As one of the oldest civilizations in the world,
China has a rich culture that took centuries to cultivate.
From the rise and fall of dynasties to establishing great structures and inventions,
China has undoubtedly left its mark beyond the East.
Today, China leads the world in technology and the economy. You might not even know it,
but most of the everyday items we use trace back to this country.
You may not know much about China outside its cuisine and landmarks,
but the People’s Republic holds many other wonders.
Here are 30 China facts that’ll show you the genius of this country.
Don't forget to like and subscribe for more neat facts to discover the world, one click at a time!
1. China is the 3rd largest country in the world. Aside from having the largest population in
the world, China is also one of the biggest countries by land area. Located in East Asia,
China covers approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi). This makes China
the 3rd-largest country in the world by area. 2. China holds the most out of all
the tallest statues in the world. Out of the 130 largest statues in the world,
35 can be found in China. This is followed by India at 25 statues.
It’s no surprise that a large portion of these 130 statues depict Buddha, who originated from India
and has a large following in China. Of all these statues, the Spring Temple
Buddha in Henan stands at 128 m (420 ft), making it the second-largest statue in the whole world.
3. The Silk Road is not made of silk. Established by the Han Dynasty in 1453 CE,
the Silk Road is a historic network of trade routes between China, Central Asia, India, and
the Levant. In 1877, German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen first described it as the ‘Silk
Road’ for the booming trade of Chinese silk. 4. The Great Wall of China was built with rice.
The Great Wall of China originally acted as a barrier to protect the country from nomadic
groups and invaders. The Great Wall also regulated trade along the Silk Road, and served as a means
to monitor immigration. The great structure stands at 20 ft – 46 ft and stretches at a
length of 21.19618 million m. However, most people don’t know that the bricks were held together by
a mixture of sticky rice flour and slaked lime for the Ming Dynasty section of the wall.
5. The construction of the Great Wall of China started as early as 7 BC.
This massive wall wasn’t built overnight – it took 6 dynasties and almost 20 years to finish
building the Great Wall of China. However, the walls built in the Ming Dynasty are
the most well-known portions of the wall. 6. China owns all of the pandas in the world.
The Chinese government owns all the pandas you see in zoos. China loans them for US$1 million a year.
If a panda bears offspring in captivity, China automatically owns these cubs as well.
7. Chopsticks were initially created for cooking, not as an eating utensil.
In Ancient China, chopsticks were invented and used for cooking. Because of their length,
they were perfect for reaching into pots of hot water or oil.
8. Fortune cookies did not originate from China. A fortune cookie is a crispy, sugary cookie
containing a piece of paper with a proverb or a vague prediction. You may associate it
with China’s belief in luck, but these fortune cookies actually originated from the US.
9. Traditional Chinese beliefs dictate lucky and unlucky numbers.
According to Chinese superstition, some numbers like 8 are considered lucky. As a result,
eighth-floor apartments and buildings in China are more expensive compared to other floors.
On the other hand, some numbers like 4 are seen as unlucky because it sounds
like the Chinese word for “death.” As such, most buildings in China don’t have a 4th floor.
10. Over 500 emperors ruled China.
For the 2,000 years that emperors led China, over 500 different emperors governed the nation.
Of all these rulers, Empress Wu Zetian was the only female leader, ruling from 690 AD to 705 AD.
Meanwhile, the Kangxi Emperor Xuanye was China’s longest-reigning
emperor, serving for 61 years. 11. The lotus flower is sacred in Chinese lore.
Ancient China considered the lotus as a symbol of purity.
Chinese lore also considered the peony or King of Flowers as a symbol of royalty and virtue. The
narcissus was thought to bring the best fortune, while the chrysanthemum symbolized long life.
12. China has the fastest train in the world. Running at 431 kilometers per hour, the Shanghai
Maglev Train is the fastest train in the world. Aboard the Shanghai Maglev, the 30km route from
Longyang Road Station to Pudong International Airport takes less than 8 minutes to complete.
In 2003, it set the Guinness Record as the fastest train in the world open for public use.
13. The Chinese used toilet paper before the rest of the world.
The earliest recorded use of paper for hygiene came from China in the 6th century AD,
with toilet paper being distributed by the Chinese government by the 14th century.
This early toilet paper used bamboo fibers mixed with cotton.
14. The Chinese associate the dragon with royalty.
While Western culture considers the dragon as an evil figure,
Chinese mythology acknowledges it as a symbol of greatness and power along with the phoenix
and tiger. Thus, these symbols would often appear in royal artifacts from various dynasties.
15. Emperor Taizong led China to its Golden Age of Peace and Prosperity.
Emperor Taizong assisted his father in establishing the Tang Dynasty.
When he became an emperor, he immediately made several changes to the economy and
government that led China into a golden age of peace and prosperity. As a result,
succeeding emperors regarded his reign as one of the greatest in Chinese history.
16. The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China.
Founded in 1636, the Qing Dynasty governed China from 1644 to 1912.
The Qing dynasty era brought progress in many fields, including art,
literature, and printing. This is also the era where China’s population grew massively.
However, the Qing dynasty was the last imperial dynasty ever established in China.
17. The Ming Dynasty finished the construction of the Great Wall.
Ruling from 1368 to 1644, the Ming Dynasty made China the largest economy in the world,
with more literate people than any other country. This Dynasty also led many construction projects,
including the completion of the Great Wall of China and building the Forbidden City.
18. The Song Dynasty led China in scientific and technological advancements.
Ruling from 960 – 1279, the Song dynasty led China to many innovations such as gunpowder and
the compass. During this time, China became the world leader in science and technology,
which also improved its agriculture sector greatly.
19. Time travel is banned in China. The Chinese government bans any film
or show with aspects of time travel. For the Chinese government, altering historical events
is a dangerous element of fiction that could incite rebellions and other incidents.
20. The longest noodle in the world was made in China.
Although food connoisseurs still debate where pasta originated from, China still holds the
world record for the longest noodle in the world. Stretching for over 10,000 feet, the Xiangnian
Food Corporation made the world’s longest noodle in Nanyang, China on October 28th, 2017.
21. It's possible to dig a hole to China from Argentina.
Usually seen in cartoons, traveling to China underground is possible in theory – but not
so much in practice. Underground conditions such as heat, pressure, and lack of oxygen
are just one of the few realities that keep this novel idea a concept for fiction.
22. Commoners were not allowed in the Forbidden City during the Dynasty Era.
The Forbidden City is a palace complex in central Beijing that houses the Palace Museum.
It was home to 24 emperors – with 14 from the Ming Dynasty and 10 from the Qing Dynasty
residing in it. Throughout this era, the Forbidden City prohibited any commoner
from entering without authorization. 23. The Chinese invented paper currency.
During the Tang dynasty that ruled between 618 and 907, China invented paper money.
These early bills had warnings that all counterfeiters would be decapitated.
24. The first artificially reproduced human tooth was created in China.
In 2013, Chinese scientists created the first artificially reproduced human tooth in China.
To create the tooth, the scientists extracted stem cells from human urine as a base component.
25. China produces the most gold out of any country in the world.
China is currently the world’s largest producer of gold, rearing 404 tonnes of gold in production.
Meanwhile, the country holds 2,000 tonnes of gold reserves.
26. The Zhou dynasty was the longest-reigning dynasty.
After defeating the Shang dynasty in the Battle of Muye,
the Zhou Dynasty became the longest-reigning dynasty in Chinese history. From 1046 to 256 BC,
the Zhou Dynasty ruled China for about 800 years.
27. The Qin dynasty connected the Great Wall. The Qin dynasty’s greatest legacy was connecting
the previously segmented sections of the Great Wall with one another.
28. Ancient China used the earliest form of power.
The Ancient Chinese civilization used water energy for powering machines.
These waterwheels were also the first known source of power before electricity.
29. Pencils are usually yellow because of Chinese royalty.
In the 1800s, China produced the best graphite in the world. As one of their importers,
Americans wanted to give a tribute to the Chinese for the graphite used in their pencils.
Since yellow means royalty and respect in China, the Americans manufactured their pencils in
yellow. This also explains why to this day, the default color for pencils is still yellow.
30. China also has the longest river in Asia. Flowing along the entirety of China,
the Yangtze River is also the third-longest river in the world.
Historically, China has relied on it for trade, sanitation, and as a steady water source.
With all that said, it’s no wonder why scholars consider Ancient China as one
of the greatest civilizations in the world.
Even after thousands of years, the legacy and innovation of the early Chinese people
remain to this day. It only shows the power in embracing cultural heritage and staying
in touch with your roots.
If you enjoyed our video, don't forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel for more Facts videos!