99 Fun Facts About China

What is the capital city of China?

Beijing, formerly romanised as Peking, has been China's seat of government for most of the last six centuries, serving the Ming, the Qing and the People's Republic.

Which river is recognized as the longest in China?

The Yangtze runs about 6,236 km from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea, and its delta produces as much as a fifth of China's GDP.

Which large desert is partially located in northern China and southern Mongolia?

The Gobi Desert stretches across southern Mongolia and northern China; at about 1.3 million square kilometres it is Asia's second-largest desert, behind the Arabian Desert.

Which mountain range, spanning five countries in all, forms the natural border between China and Nepal?

The Himalayas span five countries: Nepal, India, China, Bhutan and Pakistan; the range rose as the Indian plate collided with Eurasia roughly 50 million years ago.

Which dynasty is credited with unifying China for the first time?

The Qin dynasty ended the Warring States period and unified China in 221 BCE, but it lasted only 15 years before the Han dynasty took over in 206 BCE.

Which river winds past the karst peaks of Guilin in Guangxi?

The Li River flows about 80 km from Guilin to Yangshuo between limestone karst towers; the scenery appears on the back of the 20-yuan banknote.

In which year did farmers digging a well in Lintong County uncover the Terracotta Army?

Farmers digging a well near Lintong struck the first figures in March 1974; the soldiers' painted lacquer curls within seconds of meeting dry air, which is why most now look like plain clay.

The Great Wall of China was primarily constructed for what main purpose?

The Great Wall of China was primarily built and reinforced over centuries to protect the Chinese states and empires from raids and invasions by nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe, particularly the Mongols.

In what year was the People's Republic of China officially established?

The People's Republic of China was proclaimed on 1 October 1949 in Tiananmen Square, after the Communist victory in the civil war drove the Nationalist government to Taiwan.

Who was the founding leader of the People's Republic of China?

Mao Zedong was the principal Chinese Marxist theorist, soldier, and statesman who led his country's communist revolution and founded the People's Republic of China.

The last imperial dynasty of China, which fell in 1912, was which dynasty?

The Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) was the last imperial dynasty of China, overthrown by the Xinhai Revolution which led to the establishment of the Republic of China.

Which 1966 movement aimed to preserve Chinese communism by purging capitalist and traditional elements?

The Cultural Revolution, launched by Mao in May 1966, ran until 1976 and ended only with his death and the arrest of the Gang of Four.

Which ancient trade route connected China with the West, facilitating cultural and economic exchange?

The Silk Road's name was only coined in the late 19th century; the network itself grew from the Han envoy Zhang Qian's missions into Central Asia in the 2nd century BCE.

Which philosophical system did the Han Dynasty adopt as its state ideology?

Emperor Wu made Confucianism the Han court's official school of thought from around 136 BCE, blending it with Dong Zhongshu's cosmology.

What is the official currency of the People's Republic of China?

Strictly the currency is the renminbi ('people's currency') and the yuan is its base unit, divided into 10 jiao and 100 fen.

Which traditional Chinese game, often played with tiles, translates to 'sparrow' in some dialects?

Mahjong is written with characters that mean 'sparrow' in Cantonese and other southern dialects; the clacking of tiles being shuffled is said to sound like chattering sparrows.

The Chinese Zodiac consists of how many animal signs?

The Chinese Zodiac is a repeating 12-year cycle, with each year represented by one of 12 animal signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

What is the official language of mainland China?

Mandarin Chinese, specifically Standard Mandarin, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, and one of the four official languages of Singapore.

Which Chinese philosopher is linked to the 'Mandate of Heaven' and stressed ethics and social harmony?

Confucius (551–479 BCE) lived amid the feuding states of the Spring and Autumn period and taught that rulers keep the Mandate of Heaven through virtue, ritual and social harmony.

Which of these inventions is attributed to ancient China?

Block printing began in China as a way of printing patterns on cloth, with surviving examples from before 220 AD, and was being used for books by the Tang era.

Which Ming ruler began the Forbidden City in 1406 after moving the capital north from Nanjing?

The Yongle Emperor moved the Ming capital from Nanjing to Beijing and began the Forbidden City in 1406; finished in 1420, it housed 24 Ming and Qing emperors.

Which animal, native to China, is a global symbol of conservation and known for its black and white fur?

The giant panda's scientific name, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, literally means 'black-and-white cat-foot'; the species was moved from 'endangered' to 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List in 2016.

Which dam near Yichang in Hubei is the world's largest power station by installed capacity?

The Three Gorges Dam's 22,500 MW of turbines generate roughly 95 TWh a year, and its reservoir stretches about 600 km upstream along the Yangtze.

Which historical period in China, following the Qing Dynasty, was established in 1912?

The Republic of China was established on January 1, 1912, following the Xinhai Revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty, ending over two millennia of imperial rule.

What is the traditional Chinese New Year also known as?

The Spring Festival is Chinese New Year's name in mainland China, marking the end of winter and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar.

What is the highest mountain peak in China?

Mount Everest, Qomolangma in Tibetan ('Holy Mother'), rises 8,849 m with its summit on the China–Nepal border, making it the highest point in China and on Earth.

Macau returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1999 after 442 years under which European power?

Portugal settled Macau as a trading post with Ming permission in 1557 and handed it back on 20 December 1999, with its systems guaranteed for 50 years.

What traditional Chinese art form involves rhythmic brushstrokes to create characters?

Chinese calligraphy is an ancient art form that uses brush and ink to write Chinese characters, valued for both its aesthetic beauty and the skill involved in its execution.

Which Chinese philosophical system is traditionally traced to the sage Laozi?

Daoism (Taoism) is an ancient Chinese philosophy and religion whose central tenet is living in harmony with the Dao, an ultimate cosmic force. It is attributed to the sage Laozi.

What are the large circular communal dwellings of Fujian province called?

Fujian Tulou are unique Chinese rural dwellings, typically large, enclosed, and circular or rectangular earthen buildings, inhabited by Hakka communities in the mountainous areas of southeastern Fujian.

Which river, the cradle of Chinese civilisation, is nicknamed 'China's Sorrow' for its floods?

The Yellow River earned the name 'China's Sorrow' with some 1,593 recorded floods between 595 BC and 1946, and it has repeatedly changed course across the North China Plain.

The historical period of the 'Three Kingdoms' in China followed the collapse of which major dynasty?

The Han dynasty's collapse in 220 AD left Cao Wei, Shu Han and Eastern Wu contesting the country until the Western Jin reunified it in 280.

What is the traditional Chinese women's garment with a high collar and form-fitting silhouette?

The cheongsam, or qipao, took its form-fitting shape in 1920s Shanghai; it usually has a high collar and an asymmetric left-over-right opening fastened with frog buttons.

Which Chinese martial art, practised for health and meditation, is known for slow, flowing movements in its Yang, Wu and Chen styles?

Tai Chi Chuan's three most popular styles, Yang, Wu and Chen, can all be practised fast once the slow forms have taught correct alignment.

Tang-era Chinese alchemists are thought to have stumbled on gunpowder while trying to make what?

Daoist alchemists seeking an elixir of life mixed saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal; the first confirmed reference appears in an 808 text, and a mid-9th-century Daoist work warns the mixture burned hands and houses.

Which Chinese philosopher wrote 'The Art of War'?

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in ancient China. He is traditionally credited as the author of 'The Art of War', an influential work of military strategy.

What is the world's longest artificial waterway, connecting Beijing with Hangzhou, called?

The Grand Canal's main stem runs about 1,776 km between Beijing and Hangzhou, and the whole system was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2014.

Which of these major Chinese holidays is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival?

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a traditional harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is one of the most important traditional holidays in China.

What is the largest city in China by urban population?

Shanghai's urban area holds roughly 25–30 million people, ahead of Beijing and Guangzhou; the 2020 census counted 24.9 million residents in the municipality.

Which Chinese tea, oxidised only partway, includes the Tieguanyin and Da Hong Pao varieties?

Oolong tea is partially oxidised, between green and black; Tieguanyin from Anxi county in Fujian and Da Hong Pao from the Wuyi Mountains are its most celebrated varieties.

In what year did Hong Kong return to Chinese sovereignty from British rule?

Hong Kong was handed over from British to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, becoming a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

Which Chinese opera form took shape after Anhui troupes arrived at the Qing court in 1790?

Peking Opera (Jingju) took shape after the Four Great Anhui Troupes arrived in Beijing in 1790 for the Qianlong Emperor's 80th birthday, blending Anhui and Hubei styles into its hallmark singing, mime and acrobatics.

Which Chinese leader launched the late-1970s economic reforms behind China's rapid growth?

Deng Xiaoping became paramount leader by 1978 without ever holding the top party or state office, and steered China toward a 'socialist market economy' through reform and opening-up.

What is the name for the traditional Chinese art of arranging small trees and plants in containers?

Penjing is the ancient Chinese art of depicting entire landscapes or trees in miniature. It is related to, but distinct from, the Japanese art of bonsai.

Which ancient Chinese invention is critical for navigation and exploration?

The compass began as the Han-era lodestone 'south-pointing spoon' used for divination; only around the 11th century was a magnetised needle turned to steering ships.

What is the name of the traditional Chinese steamed bun, often filled with meat or vegetables?

Baozi (or bao) is a type of steamed, filled bun or bread-like item in various Chinese cuisines. It can be filled with various ingredients, including meat and vegetables.

Which regional Chinese theatre tradition is famous for bian lian, the instant switching of painted masks?

Sichuan opera's bian lian performers switch painted silk masks in a fraction of a second; the technique is guarded as a national trade secret, and the tradition gives unusual prominence to its fool character.

Which desert fills most of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang?

The Taklamakan fills the Tarim Basin, some 1,000 km long and 400 km wide, and the Silk Road split to skirt its northern and southern edges.

Which city, the eastern end of the Silk Road, was capital to the Western Han, the Tang and other dynasties?

Chang'an (Xi'an) was one of the world's largest cities under the Tang and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road; the Western Zhou, Qin and Sui also ruled from the same area.

What Chinese spirit distilled from fermented sorghum is considered the national liquor?

Baijiu moved about 1.2 billion nine-litre cases in 2018, three times the global consumption of vodka, almost all of it inside China.

Which province overtook Henan and Shandong in 2005 to become China's most populous?

Guangdong passed Henan and Shandong in January 2005 on the strength of some 31 million migrant workers drawn to the Pearl River Delta's factories; its population topped 126 million in the 2020 census.

Which region is China's largest province-level division by area?

Xinjiang's 1.66 million square kilometres cover more than one sixth of China's territory, and its roughly 5,600 km of frontier make up a quarter of the country's land boundary.

What is China's largest body of fresh water?

Poyang Lake in Jiangxi is China's largest freshwater lake, swelling to around 3,500 square kilometres in the summer wet season and shrinking to a fraction of that in winter.

China keeps a single official time zone despite spanning how many geographical zones?

China's territory spans five geographical time zones, but everything runs on Beijing time (UTC+8), so the summer sun can set after 10 pm in far-western Kashgar.

Which national forest park renamed a sandstone pillar 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain' in 2010?

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan renamed the 1,080-metre Southern Sky Column 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain' in January 2010, after the pillar inspired the floating mountains in James Cameron's film.

The Potala Palace, former winter home of the Dalai Lamas, stands in which city?

The Potala Palace rises on Marpo Ri hill at about 3,700 metres in Lhasa, and served as the Dalai Lamas' winter residence from 1649 until the 14th Dalai Lama fled in 1959.

Harbin, host of the world's largest ice and snow festival, is the capital of which province?

Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang, China's northeasternmost province; its ice festival grew out of an ice lantern show begun in 1963 and once set a Guinness record with a 250-metre snow sculpture.

The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge holds which world record?

At 55 km, including a 6.7 km undersea tunnel between two artificial islands, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge opened in 2018 as the world's longest sea crossing, keeping shipping lanes into the Pearl River open.

The Mogao Caves, a Silk Road system of Buddhist temples, lie just outside which oasis town?

The Mogao Caves lie 25 km southeast of Dunhuang in Gansu; a walled-up 'Library Cave' rediscovered there in 1900 held the Diamond Sutra of 868, the earliest dated printed book to survive.

What is the Mekong officially called during its run through southwest China?

Through China the Mekong is the Lancang Jiang; the name is usually traced to Lan Xang, the old Lao 'kingdom of a million elephants', though its characters can also be read as 'turbulent green river'.

Which city became China's first special economic zone in 1980?

Shenzhen, a town of about 30,000 people in 1980, was the first of the special economic zones established that August and grew into a megacity bordering Hong Kong.

How many treasure voyages did admiral Zheng He command between 1405 and 1433?

Zheng He led seven treasure voyages between 1405 and 1433, reaching as far as East Africa; the final expedition was ordered by the Xuande Emperor in 1430.

Which 1842 agreement ended the First Opium War and ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain?

The Treaty of Nanjing, signed aboard HMS Cornwallis on 29 August 1842, ceded Hong Kong Island 'in perpetuity', a clause overtaken by the 1984 Joint Declaration and the 1997 handover.

Taiping Rebellion leader Hong Xiuquan proclaimed himself the younger brother of whom?

Hong Xiuquan claimed visions revealing he was Jesus Christ's younger brother; his Taiping Heavenly Kingdom replaced Confucianism and Buddhism with its 'God Worshipping' faith during the 1850–64 war.

Who was elected provisional president of the new Republic of China in December 1911?

Sun Yat-sen was elected provisional president on 29 December 1911 and held the post barely ten weeks before stepping aside for Yuan Shikai on 10 March 1912.

The Red Army's Long March ended in October 1935 in which province?

Some 86,000 troops left the Jiangxi Soviet in October 1934 and fewer than 10,000 reached Wuqi in northern Shaanxi a year later; the Communists made Yan'an their base in 1937.

Wu Zetian, China's only undisputed female sovereign, ruled under which dynastic name?

Wu Zetian proclaimed her own Zhou dynasty in 690, interrupting the Tang until the Shenlong Coup of 705 forced her abdication and restored the Li house.

Which Mongol ruler officially proclaimed the Yuan dynasty in 1271?

Kublai Khan, Genghis's grandson, proclaimed the Yuan dynasty in 1271; the conquest was only completed in 1279 when the Southern Song fell at the naval Battle of Yamen.

Puyi, the last Qing emperor, later reigned over which Japanese puppet state?

Puyi was installed in Manchukuo, Japan's puppet state in Manchuria, first as chief executive in 1932 and from 1934 as the Kangde Emperor; he died an ordinary citizen of the People's Republic in 1967.

In what year did the Qing abolish the 1,300-year-old imperial examination system?

An imperial edict of September 1905 abolished the civil-service exams, which had selected officials through tests on the Confucian classics since the Sui dynasty established them in 605.

Mao's industrialisation campaign, the Great Leap Forward, began in which year?

Launched in 1958 to force industrial modernity through communes and backyard furnaces, the Great Leap Forward triggered the 1959–61 famine, estimated to have killed between 15 and 55 million people.

Which 2003 mission made China the third country to independently send a human to space?

Shenzhou 5 lifted off on 15 October 2003 with fighter pilot Yang Liwei alone aboard for a 21-hour flight, making China the third nation after the USSR and the USA to launch a human on its own rocket.

What did China's Chang'e 4 achieve in January 2019 that no spacecraft had before?

Because the far side never faces Earth, the mission needed the Queqiao relay satellite to talk to home.

What is the name of the core module of China's Tiangong space station?

Tianhe, launched in April 2021 on a Long March 5B, is the 22-tonne core module holding Tiangong's living quarters and propulsion; the Wentian and Mengtian laboratory modules followed in 2022.

Which Winter Olympics made Beijing the first city to host both Summer and Winter Games?

The Winter Games opened on 4 February 2022 made Beijing the first city to host both Summer and Winter Olympics; the Bird's Nest stadium from 2008 was reused for the opening and closing ceremonies.

Which NBA team made Shanghai Sharks centre Yao Ming the first overall pick of the 2002 draft?

The Houston Rockets took Yao Ming first overall in 2002; the Shanghai Sharks would only release him on the condition that he went first.

Which Grand Slam did Li Na win in 2011 by beating defending champion Francesca Schiavone?

Li Na beat Francesca Schiavone 6–4, 7–6 in the 2011 French Open final, the first Grand Slam singles title won by an Asian player; an estimated 116 million people in China watched, and she added the 2014 Australian Open.

What does the pen name of Nobel laureate Mo Yan literally mean?

Mo Yan means 'don't speak', a nod to his parents' warnings to hold his tongue; born Guan Moye, he adopted the pen name in 1981 while writing as a serving PLA soldier.

Tu Youyou won a Nobel Prize for discovering artemisinin, a treatment for which disease?

Tu Youyou isolated artemisinin from sweet wormwood in 1972 after combing ancient Chinese medical texts for Project 523, a secret military effort against malaria; she shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The Dragon Boat Festival honours which poet and minister of the ancient state of Chu?

Qu Yuan, a Chu minister and poet, drowned himself in the Miluo River in 278 BCE; legend says villagers raced out in boats and threw rice into the water to keep fish from his body.

Who wrote the 18th-century novel Dream of the Red Chamber?

Cao Xueqin wrote Dream of the Red Chamber in the mid-18th century, drawing on his own family's fall from wealth; the book is so dense that an entire academic field, 'Redology', is devoted to it.

Tsingtao beer was founded in 1903 under master brewers from which country?

The brewery began in the Kiautschou Bay leased territory, a 552-square-kilometre enclave China had leased to the Kaiser's empire.

Who co-founded ByteDance, the company behind TikTok and Douyin, in 2012?

Zhang Yiming founded ByteDance in a Beijing apartment in March 2012 with Liang Rubo; its first hit was the news aggregator Toutiao, whose recommendation engine later powered its video apps.

Which linguist is known as the 'father of pinyin', the romanisation adopted in 1958?

Zhou Youguang, an economist and banker by training, led the committee that devised Hanyu Pinyin, adopted in 1958; he lived to 111 and became an outspoken critic of the government in his final decades.

Eastern Han court eunuch Cai Lun is celebrated for transforming the manufacture of what?

Cai Lun's recipe of tree bark, hemp ends, rags and fishing nets, presented to the Han court in 105 AD, made paper cheap enough to spread across the world.

Which Jiangxi city is nicknamed China's 'Porcelain Capital'?

Jingdezhen's kilns have fired ceramics for well over a thousand years and produced the imperial blue-and-white wares of the Ming; the town took its name from the Jingde reign period of 1004–07.

The Shaolin Monastery, cradle of Shaolin kung fu, is in which province?

The Shaolin Monastery stands at the foot of Mount Song in Dengfeng, Henan, founded in 495 AD; it is also regarded as the birthplace of Chan (Zen) Buddhism.

On China's national flag, what does the large star represent?

The Communist Party is the large star, and the four smaller stars arcing towards it symbolise the unity of the Chinese people under the party.

What is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China?

'March of the Volunteers' was written by Tian Han in 1934 and set to music by Nie Er for the 1935 film Children of Troubled Times; it became the national anthem in 1949.

Which ethnic group, concentrated in Guangxi, is China's largest minority?

The Zhuang numbered about 19.6 million in the 2020 census, the largest of China's 55 recognised minorities, with most living in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Which Hebei city was flattened by a pre-dawn earthquake on 28 July 1976?

Tangshan was flattened at 3:42 am on 28 July 1976; the official toll was about 242,000 dead, many estimates run far higher, and some 85% of the city's buildings were destroyed.

Jiuzhaigou, famed for multi-level waterfalls and turquoise pools, is in which province?

Jiuzhaigou lies in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of northern Sichuan; the name means 'Valley of Nine Villages', after the Tibetan settlements scattered through the reserve.

Pu'er, a fermented tea pressed into cakes, is traditionally produced in which province?

Pu'er takes its name from a town in southern Yunnan and is made from the province's large-leaf tea variety; aged cakes can sell for thousands of dollars.

East of the Heihe–Tengchong line, 43% of China's land holds what share of its people?

Geographer Hu Huanyong drew the line in 1935, when the southeast held 96% of the population; by the 2000 census the 43% of land east of it held about 94%.

Who was the first sitting US president to visit the People's Republic of China, in 1972?

Richard Nixon's visit of 21–28 February 1972, which he called 'the week that changed the world', ended 23 years of frozen relations and produced the Shanghai Communiqué.

Jiaozi, regarded as the world's first paper money, appeared under which dynasty?

Jiaozi began as promissory notes issued by merchants in Chengdu in the early 11th century; in 1024 the Northern Song government took over issuing them as the first state paper money.

Song-dynasty artisan Bi Sheng is credited with inventing what around the 1040s?

Bi Sheng's movable type used baked clay characters set in an iron frame; the method was recorded only in Shen Kuo's Dream Pool Essays, four centuries before Gutenberg.

From which launch site did Chang'e 5 lift off in 2020 on China's first lunar sample return?

Chang'e 5 lifted off from the Wenchang site on Hainan on 24 November 2020 and brought back about 1,731 grams of Moon rock, the first lunar samples returned to Earth since Luna 24 in 1976.

Which Manchu noblewoman controlled the late Qing court as regent from 1861 to 1908?

Empress Dowager Cixi seized power in the 1861 Xinyou Coup alongside Ci'an, ousting the regents the late Xianfeng Emperor had appointed, and dominated the court until her death in 1908.