China’s land area measures fourth largest in the world:
Russia
6.592 million square miles
Canada
3.851 million square miles
USA
3.717 million square miles
China
3.705 million square miles
Climate
China lies mainly in the northern temperate zone. Winter and summer months have wet monsoons and dry seasons.
Annual
precipitation also varies greatly from region to region.
Southeastern China can have as much as 4.5 feet (1,500 mm).
Northwestern China can have as little as 2 inches (50 mm).
North The
winter winds blow from the north and bring very cold air. Winters
tend to be long and cold. During the quick summer, moist southern
winds bring warm air with lots of sunshine.
Center The
Yangtze River cuts China pretty much in half. The Yangtze River
Valley becomes extremely humid during the summer. The wetness
continues into other seasons, making for a very chilling cold.
South Typhoons
move into most of southeast China during summer. When it is not
raining, the sun shines brightly. Winter can be short, but
humidity brings a wet cold.
West Southwestern
and western China are at higher elevations. They have wide
temperature differences between night and day, and experience very
little rainfall.
The
western part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is covered by snow all year
round. The southern part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau feels like
spring all the year.
The
Chinese Communist Party is the ruling party of the People's Republic of
China. China possesses a multi-party, consultative system of government
that operates under the leadership of the Communist Party.
According to the Chinese Constitution, all citizens over eighteen years old have the right to vote and run for office.
The
National People's Congress (NPC) is China's highest state political
organ. The NPC has the authority to propose and approve
legislation. The State Council, also known as the Central People's
Government, is the highest state administrative organ.
State
affairs are carried out according to administrative divisions. The
People's Congresses and People's Governments exist at the following
levels:
provincial level (including autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government),
county level (including cities)
village level (including townships)
Hong
Kong and Macao are Special Administrative Regions. They have
independent elections, legislatures, judiciary, and administrative
systems.
The China national anthem was written by Tian Han and set to music by Niè Ěr in 1935.
The
song was the theme song to the movie, The Sons and Daughters in Times
of Turmoil. This film depicted Chinese intellectuals marching
bravely to the front lines in the War of Resistance Against Japan
during World War II.
The
March of the Volunteers describes the Chinese people’s opposition to
invasion and expresses determination to protect China. It was
chosen in 1949 as the national anthem.
Lyrics: Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves; With our very flesh and blood Let us build our new Great Wall!
The Peoples of China are in the most critical time,
Everybody must roar his defiance. Arise! Arise! Arise! Millions of hearts with one mind,
Brave the enemy's gunfire, March on! March on! March on! March on, on!
￥100 ￥50 ￥20 ￥10 ￥10 On 8 July 2008, a special ￥10 Yuan note was issued to celebrate the 2008 Beijing Olympics. ￥1 ￥5 máo featuring the Miáo people from Guāngxī province ￥1 máo featuring the Aborigines in Taiwan and Manchu people
The
population density is about 350 people per square mile, roughly four
times greater than that of the U.S. (80 people per square mile).
Ethnic Groups
The
People's Republic of China is a unified, multi-national country,
comprising 56 nationalities. The Han people make up 91% of the total
population, and the other 55 ethnic minorities comprise the remaining
9%.
All
ethnic groups in China are equal according to the law. The State
protects their lawful rights and interests and promotes equality, unity
and mutual help among them.
Family Names
Chinese
family names came into being some 5,000 years ago. There are more than
5,000 family names, of which 200 to 300 are popular.
According to government research, these are the three most popular family names:
Lí
(7.9%)
Wáng
(7.4%)
Zhāng
(7.1%)
Name Order When you see a Chinese name, you first read the family name, then the first name, and then the middle name (if present).
Your
Chinese name first identifies which family group you are associated
with, and the remaining names help identify you more specifically.
For example, Chén Wén Bīng Chén = Family Name Wén Bīng = Individual’s Name
The
national language is Pǔtōnghuà (the common speech), otherwise known as
Mandarin Chinese. Most of the 55 minority nationalities have
their own languages. 23 ethnic groups have their own characters.
Cantonese is one of the local dialects of southern China.
Spring Festival 春节 (Chūn Jié) This
is also known as Chinese New Year and starts on the first day of the
first month in the lunar calendar. This is China's biggest
holiday – people return from long distances and across oceans to gather
with family in their hometown. Laborers
and other workers take off work for 7 days. Essential services
are closed for 3 days, while private businesses may close only for a
few hours!
People
eat traditional food found in their area, get new clothes, and wish
each other a happy new year. Children and some adults set off
firecrackers at night, especially at midnight.
Lantern Festival 元宵节 (Yuánxiāo Jié) This
festival is celebrated 15 dates after the Spring Festival. People
make or buy paper lanterns and walk around the streets in the evening
holding them. A favorite activity is to gather at various booths
set up to guess riddles that have prizes.
Tomb Sweeping Day 清明节 (Qīngmíng Jié) This
holiday is usually on April 5. It is a time for family to visit
and clean the graves of their departed relatives. They clean away
any overgrowth, place flowers and food on the tomb, and burn ghost
money for the departed to use in the afterlife.
Dragon Boats Festival 端午节 (Duānwǔ Jié) This
holiday occurs on May 5 according to the lunar calendar. People
watch dragon boat races and eat triangular glutinous rice dumplings
wrapped in reed leaves called zòngzi. This happy holiday is held
to remember the death of Qū Yuán.
Qū
Yuán was a poet-statesman who protested against 3rd century government
corruption. Filled with despair, he drowned himself in the
mythological Mì Ló river in Húnán. The local people were so
upset, they did not want the river fish to feed on their
hero. Instead, they threw rice in the water, hoping to
distract the fish.
Ghost Month 鬼节 (Guǐ Jié) This
holiday happens during the seventh lunar month. During this
month, dead ancestors are allowed to walk the earth and re-visit
family. People claim to have dreams of past relatives who have
returned with instructions and complaints. Those who are living
have an obligation to take care of the dead in the afterlife by burning
paper money and offering food and drink.
The
most activity happens on the 15th day, or the middle of the
month. The living decide when they will do the burning and
offering. Usually, only one time is needed to satisfy the
obligation. If the living, especially the eldest, do not fulfill
their duties, people believe the ancestors will be angry and bring
danger to the household. Many do not get marry, swim, travel,
move. If someone dies during this month, the body will be
preserved and buried the next month.
Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 (Zhōngqiū Jié) Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as Moon Festival, and takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month.
People
gather with family, ook at the full moon, and eat a moon cake, called a
yuèbǐng. Days prior to this festival, people buy various kinds of
moon cakes with savory or sweet fillings and give them to friends and
family.
Rice
is China’s staple food. China is one of the original centers of rice
cultivation, the pioneer of hybrid rice and the world's largest
producer of rice. The United Nations determined 2004 to be the
International Year of Rice.
Chinese food is roughly divided into 8 different regional cuisines:
China
is one of the four oldest civilizations in the world. It has a
written history of 4,000 years, and boasts rich cultural relics and
historical sites.
China invented the compass, paper-making, gunpowder and printing. The
Great Wall, Canal and Karez irrigation system are three great ancient
engineering projects built 2,000 years ago. Now they are the symbols of
the rich culture of the Chinese nation.
China
has gone over a long history of primitive society, slavery society,
feudal society and semi-feudal semi-colonial society and the present
socialist society.
Classic Education China supplies supplemental teaching resources for teachers of
Mandarin Chinese language, including books, posters, bulletin board materials, stickers,
and idea sheets for classroom, home, and individual practice. Classic Education China
promotes the development of authentic, culturally appropriate, interactive, intercultural
education. Students can increase both cultural and linguistic fluency as they study foreign
language with visual aids and other materials that enrich the learning environment.
Classroom supplies are designed by a cooperative team of American and Chinese educators,
for the flourishing of intercultural education. All rights reserved.
