Interesting Facts About China

China is one of the largest countries in the world and boasts an illustrious past that continues to evolve into global dominance. There is so much more to discover about this fascinating nation!

From delicious foods to unfamiliar languages, here are a few fun facts about Chinese people to help familiarize you with them better.

The Great Wall

The Great Wall of China is one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, drawing millions of tourists each year. Considered an important symbol of Chinese culture, and listed on UNESCO Heritage sites. However, many people hold misperceptions about it such as thinking it can be seen from space or even moon. Unfortunately this is simply not possible.

Qin Shi Huang was the original leader who initiated what became known as the Great Wall of China project. His goal was to construct one massive wall to protect China’s northern borders from invaders; smaller walls built by previous states were linked together; thousands of watchtowers were constructed; this massive undertaking took years and many workers died along its course; initially made from compacted dirt and stone while later sections utilized bricks instead of stones for building purposes.

There is a common belief that the Great Wall contains the bones and corpses of laborers who worked on its construction, which is simply not true. Badaling section is most frequently visited and frequently serves as the backdrop for movies.

Notable as well is that Chinese civilization invented and utilized the wheelbarrow in creating their walls; this tool allowed for transporting heavy stones up steep mountain slopes with ease. Today, The Great Wall of China stands as one of mankind’s greatest achievements and one of its hallmark symbols – an impressive accomplishment and unique accomplishment of human civilisation.

Crickets

Although they appear similar (crickets, katydids and grasshoppers are all members of Orthoptera), crickets have developed distinctive ways of communicating. Male crickets use courtship rituals to attract potential mates while discouraging competition; female crickets lay eggs in soil or plant material to produce miniadult nymphs who then undergo multiple moulting cycles before reaching adulthood.

As adults, crickets can fly, but most prefer running and hopping. Their remarkable sense of heat causes them to chirp more frequently in hotter conditions as their internal temperature correlates directly to external temperatures; when it is cold outside, their wings tend to close more often.

Crickets are omnivorous insects, eating fruits, leaves, flowers, seeds, grasses and even fungi. Unfortunately, they’re susceptible to predators like spiders, lizards, geckos, frogs, snakes, ants and birds – their camouflage and ability to quickly chirp serve as defense mechanisms against such threats.

Crickets are popular pets, often kept in cages or suspended from rafters and doorways. In ancient China, crickets were seen as indicators of agricultural timing and prosperity because they reproduce rapidly; their chirping was even considered an effective warning system against invaders since these insects would stop singing when danger approached.

Carlo Collodi made popular use of crickets in music with a song entitled, “Talking Cricket,” written for Asianartmall website. Additionally, cricket fighting remains a popular past time across China with crickets being divided into classes before being pitted against each other; although these matches rarely cause injuries.

Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is an indispensable part of life. Located everywhere from public bathrooms and hospitals to restaurants and airplanes, many take its availability for granted; yet shortages can be an inconvenience. Recently there was an unprecedented toilet paper shortage which caused people to hoard it and buy in bulk; according to Pirkko Petaja of Poyry Management Consulting the main cause was pulp manufacturers underestimating demand; as most are sold mostly to Europe and China with similar expectations regarding quality; yet demand in China had spiked significantly over time.

At first, toilet paper wasn’t mass produced until late 19th century – thanks to Joseph Gayetty who marketed his product as “Medicated Paper” with his name written on each sheet.

Modern toilet paper is constructed using a mixture of hardwood and softwood fibers that has been bleached white in order to achieve a uniform color, before it may be further customized with press marks, embossings, perforationss or scentings for ease of dispensing. Spools may also be included for convenient dispensing.

Some brands of toilet paper contain antibacterial additives. Additionally, they may be flavored to fit the needs of Chinese markets; oftentimes the paper features textures or embossing to add texture or embossed features that add embossed surfaces as well as perfumed scents such as chamomile, peach or rose fragrances. Soft single-ply varieties may exist alongside multi-ply variants with embossed jokes, poems or banknote motifs embossed into them for even further customization options.

Kites

Kites have long been associated with China. Dating back over 2,300 years, Chinese used kites to communicate messages, measure distances, and entertain themselves – Marco Polo even witnessed a manned kite flying during one of his visits!

Modern China offers an incredible variety of kites. Their designs can resemble animals, zodiac figures and mythological creatures such as dragons. Some come equipped with LED lights for night flights and light shows, and the most commonly seen type is called the Yangjiabu kite; it features one rigid bamboo pole at either end covered with silk material for easy flight and decorated to look like winged animals or creatures.

Flying a kite on a bright sunny day with your family is an enjoyable and stimulating way to spend quality time together while having fun. Additionally, kite flying can help exercise, train your body, change your temperament, and improve health – it is a fantastic activity that appeals to people of all ages!

Kites can be fun and educational tools in equal measure; they teach children about wind, weather and the science of flight as well as being an excellent way to gain insights into Chinese culture and history.

Kites can be an important part of wildlife conservation. While kites may seem harmless as playthings, they actually play an integral part. Kites are less vulnerable to habitat depletion and overhunting than other raptors (although humans still kill some occasionally), thanks to being adaptable eaters able to feed on both meat and carrion; making them keystone species – and are even known to steal laundry from people, as Shakespeare noted in The Winter’s Tale.

Numbers

Chinese numbers should be among the first things a person learning Mandarin should learn, since these numbers can be used for counting money and expressing dates and times of day. Once you understand their basic rules – for instance adding 10 + 3 makes 17! – Chinese numbers become intuitive.

Chinese people tend to be extremely superstitious when it comes to numbers. Many take it so seriously that they often spend significant money to ensure the numbers in their life look right – for instance, eight is considered particularly auspicious as its sound resembles longevity words such as Jiu in Mandarin and Jiut in Cantonese with different tones). Nine is also seen as extremely fortunate due to its similarity to eternity character Xi. Many ancient emperors even had nine dragons embroidered onto their robes symbolising imperial power and eternity respectively.

Certain numbers are viewed as unlucky; 14 in particular is considered particularly bad luck as its pronunciation sounds like Chinese for death (si in Mandarin Chinese and sie in Cantonese have different tones). As a result, high-rise buildings often omit floors or rooms that contain this number in China.

Chinese culture regards the number 6 as exceptionally auspicious due to its sound similar to liu (meaning smooth flowing water) which gives this number great significance, often featuring it written on car license plates or used when complimenting someone.

China boasts a civilization dating back millennia and boasts breathtaking sights and unique culture, while simultaneously boasting one of the fastest-growing economies and skyscraper construction rates among all other nations.

Even with all its accomplishments, China remains an amazing country to explore and discover more of. Here are a few interesting and weird facts about this fascinating nation to get you started:.

1. The Great Wall

The Great Wall of China stands as an iconic structure and an incredible feat of engineering, as well as being a powerful symbol. Built over centuries by China’s emperors to protect their territory from northern nomads, its construction spanned thousands of miles along China’s historic northern borders and involved millions of workers – an engineering feat no one will forget anytime soon!

Early walls were constructed during the 7th and 8th century B.C, though most were regional projects. Under Qin Dynasty control, existing walls were integrated into one massive structure; Ming Dynasty continued this work, which ultimately resulted in its current form being mostly erected at that time.

The Wall is actually composed of multiple interconnected walls and fortresses designed to best suit its environment, using materials tailored for their location based on terrain; stone preferred in mountains while compacted earth was preferred on plains. Furthermore, different architectural styles from multiple dynasties contributed to its creation; its remnants still lie scattered across China today in their vastness and beauty.

2. Paper

Paper was an essential invention in China and became an integral part of their culture. It allowed people to store and carry more information with less physical space required, making sharing knowledge across cultures and distance much simpler – this makes paper one of China’s Four Great Inventions alongside gunpowder, the compass and printing.

Cai Lun, during the Han Dynasty, invented paper in 105 AD using waste from worn fishingnets, tree bark and cloth from his village homestead to make the first sheets of paper mass produced; his process revolutionised how knowledge was shared throughout China and beyond.

The Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) saw paper expand rapidly during their reign. Paper was used for books, clothing, currency and even wrapping gifts or tea packets – its lightness helped prevent rust like metal coins would. Papermaking spread beyond China through trade and military conquest; Ibn al-Nadim mentioned how one bibliophile in Samarkand would collect Chinese paper that had been transported thousands of miles just so he could read it himself!

3. Ice Cream

China has given us many amazing inventions. Ice cream first made its debut around 4,000 years ago by mixing milk and rice mixture with snow; Marco Polo later introduced this amazing treat to Western culture.

China’s ice cream market is experiencing tremendous growth, and local companies such as Yili and Mengniu are leading the pack among international competitors. Their success can be attributed to positioning themselves as premium products that target young couples looking for ways to mark special occasions through ice cream consumption, as well as using social media promotion and offline marketing campaigns to market their offerings.

As China experiences an explosion of disposable income, consumers can afford more extravagant expenses on non-essentials such as ice cream. This has given them access to unique flavours and textures not available elsewhere. Furthermore, health trends allow brands to target those seeking low-calorie ice cream options; other brands create innovative ice cream designs that appeal to younger generations such as art works or cultural landmarks shaped ice cream cones.

4. Mushrooms

Mushrooms have long been an integral part of human diet and traditional medicine, serving as both an edible source and renewable power source. But did you know that mushrooms are technically fungi rather than plants? As opposed to photosynthesis-dependent plants, mushrooms rely on decaying organic matter for nourishment while growing on it; their lack of chlorophyll means they absorb food via decay rather than photosynthesis as the process goes on; in addition, mushrooms contain chitin (derived from crustaceans and insects exoskeletons) instead of cellulose found in plants, while mushrooms use unique sterols known as ergosterol rather than cholesterol for nourishment purposes.

Many species of mushrooms have been demonstrated to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anticancer and hepatoprotective properties. Their therapeutic potential stems from their ability to modulate PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways as well as induce apoptosis, inhibit angiogenesis and suppress proliferation.

Ganoderma lucidum, more commonly known by its Chinese name of Reishi or Lingzhi, has become one of the most well-known medicinal mushrooms due to its effectiveness at both preventing and treating various cancers such as gastric, colorectal, esophageal, uterine breast and leukemia cancers. Furthermore, this mushroom was discovered to improve immune response to chemotherapy/radiotherapy treatments, increase survival rates as well as enhance patient quality of life.

5. Cannibalism

Cannibalism has long been part of human history, yet can also be deeply meaningful practice. Confucius believed cannibalism to be morally justified when faced with dire situations; while in Europe during the 1600s and 1800s executioners and prison guards used body parts eaten from executed prisoners as medicine sold off to treat everything from gout to nosebleeds.

Western explorers throughout the New World portrayed indigenous people as violent cannibals for imperialist gain, yet this was often done out of love or devotion for loved ones who had died rotting away or been eaten by vermin; for instance, South Fore people in Papua New Guinea often consumed body parts from loved ones in order to stop worms eating their remains rotting away or becoming vulnerable to severe dementia from being left rotting away or eaten by vermin. Unfortunately this led to widespread transmission of Kuru virus which caused severe dementia as it spread among its populations causing its spread among Westerners as well.

However, modern anthropologists continue to incorporate cannibalism as an important theme into their work even though the practice has mostly subsided or only exists secretively in remote parts of the globe. Perhaps this phenomenon satisfies anthropology’s thirst for exoticism?

6. Internet Addiction Boot Camps

These photos from Reuters might recall images from a military academy, but these camps actually serve young Chinese who have become so addicted to online gaming that it interferes with their daily lives and relationships.

Treatment centres for internet addiction have grown increasingly popular since 2008 when China became one of the first nations to recognize it as a clinical disorder and provide psychological treatment. But reports of physical abuse at some treatment facilities has raised concern; one teenager even killed her mother for sending her there in 2014.

These centers typically require patients to participate in military-style drills and exercises, study ethics and watch war films – as well as undergo intensive one-on-one counselling to address any underlying problems that could be contributing to their addiction.

Parents hope to teach their kids that happiness lies outside of phones and games; rather than seeking validation through likes or winning games. While this message may be difficult for some kids to accept, some feel it is better than the alternative.

7. Dwarf Theme Park

China is home to over 83 million people with disabilities, and while attitudes have improved greatly thanks to Beijing hosting the 2008 Paralympics, many still find employment challenging. One park in southwest China offers those living with dwarfism both employment and respect.

At the Kingdom of the Little People, which is a for-profit theme park staffed exclusively by people shorter than 51 centimeters, employees perform shows including dancing, singing and circus stunts such as eyelid weight lifting and tight rope walking. Furthermore, employees wear costumes representing Arabian dancers and knights, princesses and jesters from Swan Lake or even its Dwarf King complete with Top Gun-inspired aviator sunglasses!

Even though this park has drawn significant scrutiny, its employees find refuge there. Li Caixia reports finding work hard to come by before discovering Dwarf Empire which offered her up to 2,000 yuan monthly – twice what might otherwise be available elsewhere. Furthermore, staff report an exceptional sense of community and friendship amongst staff; one couple met there have even started making handicrafts together that they sell online!