5 Fun China Facts for Kids

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Nicole

Whether youre planning a trip to China with your family, or teaching a classroom full of kids, here are some interesting facts about Chinas population, geography, culture, language, and religion. See if your kids can come up with more fun facts about China, and let us know! Population: China has the largest population in the world with over 1.3 billion people! Thats one-fifth, or

20%, of the worlds population. Beijing is the capital, but Shanghai contains 4 million more people (at 16.5 million). 92% of the countrys population is Ethnic Chinese, also called Han Chinese, dating back to the Han dynasty 2,200 years ago.

The Great Wall of China in 1907 Geography: China is the fourth largest country in the worldjust after Russia, Canada and the United

States. In fact, if you superimpose a map of China over the United States, the two countries almost match up in size and shape. Try it! China borders 14 countries and 4 seas in Asia. Language:

Mandarin Chinese is the official language of China, but there are 206 other dialects, including:

Cantonese, Shanghainese, and Mongolian. The average person in China learns only about 5,000 of 20,000 characters in the Chinese language. How many Chinese characters do you know? History: China is one of the worlds oldest and most advanced civilizations, going back over 5,000

years. Thats when acupuncture was developed to treat illnessesstill in use today! Dynasties span from the first Qin dynasty in 221 BC to the child Emperor Pu-Yi in 1912, when the country became a republic. China also developed a calendar, a calligraphy writing system, silk, paper, movable-type printing, the wheel, the magnetic compass, porcelain and gunpowder. Did you know they invented so many things? Religion: There is no official religion of China. While about 30% of the population is Buddhist and/or Taoist,

Chinese folk beliefs and Confucianism combine with these traditions and many dont practice their religion regularly. Did you know the Leshan Buddha (featured below) is the largest carved stone Buddha in the world? Standing 233 feet tall, it was the tallest statue when construction was finished in the year 803. Now the Spring Temple Buddha, also in China, is the tallest at 420 feet!

The People's Republic of China

Name:The official name of the country is The People's Republic of China.

The Chinese name is "Zhong Guo", which means the "Middle Kingdom". Since ancient times, it was believed that China was at the center of the universe.

Capital: China's capital city is Beijing. Population: China is the world's most populous country. There are 1.3 billion people in China, that is more than twice the number of people in Europe (excluding Russia) and one billion more than in the United States. Area: 9.5 million square kilometers or 3.7 million square miles. Located in the Asian continent, China is the fourth largest country, after Russia, Canada and the United States. Language: Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world. Although there are thousands of Chinese dialects spoken, China's official language is Mandarin Chinese, that is, this is the dialect that is taught in school and the dialect used for national radio and tv broadcasts. Religion: Although there is no "official" religion in China, there are a number of religions and spiritual followings practised by Chinese. The most widely practised religions are Buddhism and Taoism. At the same time, the teachings of Confucius, although not an "organized religion" per se, have became the basis for Chinese family and moral life throughouth the country. Government: China is a socialist republic ruled by a single party, the Communist Party of China. The People's Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949. China's President and General Secretary of the Communist Party is Hu Jintao.

China Flag
The current China Flag was adopted soon after the Communist regime came to power.

It has five yellow stars on a red background. What does the Red Background mean? The red background symbolizes the revolution and the blood of those who died during the civil war and the Japanese invasion. What do the Golden Stars stand for? There are Five yellow stars, a large one that represents the Communist Party and the four smaller ones that surround it represent the four different classes of society. Here's more China Facts on the modern China Flag and its meaning.

China Geography

China's Geography and landscape is extremely varied. It is a large country, just slightly

smaller than the United States, with a great variety of environments, peoples, flora and fauna, and traditions. Along the coast concentrate the main cities and ports. In the North and West are mountains and deserts. The South is crowded with jungles and tropical lowlands whereas the South-West is home to the harsher Tibetan Plateau. The majority of the people live in the milder coastal areas and along the rivers. These areas are booming modern economic and industrial zones which are in high contrast to the poorer areas as you travel inland.

China Geography Facts

Where is China? China's Border Countries and Seas China's main Cities Physical Map of China: China Mountains, Rivers, Deserts, Plateaus Wildlife and Nature

People and Life in China

People born in China with at least one parent of Chinese descent is considered a Chinese

national. As with many large countries, in China there are many ethnic groups that make up the population, however, the great majority of the people and what you would typically recognize as "Chinese", roughly 93%, are from the Han Chinese group.

Being such a diverse land, you will find that lifestyles and customs in China vary greatly. When you visit China, you are first aware of a country dealing with a rapid pace of modernization and at the same time a country that is struggling to maintain its traditions and heritage of thousands of years.

1. Home of the Great Wall. 2. Forbidden City. 3. Largest Communist nation. 4. Population of over 1 billion. 5. 2 of the world's longest rivers: Yangtze and Yellow. 6. Occupier of Tibet. 7. Ancient culture 8. Giant pandas 9. Invention of gunpowder 10. Popular cuisine

The Great Wall Of China

Great Wall Of Friendship A mix between a craft and an activity, this "Great Wall" encourages children to think about what they value in their friends and family. Facts about the Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China was built over 2000 years ago and is the longest man-made structure ever built. It is an instantly recognisable structure which many people are familiar with, though often know little about. We have gathered below some of the most interesting facts about the Great Wall including when the wall was built, how long the wall is, and if it is visible from the moon.

How long is the Great Wall of China? The Great Wall of China is approximately 6000 kilometre long. However if you were to measure all the individual structures and changes to the wall made over the centuries, it is believed the final measurement would total over 50000 kilometres! When was the Great Wall of China built? The Great Wall was originally built over 2000 years ago, around 221 BC. Most of the current Great Wall was built during the Ming dynasty (between 1368 and 1644.)

History of the Great Wall of China It is thought that the earliest wall was built under the rule of Emperor Qin, who successful unified parts of China around 221 BC. Previously, individual states had built their own wall defences, but now Emperor Qin sought to connect the walls to provide defences against northern invaders. He ordered the building of the Wan Li Chang Cheng" as it was known in China. This translates as "the ten thousand li Great Wall". A "li" is a Chinese length unit. 2 li are equal to 1 km. Read (or print) the famous story Meng Jiangnu Weeps. Most of the original wall no longer exists. Over the centuries that followed each dynasty did more work to maintain and develop the wall. The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) carried out a major rebuilding project extending the Great Wall, which resulted in a 6000 kilometre wall which is what is mainly in evidence today.

More Pictures of the Great Wall of China

Can you imagine how difficult it was to build the Great Wall of China? Look at the terrain that it covers! How did the workmen transport the stone? What techniques were used to build on such steep hillsides?

This photo, taken in the early morning, shows how beautiful and astounding the Great Wall can look, and what a marvellous feat of building it was. Why was the Great Wall of China built? It is believed that the main purpose of the Great Wall was to protect China from invasion or attack by northern tribes (such as the Mongols).

The Great Wall of China from Space (or from the Moon) It is actually a myth that the Great Wall can be seen from the moon. However, it can be seen from space, and images have been returned from low-level space vehicles including the space shuttle. The photo on the left is from NASA, and clearly shows parts of the wall. Who built the Great Wall of China? The original wall was ordered by the Emperor Qin over 2000 years ago. The wall was constructed by labourers comprising soldiers, common people and criminals. The wall was built of different materials over the centuries. The earliest wall was largely made of compacted earth, surrounded by local stone. Much use was made of local material to keep costs down and enable building to continue quickly. The later Ming wall was largely made of brick. It is estimated that up to 1 million people died while constructing the Great Wall! How tall is the Great Wall of China? In places the Great Wall is 25 feet tall. It ranges from 15 to 30 feet wide.

Map of the Great Wall of China

This is a map of The Great Wall of China as it was in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when the wall was rebuilt and extended. Most of the Ming Dynasty wall can still be seen today. How was the Great Wall of China defended? The Great Wall included a series of watch towers and forts which could house soldiers, grain and weapons. Beacons could enable the passing of messages quickly along the wall. Special weapons were developed to enable the wall to be defended against attack, replicas of which are on display on the modern day wall. At one time it is thought that up to 1 million soldiers were stationed along the length of the wall! How long did it take to build the Great Wall of China? The Great Wall was built over many years. It is believed the original Great Wall was built over a period of approximately 20 years. The Great Wall which is mainly in evidence today was actually built during the Ming dynasty, over a period of around 200 years. When was the Great Wall of China finished? The original Great Wall was extended and developed until the rule of the Ming Dynasty. When the Ming rulers were overthrown in 1644, no further work was done on the Wall until recent years in attempts to preserve parts of the structure.

Today many tourists visit the Great Wall of China, and walk along it. You can see some in the photo above. How many people did it take to build the Great Wall of China? Many thousands of people were involved in the building of the wall. From records it appears that 300,000 soldiers and 500,000 common people were involved in constructing the original Great Wall under Emperor Qin. Many people lost their lives during this work and archaeologists have discovered many human remains buried under sections of the wall. What Is Chinese New Year? Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese holidays, and is a time of feasting with the family, celebration, fireworks and gift-giving. It is a 15-day holiday, beginning on the first day of a new moon and ending with the full moon on the day of the Lantern Festival. The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar year, so the date of Chinese New Year changes every year. The Chinese calendar follows a 12-year pattern with each year named after an animal. There are various stories which explain this. The simplest is that Buddha (or the Jade Emperor) invited all of the animals to join him for a New Year celebration, but only 12 animals turned up. To reward the animals that did come, Buddha named a year after each of them in the order that they arrived, starting with the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. (Find another version of the story to print, below) Depending on the year you are born, you are believed to have the various character traits of that year's animal.