A selection of fun China facts and Chinglish wording that give a sense of cultural shock for a Westerner going there.

1. 中國
(China)

2. 1. In China, technology can be deceiving

10. ??

11. 2. In China, Chinese can be easier to
understand than English.

16. 3. In China, it’s not always super clear
what you’re eating or drinking…

22. 4. … and you’d better not get sick because
then you could get confused again.

26. Quizz!

27. Q1
What does this mean:
千里之行﹐始於足下。
(Qian li zhi xing, shi yu zu xia.)
Lao Tse
A. « Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re
gonna get »
B. « A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step »
C. « God I shouldn’t have had pasta at lunch »

28. Q1
What does this mean:
千里之行﹐始於足下。
(Qian li zhi xing, shi yu zu xia.)
Lao Tse
A. « Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re
gonna get »
B. « A journey of a thousand miles starts
with a single step »
C. « God I shouldn’t have had pasta at lunch »

29. Q2
Shenzhen now boasts
10.5 M inhabitants.
In 1980 there were…
A. 25,000
B. 250,000
C. 750,000

30. Q2
Shenzhen now boasts
10.5 M inhabitants.
In 1980 there were…
A. 25,000
= in ’79, gains SEZ status from D.
Xiaoping
A. 250,000
B. 750,000

31. Q3
How many chopsticks are
produced every day in China?
A. 0 (they’re made in the US)
B. 1 million
C. 25 million
D. 130 million

32. Q3
How many chopsticks are
produced every day in China?
A. 0 (they’re made in the US)
B. 1 million
C. 25 million
D. 130 million
= 100 acres of forests every day

33. Q4
How many cities in
China have more
than 1 million
inhabitants?
A. 10
B. 20
C. 40
D. 60

34. Q4
How many cities in
China have more
than 1 million
inhabitants?
A. 10
B. 20
C. 40
D. 60 (from Shanghai – 15M, to
Qiqihar, 1.04M. US has 9 – France 1)

35. Q5
What’s this?
A. Last generation French army robots
B. Supervisor staff at a Foxconn factory
C. Noodle-making robots
D. Biggest toy hit in China in 2011

36. Q5
What’s this?
A. Last generation French army robots
B. Supervisor staff at a Foxconn factory
C. Noodle-making robots
D. Biggest toy hit in China in 2011

37. Q6
What feat did the
Chinese authorities pull
off for the opening of
Beijing ‘08 games?
A. They managed to keep Sarkozy quiet for 2 hours.
B. They literally shot down clouds to prevent rain.
C. They built the whole stadium (‘Bird’s nest’) with chopsticks.
D. They had every single Chinese household to watch the
ceremony live on TV, to maximize advertising profits.

38. Q6
What feat did the
Chinese authorities pull
off for the opening of
Beijing ‘08 games?
A. They managed to keep Sarkozy quiet for 2 hours.
B. They literally shot down clouds to
prevent rain: 1,000+ missiles shot in a 2-hour time
span for ‘cloud seeding’
C. They built the whole stadium (‘Bird’s nest’) with chopsticks.
D. They had every single Chinese household to watch the
ceremony on TV live, to maximize advertising profits.

39. Free Takeaway: Your First Chinese Words

40. 谢谢
(Xie Xie – Thank you)