China Facts

China is reputed as the oldest continuous civilization in the world. Its unique culture and customs make it a charming place for visiting. Before setting foot on this enchanting land, you are suggested knowing some facts about the country.
 

Full Name: The People's Republic of China
Chinese Name: 中华人民共和国 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó)
Area: 9,600,000 sq km (3,706,580 sq mi)
Population: 1.37 billion (2014)
Location: middle and east Asia, bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean
Capital: Beijing
 

Chinese People

China is one of the earliest places where mankind originated. Early in the 21st Century BC, China entered the heritable imperial stage. Having experienced Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties and many other turbulent times, the country finally ended the feudal society and the People's Republic of China was set up in 1949. Now it is developing vigorously, becoming a main economic force in the world.
 

Located in east Asia and along the west coast of the Pacific, China covers an area of 9,600,000 sq km (3,706,580 sq mi), being the third largest country in the world. Generally it has a landform descending from the higher plateaus and mountainous areas in the west to the lower plains and coastal areas in the east.

 See also: Top 10 Biggest Cities in China by Area
 

They are the largest nationality in the world. Since the earliest historical times, they have lived, multiplied and labored in this land. During the several thousand years' development, they have made great contribution to the world due to their wisdom and hard working. The advanced agriculture and manufacture, as well as the Four Great Inventions, have impressed and shocked the world. 
 

Chinese Language

They are composed of the surnames and the given names. The main sources of surnames come from the following cases: first, in matriarchal clan society, people took their mothers' given name as the family name, such as 姬 (Ji), 姚 (Yao) and 姜 (Jiang); second, in the distant past, the worshipped living creatures were taken as the family names, like 牛 (Niu), 马 (Ma) and 羊 (Yang); third, the ancestors' country names were taken as the family names, such as 宋 (Song), 秦 (Qin), 赵 (Zhao) and 吴 (Wu). The given names often connect with good wills, and men's given names are generally different from women's.

 

Chinese people speak mandarin (Putong Hua, Hanyu, Huayu, Guoyu, standard Chinese) which is based on Beijing Dialect. From the inscriptions on oracle bones in the Shang Dynasty, it is concluded that the formation of Chinese characters has a history of more than 3,000 years. Its development can be divided into two major periods: from inscriptions on oracle bones to mini-seal script, and from Li calligraphy to modern character.
 Being a state of ceremonies, China takes the etiquette as an important part of its traditional culture. The civilization of etiquette, rich in content, has made great influence to the history and development of its society, and it almost permeates all aspects of the ancient society. Moreover, endowed with the 5,000 years of civilization, Chinese are known to the world for their politeness and good manners.
 

Formal Dress

The standard time used throughout the country is eight hours ahead of the Universal Time Coordinated. It is called Beijing Time, but not refers to the Beijing (116.4 E. longitude) local time, instead, it is the time taken in Lintong District, Shaanxi Province whose longitude is 116 degrees east, the geometric centre of the country.
 How people wear, what they wear can sometimes manifest a country's culture to some extent. Like most westerners, Chinese people also pay much attention to their dressing. In traditional festival, they will wear more formal than usual. On different occasions, different styles of clothes will be dressed. Sometimes, people are particular about the color of their dresses.
 According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on Nationality, China does not recognize the dual nationality for any of its citizen. If a Chinese citizen bears another citizenship of a foreign country, the Chinese citizenship he possesses will be automatically invalid.
 

Lantern Festival

There are many different ways to know the country well, such as through television, newspaper, radio and internet, all of which are English-version available.
 The public holidays Chinese enjoy now include the New Year's Day, the Chinese New Year, the Qingming Festival, the May Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-autumn Festival and the National Day. During these days, many people would like to have a good rest or go traveling. The Chinese New Year and the National Holiday, these two 'Golden Weeks', are the peak times for passenger transport, as during these periods of time, Chinese will go for family reunion or traveling, so you should avoid these days on your plan to the country.
 

Photography in Li River Cruise

China is a beautiful land. The charming scenery will certainly impress you and make you cannot stop snapping the shutter. As in all countries, there are certain military/sensitive areas where pictures are prohibited. These areas are clearly marked.

Nearly 848 million Chinese live in cities. Top 10 most populated cities in China are Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Harbin and Suzhou.

 See also: Top 10 Largest Cities in China by Population
 

In this part, you will get to know the metric system, including the units of weights and measures.
 The Adoption Law of the People's Republic of China allows qualified foreigners to adopt Chinese children aged less than 14 years old.