China

China, also known as the People’s Republic of China, is a country in Asia or more specifically, East Asia. China is the second-largest country, losing to Russia. As of 2020, the country has a population of 1.4 million, contributing 18.47 percent to the world’s population. It also makes China the most populous land.

In China, there are 687 cities. Some major cities are Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, and Shenzhen. In opposition to employed cities, there are also many abandoned cities in China. Although it is not certain how many, researchers estimate that there are at least 50 other ghost cities.

One ghost city in China is Pudong. Pudong was one of the first cities to become a ghost city and is the heartland of Shanghai, the biggest city in China.

History

China is one of the four ancient civilizations, alongside Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus valley. The country was ruled by many dynasties, but only a few are well known. Here is a list of the top thirteen dynasties that ruled China: the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Six Dynasties Period, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties Period, Song, Ming, and the Qing Dynasty.

The Xia Dynasty

The Xia Dynasty was ruled by Yu the Great from 2070 to 1600 B.C.E. This dynasty is known to be a legend, but the answer if it was existent is still unknown. The ruler Yu is known for stopping the Great flood caused by the Yellow and Yangzi River. He created an early irrigation system made by canals. People were amazed by his ability and crowned him king. Yu made the rest of the rulership in China hereditary to his family. This formed the first imperial dynasty in China.

This dynasty was soon put to a stop when a man with the name Zi Lü fell in love with a beautiful, but vile woman. The people of China were enraged at his actions and ended the Xia dynasty. However, the dynasty had quite a success, for sixteen rulers ruled China before disbanding. The Shang dynasty replaced the Xia dynasty.

The Shang Dynasty

The Shang Dynasty was first ruled by Cheng Tang. The dynasty lasted from 1766–1122 BCE. However, it is not certain when exactly the Shang dynasty ruled. Explorers have found recent artifacts signaling that the Shang dynasty could have been ruled in 1600 BCE and ended in 1047 BCE.

During the Shang Dynasty, there were many advances in math, astronomy, art, and military technology. This time period also developed calendar systems and early Chinese language.

Not only did this dynasty create a calendar, it also created many instruments. Clay ocarinas, stone chimes, bells, and drums all were introduced during the time period.

The Shang Dynasty came to end when the Zhou Dynasty invaded the capital. You might wonder, why did the Zhou Dynasty destroy the Shang? The Zhou claims the destruction was for moral reasons. They believed that the Shang were evil and heaven no longer wanted them to rule.

Find more info at:

The 13 Dynasties that Ruled China in Order

https://www.britannica.com/

Food

China is home to many foods like Peking duck, chow mein, hot pot, and so much more! Here is a quick list of some main courses:

Dumplings: A Chinese meat ravioli, with meat and dough hand-crafted into intricate shapes.

Kung Bao Chicken: a traditional dish that is served with chicken covered in a sweet and spicy sauce. Additional peanuts and cashews are added to the dish as well.

Spring Rolls: a famous snack in China, its cabbage, meat, and vegetables surrounded by rice paste attracts many tourists and people.

Chow Mein: another popular dish created by flat noodles, meat, and vegetables.

And let’s not forget some desserts…

Tanghulu: made with a variety of exotic fruits on a traditional bamboo stick, dipped in maltose.

Egg tarts: a crumbly, layered pastry crust filled with creamy egg custard.

Dragon’s Beard Candy: a treat made by sugar, flour, nuts, and more. It resembles cotton candy, but takes a lengthy process to make, for it has to be kneaded and counted very precisely.

Mooncake: a cake eaten on Chinese New Years, with red bean or lotus paste in the core of a sweet dough

Language

China has a variety of dialects, but the most shared language is Standard Chinese. This is also known as Mandarin. Over 917 million people speak this language in China.

The second most articulated language is Cantonese, also known as Yue. It originates from Guangzhou, (Canton), a city in China. This language has more than 80 million speakers.

One child policy

China introduced a one-child policy in 1971 and enforced it in 1980. The policy was ended in 2015, but this time period is an unforgettable moment Many other countries followed this policy, and a plentiful amount books were written about this moment in history.

In the beginning of 1970, couples were required to marry at later ages and were limited to having only two children. Then, the one-child policy came through. China was hoping to curb the surging population and alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems.

If a family were in the process of developing a child, the child would be eliminated from lively hood. More than 400 million children died because of this. Families that possessed one child would receive 5 yuan per month, as well as a certificate called the “one-child glory certificate.

This policy came to a stop, for it created more problems in China than expected. One problem was a gender imbalance. The Chinese preference for sons prevented girls from living. The government announced a stop to the policy in 2016.

Rivers

The Yangtze, Yellow, and Mekong River are the top four largest rivers in China.

The Yangtze River

The Yangtze River is the largest river out of the four. It measures 3,915 miles and plays an important part in the food industry. The Yangtze’s basin provides half the fish eaten in China and two-thirds of the rice. This river is not only the largest river in China, but is also the third longest river in the world.

The Yellow River

The Yellow River measures 3,395 miles. Like its name, the river is colored yellow because of its abundance of silt. Although this cradle is quite the sight, its waters frequently flood. The many sediments in the river also clog reservoirs, raise riverbeds, and break levees.

The Mekong River

The Mekong River proudly stands as the third largest river of China, its 2,703 miles beating more than 5,000 rivers in China. More than sixty million people depend on this body of water in their daily life. It’s known to be one of the most diverse fisheries in the world and hosts various species of large fish like stingrays and a Siamese giant carp.

Famous Landscapes and Artifacts

China is home to many beautiful sightseeings and famous artifacts. Here are some of the most popular works!

The Great Wall of China: This famous place is located in Beijing, China’s capital. This great wall was built by Emperor Qin Shi Huang and many other soldiers in 221 B.C. Artifacts have proven that it may have taken 200 years to build the Great Wall of China, while others believe that it may have taken 20. More than 400,000 people died during the construction, many buried in the wall itself.

It measures 13,171 feet long, 16 feet wide, and 50 feet high. This is the longest wall on Earth.

The Forbidden City and the Imperial Palace: Another famous building located in Beijing. This place is was home to more than 24 emperors, families, and servants during the Ming and Qing dynasty.

This building possesses 9,999 and a half rooms. Emperor Chengzu, who built the Forbidden City, made sure that the building did not have 10,000 rooms, for only the God of Heaven could be entitled that certain amount.

It is also the world’s largest imperial palace, covering 7,750,000 square feet.

Other Interesting Facts:

-is known to be the “factory of the world”

-is second largest economy in the world

-pandas only come from China

-is 3.705 million miles long

-is home to the citizens of Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

That’s it for China! I hope you enjoyed reading about this fascinating country and get ready for 194 more!