China Culture Facts
Cool China information, picture & uideo fun facts on Chinese people, history, religion, languages, culture, food, art, craft, traditional lifestyle, travel tips and general China country profileon geography, government policy, economy... everything interesting about China
Brief China History
The People's Republic of China, commonly referred to as China, is a country with a long history and ancient civilization. As early as 4,000 BC, there were settlements in the range of Yellow River.
National Flag of China
National flag of the People's Republic of China is the symbol of the People's Republic of China. It is the obligation for each Chinese to respect and cherish our national flag.
National Emblem of China
National emblem of the People's Republic of China is the symbol of sovereignty of China. It contains the national flag of the People's Republic of China, Tiananmen, gear wheel and ears of grain.
National Anthem of China
The national anthem of the People's Republic of China is also named The March of Volunteers. The words were written by Tian Han and the music was composed by Nie Er in 1935. Originally, it was for the movie Feng Yun Er Nv (Sons and Daughters in Times of Turmoil).
Geography & Topography of China
The People's Republic of China is situated in the southeastern part of the Eurasian Continent, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, and between North Korea and Vietnam, the total land area of China is almost 9,600,000 sq. km.
China Quick Fact Sheet
China'a formal name: People's Republic of China (PRC). Capital: Beijing. Head of State: President Xi Jinping elected March 15, 2013. National flag: Red flag with five stars...
Currency, Banknote & Coin of China
The bank notes of Chinese money is called Renminbi (RMB) means "The People's Currency". The popular unit of RMB is yuan" 1 yuan equals 10 jiao, 1 jiao equals 10 fen. There are parts of China where the yuan is also known as Kuai and Jiao is known as mao.
Public Holidays in China
China has seven official legal national holidays list in a year covering New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Day and National Day.
Chinese Chronology
China history information about figures, events, interesting facts on chronology and timeline of ancient Chinese dynasties. China, one of the four oldest civilizations in the world, has a written history of 4,000 years.
Mythological Beginnings
The Chinese claim a history of 5000 years, but early "records" are of a mythological and legendary nature. The very existence of the Xia Dynasty, documented in early Chinese histories as the first Chinese dynasty, still awaits archaeological verification.
Xia and Shang Dynasties
The Xia Dynasty of China, about 2100 BC to 1600 BC, is the first dynasty to be described in ancient historical records. The establishment of Xia Dynasty marked the end of primitive society and the beginning of the class society.
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty, from 1027 to approximately 221 B.C., was the longest dynasty in Chinese history, and in terms of written script, it spanned the period from ancient oracle script to modern Chinese writing. The capital of Zhou was known as Hao, located near Chang'an (today's Xi'an).
Qin Dynasty
During Qin period (from 221 BC to 206 BC), China came into unification for the first time and under reign of the first emperor Qin Shihuang. Its government seated in Xianyang (close to modern Xi'an).
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty ruled China from 206 BC to 220 AD. Han Dynasty was divided into Western Han and Eastern Han. The Western Han was a period of consolidation and made some military extension.
Sui Dynasty
Started from 581 and ended in 618, the Sui Dynasty only lasted for 38 years. However, it reunited the country in 589 AD after nearly four centuries of political fragmentation.
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty (618-907) is the most glistening historic period in Chinese history. During this glorious period, the politics, economy, culture and military strength reached an unprecedented advanced level.
Song Dynasty
In 960, the Song Dynasty gained power over most of China and established its capital in Kaifeng, starting a another period of economic prosperity. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and implemented the first Chinese policy to establish a permanent standing navy.
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) ended the 370-year divisive period and unified the whole country, paving the way for a lasting unification through the Ming and Qing period. Kublai Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan and the supreme leader of all Mongol tribes, established Yuan Dynasty.
Ming Dynasty
Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming emperor, established his capital in Nanjing. But in 1420 Beijing was designated the first capital and Nanjing designated the second. Their names mean Northern Capital and Southern Capital respectively. And it was the last dynasty in China ruled by Han group.
Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911, was the last of the Chinese dynasties. The dynasty was founded by the Manchu (in northeast China today). It flourished in the 18th century and declined in the 19th.
The Four Great Inventions of Ancient China
Compass, Gunpowder, Papermaking and Printing are four great ancient inventions in China that had an huge impact on the development of Chinese civilization and a far-ranging global impact.
Festivals in China
Major traditional holidays, food, music, film, tourist festivals and more celebrations in china is a great insight to essence Chinese culture and history. Most of them were originally created and celebrate for the seasons, harvests and ancestor worships and based on traditional Chinese lunar calendar.
Chinese Spring Festival
The Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, popularly called 'Guo Nian' in Chinese and means passing year in English, is the most widely celebrated festival throughout the year in China. Chinese Spring Festival 2014 dates Friday, January 31 based on Chinese traditional lunar calendar.
Tomb Sweeping Day
Get to know all the customs, tradtions, origins and lengends of the Chinese traditional Qingming Festival, or Tomb-sweeping Day, Pure Brightness Festival or Clear Bright Festival, Ancestor Worship Day that often falls on either April 4th or 5th of the solar calendar.
Dragon Boat Festival
The annual Chinese Duanwu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival, the Double Fifth, is a traditional and statutory holiday celebrated by rice dumplings zongzi making and eating, dragon boat race and realgar wine xionghuangjiu drinking... in memory of Qu Yuan, patriotic poet and statesman of the Chu kingdom during the Warring States period in China.
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival or Chinese Moon Festival, Moon Cake day falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, is the second grandest festival celebrated for harvest and family reunion after the Spring Festival in China.
Chinese Lantern Festival
Chinese New Year Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, a significant fete day after Spring Festival. During the Festival, children go out at night to temples carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns, as well as view ice lantern show in Harbin.
China Porcelain
China Porcelain fact on chinese ceramics, pottery, porcelain history, marks, antique vase; It is well-known in the West for fine craft, texture, sculpture and pleasant color.
Chinese Jade
Jade symbolizes beauty, nobility, perfection, constancy, power, and immortality in Chinese culture. Jade has a history in China of at least four thousands years.
Chinese Silk
Chinese silk facts on history, production, dress, fabrics, development, China Silk Road, art exhibition, silk brocades embroidery & painting making by ethnic groups.
Chinese Kung Fu
Chinese Kung Fu (Martial Arts), major in Shaolin and Wudang Kung two schools, are traditional Chinese sports originated from hunt and fight over 6,000 years ago.
Chinese Acrobatics
One of the most popular art forms in China, Chinese Acrobatics has a long history which has thrilled spectators for thousands of years. Originally viewed as an art form for the masses, it quickly became popular with the upper classes and was even seen in the court of China’s emperors.
Chinese Operas
Chinese operas cover Beijing Opera, Huangmeixi, Yuju, Pingju, Yueju, Qinqiang, Kunqu Cantonese Opera ...together with Greece tragic-comedy and Indian Sanskrit Opera are the three oldest dramatic art forms in the world. History, makeup, music ...
Chinese Tea
Tea in China, is an indispensible part of life than just a drink; Chinese tea culture of is colorful and full of traditions and history witnessed by six varieties of Chinese Tea; Green Tea, White Tea, Yellow Tea, Red Tea, Dark Tea, and Oolong Tea.
Chinese Food Cuisine
China is a food lover's paradise. What makes China unique in the world of food is that every province, city, town, and village has its own unique recipes.
Eight Cuisines of China
Chinese cookery methods formed a history of over 3,000 years ago. Yi Yin, a prime minister of the Shang Dynasty, was the forefather of Chinese culinary art. He wrote "On Original Tastes," for hist profound understanding of cooking techniques in ancient china. The book covers detailed, pertinent description of such cooking matters as ingredients, species, heat nourishment and hygiene.
Chinese Ethnic Minority Groups
A brief introduction on Chinese ethnic minorities in China. The list makes a clear description on the 55 ethnic minority groups from the aspects of distribution, eating habits, Culture, Food, Clothes, costumes and more.
Eating Habits & Customs in China
Dining tips and traditions in China tell that one thing to be aware of is that when eating with a Chinese host, you may find that the person is using their chopsticks to put food in your bowl or plate. This is a sign of politeness.
Greeting Chinese People in China
Chinese greeting customs, courtesies and tradition tell how to say Hello, common, basic, new year, business, verbal, proper traditional greetings, courtesy handshaking to/with CHinese people while you are traveling China.
Dining Customs & Etiquette in China
The main difference between Chinese and Westerner eating habits, dining customs, etiquette, table manners can be seen from that in western countries everyone has their own plate of food, in China the dishes are placed on the table and everybody uses chopsticks to share.
Chinese Kowtow
Kowtow describes the act of kneeling and touching one's head to the ground to show respect, make a bow, join hands together in salute and more used to be a custom in Chinese culture.
Hangzhou Longjing Tea
Longjing tea, literally called Dragon Well tea, is a variety of hand-made pan-fried green tea from Hangzhou, Zhejiang China. The famous tea grows in the Longjing mountain of Hangzhou, southwest of the West Lake, hence known as the West Lake Dragon Well or Xihu Longjing tea.
Fujian Wuyishan Rock Tea
Famous for Dahongpao Black, Wu Yi Rock Tea or Wuyi Yan Cha is a special subcategory of Oolong tea grown in the Wuyi Mountains, a UNSECO World Heritage site internationally recognized and protected for its biological diversity and significance as an ancient cultural site in Fujian China.
Huangshan Maofeng Tea
Regarded as the top among all Chinese green teas and always found on the China Famous Tealist, Huangshan Mao Feng tea is a green tea grown near Huangshan Yellow Mountain in the Anhui province of China, where is home to many famous varieties of Green Tea.
Taihu Biluochun Tea
Originally grown in the Dong Ting mountain of Tai Hu, Jiangsu China, Bi Luo Chun Green Tea is one of the Top Ten famous Chinese tea list. Also known as Pi Lo Chun, it is renowned for its delicate appearance, fruity taste, floral aroma, showy white hairs and early cropping.
Fujian Anxi Tieguanyin Tea
Tieguanyin, literally Iron Guanyin Goddess, is a premium variety of Chinese oolong tea originated in the 19th century in Anxi, a small and mountainous county in southeast China's Fujian Province, is hailed as the birthplace of this special tea with a floral aroma and taste.
Anhui Liuan Guapian Tea
Liu An Gua Pian Tea, literally called Liu An Melon Seed Tea, is a famous Green Tea and is listed on virtually all China Famous Tealists. This is made out of a unique traditional processing technology without the buds and stalks.
Yunnan Pu Erh Tea
Pu Erh Tea, a kind of dark black tea only found in Yunnan China Province, is originally produced in the "Six Famous Mountains" in Xishuangbanna and gets its name from Pu'er, a town where most of the tea is processed and sold. Pu'er Tea has a long history.
Suzhou Jasmine Tea
Suzhou Jasmine Tea is a type of sceented flower tea made from jasmine leaves and absorbs aroma from jasmine blossoms. Guide to sweet and delicious jasmine tea history, varieties, processing, health benefits and more...
Fujian Bai Hao Yinzhen Tea
Bai Hao Yin Zhen, literally known as White Hair Silver Needle, is a white tea produced in Fujian Province in China. It is a true luxury Chinese white tea made with the silvery unopened buds of the tea plant picked by hand during the April harvest.
Anhui Keemun Red Tea
Keemun Black Tea, produced in Qimen County of Anhui provice, is the traditional famous-brand tea in China. It is perhaps the most famous of Chinese varieties, prized for its toasty flavor, dark chocolate or red wine notes. "Keemun" was the English spelling for "Qimen" during the colonial era. Today, many people like to call the tea: Qimen black tea.
Yunnan Black Tea
Dianhong Tea grows in the Yunnan, the birthplace of tea. The name "Dian Hong" means "Yunnan Red" and is also called "Yunnan Black". It is used as a relatively high end gourmet black tea and sometimes used in various tea blends and was typically exported in a compressed form similar to modern pu-erh tea prior to the Han dynasty of China.
Chinese Hot Pot
Hot pot or Huo Guo chafing dish is a traditional Chinese way of enjoying food. In winter, when chilly temperatures and frigid winds prevail over the land, Chinese people like to eat food that instantly warms their bodies and lifts their spirits.
Chinese Jiaozi Dumplings
Jiaozi, or Chinese dumpling, was once one of the most popular foods in northern China in ancient times. Today, it is still served in many Chinese restaurants and frequently on the common people's tables as a traditional food.
Shandong Cuisine
Shandong Cuisine is known for its light seasoning, and delicacy. Its chefs make a point of retaining the original flavor, freshness, crispness, and tenderness of the ingredients. Among its specialties are Sweet-sour Huanghe (Yellow River) carp, fried crisp on the outside but tender that the meat can be shaken off the bones and melts deliciously in the mouth.
Guangdong Cuisine
Guangdong Food or Guangzhou food is a representative of Guangdong foods, including all the delicacies of Guangdong, Chaozhou, Dongjiang and Hainan Island.
Huaiyang Cuisine
The origin of Huaiyang (Jiangsu) cuisine can be traced to pre Christian times. The clear-simmered soft-shelled turtle, a Huaiyang specialty, was listed in the famous delicacies mentioned on an anceint menu.
Sichuan Cuisine
Distinct features of Sichuan Cuisine: They prefer steaming, simmering, and smoking. A common Chinese saying about Sichuan cuisine is that each meal has its own unique taste, and no two dishes have the same flavor.
Chinese Zongzi Sticky Rice Dumplings
How to make & wrap Chinese Zongzi or sticky rice dumplings, the most popular traditional food made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo, reed, or other large flat leaves. This food is cooked by steaming or boiling and often is made during Dragon Boat Festival and Spring Festival.
Chinese Bronze Vessels
The ancient Chinese Bronze Age began in the Xia Dynasty and a nebulously classified group of antique bronze vessels, horse, sculpture, vase were well developed in different forms since then in China.
Chinese Calligraphy
Chinese calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practiced and revered in the field of traditional art and sphere of the Chinese culture. It is not only a means of communication, but also a means of expressing wishes....
Chinese Painting
Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. It uses ink and brush technically to draw lanscape, bamboo, flowers, figures, peacock, tiger animals and more things in unique style.
Chinese Paper Cut
Paper-cut is a very distinctive visual art of Chinese women handicrafts. Paper cutting was developed from the 6th century with different patterns, designs, crafts, templates and sets of different animals, characters, people or flowers. These Chinese paper cuts are hand-made with rice paper in China.
Chinese Shadow Play
Shadow play or also known as shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated figures (shadow puppets) to show the vivid scene. The unique artistic value makes Shadow play be reserved from the ancient time.
Chinese Music
Listen to free traditional Chinese music and learn to sing Chinese pop and folk songs offers an insight of well-developed musical culture since the dawn of civilization in China.
Chinese Sculpture & Carvings
Traditional Chinese stone, dragon, ice, bronze art sculptures and ancient jade, wood, pottery, ivory carvings crafts of have been an important element of Chinese culture throughout history of China.
Chinese Dances
Music Dances of China in history covers ancient sword dancing, classical dunhuang court dance, ethnic Dragon, Lion, Yangge, Er Ren Zhuan, minority dance and more different types of chinese dances for kids and children.
Chinese Games
Traditional Chinese games for fun with kids & children; Mahjong, Chinese Chess, Chinese Go, Cards, Yo-Yo, more free educational, leisure party, board games offer a better insight into Chinese culture.
Chinese Knot
Traditional Chinese Knots (Jie in Chinese) is a decorative handicraft arts that began as a form of Chinese folk art in the Tang and Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in China. It was later popularized in the Ming and Qing Dynasty (1368-1911 AD). The art is also referred to as Chinese traditional decorative knots. In other cultures, it is known as "Decorative knots".
Chinese Dragon & Phoenix
Beside Dragon and Phoenix as Chinese totems, there are qilin, lion, red-crowned crane, sacred tortoise and more sacred animals for culture symbols in China. Down the ages, Chinese "long" and dragon are the traditional totems embedded with people's blessing and hope and left deep imprint in Chinese civilization.
Chinese Zodiac Year & Signs
Legends and mythology are a big part of Chinese Zodiac culture. The depiction on a circular chart of 12 different animals representing the 12-year cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar was built on the foundation of astronomy and Chinese astrology which has existed for over 5,000 years.
Chinese Astrology & Horoscope
Just like that of other civilizations,traditional Chinese astrology, horoscope, divining, anthroposophy based on Chinese Yin-Yang Theory, Five-Elements Theory and Chinese Zodiac came into being with their unique patterns at remote antiquity since ancient Chinese people worshiped the power of nature from master Gods.
Chinese Feng Shui
The harmony among people, heaven and earth is the highest principle of Chinese Fengshui theory, a philosophical system blending astronomy, geography, and ergonomics for guide to human existence with surrounding environment. Its three major components: qi, shu and xiang, which respectively mean energy, information, and form. The three are integrated, yet distinctively different from each other.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine originated with Shennong, the celebrated herbal medicine master of ancient China who lived about 6,000 years ago, a time which is believed to the embryo stage in the development of traditional Chinese medicine.
Chinese Name Culture
In China, most people's names have two parts, the family names and the given names. One person may have different names. For example, when they are very young at home, they usually have pet names. In school and society they use their formal names.
