The Chinese scoff at the idea of ​​having a half-kilogram hamburger dinner, when that amount of meat can feed an entire family. They laugh at the European and American education systems and don't understand how children in the first grade can't multiply. But he, too, can surprise, amaze and stun, and not always in a pleasant way.

In the province, 30 million Chinese live in caves. Many cave houses have been handed down for generations, while others rent for $30 a month. When they are put up for sale, the price can reach $45,000. All cave houses are not alike - some are better, others are worse. Not all houses are equipped with electricity and running water. Thanks to natural energy, they are cool in summer and warm in winter. Even Chinese leader Xi Jinping once lived in a cave house.

In China, criminals are often executed, and there are also mobile execution vans in prisons. The exact number of those sentenced to death is unknown, as this is classified statistics, but it is believed that their number in 2015 amounted to several thousand - several times more than in all countries of the world combined. Most likely, this number is explained by the number of people living in the whole country. Drug dealers, corrupt officials and those accused of adultery are sentenced to death. Basically, the sentence is carried out by lethal injection.

In many cities in China, walking the streets without a mask is uncomfortable. Many Chinese do not go out without masks. Many people wear a mask as a preventive measure against infectious diseases, but mainly because breathing polluted air is very harmful. The harm from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day is equivalent to the harm from walking through the streets of Beijing without a mask. Smog, like the Great Wall of China, is visible from space. In China, not only the air is polluted, but also the water - 90% of all drinking water in China is polluted!

A huge number of people live in China, which means that a huge number of cars leave the Chinese roads. In August 2010, the world's largest traffic jam formed on the highway towards Tibet in Beijing. Its length was 100 km and it lasted for 10 days. In China, you can quickly get on a motorcycle, which has a separate lane. It even has a separate part of the sidewalk for smartphone users so that they do not create traffic jams among pedestrians.

China spends $200 billion a year on its military, while the US spends $600 billion. When training the military, old methods are used, including the old uniform. Until now, the military sew white collars to the tunic. In addition, in the neck of the tunic there are special pins that are pricked in the neck and do not allow the soldier to fall asleep at the post. In addition to dogs, geese also serve in the army, which patrol the territory. The Chinese army also has a pigeon troop with over 10,000 carrier pigeons. All this will come to the rescue if high technology fails.

China occupied Tibet in 1950 and continues to eradicate Tibetan culture and drove the Tibetan Lama to India. Communist leaders forbade speaking and believing in the reincarnation of Tibetan monks. After filming 7 Years in Tibet in Tibet, Brad Pitt was banned from entering China for 15 years. In addition to the ban on reincarnation, China has introduced a law forcing family members over 60 to visit.

In online stores, you can rent a cheap Chinese wedding dress. The original dress can be purchased here for $150. You can also pick up bridesmaids for $30 a week.

There are more Christians in the country than in Europe and the USA. 10% of Chinese consider themselves to be the state religion, and 6% consider themselves atheists. Other Chinese practice religions such as Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Islam.

No one will think that you can get a Ph.D. in bra science. Hong Kong Polytechnic University offers PhDs in textile exports, as China is the world's largest exporter. In China, there are entire cities that specialize in the production of socks or bras.

From 1980 to 2015, there was a law that allowed to have one child in a family. Given the aging of the nation and in connection with the economic prospects, it was later allowed to have two children. Many Chinese families try to give birth to boys more often than girls. More than 9 million abortions are performed in China every year, and 400 million abortions have been performed here in 35 years. Until now, the Chinese must obtain official permission to have a child.

The territory of China is similar to the territory of the United States. The difference is that China is in 5 time zones, but one is officially adopted. This is very convenient for travelers. It is inconvenient for the residents themselves, since the sun rises and sets differently in different zones, and the time on the clock is the same. There are some provinces where the sun has not yet risen, and the clock is already 10 am.

Every year, 20 million trees are destroyed in the country to make 45 billion sticks that the Chinese eat. First of all, it should be noted that normal food is also eaten in China. More than half of the world's pig population goes to cooking here. You can try not only pork, but also eggs boiled in the urine of innocent boys and men. It is considered a delicacy. The Chinese also eat large cockroaches, mice, duck embryos.

Dogs in China are not only eaten. Hundreds of dogs in China are dyed to look like tigers, zebras, pandas and rainbows. Some of the coats are colored with abstract patterns, while others have large eyebrows and mustaches on their muzzles. In 2013, a mastiff painted like a lion was shown at the zoo and deceived visitors for several days. The cats escaped this fate.

In connection with the birth control and the passion of the Chinese for the birth of boys, the successors of the family, the attitude towards girls and women in China leaves much to be desired. There are 143 men for every 100 women in China. Women have become the object of control and ownership, and their professional affiliation is challenged and ridiculed in male society. Despite globalization and global feminism, attitudes towards women in China have not improved. Before marriage, a girl must keep her virginity, even if she is already over 25. If her virginity is lost, then it is necessary to have an operation, which costs more than 700 dollars.

If a country has a huge number of people, then a lot of housing is needed, but in China they overdid it. In three years, between 2011 and 2013, more residential buildings were built in the country than in the United States in the entire 20th century. New skyscrapers appear every five years - and this has been the case for 70 years. There are 15 metropolitan areas in China. More than 10 million people live in each. There are 64 million empty houses in China, including entire cities.

In China, one child is born with defects every 30 seconds. Every year, the number of newborns with pathologies is 900,000 children, which is 20% of the population. This is very sad, but not surprising, due to the catastrophic pollution of air and water with chemicals. In addition, you need to pay attention to the diet.

Communist China banned the public from using Facebook and Twitter. Game consoles are banned in China due to the fact that the population of the country is becoming dependent on cyberspace. Camps have been built throughout the country where gamers undergo physical rehabilitation. Project participants undergo intensive physical training, wear uniforms and sleep behind bars. Despite the ban and blocking of many sites, 95 million Chinese still use social networks.

Almost everything that is produced in different countries of the world is produced in China. The Chinese government is fighting counterfeits, but their number is not decreasing. In 2011, the government closed 13,000 factories and arrested 3,000 people. 67% of all the world's fakes are made in here and this will never stop, as this business brings in 250 billion dollars annually.

Every year in China, 600,000 people die from backbreaking labor. The suicide rate is also high. If some rich man does not want to go to jail, he can pay, and someone will do it for him. It all starts from the moment of the trial, when another person appears instead of the real criminal, and the authorities turn a blind eye to this. If the rich man is in prison, then there is another way. If the prisoner creates a high-tech invention, then the term can be reduced. This is also a corruption scheme, since the invention could be made in the wild, purchased for money by the relatives of the prisoner and passed off as his invention.

On the summer solstice in China, a dog meat festival is held, where dishes from 10-15 thousand dogs are sold and eaten. In addition, 4 million cats are eaten here every year.
And here, where you can find very strange proposals. But everyone can find a job.

China is an amazing Asian state with a record number of inhabitants. The number of people exceeds 1.35 billion. The growth of the country's economy is rapid. Manufactured goods are in demand in the world market. China is the leader in terms of GDP. The country has united a thousand-year-old culture and science. Facts about China, amazing events arouse interest in the state among millions of tourists.

Ancient China

• It is considered the most ancient civilization. The territory of the state ranks third in the world in terms of area, located in one time zone. It was here that the compass, seal, and gunpowder appeared for the first time. Chinese from the 6th century BC. e. use natural gas for heating. This technology appeared in Europe after 2000 years.

• Since the 12th century, dark glasses have been worn in China. The accessory was made of smoky quartz plates. The purpose of glasses is to avoid prying eyes. During the hearings, the judges hid their eyes so as not to betray their attitude towards the defendant.
• In ancient China, length was measured using a special bell. The pitch of the item has been adjusted according to special parameters. The bell was connected by a string to another device and removed to a distance until the sound became consonant with a given pitch. The length of the string was considered a measure.

• The Chinese have been concerned about security since ancient times. For self-defense, they placed dogs of small breeds in the sleeves of their clothes. In case of danger, the animal jumped out and rushed to the defense of the owner.

Home of clones and fakes

On the territory of China there are entire quarters - copies of European cities and cultural heritage sites. The image of Western civilization is present throughout the country. From the end of the 19th century, cities were built on the coast according to the projects of European architects, which gave rise to the imitative craving of the Chinese.

The most amazing architectural objects are as follows:

• a copy of the German city of Anthing;
• a copy of the Austrian village of Hallstatt;
• a copy of the English Dorchester;
• clone of the Eiffel Tower;
• copy of Tower Bridge;
• the clock tower in Ganzhou looks like Big Ben;
• the city of Tianjin is similar to the American Manhattan;
• The city hall in Fuyang bears resemblance to the Capitol in Washington.

In China, they easily rent a white person. Chinese companies pay foreigners to pretend to be partners or employees of businessmen. Chinese entrepreneurs create the company's image at the expense of a white-skinned person. Only a wealthy enterprise hires a foreigner. In the city of Kunming there is a copy of the Apple store, and in the south of the country there is a clone of IKEA.

Culture and customs

• Dog eating festivals are regularly held in China. The event is held in the city of Yulin during the summer solstice. The inhabitants of the country believe that animal meat stimulates internal warmth, favorably affects health and brings good luck.
• The symbol of a carefree life is a Chinese lantern. An integral part of culture. Glowing paper structures have been launched into the sky since 250 BC. According to chronicles, for the first time lanterns were used by General Zhuge Liang to intimidate enemies.

• The color of sorrow in the country is white. The Chinese believe that souls go to hell after the death of the body. For a calm stay of the deceased in the world of spirits, a ceremony of burning special banknotes is performed so that the deceased would give a bribe to the ruler of hell. Celebrations are held in red colors. At weddings, festivals and other events, red elements are sure to be present.

• The symbol of good luck is an ordinary bat. Depicted on household items, clothes, in the decor of the premises. The revered mythological creature is the dragon. Along with him, the Chinese respect the tiger, turtle, phoenix.

One family - one child

Since 1970, China has banned the birth of more than one child in a family. In 2014, the law was amended and relaxed. It is allowed to have 2 children, provided that one of the parents was an only child or the first child was disabled. The ban does not apply to wealthy Chinese who are ready to replenish the country's budget with a decent amount of money. In marriages with foreigners, it is allowed to give birth to as many children as you like, but you will have to raise offspring in another country.

The goal of the Chinese authorities, who have developed a law banning more than one child in a family, is to improve the standard of living of citizens and increase economic indicators. In the 70s, families with many children did not have enough housing, parents could not feed their children on their own, they were transferred to the care of the state.

Women's territory

In the southwest of China, at the foot of the Himalayas, there is a Moso tribal society of 40,000 people. Women are in the lead here. The main feature of this nation is the absence of traditional families. Adults are free to choose partners, for the frequent change of which they will not be condemned.

A man visits the house of his mistress openly at night. He cannot stay in the morning. If a child is born from such connections, then the biological father has no rights to him and does not take part in the upbringing. Surname, inheritance pass through the female line. Men take care of the sister's child, with whom they live in the same house.

A sign that a woman is receiving a guest is a man's hat hung on the doorknob of the moso. People can meet once or for life. The connection ends at any time. The couples do not live together. The purpose of the life of Moso women is the birth of a child. Here, too, the Chinese policy of "one child" applies.

Traditional dishes

The Chinese, when greeting, are always interested in whether the interlocutor has eaten rice. The polite answer is yes, of course. The Chinese take food seriously. Basic food (rice, noodles, bread) is necessarily supplemented with meat and fish dishes. The meal begins in the country with a cup of tea, ends with first courses.

In China, food is cooked one at a time. Housewives do not buy products in advance and do not stock up. The dishes on the table are only in perfect condition, without scratches and chips. The Chinese believe that drinking from broken dishes is a disaster. Cutting food in a plate is unacceptable. It is crushed before serving. A dirty tablecloth is a chef's encouragement. Grease stains left by the guests speak of gratitude and delight.

The traditions of Chinese cuisine have been established since the Qin and Ming Dynasties. Food is healthy and healing. Cooks use spices, aromatic herbs, spices. In ancient China, the skills of a cook, a doctor, a pharmacist were considered one profession. Eggs aged in alkali and plastic wrap are considered a delicacy. The finished product has an ammonia smell and is black in color. For medicinal purposes, Chinese people eat eggs boiled in the urine of little boys. They eat cats, snakes, rats, insects.

Kingdom of the Little People

Near the city of Kunming is the theme park "Kingdom of the Little People", where dwarfs live and work. Every day they entertain tourists, play theatrical scenes, sing and dance. Everything in the village was created taking into account the growth of the inhabitants, so the guests who arrived on the tour feel like giants.

The owner of the park is a man of average height. He does not consider the work of dwarfs unacceptable, placing people in a kind of zoo. In his defense, the owner of the territory speaks of a decent income for his wards.

In a village with a developed infrastructure (hospital, school, shops), people whose height does not exceed 130 cm live on a voluntary basis. The government considers the Kingdom of Little People project successful. The main goal is the adaptation and employment of citizens. Due to environmental problems in China, the village is constantly replenished with new residents.

China is famous not only for unique inventions and rapidly developing technologies. The tomb of Qin Shi Huang was discovered on the territory of the country. Sculptures of the thousandth army, cavalry, personal items of the emperor are life-size.

China is an amazing country. This is confirmed by the following facts:

• Chinese is the longest written language in the world;
• The water wheel was invented by the Chinese;
• The representatives of the nation were the first to introduce the concept of the number zero;

• The national drink is tea, discovered by the Chinese emperor Chennong;
• The main holiday is New Year according to the lunar calendar. The Chinese consider this day to be everyone's birthday;
• Peony in China is the king of flowers, and the lotus is a symbol of purity;
• The 2008 Beijing Olympics are considered the most expensive in history. $40 billion was spent on the event;

• A new skyscraper is built every week;
• Social networks have been banned since 2009;
• In some regions, dawn comes at 10 am;
• Gender imbalance is expected by 2020. Not enough pair for 40 million men;

• National sport - table tennis;
• China is home to the world's largest shopping mall with 1% occupancy.

China is a world mystery. On the territory of the country, skyscrapers rise among the dirty ancient hutongs. Poor and rich people coexist peacefully. More than 35 million Chinese citizens still live in caves. In large metropolitan areas, due to smog, atmospheric pollution, the sky is not visible. In the minds of the Chinese, the cherished dream is to collect all the money in the world within the country.

China- an amazing country full of various sights and beauties! Ancient civilization of China was able to preserve the original traditions of its own people in the bowels of its lands, create a powerful technological basis nearby, peacefully coexisting with the centuries-old traditions of a rich culture. Grandfather's traditions adorn landscapes of primeval nature, unforgettable in their beauty - from the light airy surface of the purest rivers and lakes, surrounded by lush green vegetation, to the high snowy peaks of Tibet. Centuries-old ancient Buddha temples and modern skyscrapers metropolitan areas of China, gracefully and organically merging into a single stunning personification of beauty on our Earth, attract many tourists to China who will experience emotions hardly commensurate with anything else! Let yourself feel a part of these immense sensations!

• Total China square is 9,596,960 sq. km. China is the 3rd largest country in the world. Shanghai and Beijing are the two largest cities in the world by population.
• 14 countries border on China, and its coast is washed by 4 seas, since the country occupies a large area, the climate varies dramatically from subarctic in the north to tropical in the south.
• Population of China as of July 2006 is 1,313,973,713. China is officially the largest country in the world in terms of population. The Chinese Government has adopted one child law to prevent population growth. Unfortunately, this makes China one of the fastest growing countries in the world.
• In China, two years of military service is mandatory for men aged 18 to 22. Women of the same age group are called up for various military assignments.
• The largest part of the population is Chinese "Han". Mandarin Chinese is the official language in the country. However, China is inhabited by 55 other peoples who communicate in 206 languages.
• Renmin ribao, also known as People's Daily is the largest official publication.
• Tiananmen Square (Tienanmen) is the world's largest venue for various demonstrations and performances, and the Three Gorges Dam, located in China, is the world's largest dam.

Useful information about China

• Chinese civilization- one of the few ancient civilizations that has its own script. There are over 80,000 characters in the Chinese language. On average, a Chinese graduate already knows 5,000 characters.
• More than 100 dinosaur fossils have been discovered in Sichuan province. A four-winged dinosaur, theropod, has been discovered, said to be the missing transition between dinosaurs and birds.
• Emperor Pu Yi was the last emperor of China 1908-1912. Empress Wu of the Tang Dynasty was the only female emperor of China.
• also known as the Wall of Ten Thousand Li (Chinese measure of length is approximately 590 yards), one li is equal to 500 meters. In its original form, the total length of the wall was about 8,800 km. However, to this day, the Great Wall of China has not been preserved in its original form, and only a section 2,400 km long. preserved in good condition.
• Kublai Khan used silk banknotes as currency, jade currency was also used.
• Acupuncture treatment- treatment with thin needles that are inserted into various points, appeared in China more than 500 years ago.
• Chinese calendar based on the lunar cycle. This is the oldest calendar, dating back to 2600 BC. It includes 12 zodiac signs. The full cycle of the Chinese calendar is 60 years.

Funny trivia about China

• Paper, compass, gunpowder and the printing press are rightly considered the four great Chinese inventions. China is also credited with such inventions as the wheel and the first calendar.
• Ice cream was first made in China 4,000 years ago. Someone accidentally left a mixture of milk and rice in the snow, and when he returned, he found ice cream. Marco Polo brought the secrets of making ice cream and pasta from China to Europe.
• China has 3240 TV channels and 250 FM channels.
• Following British rules, cars drive on the left side in Hong Kong, while driving on the right side in the rest of China.
• In China, people have been drinking tea for over 1800 years. Chinese white tea is the pinnacle of the taste of ancient Chinese healers.
• The Chinese traditional greeting (Chigola ma or Ni chifan la ma) translates into Russian as "Have you eaten?"
• martial art kung fu was invented by the Shaolin monks to protect themselves from robbers on deserted mountain roads.

Religion

We believe that all Chinese are Buddhists, which is not true. Tourists love to look at the magnificent Chinese pagodas, and this association probably came from here. Buddhism is indeed widespread in China, but Chinese philosophical and religious thought does not live by Buddhism alone.

Traditional Chinese ideology rests on the "three pillars" - Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.

Most Chinese people are atheists. This is what official statistics say, and our observations fully confirm this idea.

The era of communism has borne fruit, and most of the population has ceased to believe in something. But the way of thinking, ethics and norms of behavior of modern Chinese are shaped by these three teachings. By the way, none of them can be recognized as a religion in the usual sense of the word.

Freedom in China

This country is considered one of the most unfree in the world. There was such a thing in Chinese history, but now everything is changing. The modern Chinese does not feel any serious control, although in fact he exists.

On the other hand, there is an order of magnitude more freedom to realize oneself in China than in Russia. It is much easier to open your own business there, it is much easier to do your own business, and not “work for an uncle”. There would be a desire to work, but the state will not interfere much with you.

In China, you cannot criticize the government on the internet. subject to strict censorship. But, the authorities listen to what is happening and draw conclusions. Events took place on, the Communist Party drew conclusions, and reforms began.

Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a former colony within the British Empire. Recently, it has officially been a province of China. In fact, it is a separate state. The authorities in Beijing are only responsible for foreign policy, and all other administrative matters are handled by local authorities.

It has its own currency, its own laws, its own visa regime and tax law. Citizens of Russia can visit Hong Kong without a visa, and you can enter the main territory of the country only with a passport.

The tax system in Hong Kong is completely different - there is no VAT tax (VAT), and many things are cheaper by 15-20%. If you want to buy an iPhone or iPad cheaply, then Hong Kong is the way to go. Many Chinese come here for smartphones, tablet computers and laptops.

The city of Macau is similarly part of the PRC, and also enjoys almost complete independence. It is a former colony of Portugal. It has its own laws, money and taxation.

Macau is a city of casinos, this is the Asian Las Vegas. If a Chinese wants to play poker, blackjack or roulette, he comes here.

The situation is more complicated with the island of Taiwan. China officially considers it its territory and province of the PRC. The Taiwanese do not agree with this, and most of the world accepts their point of view.

Taiwan is a hotel state. Everything is here, including the army and navy. This state is called the Republic of China (ROC), which translates as “Republic of China”. There are no negotiations on Taiwan's accession to the PRC.

Important advice for tourists. At Chinese airports, flights to Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan are referred to as "domestic" flights, and flights to these regions are boarded from terminals for domestic flights. Do not confuse.

We wish you a successful visit to China, and read our pages about this country ( links below).

Read about China on our website

China is a beautiful country, rich in culture and its historical sights! China today is a modern state that combines a thousand-year-old culture and traditions, and modern technologies and science.

So, the most interesting facts about China:

• China is rightly called the most ancient civilization on the planet. Many archaeological finds are over 8000 years old!

• Chinese is the oldest language in use today in the world.

• China is the third largest country in the world in terms of area.

• China is the most populous. Approximately one in five people in the world is Chinese.

• Toilet paper first appeared in China in the 1300s. It was then used only by members of the Imperial family.

• Also in China, for the first time in the world, paper, a compass, gunpowder and printing appeared.

• China has only one time zone.

• A very popular game among the Chinese is Ping-Pong.

• The color of mourning in China is different from Western European countries. Here the color of sorrow is white.

• Everyone's favorite ice cream appeared thanks to China. From there, the recipe came to Europe thanks to Marco Polo.

• Zhai Zhigang is the pride of China. This is the first Chinese astronaut to go into outer space. This event took place on September 27, 2008.

• Already in the VI century BC. e. Chinese people used natural gas for heating. This technology was not available to Europe for almost 2000 years.

the world's largest hydroelectric power plant - Three Gorges

• The largest The world's hydroelectric power station is located in China. It is located on the Yangtze River.

• In China, it is considered an integral, necessary part of life.

• 92% of residents China use the Chinese language.

• The color of celebration and happiness in China is red. It is widely used in weddings, festivals and other celebrations.

• The bat is a symbol of good luck in China. Her image can be found everywhere on household items and traditional clothes.

Yellow River

• The two longest water arteries in China are the Yangtze (Changjian) River, 5623 km long and the Huanghe (4672 km).

• The dragon for the Chinese is one of the most revered and respected mythological creatures. Next to him are the mythological tiger, phoenix and turtle.

Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

• The highest mountain in the world is Everest, at 8,847.7 meters above sea level. In China, she is called Chomolungma, which means "Earth Mother Goddess".

• The oldest calendar in the world is the Chinese lunar calendar. It has 12 zodiac signs. The date of creation is 2006 BC. e.

• China is the world mushroom producer. It produces 60% of the world's mushroom consumption.

• The Chinese were the first in the world to use stirrups - in the 3rd century BC.

Beautiful lotus flower.

• The sacred Lotus flower in China symbolizes purity and purity.

• Chinese lanterns are an integral part of Chinese culture. It is believed that they appeared in 250 BC. It is a symbol of long life and prosperity.

• China's Grand Canal is the largest water canal in the world. Its length is 1795 kilometers.

• The famous Great Wall of China is the largest and longest cemetery in the world. According to numerous reports, its construction cost the lives of more than one million people.