10 most interesting facts about China

Each country has its own characteristics, habits, culture and generally a certain way of life. What is in the order of things among some peoples is considered savagery in another country. Well, this is normal, given the number of mores and tastes of people. Moreover, it is always curious, “what about them.”

Today we will talk about how in China. The Celestial Empire is rightfully considered one of the most amazing states in the world, so we present to your attention 10 short and interesting facts about this country. China surprises, fascinates, amazes and makes you smile. Shall we start? The information will be of interest not only to schoolchildren, but also to their parents.

10 Chinese police use geese

Indeed, police stations in the Xinjiang region resort to the help of geese. No, of course, such “employees” are not given special uniforms and clubs, but in the service the birds are far from having bird rights. The Chinese saw in geese the qualities inherent in a good policeman, namely courage, vigilance and excellent hearing. In Xinjiang, goose patrol units have even been created (of course, accompanied by an inspector).

In addition, the police recommend getting long-necked birds to the owners of private houses. Geese will not only be able to discourage the unlucky thief, but also make a good noise if the matter becomes more serious.

9. The color of mourning is white

The color of the mourning vestments of the Chinese will also seem unusual for a European tourist. The fact is that in the Celestial Empire, a snow-white shade is a symbol of sorrow. Moreover, in China there is a whole cult of mourning, containing rather complex prescriptions and rituals. The longest and most severe mourning is due to the death of parents. It lasts three years.

For this period, the civil servant leaves his place of work (while it is retained by the official), and at home he performs the same rituals. Both the mourner and the relatives who are with him at home must certainly be dressed in white.

8. There is a city that is an exact mini-copy of Paris

Tianducheng. This is the name of the local Paris. The city is an exact copy of the French capital, except that everything is presented on a slightly smaller scale. Tianducheng, with its Champs Elysees and the Eiffel Tower, was designed for 10000 inhabitants, but the town quickly became empty – at the moment no more than 2000 people permanently live there. But among tourists and residents of other regions of China, little Paris is very popular.

Some couples and families quite seriously prefer Tianducheng to a trip to a real “city of romance”, explaining this with low costs and proximity to home. Well, the Chinese have learned to fake not only sneakers!

7. Every fifth person on Earth is Chinese

Yes, yes, it is. Of course, you should not look for Chinese components in your relatives and work colleagues, but such is the reality. The authorities of the Celestial Empire are forced to almost fight the birth rate, issuing laws according to which one family cannot have more than two children. Nevertheless, there are 1.4 billion Chinese on our planet. Using simple mathematical calculations, it is easy to calculate that this is 20 percent of the world’s population. Despite the fact that children learn this as early as the 3rd grade, not all adults remember this fact!

It turns out that if all the people of the world are divided into groups of 5 people, then each of them will have a Chinese. And now remember the population of India, and in our groups there will be only 3 vacancies. Are the numbers of 326 million (population of the USA) and 146 million (population of Russia) so big now…?

6. 30 million Chinese still live in caves

Speaking of numbers. 30 million people – judge for yourself whether it is a lot or a little, but this is exactly the number of Chinese right now living in … caves. A sort of modern Flintstones, can you imagine? In fact, these guys have electricity, running water, refrigerators, and some have TVs. Most of the cave dwellers are stationed in Shaanxi province.

Unfortunately, the lion’s share of them are reluctant Flintstones, because they cannot afford an apartment due to low income. However, there are those who consciously prefer quiet, spacious caves to the “anthills” of Beijing. The most surprising thing is that almost all the inhabitants of the caves are quite satisfied with their apartments.

5. Lucky symbol – bat

Perhaps, here the Chinese stood out to a lesser extent. It seems that the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire will be no less surprised than ours when they learn about horseshoes and quatrefoils. Images of a bat (usually red) can be found everywhere in China: in the form of embroidery on clothes, as well as in the form of drawing on all kinds of household items. Postage stamps depicting bats have been issued in China since the XNUMXth century.

Isn’t it great to send such a good luck wish to a friend along with a letter? There is even a certain plot, which is also often used. Its essence is that the child looks at the mouse in flight – this means the expectation of happiness.

4. Lives 56 nationalities

Yes, the puzzle for the European man is brewing again. The Chinese are not all the same! Although 56 in this case is more of a formality, because 92 percent of the population here are Han. The rest of the people are considered to be national minorities, despite the fact that this is more than 100 million people (but we are in China).

Among the ancient Chinese nationalities there are funny names for our ears, such as Baoan, Gaoshan and Huizu. There are also peoples whose self-names are I, Nu, Va and She. There are also Russians in China, there are about 15000 of them. In addition to many nationalities, China is also famous for the fact that 299 dialects are spoken in the country.

3. Offal is more expensive than meat

Have you already got used to the fact that in China everything is a little different? You will definitely get used to it now. These are Asians, so everything that we don’t particularly like to put in a pan is worth its weight in gold in China. All sorts of paws, entrails, chicken navels and other delights for any inhabitant are a delicacy cleaner than a steak fried in red wine. That is why naked fillets are not listed here. Rather, of course, meat is sold, but offal is much more expensive.

Surprisingly, and only, but such is the local mentality. By the way, when ordering soup in a restaurant, they can fish out a paw from above in order to make it nice. Try not to make a big face when the waiter is serving food.

2. Soup is served in two-liter bowls.

Since we are talking about gastronomy, here is another feature of eating in Chinese. Soup in the local cafes and restaurants is usually served in bowls, the volume of which is not less than 2 liters. The fact is that the Chinese do not dine alone, but prefer to do it in companies, it just so happened. Therefore, such a portion of soup is quite acceptable for itself – there is enough food for everyone. By the way, soup in our understanding and the vision of the Chinese are two different things.

In the Celestial Empire, it is more of a liquid broth than a rich food, which is why the Chinese say “drink the soup.” So if you suddenly want to taste soup in China, urgently look for accomplices for this business.

1. Books are sold by weight

And, perhaps, the most unusual thing you can encounter in China. Books are sold here like carrots, by weight. Despite all the extravagance, this measure is actually forced. Paper books are increasingly being replaced by electronic media. Therefore, in order to attract young people to read bound literature, the owners of the shops took such a step.

By weight, books are much cheaper than by the piece (almost 10 times), which buyers are incredibly happy about – because now their favorite books are very inexpensive. By the way, people in China are very fond of reading – on average, each resident devotes about 1 hour a day to this activity.