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ABC about Living in China
Language:
China is a unitary multi-national country with hundreds of different kinds of dialects. Mandarin is the official modern Chinese spoken and written language, and the simplified Chinese character set is the official script of the Chinese written language. In our center, we teach Mandarin and Cantonese.
Full Name: The People’s Republic of China
Common name: China
Biggest National Festival:Chinese New Year
National Flag: Five-Stars-Red Flag
National Anthem: March of the Volunteers
National Currency: RMB (Renminbi) or Yuan (CNY)
History
About 3,000 years of recorded history, with traditional accounts of prior dynasties.
- 770–221 BC: Rival states grow in strength and battle for control.
- 221 BC China united by First Emperor Qin
- 206– 220 AD the Han Dynasty takes over giving its name to the Chinese majority.
- 618-907: the Tang Dynasty - China influenced the west through the ancient Silk Road
- 1271–1368: the Yuan Dynasty — China’s first foreign dynasty (of Mongol origin)
- 1368-1644: the Ming Dynasty - Most of the Great Wall that we see today was constructed-
- 1644–1911: the Qing Dynasty — China’s second foreign dynasty (of Manchu origin) and last dynasty
- 1912–1949: the Republic of China years — internal struggle for power
- October 1, 1949 People’s Republic of China inaugurated by Mao Zedong
- 1978: Deng Xiaoping begins China’s opening up reforms leading to rapid economic growth.
Geography
Area: 9,600,000 square kilometers (3,700,000 square miles)
Population: 1.3 billion
Capital: Beijing
Largest City: Shanghai(Municipality pop. 23,000,000)
Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (including Taiwan), 5 Autonomous Regions, 4 Municipalities, and 2 Special Administrative Regions
Terrain: 33% mountains, 26% high plateaus, 19% basins and deserts, 12% plains regions, 10% hills.
Climate: Generally speaking, the north of China is much colder and drier than the south, and the west of China is generally drier than the east.
Location Information
Most northerly point:53.6°N Heilongjiang Province
Most southerly mainland point:20.3°N Guangdong Province
Most southerly point in a province:18.2°N Hainan Island
Most easterly point:134.7°E Heilongjiang Province
Most westerly point:73.5°E Xinjiang Autonomous Region
West to east extent:5,000 km (3,100 mi)
North to south extent (mainland):3,700 km (2,300 mi)
North to south extent (including Hainan):3,900 km (2,400 mi)
Economy
“The Factory of the World”
World’s second largest economy: 9.25 trillion USD (2013)
GDP per capita: 6,800 USD
Development: fastest in world history at 10%+ for the last 30 years
Industry: World’s largest producer of: concrete, steel, fertilizer, clothing and toys.
Transport
Beijing Capital International Airport is the second busiest airport in the world and busiest in Asia.
Several major international airports, including: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.
Some of the world’s largest ports: Shanghai (greatest cargo tonnage since 2005), Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Qingdao, and Tianjin.
Rapidly developing infrastructure including the new wave of intercity high-speed trains and city metros.
The Peoples of China
56 ethnic groups (officially): Han (1,226M in 2010), Zhuang(16M), Manchu(11M), Hui(10M), Miao(9M), Uyghur(8M), Tujia(8M),Yi(8M),Mongol(6M), Tibetan(5M), Buyei (3M), Dong (3M), Yao (3M), Korean (2M), Bai(2M), Hani(1M),Kazakh(1M), Li (1M), Dai(1M), She (<1M), Lisu, Gelao, Dongxiang, Gaoshan, Lahu, Sui, Va, Nakhi, Qiang, Tu, Mulao, Xibe, Kyrgyz, Daur, Jingpo, Maonan, Salar, Blang, Tajik, Achang, Pumi, Ewinki, Nu, Gin, Jino, De’ang, Bonan, Russian, Yugur, Uzbeks, Monbar, Oroqen, Derung, Tatars, Hezhen, and Lhoba (3k), with a further category: undistinguished (700k)
Emergencies and Safety
Generally China is a safe country for foreign travelers, but emergencies and unexpected events and can happen to anyone at any time. Plan ahead to keep yourself and your family safe.
In China, you can call 110 for police or 120 for ambulance when you come across some emergencies. We suggest you to bring the telephone number of your tour agent, the hotel you are living and also the embassy or consulate of your country with you in case of trouble. Please do not meet with strangers alone and go to places that seem to be dangerous.
Here is a list of things you need to pay a attention when you are in China:
- Keep a close eye on your personal belongings in public places in the event of pick pocketing.
- Keep enough small bills in your pocket for immediate use; A lot of stores may not accept credit cards or traveler’s checks.
- Never show your money or valuable things in public. Take off your jewelry when going out in case that it may attract thieves’ attention.
- Make sure your credit card is returned to you after being used.
- Please photocopy your passport, credit cards, traveler’s checks, air ticket(s) and other important documents in case you lose any of them by accident. Only bring them when they are needed, if not, please leave them in a safety box in your room or in the hotel. Even when you need them, do keep them in the front pockets or in the inner pockets.
- Keep your backpack or purse with you in public area such as at a restaurant or a bus station. Put your backpack or purse in the front of you so that you can keep a close eye on it while walking through a crowed areas
The following numbers works all around China:
110- to call police, report a crime in progress
120- to call an ambulance for emergency medical help
122- to call traffic police, report a traffic accidence
119- to report a fire
114- Directory Enquires
121- Weather Forecast
117- Time Enquiry
184- zip code Enquiry
12315- Consumer protection
China Holidays
Chinese government observes the following official holidays. Many employers give their employees time off on these days and shops and businesses may be closed.
New Year's Day January 1st
Spring Festival January 1st of Lunar Canlendar
Qingming Festival April 4th or 5th
Labor’s Day May 1st
Dragon Boat Festival May 5th of Lunar Calendar
Mid-Autumn Day August 15th of Lunar Calendar
National Day Oct. 1st
In addition, there are four other holidays on which some people have a half day off : Women’s Day, Youth Day, Children's Day and Army Day. Many activities are celebrated even without days off, such as Teachers' Day and Arbor Day .
China is a unitary multi-national country with hundreds of different kinds of dialects. Mandarin is the official modern Chinese spoken and written language, and the simplified Chinese character set is the official script of the Chinese written language. In our center, we teach Mandarin and Cantonese.
Full Name: The People’s Republic of China
Common name: China
Biggest National Festival:Chinese New Year
National Flag: Five-Stars-Red Flag
National Anthem: March of the Volunteers
National Currency: RMB (Renminbi) or Yuan (CNY)
History
About 3,000 years of recorded history, with traditional accounts of prior dynasties.
- 770–221 BC: Rival states grow in strength and battle for control.
- 221 BC China united by First Emperor Qin
- 206– 220 AD the Han Dynasty takes over giving its name to the Chinese majority.
- 618-907: the Tang Dynasty - China influenced the west through the ancient Silk Road
- 1271–1368: the Yuan Dynasty — China’s first foreign dynasty (of Mongol origin)
- 1368-1644: the Ming Dynasty - Most of the Great Wall that we see today was constructed-
- 1644–1911: the Qing Dynasty — China’s second foreign dynasty (of Manchu origin) and last dynasty
- 1912–1949: the Republic of China years — internal struggle for power
- October 1, 1949 People’s Republic of China inaugurated by Mao Zedong
- 1978: Deng Xiaoping begins China’s opening up reforms leading to rapid economic growth.
Geography
Area: 9,600,000 square kilometers (3,700,000 square miles)
Population: 1.3 billion
Capital: Beijing
Largest City: Shanghai(Municipality pop. 23,000,000)
Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (including Taiwan), 5 Autonomous Regions, 4 Municipalities, and 2 Special Administrative Regions
Terrain: 33% mountains, 26% high plateaus, 19% basins and deserts, 12% plains regions, 10% hills.
Climate: Generally speaking, the north of China is much colder and drier than the south, and the west of China is generally drier than the east.
Location Information
Most northerly point:53.6°N Heilongjiang Province
Most southerly mainland point:20.3°N Guangdong Province
Most southerly point in a province:18.2°N Hainan Island
Most easterly point:134.7°E Heilongjiang Province
Most westerly point:73.5°E Xinjiang Autonomous Region
West to east extent:5,000 km (3,100 mi)
North to south extent (mainland):3,700 km (2,300 mi)
North to south extent (including Hainan):3,900 km (2,400 mi)
Economy
“The Factory of the World”
World’s second largest economy: 9.25 trillion USD (2013)
GDP per capita: 6,800 USD
Development: fastest in world history at 10%+ for the last 30 years
Industry: World’s largest producer of: concrete, steel, fertilizer, clothing and toys.
Transport
Beijing Capital International Airport is the second busiest airport in the world and busiest in Asia.
Several major international airports, including: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.
Some of the world’s largest ports: Shanghai (greatest cargo tonnage since 2005), Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Qingdao, and Tianjin.
Rapidly developing infrastructure including the new wave of intercity high-speed trains and city metros.
The Peoples of China
56 ethnic groups (officially): Han (1,226M in 2010), Zhuang(16M), Manchu(11M), Hui(10M), Miao(9M), Uyghur(8M), Tujia(8M),Yi(8M),Mongol(6M), Tibetan(5M), Buyei (3M), Dong (3M), Yao (3M), Korean (2M), Bai(2M), Hani(1M),Kazakh(1M), Li (1M), Dai(1M), She (<1M), Lisu, Gelao, Dongxiang, Gaoshan, Lahu, Sui, Va, Nakhi, Qiang, Tu, Mulao, Xibe, Kyrgyz, Daur, Jingpo, Maonan, Salar, Blang, Tajik, Achang, Pumi, Ewinki, Nu, Gin, Jino, De’ang, Bonan, Russian, Yugur, Uzbeks, Monbar, Oroqen, Derung, Tatars, Hezhen, and Lhoba (3k), with a further category: undistinguished (700k)
Emergencies and Safety
Generally China is a safe country for foreign travelers, but emergencies and unexpected events and can happen to anyone at any time. Plan ahead to keep yourself and your family safe.
In China, you can call 110 for police or 120 for ambulance when you come across some emergencies. We suggest you to bring the telephone number of your tour agent, the hotel you are living and also the embassy or consulate of your country with you in case of trouble. Please do not meet with strangers alone and go to places that seem to be dangerous.
Here is a list of things you need to pay a attention when you are in China:
- Keep a close eye on your personal belongings in public places in the event of pick pocketing.
- Keep enough small bills in your pocket for immediate use; A lot of stores may not accept credit cards or traveler’s checks.
- Never show your money or valuable things in public. Take off your jewelry when going out in case that it may attract thieves’ attention.
- Make sure your credit card is returned to you after being used.
- Please photocopy your passport, credit cards, traveler’s checks, air ticket(s) and other important documents in case you lose any of them by accident. Only bring them when they are needed, if not, please leave them in a safety box in your room or in the hotel. Even when you need them, do keep them in the front pockets or in the inner pockets.
- Keep your backpack or purse with you in public area such as at a restaurant or a bus station. Put your backpack or purse in the front of you so that you can keep a close eye on it while walking through a crowed areas
The following numbers works all around China:
110- to call police, report a crime in progress
120- to call an ambulance for emergency medical help
122- to call traffic police, report a traffic accidence
119- to report a fire
114- Directory Enquires
121- Weather Forecast
117- Time Enquiry
184- zip code Enquiry
12315- Consumer protection
China Holidays
Chinese government observes the following official holidays. Many employers give their employees time off on these days and shops and businesses may be closed.
New Year's Day January 1st
Spring Festival January 1st of Lunar Canlendar
Qingming Festival April 4th or 5th
Labor’s Day May 1st
Dragon Boat Festival May 5th of Lunar Calendar
Mid-Autumn Day August 15th of Lunar Calendar
National Day Oct. 1st
In addition, there are four other holidays on which some people have a half day off : Women’s Day, Youth Day, Children's Day and Army Day. Many activities are celebrated even without days off, such as Teachers' Day and Arbor Day .