China
by Lili Gao
Fun facts about China:
- China spans 5 time zones, but the entire China uses one time – Beijing time. In Beijing, typical working hours are from 8-5 (with lunch break). In Xinjiang, the very west part of China, the working hours are typically 10-7 (with lunch break).
- 6 (luck), 8 (wealth), 9 (eternity/longevity) and lucky numbers in Chinese culture.
- 4 (death) and 7 (sorrow) are unlucky numbers.
- There are 8 Great Chinese Cuisines.
- Tang (唐), Song (宋), Yuan (元) dynasties are very well-known for poems.
- Confucius (孔夫子) lived in the Spring and Autumn period (春秋时期) (551-479 BC).
- Pandas are only native to China. Most pandas in zoos are on loan from China.
- China has 56 ethnic groups, with Han Chinese making up 91% of the population
- China has 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 centrally administered municipalities (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing).
- Chinese Giant Salamander makes the sound similar to a crying infant.
- Yellow chrysanthemum flowers are meant for dead people.
Tips for travelers:
- Red Hawthorne fruit in a stick coated with syrup (糖葫芦) is a sweet and slightly sour treat. Most people fall in love with it at the first bite.
- Most large cities have very good public transportation system. During rush hours, they are much faster than taxi.
- Bring some Raman noodles when you travel. The jetlag will keep you up and hungry at night when most restaurants are closed.
