ABOUT CHINA

China has one of the world's oldest people and continuous civilizations, consisting of states and cultures dating back more than six millennia. It has the world's longest continuously used written language system.

ALL ABOUT CHINA

Capital: Beijing is the capital of China. Size: China covers about 9,596,960 square kilometers. China is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, and the USA). Population: China has the largest population of any country in the world. The population of China is about 1,321,851,000 (as of July, 2007). China is divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities. Climate: China's climate ranges from desert to tropical to sub arctic. Major Rivers: The major rivers in China are the Yangtse River, the Yellow River, and the Pearl River. Mountain Ranges: The highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas, borders China. Other major mountain ranges in China are the Ch'ang-pai Mountains, theTsinling Mountains, and the Nan range. Highest Point: The highest point in China is Mount Everest (8,850 m tall), in the Himalayas. Lowest Point: The lowest point in China is Turpan Pendi (the Turpan Depression), 154 meters (505 feet) below sea level. It is located in northwestern China.

MAP OF CHINA

China is located in eastern Asia. China is the third largest country in the World, just behind Russia and Canada. The population of China is over 1.2 billion people. This is about one-fifth of the world's population.

FLAG OF CHINA
China's national flag was adopted in September, 1949. This flag was first flown in Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949 - the day of the founding of the People's Republic of China.  The rectangular flag has a red field with five golden-yellow stars (each with five points) in the upper left corner. The star on the left is larger than the other four.  The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution. The large star symbolizes the Communist Party (which rules China) and the smaller stars represent the people of China.


MAJOR INDUSTRIES IN CHINA



For many years, China has been on a program of economic development. But, much of China still lives in poverty.  Most people in china still work as farmers or herders. Major crops include wheat and rice. Fishing is also a major industry along the coasts.  China has considerable natural resources including coal, lead, zinc, copper, tungsten and gold. China also has considerable oil reserves.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
China has a long history, going back thousands of years. For over 3 thousand years, China was ruled by Emperors and their dynasties. In the early 1200's, the Mongols from Mongolia occupied China, led by Genghis Khan. Kublai Khan, his grandson, established the Yuan dynasty, becoming the first foreign people to rule China. By the mid-1300s, the Yuan dynasty gave way to the Ming dynasty. Then in the mid-1600s, Manchurian troops overthrew the Ming dynasty to establish the Qing dynasty. In the early 1900s, the country came out from under dynasty rule to create the Peoples Republic of China. In the 1930s, China came under control of a communist government.

CLIMATE

Because China is so large, it has many regional climates. Northern China can have severe winters with temperatures reaching below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Central China is milder with temperatures ranging from 30 degrees in the winter to 80 degrees in the summer. Eastern China can have hot wet summers, while the western desert can have temperatures in the 100 degree range. Most of China's rainfall comes during the monsoon season between May and October.

POPULATION & CULTURE

Most Chinese people are farmers and herders. They have a major challenge to keep the countries large population fed. About one-fifth of China's population live in urban areas. China still maintains strong ties to its past and its traditions

 

CULTURE OF CHINA

The Culture of China is home to one of the world's oldest and most complex civilizations covering a history of over 5,000 years. The nation covers a large geographical region with customs and traditions varying greatly between towns, cities and provinces. Chinese culture is a broad term used to describe the cultural foundation, even among Chinese-speaking regions outside of mainland China

MTHOLOGY & SPIRITUALITY

Luohan, one of the spiritual figures shared between Chinese and India Culture across different types of Buddhism A large part of Chinese culture is based on the notion that a spiritual world exists. Countless methods of divination have helped answer questions, even serving as an alternate to medicine. Folklores have helped fill the gap for things that cannot be explained. There is often a blurred line between myth, religion and unexplained phenomenon.

MARTIAL ARTS
China is the original birth place of Eastern martial arts. The names of martial arts were called Kung Fu or its first name Wushu. China has brewed some of the most renowned martial artists including Wong Fei Hung and many others.

ALL ABOUT THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China during the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty (221 B.C - 206 B.C.). In Chinese the wall is called "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng" which means 10,000-Li Long Wall (10,000 Li = about 5,000 km).

CHINESE NEW YEAR

 Chinese New Year starts

with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

About the Chinese New Year  A Chinese proverb states that all creations are reborn on New Years day. The Chinese New Year is a celebration of change ... out with the old and in with the new!  The Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year because it is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. It usually occurs in January or February. On February 12, 2002, Chinese communities around the world will ring in the Year of the Horse (Year 4700).  In the Far East, this is also the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Farmers take this opportunity to welcome spring as they plant for the new harvest. Thus, the Lunar New Year is also called the Spring Festival.  The events that occurred during New Years Day may impact your life for the rest of the year. Be careful in your actions. Be selective with what you eat. Greet people who will bring you joy. To ensure a prosperous and healthy year, you should enhance and stimulate positive energy flow at home, at your business and at work.  Everything associated with the New Year's Day should represent good fortune. To single people, good fortune may mean love and romance. Good fortune may mean good grades to students, children for families, jobs for the unemployed and health for the sick.  To help you find your fortune in the new year, we have put together the following Chinese New Year traditions and customs. You may also want to consult our "symbols" section as a quick reference.


WEDDING TRADITIONS OF CHINA



Red is the color of "Love and Joy" in China. At one time it was the brides favorite color of choice for the wedding garment, candles, guest gift favors and everything that went along with her wedding. In China today, many girls still choose to go by the old traditions of their forefathers, but more and more, the country is becoming westernized and brides are opting for the exquisite white gowns worn throughout the world.

CHINESE VALENTINES DAY

The evening of Chinese Valentine's Day is traditionally reserved for star gazing, and the classic retelling of the tale of Zhinu and Niulang ....

CHINESE EATING HABITS

Chinese eating customs, habits, and traditions are essential to understanding China. And in simple words, "Food is central to 'their' lives." Eating is a favorite pastime of the Guangdong people and many (if not all) of the other Chinese. Like the Americans or French, Chinese truly love to put food into the mouth and chew and swallow it.

CHINESE CHEONGSAM

The cheongsam is a female dress with distinctive Chinese features and enjoys a growing popularity in the international world of high fashion.The name "cheongsam," meaning simply "long dress," entered the English vocabulary from the dialect of China's Guangdong Province (Cantonese). In other parts of the country including Beijing, however, it is known as "qipao", which has a history behind it

CHINESE LANGUAGE

Chinese is spoken in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and other regions with Chinese communities. Chinese or the Sinitic language(s) can be considered a language or language family. About one-fifth of the worlds population, or over 1 billion people, speak some form of Chinese as their native language.