3rd Sept 2011 Fun Facts & Fascinating Trivia On China

I guess not all of you know that ...

• China has more English-speaking inhabitants than England.
• The Mandarin word for China is Zhongguo which translates as "middle country", implying China is the centre of the world.
• Ice cream was invented in China around 2,000 BC when the Chinese placed a milk and rice mixture in the snow.
• Did you know that it is considered quite rude to blow your nose in public?
• When a Chinese child loses a baby tooth, it doesn't get tucked under the pillow for the tooth fairy. If the child loses an upper tooth, the child's parents plant the tooth in the ground, so the new tooth will grow in straight and healthy. Parents toss a lost bottom tooth up to the rooftops, so that the new tooth will grow upwards, too. Cheaper than in the West say Will and Guy!
• A complete cycle of the Chinese calendar takes 60 years.
• It is considered good luck for the gate to a house to face south.
• The most common surname in Beijing is Wang.
• China was the first country to invent gun powder and fireworks and also use gun powder for guns, rockets and other arms.
• China's number of listed languages totals approximately 206.
• 400 million Chinese people are under 18.
• The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is indeed great because it can be observed by man even from outer space. This wall measures more than 1500 miles in length and is also referred to as the "Ten Thousand Li Wall" with each Li being equivalent to 500 metres.
• Tree hugging in China is strictly forbidden.
• Chopsticks originated from, and were used by, the Chinese people approximately 4,000 years ago.
• China's money is called renminbi, meaning the "people's currency".
• When you write your name in China you put your family name first then your first name.
• Did you know that 20th September is National "Love Your Teeth Day" in China?
• In 550 AD, two Chinese monks smuggled silkworms out of China and started the western world's silk boom.
• China's consumption of Coca-Cola is not trivial, in fact, they are the world's largest imbiber.
• Acupuncture treats illnesses with inserting sharp thin needles in various pressure spots, it originated over 5,000 years ago in China.

 

Tags: trivia, facts, china

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