Great Wall of China
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China is composed of a series of fortification systems that stretch over 13,000 miles. This historic structure was built over a period of 2,100 years, with a number of its walls being built as early as 7th century B.C. by a several Chinese states. The most famous part of the Wall was built by the Ming Dynasty, between 1368 and 1644.

The Great Wall is believed to have been built by one million laborers in total. Interestingly enough, a third of the wall has disappeared over time- showing just how enormous this architectural feat truly was. Today, an estimated 50 million tourists visit the Wall every year, with more than 460 state heads having visited it in the past.
The Significance of Birds
There are several types of birds that have a symbolic meaning in Chinese culture. The phoenix is the most revered, as it is believed to be the bird that rules over all other birds. It is seen as a symbol of virtue and grace and since the ruling of the Yuan Dynasty, has become a leading symbol of femininity.
The crane is next on this list, as it is believed to be the prince of all feathered creatures. An embodiment of peace, a crane that is shown with one leg up and its wings stretched out stands for longevity. Finally, there are ducks, particularly the Mandarin duck. Because they are believed to be in lifelong couples, Mandarin ducks are representative of affection and faithfulness in one’s marriage.
Bicycle Frenzy
China is one of the most bicycle-crazy countries in the world. In total, there are more than half a billion bicycles across the country, with an average of at least one bicycle in every household! With so many cyclists around, it comes as little surprise that in most regions of the country, the number of bicycles outnumbers the number of cars by at least 10 to 1.
While China is famous for a number of inventions, it’s love of bicycles was actually imported from the United States! In 1891, two American travelers by the names of Allen and Sachtleben introduced the Chinese to bicycles. Since then, China has become the biggest bicycle-using country in the world, with more than 20 million bicycles being sold each year in the domestic market. This doesn’t even take into account the millions of people using bikeshare kiosks.
Late Sunrise
Because China is approximately 3.7 million square meters in size, it covers five time zones. Despite this fact, the entire mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan province all share one time zone. This means that while the Eastern regions of China may experience an early morning sunrise, the sunrise in the Westernmost regions of the country can occur as late as 10:00 am!
In order to get the most out of the hours of sunlight, the Westernmost region of Xinyiang has adopted its own time zone that is two hours behind Beijing Standard Time. While shops and restaurants in this area do their best to accommodate this time zone change, the difference in time zones does provide much confusion for those who do business with people in other regions of the country.
The Elderly Rights Law
For many elderly people, loneliness is a constant issue. Not only are they often less mobile than they used to be, but many elderly people are placed into retirement homes or assisted-living facilities, only to receive occasional visits from family and friends if ever. In China, however, this is no longer an issue.
A few years ago, the Chinese Government passed a law known as the “Elderly Rights Law”. This law states that people should care about the “spiritual needs” of their elderly parents and requires that adults with parents over the age of 60 visit their parents on a regular basis. While this law may be solving a largescale issue, the consequences of noncompliance are harsh, with penalties including fines or even jail time!
The Invention of Kites
Kite flying is a popular pastime for many children and adults throughout the world. Funnily enough, this is highly contrary to their original intended use in the military! The kite was first developed by two Chinese philosophers, Mozi and Lu Ban, during the Warring States Period (475–221 BC). They were primarily used to measure distance so that large armies could remain informed when moving across a harsh or foggy terrain.
During this period, kites were also commonly used to determine wind direction and speed, just like the flags on ships at sea. Since then, kites have become commonly included in Chinese celebrations due to their decorative designs. They also made their way into Chinese superstitions, as during the rule of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), they were used to ward off bad luck.
Color Reversal
In the Western world, black is typically the color associated with mourning. As such, most people in the United States would wear black when attending funerals. In China, however, white is the color that represents grieving. Because of this, funeral attendees would typically wear white clothing.
While black and other somber colors are permitted nowadays, it is still fairly common for close family members of the deceased to wear white. In fact, the invitations to the funeral are also normally white. The only exception comes when the deceased was over 80 years old- in this case, pink invitations are used, and pink clothing is permitted. This is because it is believed that living for 80 years or more is a feat worth celebrating.
No Need for Knives
Invented about 5,000 years ago, chopsticks were initially used for cooking. After all, they were ideal for reaching into deep pots filled with oil or hot water. Around 400-500 A.D., the use of chopsticks would change due to China’s population boom.
As the population gradually expanded, resources for cooking continued to become more and more scarce. This prompted people to start cutting their food into bite-sized pieces so that it would cook faster. Because there was almost nothing left to cut, knives became obsolete. Also, chopsticks were very easy to make and were typically constructed from cheap materials. This sparked the widespread use of chopsticks as eating utensils- a trend that has continued to this day and even spread to other parts of the world along with Chinese cuisine.
A Bustling Economy
As an industrial manufacturing powerhouse, China is by far the largest exporter of goods in the world. In fact, Chinese exports grew by a jaw dropping 954% between 1970 and 2010! Just one example of this boom is Chinese online retail giant Alibaba. Today, it sells almost three times as many products as Amazon worldwide and with AliExpress, it has grown into the sixth largest online shopping platform in the United States.
China has the largest Gross Domestic Product in the world, standing at a staggering $12 trillion! China’s significant economic growth has resulted in the average household income increasing by more than 400% in just 10 years. Consequently, China now has fewer poor people than the United States, despite having a far bigger population.
For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: entertainment updates, fashion updates, movies updates, TV updates, lifestyle updates.