Fun Facts About China

 

Ice cream was invented in China around  2000BC

when the Chinese packed a soft milk and rice mixture

in the snow.

 

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China is the fourth largest country in the world.   China is sometimes a day ahead of the United States.

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The Chinese year is based on the cycles of the moon.   This is called a lunar schedule.  A complete cycle of  the Chinese calendar takes 60 years.  The Chinese calendar dates back to  2600 B.C.  It is the oldest known calendar.

 

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Each year is represented by an animal.  There are twelve animals which represent the twelve months. 

According to readings Buddha named the years after the twelve animals that came to visit him before he left the earth.  The Chinese believe that you have some of the characteristics of the animal representing the year in which you were born.      


 

Tigar

Rabbit

Dragon

Snake

Horse

Sheep

Tiger  

Rabbit

Dragon

Snake

Horse

Sheep

1974
1986
1998

1975
1987
1999

1976
1988
2000

1977
1989
2001

1978
1990
2002

1979
1991
2003

           
Monkey Rooster Dog Pig Rat Ox

Monkey

Rooster

Dog

Pig

Rat

Ox

1980
1992
2004
1981
1993
2005
1982
1994
2006
1983
1995
2007
1984
1996
2008
1985
1997
2009

 

 

 

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When a Chinese child loses a baby tooth, it doesn't get tucked under the pillow for the tooth fairy.  If the child loses an upper tooth, the child's parents plant the tooth in the ground, so the new tooth will grow in straight and healthy.  Parents toss a lost bottom tooth up to the rooftops, so that the new tooth will grow upwards , too.

 

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It is considered good luck for the gate to a house to face south.

 

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We know that the Chinese grew rice as long as 5000 BC Archaeologists have found rice grains in farming tools and pots from that period.

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Long ago, silk making was a closely guarded secret.   Anyone who gave the secret away could be killed.

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At one time, Chinese patriots hoped to rid themselves of hated foreign conquerors.  To announce the time of an uprising, the patriots hid messages in moon cakes.

 

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Red is considered a lucky color in China.  At one time wedding dresses were red.  New Year's banners, clothing, and lucky money envelopes are still red.

 

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Fourth graders are expected to know 2,000 of the over 40,000 written Chinese characters.  By the time they leave college, they will know 4,000 or 5,000 characters.  Each character is learned by looking at it and memorizing it.

Unlike the 26 letters of our alphabet, words cannot be sounded out letter by letter.

 

 

 

 

                                           

 

 

animfactforicecreamconesstralgchoc.gif (2096 bytes)Thanks to the animation factory for the ice creams.