China is one of the largest countries in the world. It’s also one of the most unique in terms of culture, language, the people, and the history. Since you’re looking to learn Chinese online through the Mandarinninn, it’s important that you understand a little bit about China itself! Let’s talk about some fun facts about China you probably didn’t know!
The History: Fun Facts About China Before You Learn Chinese Online
1. China is thought to be the world’s oldest civilization. Some historians even believe that it began in 6000 B.C.
2. The primary Chinese language, Mandarin, is known as the oldest written language to date. This is why it can be unique and exciting to learn Mandarin online!
3. Although it hasn’t been proven, historians have dated the sport of Soccer back to China 1000 B.C. This could mean that the sport originated here!
4. Historians speculate that chopsticks used in China were the result of a fuel shortage as the population expanded. People needed to chop their food into bite-size pieces to speed up the cooking time. This removed the need for forks and knives, and thus originated chopsticks
5. Toilet paper was actually invented in China. However, it was originally only for the emperors, not the citizens
6. The Chinese invented the water wheel in A.D. 31
7. In the first or second century B.C., the oldest piece of paper was found in China
Fun Facts About the Country
1. China has a similar size to the United States, but it has a population that is four times the size of it
2. At the moment, the girls in China are outnumbered by 32 million boys
3. The world’s oldest canal is located in China. It is 1,114 miles long and called China’s Grand Canal
4. Out of every 5 people in the world, one of them is Chinese
5. 92% of the Chinese population speak Chinese, including Mandarin. This is why it’s so important to learn Chinese online if you’re going to visit China!
Miscellaneous Fun Facts About China: Learn Chinese Online
1. Fortune cookies are not actually apart of China’s history. They were invented by a Chinese worker in San Francisco
2. Kites were invented in China as a way to scare their enemies during battles as nobody else knew what they were
3. Although their seen as pests in Western countries, in China, crickets are often kept as pets by children
4. Stamp collecting is among the top hobbies in China
5. Zhang Heng was the first scholar to invent an instrument to monitor earthquakes
6. In the late empire time period, long nails were a symbol of wealth and rank
7. Red is the color for happiness in China
8. Paper at one point was used to make clothing
Final Thoughts
We hope that this list of fun fact about China has inspired you to visit the beautiful country! Make sure you learn Chinese online before you embark on this quest as you’ve just learned that 92% of the country speaks Chinese!