China (Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC),[k] is a country in East

Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the world's second-most-populous country. China spans
the equivalent of five time zones and borders fourteen countries by land.[l] With an area of nearly 9.6
million square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the third-largest country by total land area.[m] The
country is divided into 22 provinces,[n] five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two semi-
autonomous special administrative regions. Beijing is the national capital, while Shanghai is the most
populous city and largest financial center.
The region has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. The earliest Chinese dynastic states, such as the
Shang and the Zhou, emerged in the basin of the Yellow River before the late second millennium BCE. The
eighth to third centuries BCE saw a breakdown in Zhou authority and significant conflict, as well as the
emergence of Classical Chinese literature and philosophy. In 221 BCE, China was unified under an emperor
for the first time, ushering in more than two millennia in which China was governed by one or more
imperial dynasties, including the Han, Tang, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. Some of China's most notable
achievements—such as the invention of gunpowder and paper, the establishment of the Silk Road, and the
building of the Great Wall—occurred during this period. The imperial Chinese culture—including
languages, traditions, architecture, philosophy and more—has heavily influenced East Asia.
In 1912, the monarchy was overthrown and the Republic of China was established. The Republic saw
consistent conflict for most of the mid-20th century, including a civil war between the Kuomintang
government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which began in 1927, as well as the Second Sino-
Japanese War that began in 1937 and continued until 1945, therefore becoming involved in World War II.
The latter led to a temporary stop in the civil war and numerous Japanese atrocities such as the Nanjing
Massacre, which continue to influence China–Japan relations. In 1949, the CCP established control over
China as the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan. Early communist rule saw two major projects: The Great Leap
Forward, which resulted in a sharp economic decline and massive famine; and the Cultural Revolution, a
movement to purge all non-communist elements of Chinese society that led to mass violence and
persecution. Beginning in 1978, the Chinese government launched economic reforms that moved the
country away from planned economics, but political reforms were cut short by the 1989 Tiananmen Square
protests and massacre. Economic reform continued to strengthen the nation's economy in the following
decades while raising China's standard of living significantly.
China is a unitary one-party socialist republic led by the CCP. It is one of the five permanent members of
the UN Security Council and a founding member of several multilateral and regional organizations such as
the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund, the New Development Bank, and the RCEP. It
is a member of the BRICS, the G20, APEC, the SCO, and the East Asia Summit. China ranks poorly in
measures of democracy, transparency, and human rights, including for press freedom, religious freedom,
and ethnic equality. Making up around one-fifth of the world economy, China is the world's largest
economy by GDP at purchasing power parity, the second-largest economy by nominal GDP, and the
second-wealthiest country. The country is one of the fastest-growing major economies and is the world's
largest manufacturer and exporter, as well as the second-largest importer, although its economic growth
has slowed greatly in the 2020s. China is a nuclear-weapon state with the world's largest standing army by
military personnel and the second-largest defense budget.

People's Republic
Main article: History of the People's Republic of China (1949–1976)
The founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China was held at 3:00 pm on October 1, 1949. The
picture above shows Mao Zedong's announcement of the founding of the People's Republic of China in
Tiananmen Square.
China emerged victorious but war-ravaged and financially drained. The continued distrust between the
Kuomintang and the Communists led to the resumption of civil war. Constitutional rule was established in
1947, but because of the ongoing unrest, many provisions of the ROC constitution were never
implemented in mainland China. Afterwards, the CCP took control of most of mainland China, and the ROC
government retreated offshore to Taiwan.
On 1 October 1949, CCP Chairman Mao Zedong formally proclaimed the People's Republic of China in
Tiananmen Square, Beijing. In 1950, the PRC captured Hainan from the ROC[106] and annexed Tibet.
However, remaining Kuomintang forces continued to wage an insurgency in Western China throughout the
1950s. The CCP consolidated its popularity among the peasants through the Land Reform Movement,
which included the execution of between 1 and 2 million landlords. Though the PRC initially allied closely
with the Soviet Union, the relations between the two communist nations gradually deteriorated, leading
China to develop an independent industrial system and its own nuclear weapons.
The Chinese population increased from 550 million in 1950 to 900 million in 1974. However, the Great
Leap Forward, an idealistic massive industrialization project, resulted in an estimated 15 to 55 million
deaths between 1959 and 1961, mostly from starvation.
In 1964, China's first atomic bomb exploded successfully.
In 1966, Mao and his allies launched the Cultural Revolution, sparking a decade of political recrimination
and social upheaval that lasted until Mao's death in 1976. In October 1971, the PRC replaced the ROC in
the United Nations, and took its seat as a permanent member of the Security Council.
Reforms and contemporary history
Main articles: History of the People's Republic of China (1976–1989), History of the People's Republic of
China (1989–2002), and History of the People's Republic of China (2002–present)
The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests was ended by a military-led massacre.
After Mao's death, the Gang of Four was quickly arrested by Hua Guofeng and held responsible for the
excesses of the Cultural Revolution. Deng Xiaoping took power in 1978, and instituted large-scale political
and economic reforms, together with the "Eight Elders", CCP members who held huge influence during this
time. The CCP loosened governmental control over citizens' personal lives, and the communes were
gradually disbanded in favor of working contracted to households. The Cultural Revolution was also
rebuked, with millions of its victims being rehabilitated.[116] Agricultural collectivization was dismantled
and farmlands privatized, while foreign trade became a major new focus, leading to the creation of special
economic zones (SEZs). Inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs) were restructured and unprofitable ones
were closed outright, resulting in job losses. This marked China's transition from a planned economy to a
mixed economy with an increasingly open-market environment. China adopted its current constitution on
4 December 1982.
In 1989, the country saw large pro-democracy protests, eventually leading to the Tiananmen Square
massacre.[118] Jiang Zemin was selected to replace the reformist Zhao Ziyang as the CCP general
secretary; Zhao was put under house arrest for his sympathies to the protests. Jiang continued economic
reforms, further closing many SOEs and massively trimming down "iron rice bowl" (occupations with
guaranteed job security). During Jiang's rule, China's economy grew sevenfold.[119] British Hong Kong and
Portuguese Macau returned to China in 1997 and 1999, respectively, as special administrative regions
under the principle of one country, two systems. The country joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
Belt and Road Initiative and related projects
Between 2002 and 2003, Hu Jintao succeeded Jiang as the paramount leader. Under Hu, China maintained
its high rate of economic growth, overtaking the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan to become
the world's second-largest economy. However, the growth also severely impacted the country's resources
and environment,[123][124] and caused major social displacement.[125][126] Xi Jinping succeeded Hu as
paramount leader between 2012 and 2013. Shortly after his ascension to power, Xi launched a vast anti-
corruption crackdown, that prosecuted more than 2 million officials by 2022.[128] During his tenure, Xi
consolidated power unseen since the initiation of economic and political reforms.
Geography
Main article: Geography of China
Topographic map of China
China's landscape is vast and diverse, ranging from the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts in the arid north to
the subtropical forests in the wetter south. The Himalaya, Karakoram, Pamir and Tian Shan mountain
ranges separate China from much of South and Central Asia. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, the third- and
sixth-longest in the world, respectively, run from the Tibetan Plateau to the densely populated eastern
seaboard. China's coastline along the Pacific Ocean is 14,500 km (9,000 mi) long and is bounded by the
Bohai, Yellow, East China and South China seas. China connects through the Kazakh border to the Eurasian
Steppe.
The territory of China lies between latitudes 18° and 54° N, and longitudes 73° and 135° E. The
geographical center of China is marked by the Center of the Country Monument at 35°50 ′40.9″N
103°27′7.5″E. China's landscapes vary significantly across its vast territory. In the east, along the shores of
the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, there are extensive and densely populated alluvial plains, while on
the edges of the Inner Mongolian plateau in the north, broad grasslands predominate. Southern China is
dominated by hills and low mountain ranges, while the central-east hosts the deltas of China's two major
rivers, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. Other major rivers include the Xi, Mekong, Brahmaputra and
Amur. To the west sit major mountain ranges, most notably the Himalayas. High plateaus feature among
the more arid landscapes of the north, such as the Taklamakan and the Gobi Desert. The world's highest
point, Mount Everest (8,848 m), lies on the Sino-Nepalese border. The country's lowest point, and the
world's third-lowest, is the dried lake bed of Ayding Lake (−154 m) in the Turpan Depression.

The word "China" has been used in English since the 16th century; however, it was not used by the Chinese
themselves during this period. Its origin has been traced through Portuguese, Malay, and Persian back to
the Sanskrit word Cīna, used in ancient India. "China" appears in Richard Eden's 1555 translation[o] of the
1516 journal of the Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa.[p][16] Barbosa's usage was derived from Persian
Chīn (‫)چین‬, which in turn derived from Sanskrit Cīna (चीन). Cīna was first used in early Hindu scripture,
including the Mahabharata (5th century BCE) and the Laws of Manu (2nd century BCE). In 1655, Martino
Martini suggested that the word China is derived ultimately from the name of the Qin dynasty (221–206
BCE). Although usage in Indian sources precedes this dynasty, this derivation is still given in various
sources. The origin of the Sanskrit word is a matter of debate. Alternative suggestions include the names
for Yelang and the Jing or Chu state.
The official name of the modern state is the "People's Republic of China" (simplified Chinese: 中华人民共和国;
traditional Chinese: 中 華 人 民 共 和 國 ; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó). The shorter form is "China"
Zhōngguó ( 中 国 ; 中 國 ) from zhōng ("central") and guó ("state"),[q] a term which developed under the
Western Zhou dynasty in reference to its royal demesne.[r][s] It was used in official documents as an
synonym for the state under the Qing. The name Zhongguo is also translated as "Middle Kingdom" in
English.[30] China (PRC) is sometimes referred to as the Mainland when distinguishing the ROC from the
PRC.
History
Main article: History of China
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Chinese history.
Prehistory
10,000-year-old pottery, Xianren Cave culture (18000–7000 BCE)
Archaeological evidence suggests that early hominids inhabited China 2.25 million years ago. The hominid
fossils of Peking Man, a Homo erectus who used fire, have been dated to between 680,000 and 780,000
years ago. The fossilized teeth of Homo sapiens (dated to 125,000–80,000 years ago) have been discovered
in Fuyan Cave. Chinese proto-writing existed in Jiahu around 6600 BCE, at Damaidi around 6000 BCE,
Dadiwan from 5800 to 5400 BCE, and Banpo dating from the 5th millennium BCE. Some scholars have
suggested that the Jiahu symbols (7th millennium BCE) constituted the earliest Chinese writing system.
Early dynastic rule
Further information: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Xia dynasty, Shang dynasty, Zhou dynasty,
Spring and Autumn period, and Warring States period
Yinxu, the ruins of the capital of the late Shang dynasty (14th century BCE)
According to Chinese tradition, the first dynasty was the Xia, which emerged around 2100 BCE. The Xia
dynasty marked the beginning of China's political system based on hereditary monarchies, or dynasties.
The Xia dynasty was considered mythical by historians until scientific excavations found early Bronze Age
sites at Erlitou in 1959. It remains unclear whether these sites are the remains of the Xia dynasty or of
another culture from the same period. The succeeding Shang dynasty is the earliest to be confirmed by
contemporary records.[45] The Shang ruled the plain of the Yellow River in eastern China from the 17th to
the 11th century BCE. Their oracle bone script (from c. 1500 BCE) represents the oldest form of Chinese
writing yet found and is a direct ancestor of modern Chinese characters.
The Shang was conquered by the Zhou, who ruled between the 11th and 5th centuries BCE, though
centralized authority was slowly eroded by feudal warlords. Some principalities eventually emerged from
the weakened Zhou and continually waged war with each other during the 300-year Spring and Autumn
period. By the time of the Warring States period of the 5th–3rd centuries BCE, there were seven major
powerful states left.
Imperial China
Map showing the expansion of Han dynasty in the 2nd century BC
The Warring States period ended in 221 BCE after the state of Qin conquered the other six kingdoms,
reunited China and established the dominant order of autocracy. King Zheng of Qin proclaimed himself the
Emperor of the Qin dynasty, becoming the first emperor of a unified China. He enacted Qin's legalist
reforms, notably the forced standardization of Chinese characters, measurements, road widths, and
currency. His dynasty also conquered the Yue tribes in Guangxi, Guangdong, and Northern Vietnam.[52]
The Qin dynasty lasted only fifteen years, falling soon after the First Emperor's death, as his harsh
authoritarian policies led to widespread rebellion.
Following a widespread civil war during which the imperial library was burned,[t] the Han dynasty emerged
to rule China between 206 BCE and CE 220, creating a cultural identity among its populace still
remembered in the ethnonym of the modern Han Chinese. The Han expanded the empire's territory
considerably, with military campaigns reaching Central Asia, Mongolia, Korea, and Yunnan, and the
recovery of Guangdong and northern Vietnam from Nanyue. Han involvement in Central Asia and Sogdia
helped establish the land route of the Silk Road, replacing the earlier path over the Himalayas to India. Han
China gradually became the largest economy of the ancient world.[56] Despite the Han's initial
decentralization and the official abandonment of the Qin philosophy of Legalism in favor of Confucianism,
Qin's legalist institutions and policies continued to be employed by the Han government and its successors.
After the end of the Han dynasty, a period of strife known as Three Kingdoms followed, at the end of which
Wei was swiftly overthrown by the Jin dynasty. The Jin fell to civil war upon the ascension of a
developmentally disabled emperor; the Five Barbarians then rebelled and ruled northern China as the
Sixteen States. The Xianbei unified them as the Northern Wei, whose Emperor Xiaowen reversed his
predecessors' apartheid policies and enforced a drastic sinification on his subjects. In the south, the
general Liu Yu secured the abdication of the Jin in favor of the Liu Song. The various successors of these
states became known as the Northern and Southern dynasties, with the two areas finally reunited by the
Sui in 581. The Sui restored the Han to power through China, reformed its agriculture, economy and
imperial examination system, constructed the Grand Canal, and patronized Buddhism. However, they fell
quickly when their conscription for public works and a failed war in northern Korea provoked widespread
unrest.
The Tang dynasty at its greatest extent and Tang's protectorates
Under the succeeding Tang and Song dynasties, Chinese economy, technology, and culture entered a
golden age. The Tang dynasty retained control of the Western Regions and the Silk Road, which brought
traders to as far as Mesopotamia and the Horn of Africa, and made the capital Chang'an a cosmopolitan
urban center. However, it was devastated and weakened by the An Lushan rebellion in the 8th century. In
907, the Tang disintegrated completely when the local military governors became ungovernable. The Song
dynasty ended the separatist situation in 960, leading to a balance of power between the Song and the
Liao dynasty. The Song was the first government in world history to issue paper money and the first
Chinese polity to establish a permanent navy which was supported by the developed shipbuilding industry
along with the sea trade.
Between the 10th and 11th century CE, the population of China doubled to around 100 million people,
mostly because of the expansion of rice cultivation in central and southern China, and the production of
abundant food surpluses. The Song dynasty also saw a revival of Confucianism, in response to the growth
of Buddhism during the Tang, and a flourishing of philosophy and the arts, as landscape art and porcelain
were brought to new levels of complexity. However, the military weakness of the Song army was observed
by the Jin dynasty. In 1127, Emperor Huizong of Song and the capital Bianjing were captured during the
Jin–Song Wars. The remnants of the Song retreated to southern China.
China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, is famed for having united the Warring States' walls to form the Great
Wall of China. Most of the present structure, however, dates to the Ming dynasty
The Mongol conquest of China began in 1205 with the gradual conquest of Western Xia by Genghis Khan,
who also invaded Jin territories.
In 1271, the Mongol leader Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty, which conquered the last remnant
of the Song dynasty in 1279. Before the Mongol invasion, the population of Song China was 120 million
citizens; this was reduced to 60 million by the time of the census in 1300. A peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang
overthrew the Yuan in 1368 and founded the Ming dynasty as the Hongwu Emperor. Under the Ming
dynasty, China enjoyed another golden age, developing one of the strongest navies in the world and a rich
and prosperous economy amid a flourishing of art and culture. It was during this period that admiral Zheng
He led the Ming treasure voyages throughout the Indian Ocean, reaching as far as East Africa.
In the early Ming dynasty, China's capital was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. With the budding of
capitalism, philosophers such as Wang Yangming critiqued and expanded Neo-Confucianism with concepts
of individualism and equality of four occupations.[73] The scholar-official stratum became a supporting
force of industry and commerce in the tax boycott movements, which, together with the famines and
defense against Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598) and Later Jin incursions led to an exhausted
treasury.[74] In 1644, Beijing was captured by a coalition of peasant rebel forces led by Li Zicheng. The
Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide when the city fell. The Manchu Qing dynasty, then allied with Ming
dynasty general Wu Sangui, overthrew Li's short-lived Shun dynasty and subsequently seized control of
Beijing, which became the new capital of the Qing dynasty.
The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire
The Qing dynasty, which lasted from 1644 until 1912, was the last imperial dynasty of China. The Ming-
Qing transition (1618–1683) cost 25 million lives, but the Qing appeared to have restored China's imperial
power and inaugurated another flowering of the arts. After the Southern Ming ended, the further conquest
of the Dzungar Khanate added Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang to the empire. Meanwhile, China's population
growth resumed and shortly began to accelerate. It is commonly agreed that pre-modern China's
population experienced two growth spurts, one during the Northern Song period (960-1127), and other
during the Qing period (around 1700–1830). By the High Qing era China was possibly the most
commercialized country in the world, and imperial China experienced a second commercial revolution by
the end of the 18th century. On the other hand, the centralized autocracy was strengthened in part to
suppress anti-Qing sentiment with the policy of valuing agriculture and restraining commerce, like the
Haijin during the early Qing period and ideological control as represented by the literary inquisition,
causing some social and technological stagnation.
Fall of the Qing dynasty
Further information: Century of humiliation, Opium Wars, First Sino-Japanese War, and Boxer Rebellion
The Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China to defeat the anti-foreign Boxers and their Qing backers. The
image shows a celebration ceremony inside the Chinese imperial palace, the Forbidden City after the
signing of the Boxer Protocol in 1901.
In the mid-19th century, the Opium Wars with Britain and France forced China to pay compensation, open
treaty ports, allow extraterritoriality for foreign nationals, and cede Hong Kong to the British, under the
1842 Treaty of Nanking, the first of what have been termed as the "unequal treaties". The First Sino-
Japanese War (1894–1895) resulted in Qing China's loss of influence in the Korean Peninsula, as well as the
cession of Taiwan to Japan. The Qing dynasty also began experiencing internal unrest in which tens of
millions of people died, especially in the White Lotus Rebellion, the failed Taiping Rebellion that ravaged
southern China in the 1850s and 1860s and the Dungan Revolt (1862–1877) in the northwest. The initial
success of the Self-Strengthening Movement of the 1860s was frustrated by a series of military defeats in
the 1880s and 1890s.
In the 19th century, the great Chinese diaspora began. Losses due to emigration were added to by conflicts
and catastrophes such as the Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879, in which between 9 and 13 million
people died. The Guangxu Emperor drafted a reform plan in 1898 to establish a modern constitutional
monarchy, but these plans were thwarted by the Empress Dowager Cixi. The ill-fated anti-foreign Boxer
Rebellion of 1899–1901 further weakened the dynasty. Although Cixi sponsored a program of reforms
known as the late Qing reforms, the Xinhai Revolution of 1911–1912 ended the Qing dynasty and
established the Republic of China. Puyi, the last Emperor, abdicated in 1912.

Chinese People and Language

1. China has the largest population in the world.
China has a population of over 1.4 billion. The population density in China is 153 per kilometer square (396
per square mile). The median age in China is 38.4 years. About 60.8% of the population live in urban areas.
Read more about China population.
2. Officially China has 56 ethnic groups.
The largest group, the Han, is almost 91% of the whole population. Among the 55 minority groups, Zhuang,
Manchu, Hui, and Miao have the largest populations. Most minority groups have their own distinctive
culture. Some also have their own language and writing system. Read more about Chinese ethnic groups.
3. There are about 35 million people who live in caves in China!
Most of them live in Shaanxi Province. It is a Chinese architectural style dating back to the stone age.
People in some northern China areas appreciate underground and cave dwellings since they are cheaper to
build, easier to warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.
4. Chinese is the only surviving pictographic writing system.
Chinese is often believed to be the world's most spoken and most difficult-to-learn first language.
Mandarin is the official Chinese language and is taught in schools all over China. But there are many
dialects and even other Chinese languages...
Some regions speak a dialect of Mandarin; some regions have their own distinct languages. Cantonese, for
example, is spoken in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, and Macau. People around Shanghai, Zhejiang, and
Jiangsu speak Wu. These languages can be very different from Mandarin.
5. China has a variety of beliefs.
China has no unifying religion, but people hold a wide range of beliefs, mainly ranging from atheism to
ancestor worship to one of China's 'Four Major Religions': Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, or Christianity. Read
more about China's Religions.
China's Economy
6. China has a fast-booming economy.
China was the world's fastest-growing economy for over 30 years (around 10% per year for three decades).
It is now the world's second largest economy, it's 2020 GDP being 15.8 trillion USD. China is known as 'the
factory of the world". It is the world's largest producer of concrete, steel, fertilizer, clothing, and toys.
7. China has 18 cities with a population of over 10 million.
According to the latest data, China has more than 660 cities. About 90 of them have a population of over 1
million people. There are 18 cities with a population of over 10 million. The most populous city is Shanghai
having a population of over 24 million. Read more about top cities of China.
8. China builds a skyscraper every five days.
According to the published research, China has more than 200 skyscrapers that are over 150 meters tall
under construction. In the next five years, China plans to build more than 800 skyscrapers. By 2030, there
are planned to be more than 1,500 new buildings that are over 150 meters tall in cities of China.
9. China's railway lines can loop around the world thrice.
China has the longest high-speed railway network, which was over 38,000 kilometers (24,000 miles) long at
the end of 2020. The total length of railway lines of China is more than 146,000 kilometers (90,000 miles)
long, which is the second longest railway network in the world.
10. China has the world's longest sea-crossing bridge.
The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge is the longest sea-crossing bridge in the world. The total length of
the bridge is 55 kilometers (34 miles), including a 6.7-kilometer (4.2-mile) tunnel.
Chinese Culture
11. Confucianism was a leading philosophy in ancient China.
Existing for more than 2,500 years, Confucianism is an ancient belief system, which had an influential
impact on Chinese culture. It focuses on inner virtue, morality, and respect for the community and nature.
Its founder, Confucius, was a great philosopher and teacher, who lived from 551 to 479 BCE. His teaching,
thoughts, good behavior, and ethics were written down by his students in a book called "Lun Yu" or "The
Analects of Confucius".
12. Different colors have different meanings in China.
In Chinese culture, colors have lucky and unlucky meanings. Red is the favorite of the Chinese people. It
means good luck and happiness. White is related to death and funerals. Yellow is regarded as the royal
color in ancient China.
13. China has lucky numbers and unlucky numbers.
In China, numbers that sound like words with lucky meanings are considered lucky numbers. The numbers
8, 6, and 9 are lucky numbers. 'Eight' (八) in Chinese is pronounced ba and sounds similar to fa ( 发/發) as in
facai ( 发 财 ), meaning 'well-off' or 'becoming rich in a short time'. The number 4 is an unlucky number
because its pronunciation (si) is similar to the word for 'death' in Chinese. Read more about Chinese lucky
numbers.
14. Chinese poetry is China's most popular literary form.
Chinese literature is a vast subject matter that spans thousands of years. Literary works include fiction,
philosophical and religious works, poetry, and scientific writings. Among them, Chinese poetry is the most
popular form of literature. Ancient Chinese poetry is still read and learned in all levels of schools. Many
ancient Chinese poets are still honored greatly by Chinese people. Famous poets including Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai
Juyi, and Su Shi are well known to most Chinese people.
15. There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.
The Chinese zodiac is shengxiao (literally 'born resembling') in Chinese. It features 12 animals in a certain
order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The 12 animals
are in a cycle, which recurs every 12 lunar years. People born in a certain zodiac animal year are believed
to share
certain common personality traits and destinies.
16. There are more than 400 substyles of Chinese Kung Fu.
Chinese kung fu is also known as martial arts or wushu. It is an important part of Chinese culture. Chinese
kung fu is a large system of theory and practice. It combines techniques of self-defense and keeping
healthy. There are more than 400 substyles of kung fu. The most popular kung fu styles include taijiquan
(tai chi), qigong, Shaolin kung fu.
17. Chinese began to drink tea over 3,000 years ago.
According to Chinese legend, tea was discovered by Emperor Shen Nong in 2737 BC. Tea was one of the
most important products introduced to the West via the Silk Road. People exchanged tea for jewels, dried
herbs, and spices. Tea played an important role in the cultural exchange between the West and China.
Chinese Food
18. Chinese food has '8 Great Cuisines'.
There are many styles of cooking in China. The most popular cooking styles in China are know as the 'Eight
Great Cuisines', named according to different regions of China. The features of the 8 cuisines are as
follows:
Cantonese cuisine: sweeter, favoring braising and stewing, adding various mild sauces
Sichuan cuisine: spicy and bold, often mouth-numbing, using lots of chili, garlic, ginger, and peanuts
Jiangsu cuisine: fresh, moderately salty, and sweet, with precise cooking techniques, favoring seafood,
soups, and artistic, colorful presentation
Zhejiang cuisine: mellow, using fresh seafood, freshwater fish, and bamboo shoots, and a wide variety of
cooking methods
Fujian cuisine: lighter, with a mild sweet-and-sour taste, using ingredients from the sea and the mountains
Hunan cuisine: quite spicy, with a hot and sour taste, favoring sautéing, stir-frying, steaming, and smoking
Anhui cuisine: uses many wild plants and animals as ingredients, favoring stewing and more oil
Shandong cuisine: salty and crispy, favoring braising and seafood
19. Vegetables and rice are the most common ingredients in Chinese food.
For most Chinese, it is a tradition to eat vegetables and rice for daily meals, especially for lunch and dinner.
Vegetables and rice are the most common ingredients in Chinese food. Vegetables are regarded as healthy
food in China. If you are going to the food market of China, you can see lots of green vegetables for sale.
20. China's earliest chopsticks were used for cooking, not for eating.
Chinese people have used chopsticks for more than 3,000 years. But the earliest chopsticks were used for
cooking when people cooked in a large pot. To save fuel and cook quickly, they chopped food into small
pieces. It wasn't until A.D. 400 that people began to eat with chopsticks. For some meals, e.g. noodles, it
saves lots of time to eat with chopsticks.
21. People in Beijing eat scorpions on a stick.
The scorpions sold on the streets in Beijing are grabbed live, dipped in boiling oil for a second or so and
skewered on a stick.
You can find a lot of other insects, mollusks, and tasty sea things for sale on Beijing's touristy pedestrian
streets.
22. Chinese eat "lucky food" during Chinese New Year.
Chinese people eat certain foods during the Chinese New Year period for their symbolic meanings. The
most common Chinese New Year foods include dumplings (jiaozi), spring rolls, fish, tangyuan, niangao
(sticky rice cake), and so on. For example, in Chinese, "fish" ( 鱼 Yú /yoo/) sounds like 'surplus'. Chinese
people always like to have a surplus at the end of the year.
Chinese dumplings can be made to look like Chinese silver ingots. Legend has it that the more dumplings
you eat during the New Year celebrations, the more money you can make in the new year.

Biodiversity
Main article: Wildlife of China
A giant panda, China's most famous endangered and endemic species, at the Chengdu Panda Base in
Sichuan
China is one of 17 megadiverse countries, lying in two of the world's major biogeographic realms: the
Palearctic and the Indomalayan. By one measure, China has over 34,687 species of animals and vascular
plants, making it the third-most biodiverse country in the world, after Brazil and Colombia. The country is a
party to the Convention on Biological Diversity; its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan was
received by the convention in 2010.
China is home to at least 551 species of mammals (the third-highest in the world),1,221 species of birds
(eighth),[149] 424 species of reptiles (seventh) and 333 species of amphibians (seventh). Wildlife in China
shares habitat with, and bears acute pressure from, the world's largest population of humans. At least 840
animal species are threatened, vulnerable or in danger of local extinction, due mainly to human activity
such as habitat destruction, pollution and poaching for food, fur and traditional Chinese medicine.
Endangered wildlife is protected by law, and as of 2005, the country has over 2,349 nature reserves,
covering a total area of 149.95 million hectares, 15 percent of China's total land area. Most wild animals
have been eliminated from the core agricultural regions of east and central China, but they have fared
better in the mountainous south and west. The Baiji was confirmed extinct on 12 December 2006.
China has over 32,000 species of vascular plants, and is home to a variety of forest types. Cold coniferous
forests predominate in the north of the country, supporting animal species such as moose and Asian black
bear, along with over 120 bird species. The understory of moist conifer forests may contain thickets of
bamboo. In higher montane stands of juniper and yew, the bamboo is replaced by rhododendrons.
Subtropical forests, which are predominate in central and southern China, support a high density of plant
species including numerous rare endemics. Tropical and seasonal rainforests, though confined to Yunnan
and Hainan, contain a quarter of all the animal and plant species found in China. China has over 10,000
recorded species of fungi.
Environment
Main articles: Environment of China and Environmental issues in China
See also: Renewable energy in China, Water resources of China, Energy policy of China, and Climate change
in China
The Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world.
In the early 2000s, China has suffered from environmental deterioration and pollution due to its rapid pace
of industrialization. Regulations such as the 1979 Environmental Protection Law are fairly stringent, though
they are poorly enforced, frequently disregarded in favor of rapid economic development. China has the
second highest death toll because of air pollution, after India, with approximately 1 million deaths.
Although China ranks as the highest CO2 emitting country, it only emits 8 tons of CO2 per capita,
significantly lower than developed countries such as the United States (16.1), Australia (16. and South
Korea (13.6). Greenhouse gas emissions by China are the world's largest. The country has significant water
pollution problems; only 87.9% of China's national surface water was graded suitable for human
consumption by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in 2022.
China has prioritized clamping down on pollution, bringing a significant decrease in air pollution in the
2010s. In 2020, the Chinese government announced that China aims to peak emissions before 2030 and go
carbon-neutral by 2060 in accordance with the Paris Agreement, which, according to Climate Action
Tracker, would lower the expected rise in global temperature by 0.2–0.3 degrees – "the biggest single
reduction ever estimated by the Climate Action Tracker".[169]
China is the world's leading investor in renewable energy and its commercialization, with $546 billion
invested in 2022; it is a major manufacturer of renewable energy technologies and invests heavily in local-
scale renewable energy projects. Long heavily relying on non-renewable energy sources such as coal,
China's adaptation of renewable energy has increased significantly in recent years, with their share
increasing from 26.3 percent in 2016 to 31.9 percent in 2022. In 2022, 61.2% of China's electricity came
from coal (largest producer in the world), 14.9% from hydroelectric power (largest), 9.3% from wind
(largest), 4.7% from solar energy (largest), 4.7% from nuclear energy (second-largest), 3.1% from natural
gas (fifth-largest), and 1.9% from bioenergy (largest); in total, 30.8% of China's energy came from
renewable energy sources. Despite its emphasis on renewables, China remains deeply connected to global
oil markets and next to India, has been the largest importer of Russian crude oil in 2022.
Political geography
Main articles: Borders of China, Coastline of China, and Territorial changes of the People's Republic of
China
China is the third-largest country in the world by land area after Russia, and the third or fourth largest
country in the world by total area.[s] China's total area is generally stated as being approximately
9,600,000 km2 (3,700,000 sq mi). Specific area figures range from 9,572,900 km2 (3,696,100 sq mi)
according to the Encyclopædia Britannica, to 9,596,961 km2 (3,705,407 sq mi) according to the UN
Demographic Yearbook, and The World Factbook.
Map depicting territorial disputes between the PRC and neighboring states. For a larger map, see here.
China has the longest combined land border in the world, measuring 22,117 km (13,743 mi) and its
coastline covers approximately 14,500 km (9,000 mi) from the mouth of the Yalu River (Amnok River) to
the Gulf of Tonkin. China borders 14 nations and covers the bulk of East Asia, bordering Vietnam, Laos, and
Myanmar in Southeast Asia; India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan[t] and Afghanistan in South Asia; Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in Central Asia; and Russia, Mongolia, and North Korea in Inner Asia and
Northeast Asia. It is narrowly separated from Bangladesh and Thailand to the southwest and south, and
has several maritime neighbors such as Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
China has resolved its land borders with 12 out of 14 neighboring countries, having pursued substantial
compromises in most of them. China currently has a disputed land border with India and Bhutan. China is
additionally involved in maritime disputes with multiple countries over the ownership of islands in the East
and South China Seas, such as the Senkaku Islands and the entirety of South China Sea Islands, along with
the EEZ disputes over East China Sea.
Politics
Main article: Politics of China
See also: List of current Chinese provincial leaders
The Great Hall of the People
where the National People's Congress convenes
The Zhongnanhai, headquarters of the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party
The People's Republic of China is a one-party state governed by the Marxist–Leninist Chinese Communist
Party (CCP). This makes China one of the few countries governed by a communist party. The Chinese
constitution states that the PRC "is a socialist state governed by a people's democratic dictatorship that is
led by the working class and based on an alliance of workers and peasants," that the state institutions
"shall practice the principle of democratic centralism," and that "the defining feature of socialism with
Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China."
The PRC officially terms itself as a democracy, using terms such as "socialist consultative democracy", and
"whole-process people's democracy". However, the country is commonly described as an authoritarian
one-party state and a dictatorship, with among the heaviest restrictions worldwide in many areas, most
notably against freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, reproductive rights, free formation of social
organizations, freedom of religion and free access to the Internet. China has consistently been ranked
amongst the lowest as an "authoritarian regime" by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index,
ranking at 156th out of 167 countries in 2022.
Chinese Communist Party
Main article: Chinese Communist Party
The Chinese Communist Party is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China.
According to the CCP constitution, its highest body is the National Congress held every five years. The
National Congress elects the Central Committee, who then elects the party's Politburo, Politburo Standing
Committee and the general secretary (party leader), the top leadership of the country. The general
secretary holds ultimate power and authority over state and government and serves as the informal
paramount leader. The current general secretary is Xi Jinping, who took office on 15 November 2012. At
the local level, the secretary of the CCP committee of a subdivision outranks the local government level;
CCP committee secretary of a provincial division outranks the governor while the CCP committee secretary
of a city outranks the mayor. The CCP is officially guided by Marxism adapted to Chinese circumstances.
Government
Main article: Government of China
See also: List of national leaders of the People's Republic of China
Xi Jinping
CCP General Secretary and President
Li Qiang
Premier
Zhao Leji
Congress Chairman
Wang Huning
CPPCC Chairman
The government in China is under the sole control of the CCP. The CCP controls appointments in
government bodies, with most senior government officials being CCP members.
The National People's Congress (NPC), the nearly 3,000-member legislature, is constitutionally the "highest
organ of state power", though it has been also described as a "rubber stamp" body. The NPC meets
annually, while the NPC Standing Committee, around 150 members elected from NPC delegates, meets
every couple of months. Elections are indirect and not pluralistic, with nominations at all levels being
controlled by the CCP. The NPC is dominated by the CCP, with another eight minor parties having nominal
representation under the condition of upholding CCP leadership.
The president is the ceremonial state representative, elected by the NPC. The incumbent president is Xi
Jinping, who is also the general secretary of the CCP and the chairman of the Central Military Commission,
making him China's paramount leader. The premier is the head of government, with Li Qiang being the
incumbent. The premier is officially nominated by the president and then elected by the NPC, and has
generally been either the second or third-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC). The
premier presides over the State Council, China's cabinet, composed of four vice premiers, state councilors,
and the heads of ministries and commissions. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
(CPPCC) is a political advisory body that is critical in China's "united front" system, which aims to gather
non-CCP voices to support the CCP. Similar to the people's congresses, CPPCC's exist at various division,
with the National Committee of the CPPCC being chaired by Wang Huning, fourth-ranking member of the
PSC.
The governance of China is characterized by a high degree of political centralization but significant
economic decentralization. 7 Policy instruments or processes are often tested locally before being applied
more widely, resulting in a policy process that involves experimentation and feedback. 14 Generally, high-
level central government leadership refrains from drafting specific policies, instead using the informal
networks and site visits to affirm or suggest changes to the direction of local policy experiments or pilot
programs.
China - Wikipedia
: The typical approach is that central government leadership begins drafting formal policies, law, or
regulations after policy has been developed at local levels.

Administrative divisions
Main articles: Administrative divisions of China, Districts of Hong Kong, and Municipalities and parishes
of Macau
The PRC is constitutionally a unitary state divided into 23 provinces,five autonomous regions (each with a
designated minority group), and four direct-administered municipalities—collectively referred to as
"mainland China"—as well as the special administrative regions (SARs) of Hong Kong and Macau. The PRC
regards the island of Taiwan as its Taiwan Province, Kinmen and Matsu as a part of Fujian Province and
islands the ROC controls in the South China Sea as a part of Hainan Province and Guangdong Province,
although all these territories are governed by the Republic of China (ROC).Geographically, all 31 provincial
divisions of mainland China can be grouped into six regions: North China, Northeast China, East China,
South Central China, Southwestern China, and Northwestern China.

Foreign Relations
Diplomatic relations of China
The PRC has diplomatic relations with 179 United Nation members states and maintains embassies in 174.
In 2021, China has the largest diplomatic network of any country in the world. In 1971, the PRC replaced
the Republic of China (ROC) as the sole representative of China in the United Nations and as one of the five
permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. It is a member of intergovernmental
organizations including the G20, the SCO, the East Asia Summit, and the APEC. China was also a former
member and leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, and still considers itself an advocate for developing
countries. Along with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, China is a member of the BRICS group of
emerging major economies and hosted the group's third official summit in April 2011.
The PRC officially maintains the one-China principle, which holds the view that there is only one sovereign
state in the name of China, represented by the PRC, and that Taiwan is part of that China. The unique
status of Taiwan has led to countries recognizing the PRC to maintain unique "one-China policies" that
differ from each other; some countries explicitly recognize the PRC's claim over Taiwan, while others,
including the US and Japan, only acknowledge the claim. Chinese officials have protested on numerous
occasions when foreign countries have made diplomatic overtures to Taiwan, especially in the matter of
armament sales. Most countries have switched recognition from the ROC to the PRC since the latter
replaced the former in the UN in 1971.
On 21 May 2014, China and Russia signed a $400 billion gas deal. Currently, Russia is supplying natural gas
to China.
Much of current Chinese foreign policy is reportedly based on Premier Zhou Enlai's Five Principles of
Peaceful Coexistence, and is also driven by the concept of "harmony without uniformity", which
encourages diplomatic relations between states despite ideological differences. This policy may have led
China to support or maintain close ties with states that are regarded as dangerous and repressive by
Western nations, such as Sudan, North Korea and Iran. China's close relationship with Myanmar has
involved support for its ruling governments as well as for its ethnic rebel groups, including the Arakan
Army. China has a close political, economic and military relationship with Russia, and the two states often
vote in unison in the UN Security Council. China's relationship with the United States is complex, and
includes deep trade ties but significant political differences.
Since the early 2000s, China has followed a policy of engaging with African nations for trade and bilateral
co-operation. It maintains extensive and highly diversified trade links with the European Union, and
became its largest trading partner for goods. China has strong trade ties with ASEAN countries and major
South American economies, and is the largest trading partner of Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina,
and several others.
In 2013, China initiated the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a large global infrastructure building initiative
with funding on the order of $50–100 billion per year. BRI could be one of the largest development plans in
modern history. It has expanded significantly over the last six years and, as of April 2020, includes 138
countries and 30 international organizations. In addition to intensifying foreign policy relations, the focus is
particularly on building efficient transport routes, especially the maritime Silk Road with its connections to
East Africa and Europe. However many loans made under the program are unsustainable and China has
faced a number of calls for debt relief from debtor nations.