China is often called the ‘Middle Kingdom’ (zhōngguó, 中国), a nickname based on the ancient belief that it was the center of the world. With its huge size and incredibly long history, China has some fascinating stories. Want to know how Chinese inventions changed the world? Get ready for some fun and amazing facts about China!
When traveling around China, staying safe is essential. Using a Yoho Mobile eSIM can help you keep connected, get local info, and reach out to loved ones or emergency services anytime, no Wi-Fi needed.
Yoho Mobile’s latest promotion: Get a free eSIM for China, so you can test their service without any extra costs during your travels!
Get Your Free eSIM for China Now
Take advantage of Yoho Mobile’s latest promotion: a free eSIM for China and test their service without any extra costs during your travels!
18 Fun Facts About China That Will Totally Amaze You
China spans 49 latitudes
China is the third-largest country, covering 9.6 million square kilometers. A fun fact about the country is that it stretches across 49 latitudes, from the Heilongjiang River in the north to the Zengmu Reef in the south.
The country has lots of mountains, including Mount Everest, on the border of Nepal and Tibet, China. The land gradually slopes down from the west to the east. Similarly, China’s coastline is about 32,000 kilometers long.
You May Also Like: What Is The Best Time to Visit China?
The Great Wall had a secret ingredient
The Great Wall of China took more than 2,000 years to build, starting in the 7th century BC and finishing in 1878. It was built during different periods and by various dynasties.
Builders used materials like earth, stone, brick, lime, and wood from the local area. During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), they even used sticky rice mixed with brick to help bind the materials together.
The use of brick made the wall stronger and faster to build. A fun fact about China’s Great Wall is that if you took all the earth and bricks used, they could make a wall that’s one meter thick and five meters high around the equator.
China uses a one-time zone for the entire country
China is almost as big as the U.S., but unlike the U.S., which has multiple time zones, the whole country follows just one: China Standard Time (CST), also called Beijing Time.
Even though China naturally spans five time zones, the government decided in 1949 that everyone should use the same time to keep things simple and unified. This makes scheduling easier, but it also means that in western China, the sun is at its highest point in the sky (known as solar noon) as late as 3:10 p.m.
You May Also Like: Pros and Cons of Traveling to Beijing
The Forbidden City Has +9,000 Rooms
The Forbidden City in Beijing was built between 1406 and 1420. It was home to Chinese emperors for hundreds of years, from the Ming Dynasty until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
The palace complex is massive, with 9,371 rooms. Though legend claims there were 9,999 and a half. Emperors thought of themselves as connected to heaven, sort of the “sons of heaven,” and wanted to reflect their connection to the heavenly realm. To do this, they purposely built fewer rooms than the mythical palace of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven, which was said to have an even grander number.
What is certain is that the whole area is huge, about 72 hectares, and it’s now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
You May Also Like: Top 10 Best Places To Visit in China
Aerial View of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Photo by 征宇 郑
China invented gunpowder and paper
Not many know that China gave the world two big inventions: gunpowder and paper, both of which had a huge impact on history.
Around the 9th century, Chinese alchemists were trying to create an elixir of life to live forever when they accidentally created gunpowder by mixing sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal. They created a substance that could explode. This invention changed warfare and led to the invention of fire arrows, bombs, and guns. By the 10th century, gunpowder had spread to different parts of the world through trade, and it changed history and how wars were fought everywhere.
As for paper, it’s usually credited to Cai Lun, a court official around 105 CE. Before paper, people used things like bamboo, silk, and wooden tablets to write, but these were heavy and expensive. Cai Lun came up with a new way to make paper using materials like tree bark, hemp, rags, and fishing nets. He turned them into fibers and pressed them into thin sheets, creating a lightweight and strong material for writing.
This new paper spread quickly in China and then around the world, making it much easier for people to communicate, share ideas, and save important information.
The first paper money was used in China
China was the first country to use paper money. It began with the Tang Dynasty (618–907) in a limited form, but it became more common in the 11th century, during the Song Dynasty. Merchants started using paper money, called “jiaozi,” because there was a shortage of copper coins to handle large transactions, and paper money was lighter and easier to carry.
Then, in the 12th century, during the Jin Dynasty, they introduced “Exchange Certificates,” which were like paper money too, but they didn’t have an expiration date. This made it easier for people to trade and carry money around.
When the Mongols took over and started the Yuan Dynasty, they decided to stop using metal coins altogether and used only paper money. A fun fact about this period in China is that even Marco Polo, who traveled there, wrote about paper money. He was amazed by it and mentioned how it was used throughout the empire!
But by 1455, the Ming Dynasty stopped using paper money because there were too many fake bills being printed, which caused problems for trade and the economy.
Finally, in the 1800s, paper money came back to China and was used again for trade and everyday purchases.
China has the world’s longest high-speed rail network
China has the biggest high-speed rail (HSR) network in the world, measuring over 40,000 kilometers. A fun fact about China’s HSR network is that is basically enough to go around the Earth twice!
One major line, the Beijing-Guangzhou route, opened in 2012, covers 2,298 kilometers and cuts the travel time from 22 hours down to just 8 hours. Moreover, six out of the ten longest high-speed rail lines are in China, with the Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu line coming in second place.
High-Speed Train at a Station in Yichang, Hubei, China. Photo by Leon Huang
If you thought that was impressive, wait until 2035, when they plan to double their high-speed rail network to 70,000 kilometers.
Giant Pandas live only in China
Did you know that Giant pandas are found only in China? They live in certain areas, mostly in the southwest, in the mountains of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces.
Giant pandas prefer cool, forested areas with plenty of bamboo at altitudes between 1,200 and 3,100 meters.
Unfortunately, human activities like farming have forced them out of the lowlands, so now they live in about 20 separate bamboo forest areas. Most of them are in the Minshan and Qinling mountains. China has created more than 60 nature reserves to protect their homes.
Chengdu, a city in Sichuan, is famous for being the home of giant pandas. It has several centers dedicated to breeding and protecting these adorable animals. Find more about Chengdu in Discover Chengdu in China.
The Chinese New Year is the longest festival
The Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is a celebration of the new year based on the traditional Chinese calendar. An interesting fact is that this calendar has been used since around 2600 BC in China and combines both the moon and the sun.
Chinese New Year is the longest and one of the most popular holidays, not only in China but also in other countries with Chinese communities. The holiday lasts 15 days, from New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival. This makes it the longest public holiday in China.
During this time, families come together, pay respect to their ancestors, clean their homes, and decorate with red paper cutouts to bring good luck. In 2025, the Year of the Snake began on January 29.
You May Also Like: Celebrate Lunar New Year 2025: The Year of the Snake
Yangtze Is Asia’s Longest River
The Yangtze River, about 45 million years old, is the longest river in Asia. It starts in the Tibetan Plateau and travels 6,300 kilometers to the East China Sea, passing through 10 provinces along its way.
The river is crucial to China’s economy and culture, with about one-third of the population living nearby and using it every day as a water route. The Yangtze River is also important for farming because it produces over two-thirds of China’s rice.
Yangtze River and Cityscape of Shanghai. Photo by 茵 夏
Terracotta Warriors took nearly 40 years to build
The Terracotta Army, found by farmers near Xi’an in 1974, was built to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife. Its construction started around 247 BC when Emperor Qin Shi Huang became ruler. The army is made up of soldiers, chariots, and horses, and it was built as part of a bigger tomb meant to look like the emperor’s palace. Each soldier has a unique face, and they were once painted in bright colors.
An interesting fact is that it took around 720,000 workers nearly 40 years to finish the project, but it was halted around 208 BC because of a peasant uprising.
Terracotta Army Soldiers in Xi’an China. Photo by 征宇 郑
Mandarin is the second world’s most-spoken language
Mandarin is one of the most spoken languages in the world, with over 1.1 billion people using it. It’s second only to English, which has 1.5 billion speakers.
Mandarin started in northern China and is the official language of China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Millions of people speak it in Southeast Asia and around the world. In fact, about 941 million people speak Mandarin as their first language.
While Shanghainese and Mandarin come from the same language family (Chinese), they have different sounds, words, and grammar. Fun fact: only 29% of the vocabulary in Shanghainese is similar to Mandarin.
China Has 56 ethnic groups
Are you aware that China has 56 different ethnic groups? The Han group is the biggest, with over 91% of the population, which is about 1.28 billion people. The other 55 groups are spread across different areas, mainly in the south, west, and north of China. The Zhuang are the largest of these smaller groups.
Each group in China has its own way of living, like the language they speak, the food they eat, the festivals they celebrate, and their customs. Some groups have their own languages, others follow different traditions, and they all enjoy unique foods.
This fusion of diverse cultures is what makes China so famous, with each group bringing something unique to the country’s culture.
The Chinese rely on the zodiac for major decisions
The Chinese zodiac is a way of organizing time that follows a 12-year cycle, with each year being represented by a different animal. These animals are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. It’s also based on the Chinese lunar calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar most of the world uses.
Each year is connected to a specific animal, and people born in that year are thought to share certain personality traits of that animal. For example, those born in the Year of the Tiger might be seen as brave, bold, and adventurous, while those born in the Year of the Rabbit might be seen as gentle, peaceful, and good-natured.
In Chinese culture, this belief influences how people view important aspects of their lives like their personality, career choices, and relationships.
Chinese zodiac wheel with yin yang symbol in the middle and the zodiac animals illustrated. Clockwise from the 12-hour point: rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger. Photo by RootOfAllLight is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
An undoubtedly fun fact about China’s culture is that they often look at the zodiac to see if a year will bring them good luck or if they should be careful about big decisions. Some even choose their children's birth years based on which zodiac animals are thought to bring good fortune or certain qualities they like.
China produces the most tea worldwide
China is the top producer of tea in the world. Just in 2023 alone, China made over three million tons of tea, which is almost half of all the tea produced globally.
Tea has been a part of Chinese life for a really long time, from around 2737 BC. According to legend, Emperor Shen Nong discovered tea when some leaves blew into a pot of boiling water.
Today, China’s mix of different climates and landscapes makes it perfect for growing around half of the world’s tea. Each area has its own specialty. For example, Fujian is known for oolong and white teas, Yunnan is famous for pu-erh tea, Sichuan is known for green tea, and Guizhou produces green and black teas.
You May Also Like: Best Items to Buy in China: Top Souvenirs and Unique Finds
Traditional tea set and Chinese baozi served on table. Photo by Angela Roma
Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers
Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world, with 657. Fun fact: six of them are over 300 meters tall!
Because of the city’s limited space, mountains, and expensive land, buildings go up instead of out. The tallest building is the International Commerce Center, at 484 meters. All these tall buildings show how important Hong Kong is as a global financial hub.
You May Also Like: Hong Kong vs. Mainland China: A Traveler’s Guide
Table tennis is China’s national sport
Table tennis (called “Pīngpāng qiú” in Chinese) is China’s national sport. The Chinese government chose it as the national sport because it’s inexpensive to set up (requires just a table, paddles, and a ball) and doesn’t need much space. This makes it accessible for most people, regardless of where they live or their resources. It’s also easy to play, and suitable for both children and adults.
China has put a lot of effort into training table tennis players, making it the top country in the sport. The Chinese national team has been really successful, especially at the World Championships. In fact, Chinese men have won about 60% of the titles since 1959.
Mount Everest’s north side lies in China
Mount Everest is on the border between China and Nepal with the north side in China.
Climbing it from the north means you have to climb a rocky ridge at 8,000 meters, called the “Sidewalk.” It’s a tough part of the climb, with some tricky sections. The north side is a quicker route to the top than the south side, but fewer people climb it. The first try to climb from the north was in 1921.
You May Also Like: Best Things to Do in Tibet
Majestic Himalaya Mountains Photo by Lipot Repaszky
Stay Connected with Yoho Mobile
Planning to visit China? How will you keep track of local events or stay in touch with family?
With mobile data, you’re always connected and informed. Yoho Mobile eSIM offers you reliable internet access no matter where the trip takes you. It’s the easiest and fastest solution—perfect for travelers who want to stay online while enjoying the trip.
Picture by Chasing Lyu on Pexels
Travel, Share, Stay Connected With Yoho Mobile
Use a Yoho Mobile eSIM and say goodbye to roaming fees and SIM cards.
Stay connected, wherever you are!
BONUS: 5 Fun Facts About Christmas In China
-
Christmas isn’t a public holiday in China so most businesses are open. While people in cities, especially younger folks, might celebrate it, it’s more about shopping and having fun than anything religious.
-
Christmas trees in China are decorated with paper lanterns, paper chains, and paper flowers instead of the usual Western ornaments. These decorations are bright and colorful, mixing global and local traditions.
-
Santa Claus is called “Sheng Dan Lao Ren” in China, which means “Christmas Old Man.” He usually wears red clothes like the Western Santa, but sometimes with a twist like playing a saxophone. Instead of reindeer, Chinese versions of Santa might have “sisters” helping him instead of elves. It’s a fun and different take on the classic Santa we know!
-
Christmas in China is rather a commercial celebration. It is mostly about shopping, with stores offering discounts and special deals. In cities like Shanghai and Beijing, malls and streets are decorated with lights and festive displays, but the focus is on making purchases rather than traditional holiday celebrations.
-
Karaoke is popular at Christmas parties. Young people in China love singing, dancing, and having themed parties. During Christmas, many people gather to sing Christmas songs, and Chinese pop songs, and exchange gifts. These celebrations mix Western and Chinese traditions. Karaoke bars (called KTV) are a favorite hangout for this festive fun.