China is one of the world's oldest civilizations, located in the eastern part of the Asian continent. Its civilization and culture date back to the sixth century. The Chinese writing system is one of the oldest in the world, still in use today, and is the source of numerous inventions. British scholar and chemist Joseph Needham identified four great ancient Chinese inventions: paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing. Historically, Chinese culture has influenced countries in East and Southeast Asia, where Chinese religion, customs, and writing systems have been adopted to varying degrees.
The earliest evidence of human presence in China can be found near the Zhoukoudian cave, where the first specimens of Homo erectus, known as "Peking Man," were discovered. It is estimated that these early humans lived in the area 300,000 to 500,000 years ago and possessed knowledge of fire making and control. Due to the Chinese Civil War, China is divided into two parts – the People's Republic of China, governed by a socialist government established in mainland China, and the Republic of China, a country comprised of the island of Taiwan and some other islands.
Throughout history, various dynasties ruled different parts of China, with many leaving their mark. It might sometimes seem that one dynasty in China simply ended, and a new one took over. However, this wasn't the case. No dynasty willingly ended. Often, a new dynasty would emerge but initially maintain a limited influence, engaging in conflict with the established dynasty. For example, in 1644, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty seized Beijing and conquered China. However, the Qing dynasty's beginnings trace back to 1636, and even earlier, in 1616, another name ("Later Jin Dynasty") came into existence. While the Ming dynasty lost power in Beijing in 1644, their descendants continued to claim the throne until 1662, attempting to regain it.
Interesting Facts:
Most people in China enjoy collecting train tickets.
Chinese people smoke 50,000 cigarettes per second.
92% of the population in China speaks Mandarin Chinese.
Pandas in China are good swimmers.
Air pollution in Beijing is so severe that breathing there is equivalent to smoking 21 cigarettes a day.
If you see a giant panda anywhere in the world, rest assured it's from China.
There are camps in China for treating internet addicts.
In ancient times, Chinese soldiers sometimes wore armor made of paper.
The world's largest shopping mall is in China, but until 2005, it was 99% empty.
Monal birds in China sometimes nest in caves.
Wealthy individuals in China can send anyone to jail.
There is a high demand for bird nests to make soup in China; some nests sell for approximately $150,000 per kilogram.
China uses 45 billion pairs of chopsticks annually, resulting in the felling of 20 million trees every year.
China's population is so large that if they formed a line, it would never end because children are born so frequently.
It is believed that Emperor Shennong of China discovered tea around 2737 BC when tea leaves accidentally fell into boiling water.
Cosmetic products in China are tested on animals, a practice banned in Europe.
The word "censorship" is censored in China.
In some parts of China, sunrise occurs at 10:00 AM.
China is the fourth largest country in the world.
The PlayStation is illegal in China.
China is the world's largest exporter of goods and the second largest importer.
Half the world's pigs are in China.
China adopted its national flag in September 1949.
A man in China sold his kidney just to buy an iPad.
Chopsticks were invented 5,000 years ago, but initially, they were only used for cooking.
Approximately 300 million people in China live in cave-like dwellings.
Eggs are boiled in boys' urine in China.
China's railway line is so long that it could circle the Earth twice.
By 2025, China will have 10 cities the size of New York.
China's population is four times that of the United States.
More people attend church on Sunday in China than in all of Europe.
Toilet paper was invented in China.
A man in China was sentenced to 12 years in prison for eating the last Chinese tiger.
Most people in China wear red clothes because they consider red a lucky color.
