Soaring mountains, plunging canyons, giant pandas and just a single time zone – we share the most interesting facts about China
I visited China nearly 20 years ago and found a country on the march. China may be one of the world’s most ancient civilisations with a continuous culture stretching back thousands of years, but today’s relatively modern nation – the People’s Republic of China – was founded in 1949 and is more like several different countries rolled into one.
This is hardly surprising considering 21st-century China’s sheer enormity. The country is off-the-scale massive in terms of area, population, economy, culture, military, history, cuisine, language, walls… I could go on.
No wonder then, as Kia discovered on her recent visit, there are endless things to see and do in this immense land that’s stocked with natural wonders and man-made marvels. Below, we share just some of the most interesting facts about China we’ve learned during our visits.
1. China’s real name means ‘Middle Kingdom’
China’s English name comes from the Qin (Chin) 3rd century BC dynasty. The Chinese name Zhongguo translates as ‘Middle Kingdom’ or ‘Central Nation’.
– Source: CIA World Factbook
2. China is the world’s second most populous country
With over 1.4 billion people, China is the world’s second most populous country after India. It is also one of only two countries with more than one billion people. China was the most populous country from 1950 until it was surpassed by India in 2023.
– Source: World Bank
3. China is a communist state
China is one of the world’s five communist states. The others are Cuba, Laos, Vietnam and North Korea (although technically the North Korean government doesn’t refer to itself as communist).
– Source: History Channel
4. Western internet is blocked in China
Thousands of western apps and websites are blocked in China in what’s known as the Great Firewall of China. The ruling communist party perceives an open internet as a threat to the state.
– Source: The Guardian
5. Millions of people in China live in caves
More people live in caves in China than anywhere else in the world. Approximately 30 to 40 million people live in caves carved from porous soil in the Shaanxi Province. China’s current president, Xi Jinping, reportedly lived in one of these caves as a teenager.
– Source: National Geographic
6. China is huge
In terms of area, China is the world’s fourth-largest country after Russia, Canada and the USA.
– Source: World Bank
7. China borders 14 countries
China (along with Russia) borders 14 countries – the most in the world. The 14 countries are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam.
– Source: The Telegraph
8. China has only one time zone
Despite its size, China maintains just a single time zone across the entire country. As such, schools, airports and train stations operate at irregular hours; restaurants remain open for dinner until the early hours; and national exams are sometimes completed in the middle of the night.
– Source: The New York Times
9. China has an enormous economy
China has the world’s second-largest economy after the USA.
– Source: World Bank
10. China’s heritage is (almost) unmatched
China has 59 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Only Italy has more with 60.
– Source: UNESCO
11. China has the world’s largest man-made structure
The Great Wall of China is the nation’s most famous landmark. It was built to protect China’s northern border and is the world’s largest man-made structure at 21,196km (13,171mi) in length. Construction began in around 220 BC and continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
– Source: BBC News, UNESCO
12. The world’s highest mountain is in China
Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 8,848m (29,029ft), is part-located in China. Its summit sits on the border between China and Nepal. In Tibetan, the mountain is called Chomolungma, meaning ‘goddess mother of the snows.’
– Source: NASA Earth Observatory
1.3 China is mountainous
In fact, nine of the eight-thousanders – the world’s only mountains over 8,000m (26,247ft) high – are either part- or entirely located within China.
– Source: NASA Earth Observatory
14. The Forbidden City has over 900 buildings
Beijing’s Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of ancient buildings. It was built between 1406 and 1420, has over 900 buildings and receives around 16 million visitors a year.
– Source: Lonely Planet
15. There is an army of life-sized clay soldiers
China’s Terracotta Army has been described as “one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of modern times”. In 1974, peasants discovered the first fragments of a clay figure. Archaeologists would later excavate a tomb filled with an entire army of life-sized terracotta soldiers and horses that had been interred for more than 2,000 years. So far, an estimated 8,000 warriors have been unearthed.
– Source: Smithsonian Magazine
16. China’s New Year is not the same as ours
The Chinese New Year occurs at a different time to western calendars. Instead, the annual 15-day festival begins with the new moon that occurs sometime between 21st January and 20th February.
– Source: Britannica
17. Every year is an animal in China
In China, every year is represented by one of 12 Lunar New Year animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. According to the calendar, the year you were born determines your personality. On 29th January 2025, the Year of the Snake begins.
– Source: Royal Museums Greenwich
18. Pandas can only be found in China
Wild Giant Pandas can only be found in southwest China. There are only 1,864 endangered panda bears in the wild and they are considered a national treasure in China. Fortunately, thanks to conservation efforts, numbers have been increasing recently.
– Source: WWF
19. Gunpowder was invented in China
Historians believe that gunpowder was accidentally invented in China around 850 AD when alchemists discovered the explosive properties of a combination of charcoal, potassium nitrate and sulfur while seeking an elixir of life.
– Source: History Channel
20. China is not very religious
Just 3% of adults in China say religion is very important in their lives, making it the least religious country in the world.
– Source: Pew Research Center
21. China has a massive army
With 2,535,000 armed forces personnel, China has the world’s second-largest military after India.
– Source: World Bank
22. China has the world’s biggest glass bridge
China has the world’s highest (300m/984ft) and longest (430m/1,411ft) glass bridge. The Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge famously closed just two weeks after opening in 2016 when officials realised it was going to receive 10 times as many visitors as expected.
– Source: BBC News
23. China had a one-child policy for decades
From 1979 to 2016, China had a one-child policy in place in order to slow the country’s population growth. A two-child policy was adopted in 2016 but this was replaced with a three-child policy in 2021 after census data showed a steep decline in birth rates.
– Source: BBC News
24. China has the world’s fastest builder
In 2015, a 57-storey skyscraper was built in just 19 working days in China, at a pace of three floors a day. The construction company claims to be the world’s fastest builder.
– Source: The Guardian
25. The Real Grand Canyon is in China
The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in China is the world’s deepest. In some places, it measures more than 5,300m (17,490ft) from top to bottom. At around 500km (310mi), it is also one of the world’s longest canyons.
– Source: National Geographic
26. China has the world’s tallest outdoor lift
At 326m (1,070ft) high, the Bailong Elevator, in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan, is the world’s tallest outdoor lift.
– Source: CNN
27. In China, it is law to care for your parents
In 2013, China introduced a law requiring adult children to visit and care for their ageing parents. The ‘Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly People’ bill states children must care for their parents’ spiritual and physical needs.
– Source: The Independent
28. China has Asia’s largest river
At 6,300km (3,915mi), China’s Yangtze River is Asia’s longest and the world’s third-longest river after the Nile and Amazon.
– Source: Britannica
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