21 facts you didn't know about China

• The Great Wall of China is not a single, unbroken wall but a series of walls and fortifications. It is the longest wall in the world, with an estimated length of 13,170 miles (21,196 kilometers).
• China is home to the oldest continuous civilization in the world, with written records dating back over 3,500 years.
• China is the world's most populous country, with over 1.4 billion people, representing approximately 18% of the global population.
• The country uses a "social credit" system, which rates citizens based on their behavior and rewards or penalizes them accordingly.
• China is one of the largest countries by land area, covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometers, making it the fourth largest country in the world.
• The Chinese invented paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing, among other things. These inventions are often referred to as the Four Great Inventions of ancient China.
• The Giant Panda, one of the world's most endangered and adored animals, is native to China and serves as an unofficial national symbol.
• China is the world's largest producer and consumer of rice, and it plays a central role in the country's cuisine and culture.
• The Yangtze River in China is the third-longest river in the world, stretching over 6,300 kilometers (3,917 miles).
• The Terracotta Army, discovered in 1974 in Xi'an, consists of thousands of life-sized clay soldiers that were buried with Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, to protect him in the afterlife.
• Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese practice of arranging physical environments to harmonize with spiritual energies, originated in China over 3,000 years ago.
• The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean Sea, facilitating not only trade but also the exchange of ideas and cultures.
• China has a "megacity" called the Pearl River Delta, which is the world's largest urban area in both size and population, surpassing Tokyo.
• Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most significant traditional Chinese holiday, celebrated with fireworks, dragon dances, and family reunions.
• The Forbidden City in Beijing is the world's largest palace complex, consisting of 980 buildings over 180 acres.
• China's high-speed rail network is the most extensive in the world, with over 37,000 kilometers (about 23,000 miles) of tracks.
• Traditional Chinese medicine, with its roots going back over 2,500 years, emphasizes balancing the body's internal energy and harmony with the natural world.
• China was the first country to use paper money, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).
• The concept of Yin and Yang, which represents the idea that opposite forces are interconnected and interdependent, originates from ancient Chinese philosophy.
• The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan Province is a renowned facility dedicated to the conservation of giant pandas.
• China is one of the world's oldest tea-producing countries, with a history of tea cultivation that dates back over 3,000 years.

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National Day of the People's Republic of China

Flower garden at Beihai Park. The signboards read  国庆  (guóqìng; literally "national celebration"), i.e. "National Day"

National Day (Chinese: 国庆节; pinyin: guóqìng jié; lit. 'national celebration day'), officially the National Day of the People's Republic of China 中华人民共和国国庆节, is a public holiday in China celebrated annually on 1 October as the national day of the People's Republic of China, commemorating Mao Zedong's formal proclamation of the establishment of the People's Republic of China on 1 October 1949. The Chinese Communist Party victory in the Chinese Civil War resulted in the Kuomintang retreat to Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Revolution whereby the People's Republic of China replaced the Republic of China.

Although it is observed on 1 October, another six days are added to the official holiday, normally in lieu of the two weekend breaks around 1 October, making it a de facto public holiday comprising seven consecutive days also known as Golden Week 黄金周 huángjīn zhōu with specifics regulated by the State Council. Festivities and concerts are usually held nationwide on this day, with a grand military parade and mass pageant event held on select years. The parade held on 1 October 2019 marked the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) defeated the incumbent Kuomintang (KMT) nationalist government of the Republic of China in the Chinese Civil War that took place from 1927 to 1950 except for a brief alliance against Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War. In its aftermath, the nationalist government withdrew to the island of Taiwan, previously a prefecture of the Qing Empire that was ceded to Japan under its colonial rule from 1895 to 1945. The People's Republic of China was founded on 1 October 1949, with a ceremony celebrating the forming of the Central People's Government taking place in Tiananmen Square in its new national capital of Peking (previously Peiping) on the same day that year. The first public parade of the new People's Liberation Army took place there, following the address by the country's first Chairman Mao Zedong officially declaring the formal establishment of the Republic. The Central People's Government passed the Resolution on the National Day of the People's Republic of China on 3 December 1949 and declared that 1 October is the National Day.

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Autumn Equinox 2025 秋分 Qiūfēn

The September Equinox

There are two equinoxes every year – in September and March – when the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal. Seasons are opposite on either side of the Equator, so the equinox in September is also known as the autumnal (fall) equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, and is considered the first day of fall.

In the Southern Hemisphere, it is known as the vernal (spring) equinox and marks the first day of spring. The September equinox occurs the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s Equator – from north to south. This happens either on September 22, 23, or 24 every year.

Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.4° in relation to the ecliptic, the imaginary plane created by Earth's path around the Sun. On any other day of the year, either the southern hemisphere or the Northern Hemisphere tilts a little towards the Sun. But on the two equinoxes, the tilt of Earth's axis is perpendicular to the Sun's rays, like the illustrations show.

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What is an Equinox?

An equinox is one of the two times of the year when the amount of daylight and nighttime hours are just about of equal length. The two equinoxes occur around March 20–21 and September 22–23.

The equinoxes occur on these days, but an equinox is not the whole day—it is the moment when the sun is directly above Earth’s equator. The word equinox can also refer to the position of the sun at this moment. This can also be called the equinoctial point. The equinoxes are traditionally considered to mark the start of spring and fall. In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox (or spring equinox) occurs in March and the autumnal equinox occurs in September. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the reverse.

In contrast, a solstice is one of the two times of the year when the positioning and tilt of Earth relative to the sun results in the most amount of daylight time or the least amount of daylight time in a single day. There are two solstices during the year: one that occurs around June 20–22 (usually June 20 or 21) and one that occurs around December 20–23 (usually December 21 or 22). In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs in June and the winter solstice occurs in December. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the reverse.

related: “Equinox” vs. “Solstice” - The Difference Between Them Is Like Night And Day

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In 1945 Japan surrendered Singapore 2025

On this date in 1945, Japan surrendered to the British at former City Hall

The Royal Marines band played God Save The King at the Padang

Eighty years ago today (Sept 12), the Japanese officially surrendered to the British, bringing an end to their occupation of Southeast Asia.

This historic moment took place at the Municipal Building, later renamed City Hall, now part of the National Gallery. Two weeks earlier, on Sept 2, 1945, the formal surrender of Japan to General Douglas MacArthur took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Ten days later, it was Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia, who accepted the Japanese surrender in Singapore at 11.10am.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking Allied officers, commanders, and four guards-of-honour, representing the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, the Indian Army, and the Australian paratroopers. There was even a fleet band playing, while a 17-gun salute by the Royal Artillery echoed through the city. Mountbatten inspected the troops before heading into the chamber for the formal surrender.

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Zhōngyuán Jié 中元节 Hungry Ghost Festival 2025

Hungry Ghost Festival

Hungry Ghost Festival takes place on fifteenth day of the seventh month in the Lunar Calendar

The Hungry Ghost Festival is one of the best times of the year to soak in the local culture and observe traditional rites in hyper-modern Singapore.

Just as the Americans have Halloween, the Chinese have the Hungry Ghost Festival (also known as Zhong Yuan Jie in Chinese), when the souls of the dead are believed to roam the earth. According to custom, these ghosts can get up to mischief if ignored so all sorts of offerings are made during this period, which is the seventh month in the lunar calendar.

Making offerings:

• Notice those metal bins scattered around residential areas and housing estates?
• They are specifically provided to contain the stacks of hell money and paper offerings, such as cars, watches and jewellery, that are burned by relatives to appease their deceased family members – taking care of their material needs even in the afterlife.
• Do watch your step in case you trample on food left out in the open. Although many place their food offerings (oranges, rice or even suckling pig) and joss sticks on proper altars, others tuck them at the side of footpaths or even alongside trees.

Boisterous shows:

• And as if satisfying the ghosts’ appetites for money and food wasn’t enough, taking care of their entertainment is also important.
• Large tents are set up in open fields to host raucous dinners and auctions in heartland estates like Ang Mo Kio and Yishun. There are performances too, such as Chinese operas and 'getai' (literally ‘song stage’ in Chinese, or live stage performances), which feature tales of gods and goddesses, bawdy stand-up comedy, as well as song and dance numbers.
• Everyone is welcome – so sit back and enjoy the show. Just remember not to sit in the front row, unless you want to rub shoulders with the ‘special guests’.

Times they are a-changing:

• A mainstay of the festival is the 'getai' performance, thrown as a popular mode of entertainment for the wandering spirits. But 'getai' today is a very different animal – jazzed up with snazzy LED panel lit stages. Young, sexy perfomers sing not just traditional songs in dialect but thumping techno versions of English and Mandarin pop ditties. It appears that even the tastes of the spiritual world are moving with the times.

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Zhong Yuan Jie

Zhong Yuan Jie (中元节) takes place on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the Lunar calendar. It is mostly observed by Chinese Buddhists and Taoists who believe that during this time, colloquially known as “seventh month” or 七月 (“seventh month” in Chinese), the gates of Hell are opened, releasing spirits who roam the earth.

The period is also commonly referred to as “Hungry Ghost Festival”, with reference to the belief that spirits are hungry because they do not have descendants to make offerings to them. However, it is not just mischievous spirits who roam the earth during the seventh month – it is also believed that dead ancestors may come back to observe the living. Hence, there are various practices associated with entertaining and appeasing these spirits. For instance, believers will burn joss sticks, paper offerings and make food offerings. There will also be large-scale performances called getai (歌台）which provide entertainment to both the spirits and the living.

Zhong Yuan Jie is practised in Asian countries and communities with a large Chinese, Buddhist or Taoist population, including in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. In Singapore, individuals may conduct their own rituals of worship in their own homes, at temples, or in the neighbourhood. Believers living in different parts of Singapore may gather to engage in collective burning of offerings using big stainless steel containers provided by the Town Council. Getai shows are typically performed outdoors in temporary tent and stage setups, such as at empty fields in in the public housing estates. In Singapore, the festival is mostly observed by Chinese Buddhists and Taoists. Certain temples conduct specific rituals such as prayers and burning of offerings. Temples may also have believers sponsor a separate batch of food items, which are distributed to the needy.

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Zhong Yuan Jie 2013 盂蘭節 Hungry Ghost Festival

Hungry Ghost Festival is one of the major festivals in Chinese culture. It is a month-long festival celebrated on the 7th Lunar month and this year, it fell on 1st August. On that day, it is believed that the “Gates of Hell” are opened and the dead will return to the human world. During this period, many Chinese will try to AVOID moving into a new house, getting married, staying out late etc.

The food on the table are offerings for the restless souls wandering around during the one-month long Hungry Ghost Festival. My friend told me his friend who is able to see “things” saw those spirits grabbing the food to eat during the 7th Lunar month.

Sounds scary? Well, to appease the wandering spirits to prevent them from entering homes and causing disturbances, food such as chicken, rice, vegetables are placed along the roadside and street corners to making offerings to the spirits. Bundles of hell bank notes are burnt as offerings to the spirits for them to spend in hell. These hell bank notes come in different denominations! They are hell lots of big notes!!

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Qīxī Jié 七夕节 Double Seventh Festival 2025

The Legend of Cowherd and Weaver Maid

Qixi Festival | Story behind Chinese Valentine's Day 牛郎织女七夕节

CHINESE DOUBLE SEVENTH FESTIVAL (QIXI)

7th day of 7th month on the Chinese lunar calendar

Falling on the seventh day of seventh lunar month, the Double Seventh Festival in China, also known as Qixi Festival, is what Valentine's Day to the western countries. As it is a day of great importance to girls, the event is also called Young Girls' Festival. Because of the beautiful legend about Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, the festival has been endowed with the meaning of great romance. As one of the Chinese four folk legends concerning love, the legend of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu features the Double Seventh Festival.

It is said that Niu Lang was a cowboy who had a kind heart even though he was without living parents. Living with his brother and brother-in-law, he was maltreated. One day, after having been driven out of his home, an old man (in fact a supernatural being), guided him to the sick cattle from heaven. With great care from Niu Lang, the cattle recovered. In order to show gratitude to Niu Lang, the cow helped him get acquainted with Zhi Nu - a fairy from the heaven. They fell in love with each other and married to live a happy life with Niu Lang planting in the field while Zhi Nu did weaving at home. They were also magically given a boy and a girl.

However, good times didn't last long because Zhi Nu's deeds were known by the king of the heaven who took her back to heaven. With the cow's help, Niu Lang flew to heaven along with his two children as they chased their wife and mother. It was just at that moment before he could reach Zhi Nu that the queen of the heaven created a huge river between them. Tears from the two flowed continuously so that even the queen was moved. As a result, she allowed them to meet only on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year. Therefore, the day that Niu Lang and Zhi Nu meet is the present Double Seventh Festival.

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Qixi Festival 2014 七夕節 Chinese Valentine's Day

Chinese Valentine’s Day – Qi Xi Festival (七夕节)

The Double Seventh Festival known in China as Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. Also callded "Qi Xi Jie" or "Qi Qiao Jie", it is a traditional festival full of romance and important to ancient ladies, but not as well-known as other traditional festivals. Not so many Chinese people take it as a festival as before but are all familiar with the story behind it. Long time ago, there was a poor cowherd, Niulang. His parents died and he lived with his elder brother and sister-in-law, who were both mean and treat Niulang badly. They kicked Niulang out of the house and left him old clothes and an old ox. Niulang built a cottage at the foot of mountain and took good care of that old ox. One day the ox spoke to him and told that it used to be Taurus, a proud star in the night sky but was published due to his violation to law of the Heavenly Palace. The old ox told Niulang some goodness would come to the pond not far away from his cottage for having a bathe; Zhinu was among them, who is daughter of king in Heaven, the kind and the most beautiful; If he could take her clothes away, she would leave and become his wife. Niulang listened to the old ox and went to the pond at appointed day. 

When the goddness came and took off their silk ropes then jumped into the water. Niulang found Zhinu's clothes and hide away. Other goddesses witnessed Niulang and dressed up quickly and flew away, only Zhinu left. He had adored her from the first moment he saw her. They looked into each other's eyes. The heavenly girl told the poor cowherd that she would be his wife. They soon got married lived together in that cottage. Niulang worked hard to grow crops and Zhinv raised silkworms. They lived a simple but happy life, with a little boy and girl Zhinu give birth afterwards. One day the old ox died and they preserve the its hide according to its words left. At the same time, the king and queen of the heaven found that Zhinu married a man and had babies. The queen flew down to earth with her solders and caught Zhinu away. Niulang came back home and found Zhinu not at home, only the children left. The babies cried and told him where Zhinu was going. Niulang remembered what the old ox told him and placed the twins in wicker baskets on a pole to carry on his shoulder, put on the magic hide, and flew up, up into the sky. The queen noticed that Niulang was following them, she became angry, with wave of her arm, and a raging torrent immediately appeared between her group and Niulang. He could not get past this wide swollen river. Heartbroken, Niulang and his children could only look and weep bitterly. The King in his Heavenly Palace was moved by the sound of their crying, and decided to allow Niulang and Zhinu to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

This sad love story was passed down from ancient times, with little magpies were seen on double seventh day, as most of them fly to Milky River to form a bridge for the annual meeting of Niulang and Zhinu. In ancient times, the double seventh day was an important festival for young women and young girls. No matter poor or rich, they would put on their best clothes and place an incense burner in the courtyard and lay out some fruit as offerings. Then all the girls in the family would kowtow to Niulang and Zhinu and pray for ingenuity. But nowadays, these traditional customs were lost and most Chinese young people favored Western Valentine's Day, a great day to express love between lovers.

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