Learn About China

Learn a little about China, it's geography, history and culture, with the kids. Our "fun facts" format provides bite-sized pieces of information that children enjoy learning!

Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China's capital

A Little Geography

• China is the world's fourth largest country, and is located in East Asia along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean.
• It has an area of 9.6 million square kilometres and its shape on the map is like a rooster. 
• China is bordered by 14 countries - Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakstan, Mongolia, and Russia.
• The tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, sits on the border between China and Nepal.
• China has numerous rivers and lakes. The Yangtze is the longest in China and in Asia, is the third-longest river in the world. 
• China has large areas of mountainous land covering about two-thirds of the country.
• The largest city in China is Shanghai, and Beijing is the capital city. The capital, Beijing, is one of the most populated capital cities in the world. China has over 100 cities with a population of over 1 million people!

The Great Wall of China

A Little History

• China is home to the oldest of the major world civilizations and was ruled by various powerful families, known as dynasties, for much of its history.
• The early human species Homo erectus lived in China about a million years ago.  Modern human beings (Homo sapiens) are believed to have reached China from Africa around 65,000 years ago. 
• Around 4000 years ago, it is believed that the Xia dynasty ruled China, although there is little known about this time.
• The first dynasty for which there is some written history is the Shang dynasty, and much of north-central China was united during this time (1700-1046 BC).
• From 1045-770 BC, the Zhou dynasty replaced Shang as the dominant force across northern China.
• In 221 BC, the first emperor of China, Emperor Qin, united all of China under one rule. In 220 BC, construction on the Great Wall of China began in an effort to keep out the Mongols.
• Emperor Qin died in 210 BC and was buried with the Terracotta Army. A peaceful time followed under the Han Dynasty, which ran from 206 BC to 220 AD. The Han Dynasty was a time of invention and science, including the invention of paper, and advancements in medicine, mathematics, building, agriculture, engineering, and astronomy. 
• The Xin dynasty began in AD 9 and was notable for many economic reforms. Other dynasties which followed were Jin Dynasty, Northern and Southern dynasties, Sui Dynasty, Tang dynasty, Five dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms, Yuan Dynasties, and the Qing Dynasty. It's easy to get confused!
• The Portuguese arrived during the rule of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and established trade with China in 1517. 
• In 1911 the Qing dynasty was overthrown by the Xinhai Revolution and revolutionary Sun Yat-sen became the first President of the Republic of China.
• In 1949 Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China after leading the Communists to victory against the Nationalists after 20 years of civil war. The Nationalists retreated to  Taiwan and set up a government there.
• In 1966 Mao led the Cultural Revolution, and this period was one of the most difficult in Chinese history. Many schools and universities were closed, and people who disagreed with Mao's views were either killed or re-educated through hard labour. Chinese traditional arts and ideas were ignored and publicly attacked. The Cultural Revolution ended shortly after Mao's death in 1976.
• In recent times, China has become the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

And Some Interesting Facts...

• China has the largest population on Earth (over 1.4 billion people).
• If you have parents that are over 60 years old, it’s illegal to not visit them regularly!
• The Chinese railway is so long that it could loop around the Earth two times!
• A new skyscraper is built in China every 5 days.
• Facebook has been banned in China since 2009, although many people find secret ways to access it!
• About 1 in 5 people worldwide are Chinese.
• The national animal is the Giant Panda.
• Table Tennis is the national sport.
• The Chinese calendar is the oldest known calendar in the world, and it is formed on the movement of the moon.
• Toilet paper was first invented in China in the 1300s, although when it was first invented only emperors were able to use it!

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