KNOWING CHINA BETTER

 

China is a nation of exotic cuisine, giant structures, and rich culture, China is different from the rest.

 

Technology in everyday life.

 

Lightning-Fast Trains. 

 

pic Courtesy: cnn

China believes that no time should be wasted in transit. There are some routes in China with high-speed trains capable of reaching a gross speed of 217 mph or 350 kph. In 2010, the record for the highest speed was of a train moving at 301 mph or 486 kph, making these trains some of the fastest in the world.

 

Cooking and Cleaning Robots. In China, one may find restaurants where robots do everything — from cooking the dishes to serving or cleaning up.  The first of this kind was opened several years ago at a research institute and grew in popularity shortly after. Some people even purchase such robots to act as helping hands around the house.

 

Diverse Palate.

China is famous for its food. Chinese cuisine is both delicious and bizarre.

Pic Courtesy: Pixels

 

• They eat anything that moves (including turtles, crocodiles, frogs, sharks, cockroaches, cats, dogs, and maggots). They are known for their deep love of noodles.

 

• Noodles. They have numerous variations and flavours of noodles. Longevity noodles are a staple made for weddings, birthdays, and Lunar New Year. These noodles are several feet in length. It is believed that, the firmer and longer the noodles, the longer and healthier the life will be for the one eating them.

 

• Instant Noodles are very popular and they have added spices, sauces, vegetables and/or meat, and dehydrated kimchi ingredients to these packets.

Pi Courtesy: Goldthread

 

• Black Eggs. A centennial egg is one of the most popular delicacies of China. A fresh chicken egg receives a generous coating of tea, ashes, salt, lime, and clay before it’s then wrapped in rice husk and straw. Then, it’s buried under the soil for three to four months.

Pic Courtesy: Darrycakes

 

• Green Pea Ice Cream. Ice cream was born in China, and thanks to Marco Polo, its recipe traveled to Europe. Aside from the numerous regular flavours of ice cream, there are some unusual flavours. Chinese locals enjoy unique green pea ice cream flavour.

 

• Hot Water Is a Staple. Hot water can be found everywhere — airports, train stations, restaurants, and parks. So, people who own a thermos can enjoy a cup of steaming hot tea or a bowl of delicious noodles wherever they are.

 

• Taste Enhancers in All Dishes. Chinese food is big on flavors, and Monosodium Glutamate is a seasoning packed with hints of saltiness and sweetness that adds the signature taste you’d get from any dish in a Chinese restaurant.

 

Eating Out.

• In China, people eat at set times and it is difficult to get an eating place during a standard mealtime.

 

• In China one who invites pays for the food.

 

• Fortune Cookies originated in Japan and not China.

 

• In China, tipping is not customary.

 

Customs and Traditions

 

Birthdays.  In China, birthdays are celebrated once in 10 Years.

• According to ancient traditions, celebrations are supposed to be 30 days after birth, followed up a year later, another after six years, and then once every 10 years. Grand celebrations are a part of the person’s 60th and 80th birthdays.

• In addition to that, there are some dates that people simply don’t celebrate. For instance, most women refrain from celebrating their 30th, 33rd, and 66th birthdays, as they believe this will bring bad luck for a year. For similar reasons, men don’t celebrate their 40th.

 

Two Weeks’ Vacation. Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) is a festival celebrating the start of a new year. It marks the end of winter and is the country’s main celebration lasting for 15 days. There is no other official vacation or holiday in the country other than this.

Pic Courtesy: All Things China

 

Naps to Increase Productivity. It is believed that taking a nap during working hours increases productivity and it is encouraged. The employees are allotted nap times throughout the day so they can rejuvenate and restart work with more spirit.

 

Self-Massages to Relax. Chinese people love self-massages. There’s a wide variety of self-massaging gadgets available including Shiatsu massage cushions. Locals can be seen giving themselves a massage wherever they feel it’s convenient (on the train, in the elevator, in a restaurant, or on the streets).

 

Sports.  Chinese national sport, is ping pong, a sport that was invented in Britain 100 years ago. However, football (soccer) is a very popular sport in China. It originated in China under the name Cuju or Ts’u-chü. It was primarily used to train soldiers back in the second century BC.

Pic Courtesy: CGTN

 

National Army’s Iron Discipline. The Chinese military parade is a breath-taking sight. The motion of thousands of people who are perfectly in sync.  This level of mastery is achieved with rigorous training, with soldiers practicing marching with a bottle of water on the top of their head, or a needle pinned to their collar to make sure they hold their heads high.

Pic Courtesy: Pintrest

 

Pandas Are National Treasures. Pandas are exclusive to China. One finds them on all the tourist products.

Pic Courtesy: Camelid country

 

Haircuts on the Go. There are barbers spread throughout the city on many corners. One can comfortably get your hair cut as well as a shave while grabbing a seat mid-street.

 

Mosquito-Breeding Factories. In China, they infect male mosquitoes with a unique bacteria that makes them infertile. Then, they are released to infect female mosquitoes and prevent them from breeding. China produces 20 million insects per week for this purpose.

 

Ladybug Feeders. Over the years, scientists have found innovative ways to have healthy green plants. In China, they use ladybugs for getting rid of the plant lice. A distinct paper structure soaked in a special substance is used to attract these ladybugs.

 

Infrastructure

Extraordinary Architectural Feats. China is a land of mind-blowing architectural establishments. 

 

The Great Wall of China is one of the most historically significant architectural feats on the face of the Earth, but it has lost some of its original glory over the years.

 

Housing

• About 30 million people live in humongous houses and apartments.

• The rest live in small apartments.

• There are many ghost towns. The Ordos is the most well-known ghost town.

• There are approximately 64 million abandoned skyscrapers that have never seen people living in them.

• New houses in China do not have glass windows. Apartments are sold without windows installed in them.

• All apartments have iron bars on the windows regardless of the floor of the apartment.

Pic Courtesy: CGTN

 

Night Markets. China’s night markets have become an indispensable part of its culture. The ordinary street filled with cars and pedestrians turns into lively night market hubs by night. These markets host anything and everything you can think of — from mouth-watering local delicacies to clothes and accessories.

 

Public Transport System

 

Public transport in China is very reliable. One can get a bus from anywhere to any location. However, public buses and subway lines stop working pretty early at the night.

 

Sleeper Train.  Sleeper trains are convenient modes of transportation that offer speed and comfort. However, the linen isn’t changed during the entire train journey from the start station to the destination station of the train.

Pic Courtesy: World Atlas

 

Countryside Sights. China is blessed with breath-taking Nature. It has some incredible sights and landmarks.  Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is a national park situated in the Hunan province and it commonly goes by the name Avatar mountains. The famous sci-fi movie released in 2009 of the same name was shot in this park, earning it that name.

 

Link to previous four articles on the subject

https://55nda.com/blogs/anil-khosla/?s=knowing+china

 

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