With a long history and rich culture, China is easily one of the most fascinating countries on the planet. Although China is astonishingly big and is responsible for creating many of the traditions and items we value today, little is known about it. There are endless weird and wonderful facts about this country that span thousands of years, all the way to modern day. Today we are going to share some of the most interesting facts about China.
Amazing Facts About China
China is an amazing place. There are countless wonderful, and certainly interesting, facts about this country that we in the West may never have known. Without further ado, here is our definitive list of interesting facts about China
- 1. Over 30 Million People Live in Caves
In China, a staggering amount of people still choose to stay connected to our ancestral roots by living in caves. This is particularly popular in the Shaanxi province.
- 2. Fortune Cookies Were Not Created in China
Baffling, isn’t it? Although we often associate the fortune cookie with Chinese culture, it is actually a Western invention! The fortune cookie has its origins in Japan. The fortune cookies of today however, made from sugar and vanilla, were created in San Francisco in the early 1900s.
- 3. China Has a Huge Amount of Railway Lines
China is an incomprehensibly big place. As a result of this and its huge population, it has a staggering amount of railway lines. In fact, its railway lines are so big that they could loop around the entire Earth twice. Whilst the circumference of the Earth is 40,075km, China’s railway length is 93,000km.
- 4. The Terracotta Army
The terracotta army refers to the site where 8000 known ancient clay statues were created to guard the tomb of China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang. It was discovered in the early 70s by farmers in the region looking to construct a well. Before that, it had been undiscovered and untouched for over 2000 years. It is estimated that it took 720,000 labourers nearly 40 years to build it.
- 5. China Has a Single Time Zone
CST (China Standard Time) was created in the late 40s by the country’s communist party. It was deemed a way to unify the country, and states that all of China adheres to one time zone known locally as Beijing Time. There are, however, problems that occur as a result of this. For example, in some parts of the country the sun does not rise until past 10am. So whilst it may be 7am in Beijing, it is also officially 7am thousands of miles away whilst the stars are still out.
- 6. The Elderly Rights Law
Did you know in China, it is a punishable offence to not visit your parents if they are over 60? In an effort to dismantle loneliness of the aged, children of parents over 60 must visit their parents on a regular basis. Failure to comply can result in fines or, on occasion, imprisonment.
- 7. There Are More Men Than Women
It is estimated that there are 30-40 million more men in China than women. This has led to a significant number of the male population being unable to find a marriage partner. This is a huge problem that China currently faces. The gender imbalance shines light on how damaging cultural gender preference and the one child policy can be.
- 8. A New Skyscraper is Built Every 5 Days
With a huge workforce and massive incentive to improve the Country’s economy and infrastructure exponentially, China is able to pull off some incredible things. It is estimated, for example, that a new skyscraper is built every 5 days in the country.
- 9. The Home of Bamboo
China is responsible for exporting a huge amount of the bamboo we use. There are over 400 species of bamboo which grow in China, and one third of all known bamboo species come from China. Bamboo typically grows in the south, where it can expand to form entire forests. Many of the bamboo products we know and use are created with bamboo sourced from China.
- 10. Football Was Invented in China
A game in ancient China known as ‘Tsu’ Chu’ was the foundation for what we know today as football. Over 2000 years ago, residents in areas of China would kick a ball made from feathers and hair for fun. Technically speaking then and contrary to popular belief, modern day football has its origins in ancient China.
