Each country has its own characteristics, habits, culture and generally a certain way of life. The fact that among some peoples it is commonplace in another country is considered savagery. Well, this is normal, given the number of manners and tastes of people. Moreover, it is always curious, "but how about them."
Today we’ll talk about how in China. China is rightfully considered one of the most amazing states in the world, therefore, we present to your attention 10 short and interesting facts about this country. China surprises, bewitches, amazes and makes you smile. Let's start The information will be interesting not only to schoolchildren, but also to their parents.
10. Chinese police use geese
Indeed, in the Xinjiang region's police stations, geese are resorted to. No, of course, they don’t sew a special uniform for such “employees” and do not give out batons, but in the service the birds are far from bird rights. The Chinese saw in geese the qualities inherent in a good cop, namely courage, vigilance and excellent hearing. Xinjiang even set up goose squads to patrol (of course, accompanied by an inspector).
In addition, the police recommend that long-necked birds be given to owners of private houses. Geese will not only be able to discourage an unlucky thief, but also raise a strong noise, if the case takes on a more serious scale.
9. The color of mourning is white
Unusual for a European tourist, the color of the funeral attire of the Chinese will also seem. The fact is that in the Celestial Empire, a snow-white shade is a symbol of sorrow. Moreover, in China there is a whole cult of mourning, containing quite complex prescriptions and rituals. The longest and most rigorous mourning relies upon the departure of the parents. It lasts three years.
For this period, the civil servant leaves his place of work (while it is retained by the official), and performs the same rituals at home. Both the mourner and the relatives who are at home with him must certainly be dressed in white.
8. There is a city that is an exact mini copy of Paris
Tianducheng. This is the name of local Paris. The city is an exact copy of the French capital, except that everything is presented on a slightly smaller scale. Tianducheng with its Champs Elysees and the Eiffel Tower was designed for 10,000 inhabitants, but the town was quickly empty - at the moment there are no more than 2,000 people living there permanently. But among tourists and residents of other regions of China, little Paris is very popular.
Some couples and families quite seriously prefer Tianducheng to a trip to the real “city of romance”, explaining this by their low costs and proximity to the house. Well, the Chinese have learned to fake not only sneakers!
7. Every fifth person on Earth is Chinese
Yes, yes it is. Of course, you should not look for Chinese components in your relatives and work colleagues, but this is the reality. The authorities of the Celestial Empire are forced to almost struggle with fertility by issuing laws according to which no more than two children can be in one family. Nevertheless, 1.4 billion Chinese live on our planet. Using simple mathematical calculations, it is easy to calculate that this is 20 percent of the world's population. Despite the fact that children are still studying this in the 3rd grade, not all adults remember this fact!
It turns out that if all the people of the world are divided into groups of 5 people, then each of them will have Chinese. Now remember the population of India, and in our groups there will be only 3 vacant places. Are the numbers now so large at 326 million (US population) and 146 million (Russian population) ...?
6. 30 million Chinese still live in caves
Speaking of numbers. 30 million people - judge for yourself whether it is a lot or a little, but just such a number of Chinese people right now live in ... caves. What kind of modern Flintstones, can you imagine? In fact, these guys have electricity, running water, refrigerators, and some have televisions. Most cave dwellers are stationed in Shaanxi province.
Unfortunately, the lion's share of them are involuntarily the Flintstones, because they cannot afford an apartment due to low income. However, there are those who consciously prefer quiet spacious caves to the "anthills" of Beijing. The most amazing thing is that almost all cave dwellers are quite happy with their apartments.
5. The symbol of good luck - the bat
Perhaps here the Chinese stood out to a lesser extent. It seems that the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire will be no less surprised than ours when they learn about horseshoes and quatrefoils. Images of a bat (usually red) can be found everywhere in China: in the form of embroidery on clothes, as well as in the form of drawing on all kinds of household items. Postage stamps on which bats are painted have been produced in China since the 19th century.
Isn't it great to send such a wish of good luck to a friend with a letter? There is even a specific plot, which is also often used. Its essence is that the child looks at the mouse in flight - this means the expectation of happiness.
4. Lives 56 nationalities
Yes, the puzzle is brewing again for a European person. The Chinese are not all the same! Although 56 in this case is more likely a formality, because 92 percent of the population here are Han. The remaining people are considered to be national minorities, despite the fact that it is more than 100 million people (but we are in China).
Among the ancient Chinese nationalities, there are names that are funny for our ears, such as Bao'an, Khaoshan, and Huizu. There are also peoples whose self-names are And, Well, Ba and She. There are Russians in China, there are about 15,000 of them. In addition to many nationalities, China is also famous for the fact that in the country they speak 299 dialects.
3. Offal costs more than meat
Already accustomed to the fact that everything is somewhat different in China? Now you will surely get used to it. These are Asians, therefore everything that is not especially customary for us to put in a pot, in China is worth its weight in gold. All kinds of paws, entrails, chicken navels and other delights for any resident are a delicacy cleaner than a steak fried in red wine. That is why naked fillet is not quoted here. Rather, of course, meat is sold, but offal is much more expensive.
Surprisingly, and only, but such is the local mentality. By the way, when ordering soup in a restaurant, you can catch a paw from above, in order to make it nice. Try not to make a big face when the waiter serves food.
2. Soup served in two-liter plates
As soon as it came to gastronomy, then here is another feature of eating in Chinese. Soup in local cafes and restaurants is usually served in plates, the volume of which is at least 2 liters. The fact is that the Chinese do not dine alone, but prefer to do this with companies, it just so happened. Therefore, such a portion of soup is quite acceptable for itself - there will be enough dishes for everyone. By the way, soup in our understanding and vision of the Chinese are two different things.
In the Celestial Empire, it is more like a liquid broth than a rich dish, so the Chinese say "drink soup." So if you suddenly want to try soup in China, urgently look for accomplices for this matter.
1. Books sell by weight
Well, and perhaps the most unusual thing that you can come across in China. Books here sell like carrots, by weight. Despite all the extravagance, this measure is actually a forced one. Paper books are increasingly being supplanted by electronic media. Therefore, in order to attract young people to read binding literature, the shopkeepers took such a step.
By weight, the books are much cheaper than by the piece (almost 10 times), which buyers are incredibly happy - because now their favorite books are quite inexpensive. By the way, people in China are very fond of reading - on average, each inhabitant devotes about 1 hour a day to this occupation.