Government type: Communist state Capital: name: Beijing geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours

ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone; many people in Xinjiang Province observe an unofficial "Xinjiang timezone" of UTC+6, two hours behind Beijing Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural) provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan) autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet) municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau Independence: 1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 BC (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China) National holiday: Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949) Constitution: most recent promulgation 4 December 1982; amended several times Legal system: civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislation International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003); Vice President XI Jinping (since 15 March 2008) head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Executive Vice Premier LI Keqiang (17 March 2008), Vice Premier HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003), Vice Premier ZHANG Dejiang (since 17 March 2008), and Vice Premier WANG Qishan (since 17 March 2008) cabinet: State Council appointed by National People's Congress (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president and vice president elected by National People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 15-17 March 2008 (next to be held in mid-March 2013); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress election results: HU Jintao elected president by National People's Congress with a total of 2,963 votes; XI Jinping elected vice president with a total of 2,919 votes Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,987 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses, and People's Liberation Army to serve five-year terms) elections: last held in December 2007-February 2008 (date of next election to be held in late 2012 to early 2013) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - 2,987 note: only members of the CCP, its eight allied parties, and sympathetic independent candidates are elected Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress); Local People's Courts (comprise higher, intermediate, and basic courts); Special People's Courts (primarily military, maritime, railway transportation, and forestry courts) Political parties and leaders: Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP Political pressure groups and leaders: no substantial political opposition groups exist International organization participation: ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UN Security Council, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador ZHANG Yesui chancery: 3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 495-2266 FAX: [1] (202) 495-2190 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert S. WONG embassy: 55 An Jia Lou Lu, 100600 Beijing mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [86] (10) 8531-3000 FAX: [86] (10) 8531-3300 consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan Flag description: red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes - the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) - united under the Communist Party of China National anthem: name: "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers) lyrics/music: TIAN Han/NIE Er note: adopted 1949; the anthem, though banned during the Cultural Revolution, is more commonly known as "Zhongguo Guoge" (Chinese National Song); it was originally the theme song to the 1935 Chinese movie, "Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm" 1,336,718,015 (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 1 Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.6% (male 126,634,384/female 108,463,142) 15-64 years: 73.6% (male 505,326,577/female 477,953,883) 65 years and over: 8.9% (male 56,823,028/female 61,517,001) (2011 est.) Median age: total: 35.5 years male: 34.9 years female: 36.2 years (2011 est.) Population growth rate: 0.493% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 Birth rate: 12.29 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 160 Death rate: 7.03 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 132

Net migration rate: -0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 130 Urbanization: urban population: 47% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) Major cities - population: Shanghai 16.575 million; BEIJING (capital) 12.214 million; Chongqing 9.401 million; Shenzhen 9.005 million; Guangzhou 8.884 million (2009) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.133 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.17 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2011 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 16.06 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 112 male: 15.61 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.68 years country comparison to the world: 95 male: 72.68 years female: 76.94 years (2011 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.54 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 182 HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 740,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 HIV/AIDS - deaths: 26,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 14

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: Japanese encephalitis and dengue fever soil contact disease: hantaviral hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009) Drinking water source: improved: urban: 98% of population rural: 82% of population total: 89% of population unimproved: urban: 2% of population rural: 18% of population total: 11% of population (2008) Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 58% of population rural: 52% of population total: 55% of population unimproved: urban: 42% of population rural: 48% of population total: 45% of population (2008) Nationality: noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 91.5%, Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uighur, Tujia, Yi, Mongol, Tibetan, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Korean, and other nationalities 8.5% (2000 census) Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2% note: officially atheist (2002 est.) Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry) note: Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.2% male: 96% female: 88.5% (2008 census) School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 12 years male: 11 years female: 12 years (2009) GDP (purchasing power parity): $10.09 trillion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $9.144 trillion (2009 est.) $8.374 trillion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate): $5.878 trillion note: because China's exchange rate is determine by fiat, rather than by market forces, the official exchange rate measure of GDP is not an accurate measure of China's output; GDP at the official exchange rate substantially understates the actual level of China's output vis-a-vis the rest of the world; in China's situation, GDP at purchasing power parity provides the best measure for comparing output across countries (2010 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 10.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 6 9.2% (2009 est.) 9.6% (2008 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $7,600 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 $6,900 (2009 est.) $6,400 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.6% industry: 46.8% services: 43.6% (2010 est.) Labor force: 780 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 1

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 38.1% industry: 27.8% services: 34.1% (2008 est.) Unemployment rate: 4.3% (September 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 4.2% (December 2008 est.) note: official data for urban areas only; including migrants may boost total unemployment to 9%; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas Population below poverty line: 2.8% note: 21.5 million rural population live below the official "absolute poverty" line (approximately $90 per year); an additional 35.5 million rural population live above that level but below the official "low income" line (approximately $125 per year) (2007) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 15% note: data are for urban households only (2008) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41.5 (2007) country comparison to the world: 52 40 (2001) Investment (gross fixed): 47.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 1 Budget: revenues: $1.149 trillion expenditures: $1.27 trillion (2010 est.) Public debt: 17.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 16.9% of GDP (2009 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 140 -0.7% (2009 est.) Central bank discount rate: 2.79% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 110 2.79% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 5.81% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 142 5.31% (31 December 2009 est.) Stock of narrow money: $3.838 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 $3.242 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) Stock of broad money: $10.08 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 $8.933 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) Stock of domestic credit: $8.156 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 $7.24 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) Market value of publicly traded shares: $5.008 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 $2.794 trillion (31 December 2008) $6.226 trillion (31 December 2007 est.) Agriculture - products: world leader in gross value of agricultural output; rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish Industries: world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites Industrial production growth rate: 11% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 Electricity - production: 3.451 trillion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2 Electricity - consumption: 3.438 trillion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2

Electricity - exports: 16.64 billion kWh (2008) Electricity - imports: 3.842 billion kWh (2008) Oil - production: 3.991 million bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 Oil - consumption: 8.2 million bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 Oil - exports: 388,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 Oil - imports: 4.393 million bbl/day (2008) country comparison to the world: 4 Oil - proved reserves: 20.35 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 Natural gas - production: 82.94 billion cu m (2009) country comparison to the world: 9 Natural gas - consumption: 87.08 billion cu m (2009) country comparison to the world: 9 Natural gas - exports: 3.32 billion cu m (2009) country comparison to the world: 32 Natural gas - imports: 7.462 billion cu m (2009) country comparison to the world: 27 Natural gas - proved reserves: 3.03 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 Current account balance: $272.5 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 1 $297.1 billion (2009 est.)

Exports: $1.506 trillion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 2 $1.204 trillion (2009 est.) Exports - commodities: electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, textiles, iron and steel, optical and medical equipment Exports - partners: US 18.4%, Hong Kong 13.8%, Japan 8.2%, South Korea 4.5%, Germany 4.2% (2009) Imports: $1.307 trillion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $954.3 billion (2009 est.) Imports - commodities: electrical and other machinery, oil and mineral fuels, optical and medical equipment, metal ores, plastics, organic chemicals Imports - partners: Japan 13%, South Korea 10.2%, US 7.7%, Germany 5.6% (2009) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.622 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 1 $2.426 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) Debt - external: $406.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 $349.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.) Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: $574.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $473.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.) Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: $278.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 $229.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.) Exchange rates: Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar 6.7852 (2010) 6.8314 (2009) 6.9385 (2008) 7.61 (2007) 7.97 (2006)

1. Coolie: While some claim that this term has its origins in Hindi, it's been argued that it could also have origins in the Chinese term for hard work or (k l) which is literally translated as "bitter labour." 2. Gung Ho: The term has its origins in the Chinese word (g ng h) that can either mean to work together, or as an adjective to describe someone that is overly excited or too enthusiastic. The term gong he is a shortened word for industrial cooperatives which were created in China in the 1930s. During that time U.S. Marines adopted the term to mean someone with a can-do attitude. 3. Kowtow: From the Chinese (ku tu) describing the ancient practice performed when anyone greeted a superior - such as an elder, leader, or emperor. The person had to kneel and bow down to the superior, making sure that their foreheads hit the ground. "Kou tou" is literally translated as "knock your head." 4. Tycoon: The origins of this word comes from the Japanese term taikun, which was what foreigners called the shogun of Japan. A shogun was known to be someone who took over the throne and is not related to the emperor. Thus the meaning is typically used for someone who obtained power through might or hard work, rather than inheriting it. In Chinese, the Japanese term "taikun" is (d wng) which means "big prince." There are other words in Chinese that also describe a tycoon including (ci f) and (j tu). 5. Yen: This term comes from the Chinese word (yun) which means a hope, desire or wish. Someone who has a strong urge for oily fast food can be said to have a yen for pizza. 6. Ketchup: The origins of this word are debated. But many believe that its origins are from either the Fujianese dialect for the fish sauce (gu zh ) or the Chinese word for eggplant sauce (qi zh ). 7. Chop Chop: This term is said to originate from the Cantonese dialect for the word (kui kui) which is said to urge someone to hurry up. Kuai means hurry in Chinese. "Chop Chop" appeared in English-language newspapers printed in China by foreign settlers as early as the 1800s. 8. Typhoon: This is probably the most direct loanword. In Chinese, a hurricane or typhoon is called (ti f ng). 9. Koan: Originating in Zen Buddhism, a koan is a riddle without a solution, which is supposed to highlight the inadequacy of logic reasoning. A common one is "What is the sound of one hand clapping." (If you were Bart Simpson, you would just fold one hand until you made a clapping noise.) Koan comes from the Japanese which comes from the Chinese for (g ng n). Literally translated it means 'common case'. 10. Chow: Let me try to clarify some erroneous explanations circulating about this word. While chow is a breed of dog, the term did not come to mean 'food' because the Chinese hold the stereotype of being dog-eaters. I suspect that 'chow' as a term for food comes from the word (ci) which can mean food, a dish (to eat), or vegetables. 11. China has more English-speaking inhabitants than England. 12. The Mandarin word for China is Zhongguo which translates as "middle country", implying China is the centre of the world. 13. Ice cream was invented in China around 2,000 BC when the Chinese placed a milk and rice mixture in the snow. 14. Did you know that it is considered quite rude to blow your nose in public? 15. When a Chinese child loses a baby tooth, it doesn't get tucked under the pillow for the tooth fairy. If the child loses an upper tooth, the child's parents plant the tooth in the ground, so the new tooth will grow in straight and healthy. Parents toss a lost bottom tooth up to the rooftops, so that the new tooth will grow upwards, too. Cheaper than in the West say Will and Guy! 16. A complete cycle of the Chinese calendar takes 60 years. 17. It is considered good luck for the gate to a house to face south. 18. The most common surname in Beijing is Wang. 19. China was the first country to invent gun powder and fireworks and also use gun powder for guns, rockets and other arms.

20. China's number of listed languages totals approximately 206. 21. 400 million Chinese people are under 18. 22. The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is indeed great because it can be observed by man even from outer space. This wall measures more than 1500 miles in length and is also referred to as the "Ten Thousand Li Wall" with each Li being equivalent to 500 metres. 23. Tree hugging in China is strictly forbidden. 24. Chopsticks originated from, and were used by, the Chinese people approximately 4,000 years ago. 25. China's money is called renminbi, meaning the "people's currency". 26. When you write your name in China you put your family name first then your first name. 27. Did you know that 20th September is National "Love Your Teeth Day" in China? 28. In 550 AD, two Chinese monks smuggled silkworms out of China and started the western world's silk boom. 29. China's consumption of Coca-Cola is not trivial, in fact, they are the world's largest imbiber. 30. Acupuncture treats illnesses with inserting sharp thin needles in various pressure spots, it originated over 5,000 years ago in China.
31. 30% of Chinese adults still live with their parents. 32. Approximately 200 million people in China live on less than $1 a day. 33. Fish consumption in China is more than 3 times that in the United States. In China, the average person eats over 45 pounds of seafood each year. 34. China produces 66% of the world's garlic, 15 billion pounds in 2009. Next are South Korea 6%, India 5%, and the USA 2.5%. 35. There are 120 million internet users in China; but not everyone can contact all websites. 36. China is the source of 68% of the worlds "pirated" goods. 37. The hog, swine, or pig, was first domesticated almost 10,000 years ago in China. 38. 20% of the world's population lives in China. 39. Twenty percent of China's plants are used in medicine. 40. China Day is October 1st. 41. There are over 400 different varieties of kiwi fruit [Yangtao] in China where they have been used for over 700 years. 42. According to insurance statistics: the most dangerous cars are green, and driven by the Chinese. 43. When KFC [Kentucky Fried Chicken] first translated its advertising slogan "finger lickin' good" into Chinese, it came out as "eat your fingers off". 44. Chopsticks originated in China almost 4,000 years ago, and the replacement of chopsticks for knives for eating at the table supposedly indicates the increased respect for the scholar over the warrior in Chinese society so Will and Guy have been told. 45. Ketchup [Catsup] originated in China as a pickled fish sauce called ke-tsiap. 46. The story of Cinderella may not originate with Disney, some say it originated in China around AD 860. 47. 35 children are born every minute in China. 48. A classic piece of trivia: The wheelbarrow was invented by a Chinese. 49. About 700,000 engineers graduate annually from schools in China. 50. There are about 42,000 characters in Chinese language. An adult is only expected to know 5,000 of them. For example, , means clean free jokes, stories pictures and video-clips.

51. One of the worlds oldest and most mysterious civilizations, Chinas vast land and history has mesmerized scholars young and old. The following offerings present a fascinating sampling of Chinas rich culture from ancient times to the present. 52. Historians consider China to be the worlds oldest continuous civilization. Although various dynasties rose and fell, a basic ruling system held the civilization in place from 221 BC to 1912. 53. Chinas first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, ruled from 221 to 207 BC. The first emperors tomb is famously guarded by life size terra-cotta soldiers. 54. Chinas major rivers are the Yellow River in the north and central regions and the Yangtze in the south and eastern regions of the country. These two rivers were linked together in the sixth century by the Grand Canal.

55. The Yellow River has also been termed Chinas Sorrow because of its propensity for devastating floods. 56. Mount Baita is the highest peak in northeastern China at 9,000 feet. 57. Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have long been considered the three main religions of China. 58. It is thought that the Chinese were making silk by 3000 BC. Eventually the manufacture of silk and trade would give its name to the infamous Silk Road. 59. The worlds first carpets have been traced to China around 500 BC. 60. Chinas Great Wall linked many older walls together to become the worlds longest man-made structure spanning both deserts and mountains. The wall took roughly two hundred years to complete. 61. A court official named Tsai Lun is credited with the invention of paper in 105 AD. Other early Chinese inventions include the saddle (25 AD), wheelbarrow (200 AD), and paper money (618 AD). 62. Later Chinese inventions include gun powder, the magnetic compass, the mechanical clock and the sternpost rudder. 63. The first Chinese books were constructed from bamboo strips. There are more than forty thousand characters in the Chinese language. 64. Chinas first major dynasty was a bronze-age civilization known as the Shang Dynasty that ranged between c.1650 and 1027 BC and was centered near the Yellow River. 65. Kings of the Shang Dynasty made use of oracle bones to communicate with spiritual ancestors about important matters. 66. Founders of the Zhou Dynasty are believed to have come from tribes of Tibet and Turkey. The Zhou ruled from 1027 to 256 BC. 67. The worlds oldest military book, The Art of War, was written by Sun Zi. 68. The use of seals dates to the Zhou Dynasty. 69. By 450 BC the Chinese had invented the crossbow. 70. Confucius, the famous Chinese philosopher, was born in 551 BC. 71. Chinese foot binding for girls began in the tenth century and was practiced into the twentieth century. Foot binding usually began around the age of six. The practice was initially practiced by the wealthiest families of the north. 72. By 500, tea arrived in China from India. By 793, the tea was being taxed. 73. Marco Polo arrived in China in 1271 AD. 74. The Forbidden City was constructed during the early opulent years of the Ming Dynasty. This dynasty spanned the years from 1368 to 1644. 75. The beautiful Summer Palace lies about seven miles from Beijing on the shores of Lake Kunming. It was built during the Qing Dynasty. 76. Nanking served as the Chinese capital for six dynasties. It has always remained a city of great importance for China. 77. Manchu emperors established a kite flying ceremony known as Tengkao. People believed that flying kites would bring them good luck. 78. 1839 to 1842 saw the First Opium War fought between China and Great Britain. Chinas defeat forced them to open five port cities to trade including Shanghai and Canton. 79. Herbs, acupuncture and eating a balanced diet comprise traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture has been practiced in the country for more than two thousand years. 80. Chinas last emperor Puyi stepped down in 1912 when the Chinese Republic was established. The republic lasted thirty-seven years. 81. Mao Zedong led the Chinese Communist Party to defeat the Kuomintang during the Chinese Civil War. He established the Peoples Republic of China in 1949. 82. The United Kingdom transferred their crown colony of Hong Kong to the Peoples Republic of China in 1997. 83. Chinas largest library, The National Library in Beijing, was founded in 1909. 84. The population of present day China is more than 1.3 billion people. 85. The world's largest producer of apples is China.

86. The Chinese never give apples to invalids because "ping", the Chinese for apple, sounds a bit like "bing", which is Chinese for illness. 87. 14 countries share a border with China and they are Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia and North Korea 88. In ancient China, mouse meat was considered a delicacy, now, a favorite food of most Chinese is sundried maggots. 89. In China, there is a type of tea called white tea which is actually simply boiled water. 90. 24% of the world speaks Chinese. There are over 200 different Chinese languages and regional dialects. The official state language is Pu-tong-hwa [Mandarin]. 91. China manufactures 60% of the world's bicycles. 92. People of ancient China believed that swinging your arms could cure a headache. 93. According to economists, China will become the world's wealthiest nation by the year 2012. 94. Fingerprinting was used in China as early as 700 AD. 1. Fact: Beijing is the capital of China, though this wasn't always so. 'jing' means capital, 'bei' means north. The southern capital was Nanjing, 'nan' meaning south. 2. Interesting fact: After Shanghai, Beijing is China's second largest city. 3. Trivia fact: the China Rose is Beijing's city flower. 4. Fun fact: the guard towers around the Forbidden City are said to be modeled after cricket cages. 5. Fact: Beijing dialect is the basis for the entire Mandarin standard language. 6. Interesting fact: basketball and football are the two top sports in China, and especially so in Beijing where you can see them played at major parks around the city. 7. Fun fact: McDonald's is the city's most popular fast food restaurant. 8. Food fact: Beijing is famous for its Peking Duck, which is a roast duck sliced a specific way and served with specific side dishes. 9. Weird fact: Beijing's most popular surname is Wang, with an estimated 11% of the city sharing the name. 10. Fact: 800 buildings make up the Forbidden City, one of Beijing's hottest tourists spots. There is also a Starbucks inside the city now. 11. Odd fact: The Beijing zoo was once called the 'Ten Thousand Animal Zoo.' 12. Interesting fact: Beijing Opera is an important part of local culture, locals practice their opera singing at parks around the city as well as frequent the opera houses. 95. Beibei the fish, Jingjing the panda, Huanhuan the Olympic flame, Yingying the Tibetan antelope, and Nini the swallow are the official Mascot of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 1. And when you take out the first sylables of thier names, it would become BeiJing HuanYing Ni, meaning: Beijing Welcomes You 96. No Spitting

1. China is still trying to suppress spitting in Urban Cities! Spitting is a rural practice around China and chinese spit loudly! It is even considered a sport in rural chinese areas. 97. Ketchup originated in China as a pickled fish sauce called ke-tsiap. 98. Trouble in China is symbolized by 2 women living together under 1 roof 99. Chopsticks originated from China approximately 4,000 years ago. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. killed. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. Paper was first invented in China in 105 AD. It was a closely guarded secret and didnt reach A terracotta army of six thousand men and horses was buried with Shi Huang-Ti, Chinas first Fingerprinting was used in China as early as 700 A.D. It is not true that the early Chinese used gunpowder only for fireworks. They had forms of guns May you live in interesting times. Chinese curse. China is called hongguo in Chinese Flights between Hong Kong and mainland China are classed as international flights Liu Ching, who became the governor of Chinas Shansi province in 955 A.D., was born with The wheelbarrow is invented by a chinese About 700 000 engineers graduate annually from schools in China China has only about 200 different family names Eurupe until the 8th century. emperor, at Xianyang. Silk was developed in China were it was kept a secret for more than two thousands years. The Great Wall stretches for about 4,500 miles across North China. In China astronauts are called taikonauts Many of the guards never left the Great Wall in their entire lives. Pekingese dogs were sacred to the emperors of China for more than 2,000 years. Twenty percent of Chinas plants are used in medicine. Mandarin Chinese is the worlds most spoken language with over 870 million speakers. 34 children are born every minute in China There are over 150 different herbs from China used in the treatment of Infertility The story of Mulan had been told in China for almost 1,500 years before Disney decided to make All Disney characters was banned for 40 years in China The story of Cinderella may not originate with Disney, some say it originated in China around China is now the worlds largest apple producer, followed by the U.S. in second place. Ice cream was invented in China around 2000BC when the Chinese packed a soft milk and rice Long ago, silk making was a closely guarded secret. Anyone who gave the secret away could be

it into an animated movie.

AD 860

mixture in the snow.

(invented in 1288), bombs, grenades, rockets, land mines, and other arms.

two pupils in each eye.

126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131.

China has about 30 million Muslims China invented the first kites and they where used in wars Some people in China work as apologisers In China tree hugging is forbidden There are 100 million internet users in China. Some of the sites they cant access are BBC news, There are about 40000 characters in Chinese language; An Adult is only expected to know 5000

Amnesty International and Dalailama.com. of them 132. Tiananmen Square is the largest public plaza in the world. 133. China produces about 70 percent of the world's silk supply. 134. Ketchup originated in China as a pickled fish sauce called ke-tsiap. 135. In China, fish is eaten more than three times what it is in the United States. 136. Chopsticks originated from China approximately 4,000 years ago. 137. Silk was developed in China were it was kept a secret for more than two thousands years. 138. People of Ancient China believed that swinging your arms could cure a headache. 139. The Great Wall stretches for about 4,500 miles across North China. 140. Snake is a delicacy in China. 141. Tea was discovered in China more than 5,000 years ago. 142. Many of the guards never left the Great Wall in their entire lives. 143. Enough rock was excavated in the construction of the Hoover Dam to build the Great Wall of China. 144. Rice flour was used to strengthen some of the bricks that make up the Great Wall of China. 145. To the older Chinese generation, a clock is a symbol of bad luck. 146. China's principal mountain ranges are the Tien Shan, the Kunlun chain, and the Trans-Himalaya. 147. China annexed Tibet in 1950. 148. The earliest recorded human settlements in China were discovered in the Huang He basin and date from 5000 B.C. 149. Watermelon is considered a good gift to give a host in Japan and China. 150. Pekingese dogs were sacred to the emperors of China for more than 2,000 years. 151. Twenty percent of China's plants are used in medicine. 152. The story of Mulan had been told in China for almost 1,500 years before Disney decided to make it into an animated movie.