of the steering wheel, respectively; food; • The ice cream, which we thought was created in Italy, was actually made by the Chinese almost four thousand years ago; • The Chinese emperors as one considered themselves to be relatives of dragons.

17. Did you know?

Do you know that:

• The national and main sport in the country is small tennis; • 50% of the total number of pigs in the world lives in the Middle Kingdom; • The first paper money appeared here; • The national animal of this country is the beloved panda.

18. Random facts about China and the Chinese people

Curious that:

• Over hundreds of millions of people are forced to survive in the Celestial Empire for less than a dollar a day; • China is the largest exporter of various goods; • Every year in this country more than 45 billion Asian bamboo sticks are used; • The main delicacies here are soup made from bird saliva, as well as from its nest; that the only one that has its own written form; • Every year, the Chinese eat over 4 million street cats as a snack; • The lucky number in this country is eight because it is consonant with the word "prosperity" in this language; • Almost a third of the population of China does not speak Mandarin, which is used at the official level; • Red is considered the color of happiness here, and therefore it is used during the holidays; • Most of the tomatoes in the world are produced in China.

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