Interesting Facts About China
World Heritage Sites
Did you know - China's Great Wall is one of the New Seven Wonders of the
world since 2007. Curiously, it, a national symbol, is the only UNESCO
Wonder visible from space. Otherwise, the People's Republic boasts more
Universal Wonders than any country in the world: 38 World Heritage Sites
(compared to 20 in the United States), among them the Lushan National
Park, Yungang Grottoes, Yin Xu and Fujian Tulou.
Chinese Cuisine
Did you know -
China's
cuisine is one of the most popular on Earth, from Buenos Aires and New
York to Paris, as well as Tokyo and Moscow. It boasts eight regional
cuisines : Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan
and Zhejiang cuisines.
Land Area
Did you know - The PRC has an area of 3,706,566 sq. mi /9,326,411 sq.
km., making it the Earth's third-largest country, after Russia and
Canada.
Asian Games
Did you know - The city of Guangzhou -- also known as Canton-- has won
the right to host the 2010 Asian Games; the continent's largest
multi-sports event.
United Nations
Did you know- Since 1971, China is a permanent member of the Security
Council of the UN, along with Russia, France, Great Britain and the
States.
Ancient History
Did you know - In the 1340s, when traveler Ibn Battuta came to China was
impressed with the country's progress, and said "China is the safest and
pleasantest country in the world for the traveler".
The Last Emperor
Did you know - The People's Republic was popularized in 1987 by the film
"The Last Emperor", a movie which won nine Academy Awards ( Best
Picture, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best
Costume Design, Best Director, Best Music, among others prizes). This
movie, about Puyi (China's last monarch), was shot in the Forbidden City
in Beijing, the country's capital.
Tropical Paradise
Did you know- Hainan island, one of Asia's largest islands, is home to
some of the continent's most stunning beaches, fishing sites, resorts,
and seafood restaurants. It is the country's equivalent of Hawaii.
Neighbours
Did you know - The nation in the world with the most neighbours is the
People's Republic (followed by Russia and Brazil), with a total of 14
neighbours, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, India, Mongolia, North Korea, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia,
Tajikistan, and the Republic Socialist of Vietnam.
Marco Polo & China
Did you know - Italy's Marco Polo was a teenager when he set out with
his father for China.
Soccer
Did you know - By 2002 in South Korea/Japan, the Communist nation
finished 31st in the FIFA World Championships. It had never qualified
for a major soccer championship before.
Diplomatic Ties
Did you know - Beijing maintains diplomatic ties with more than 170
states, including former allies of Taiwan, like Chad (2006-), Costa Rica
(2007-), Dominica (2004-), Grenada (2005-), Malawi (2008-), and Senegal
(2005-).
China & USA
Did you know - In the 70s, America's author Roxane Witke published
"Comrade Chiang Ching", a unique book about Mao Zedong's wife, one of
the world's most secretive First Ladies in the past century.
Modern History
Did you know - By 1949, the People's Republic of China -- as large as
Japan and the United States together -- was founded, after the defeat of
Nationalist forces.
Table Tennis
Did you know - In 1959, the country's tennis table player Kuo-tuan Jung
became the first Chinese in history to win an individual world title
when he earned the gold medal at the World Championships in Dortmund,
Germany.
Chinese Leaders
Did you know - Deng Xiaoping -- one of the nation's best-known political
figures -- once said, "It doesn't matter whether a cat is black or white
so long as it catches mice". In the 1980s,Xiaoping built China into the
cultural and commercial center of the Asian world.
Mineral Resources
Did you know - The Asian nation is the world's largest producer of zinc,
followed by Canada and Australia.
Cinematography
Did you Know - China's movie "Hero" received an Academy Award nomination
for Best Foreign Language Film in the early 2000s. This was the second
nomination for the People's Republic in this category.
Volleyball
Did you know - The Japanese women's volleyball squad suffered a setback
when it was beaten by China -- the underdogs throughout this tournament
-- in the FIVB World Cup in November 1981. Japan had never been beaten
in international competition since 1978. After winning the match, the
PRC earned the global tournament ;it has never been forgiven by Chinese
people. In addition, Lang Ping, nicknamed the "Hammer Iron", was
selected as one of the most valuable athletes. China's gold medal set
off a frenzy of celebrations in Beijing, where Chinese youngsters dream
of emulating such renowned volleyball players as Lang Ping and Yang
Xilan.
World-Famous Events
Did you know - The Asian country has hosted several world-famous events:
-The XI Summer Asian Games (1990)
-Fourth United Nations Conference on Women, Beijing (1995)
-The XXIX Summer Olympic Games, Beijing (2008)
-Miss World Pageant, Hainan (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007)
-The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, Shangai (2001)
-The XXI World University Games, Beijing (2001)
-The 24th Winter Universiade, Harbin (2009)
About the Author
Alejandro Guevara Onofre: Freelance writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He has published a host of articles on world issues, Olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latin America.