China has a long history as one of the earliest civilizations, dating back over 6,000 years. Some key inventions and cultural developments from ancient China include paper, printing, gunpowder, the compass, and tea. Traditional Chinese culture places importance on symbols like dragons, phoenixes, and tigers. China has also experienced periods of imperial rule, revolution, and rapid modernization under communist leadership over the past century.
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
FLAG
NATIONAL FLAG. By Zeng Liansong
NAME (FIVE STAR FLAG)
adapted in SEP 27 1949.
The flag has a red background with a yellow star in the upper left-hand corner and four smaller yellow stars in a crescent formation to its right. The color red symbolizes the revolution. The large star stands for the Communist Party. The five stars together represents their relationship and the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
MILITARY FLAG.
The flag of the armed forces of the People's Republic of China (the People's Liberation Army [PLA]) is red with a golden star in the upper hoist, but the star is smaller than on the national flag. Next to the star are three small lines, the Chinese numerals for "8" and "1", which stand for "August 1", to celebrate the establishment of the PLA in 1928,
The flag of the Ground Forces has a forest green bar at the bottom, the naval ensign has stripes of blue and white at the bottom and the Air Force uses a sky blue bar at the bottom. The forest green represents the earth, the blue and white stripes represent the seas and the sky blue represents the air.
All four flags were made by Željko Heimer.
COLORS.
Red indicates an assertive, passionate and enthusiastic nature
Orange means you are warm-hearted, quick-witted and active.
Yellow indicates cheerfulness, optimism and originality.
Green shows you are responsible, hopeful and into green issues.
Blue displays a cool, calm and peaceful nature.
Violet means you are sensitive, tasteful and artistic.
White is innocence, enlightenment, and efficiency.
Black means you are mysterious, unconventional and dominant.
Brown indicates a trustworthy, reliable and home-loving nature.
Grey shows a desire to be anonymous.
SYMBOLS.
THE NATIONAL SYMBOL.
The national emblem of the People's Republic of ChinaContains in a red circle a representation of Tiananmen Gate, the entrance gate to the Forbidden City, where Mao declared the foundation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. Above this representation are the five stars found on the national flag. The largest star represents the Communist Party of China, while the four smaller stars represent the four social classes as defined in Maoism. The emblem is described as being "composed of patterns of the national flag"
The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution and the yellow color of the stars the golden brilliant rays radiating from the vast red land. The design of four smaller stars surrounding a bigger one signifies the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
The outer border of the red circle shows sheaves of wheat and the inner sheaves of rice, which together represent agricultural workers. At the center of the bottom portion of the border is a cog-wheel that represents industrial workers.
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
FLAG
NATIONAL FLAG. By Zeng Liansong
NAME (FIVE STAR FLAG)
adapted in SEP 27 1949.
The flag has a red background with a yellow star in the upper left-hand corner and four smaller yellow stars in a crescent formation to its right. The color red symbolizes the revolution. The large star stands for the Communist Party. The five stars together represents their relationship and the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
MILITARY FLAG.
The flag of the armed forces of the People's Republic of China (the People's Liberation Army [PLA]) is red with a golden star in the upper hoist, but the star is smaller than on the national flag. Next to the star are three small lines, the Chinese numerals for "8" and "1", which stand for "August 1", to celebrate the establishment of the PLA in 1928,
The flag of the Ground Forces has a forest green bar at the bottom, the naval ensign has stripes of blue and white at the bottom and the Air Force uses a sky blue bar at the bottom. The forest green represents the earth, the blue and white stripes represent the seas and the sky blue represents the air.
All four flags were made by Željko Heimer.
COLORS.
Red indicates an assertive, passionate and enthusiastic nature
Orange means you are warm-hearted, quick-witted and active.
Yellow indicates cheerfulness, optimism and originality.
Green shows you are responsible, hopeful and into green issues.
Blue displays a cool, calm and peaceful nature.
Violet means you are sensitive, tasteful and artistic.
White is innocence, enlightenment, and efficiency.
Black means you are mysterious, unconventional and dominant.
Brown indicates a trustworthy, reliable and home-loving nature.
Grey shows a desire to be anonymous.
SYMBOLS.
THE NATIONAL SYMBOL.
The national emblem of the People's Republic of ChinaContains in a red circle a representation of Tiananmen Gate, the entrance gate to the Forbidden City, where Mao declared the foundation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. Above this representation are the five stars found on the national flag. The largest star represents the Communist Party of China, while the four smaller stars represent the four social classes as defined in Maoism. The emblem is described as being "composed of patterns of the national flag"
The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution and the yellow color of the stars the golden brilliant rays radiating from the vast red land. The design of four smaller stars surrounding a bigger one signifies the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
The outer border of the red circle shows sheaves of wheat and the inner sheaves of rice, which together represent agricultural workers. At the center of the bottom portion of the border is a cog-wheel that represents industrial workers.
This was the front end to a business presentation that we created for a eventwhere the speaker really needed to grab the audiences attention and make a memorable speech and presentation. We added this front end of China facts to inject interest and discussion for the presentation. It was also the only presentation to do this and made the speaker professional and engaged the audience from the start.
An introduction to Chinese Culture - MeetMandarinMeetMandarin
Understanding Chinese culture will help you better learn Chinese language. In this presentation, we take tour to a brief introduction of Chinese culture!
PPT slides of Chinese history from ancient times to the present (21th century), including every major dynasty and some important people. With maps and pictures in slides. Good for high school and college intro-level history courses.
This was the front end to a business presentation that we created for a eventwhere the speaker really needed to grab the audiences attention and make a memorable speech and presentation. We added this front end of China facts to inject interest and discussion for the presentation. It was also the only presentation to do this and made the speaker professional and engaged the audience from the start.
An introduction to Chinese Culture - MeetMandarinMeetMandarin
Understanding Chinese culture will help you better learn Chinese language. In this presentation, we take tour to a brief introduction of Chinese culture!
PPT slides of Chinese history from ancient times to the present (21th century), including every major dynasty and some important people. With maps and pictures in slides. Good for high school and college intro-level history courses.
Chines Civilization in Town Planning.pptxPeteti Joseph
China is an East Asian country with a large territory, a huge population and an ancient history. With written records dating back 4,000 years, it is recognized as one of the four great ancient civilizations of the world, together with ancient Egypt, Babylon and India. Moreover, it is the only ancient civilization that has continued to this very day.
I hope that this power point could help a lot of students and I spent a lot of time about this, it is the cause why my eyes are always dropping tears. Instead making a power point about chinese literature, I offer this ppt and make some edit of it.
Generative AI Deep Dive: Advancing from Proof of Concept to ProductionAggregage
Join Maher Hanafi, VP of Engineering at Betterworks, in this new session where he'll share a practical framework to transform Gen AI prototypes into impactful products! He'll delve into the complexities of data collection and management, model selection and optimization, and ensuring security, scalability, and responsible use.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...SOFTTECHHUB
The choice of an operating system plays a pivotal role in shaping our computing experience. For decades, Microsoft's Windows has dominated the market, offering a familiar and widely adopted platform for personal and professional use. However, as technological advancements continue to push the boundaries of innovation, alternative operating systems have emerged, challenging the status quo and offering users a fresh perspective on computing.
One such alternative that has garnered significant attention and acclaim is Nitrux Linux 3.5.0, a sleek, powerful, and user-friendly Linux distribution that promises to redefine the way we interact with our devices. With its focus on performance, security, and customization, Nitrux Linux presents a compelling case for those seeking to break free from the constraints of proprietary software and embrace the freedom and flexibility of open-source computing.
Securing your Kubernetes cluster_ a step-by-step guide to success !KatiaHIMEUR1
Today, after several years of existence, an extremely active community and an ultra-dynamic ecosystem, Kubernetes has established itself as the de facto standard in container orchestration. Thanks to a wide range of managed services, it has never been so easy to set up a ready-to-use Kubernetes cluster.
However, this ease of use means that the subject of security in Kubernetes is often left for later, or even neglected. This exposes companies to significant risks.
In this talk, I'll show you step-by-step how to secure your Kubernetes cluster for greater peace of mind and reliability.
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
GridMate - End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid...ThomasParaiso2
End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid regressions. In this session, we share our journey building an E2E testing pipeline for GridMate components (LWC and Aura) using Cypress, JSForce, FakerJS…
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
Dr. Sean Tan, Head of Data Science, Changi Airport Group
Discover how Changi Airport Group (CAG) leverages graph technologies and generative AI to revolutionize their search capabilities. This session delves into the unique search needs of CAG’s diverse passengers and customers, showcasing how graph data structures enhance the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated search results, mitigating the risk of “hallucinations” and improving the overall customer journey.
Pushing the limits of ePRTC: 100ns holdover for 100 daysAdtran
At WSTS 2024, Alon Stern explored the topic of parametric holdover and explained how recent research findings can be implemented in real-world PNT networks to achieve 100 nanoseconds of accuracy for up to 100 days.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
Alt. GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using ...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
1. 74 Interesting Facts About . . .
China
1. The modern word “China” most likely derives from the name of the Qin (pronounced “chin”) dynasty.
First Emperor Qin Shi Huang (260-210 B.C.) of the Qin dynasty first unified China in 221 B.C.,
beginning an Imperial period which would last until A.D. 1912.k
2. China is often considered the longest continuous civilization, with some historians marking 6000 B.C.
as the dawn of Chinese civilization. It also has the world’s longest continuously used written
language.c
3. China is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, and the U.S.). It has an area of
3,719,275 square miles (slightly smaller than the U.S.) and its borders with other countries total more
than 117,445 miles. Approximately 5,000 islands lie off the Chinese coast.a
4. One in every five people in the world is Chinese. China’s population is estimated to reach a whopping
1,338,612,968 by July 2009. China’s population is four times that of the United States.a
5. Fortune cookies are not a traditional Chinese custom. They were invented in 1920 by a worker in the
Key Heong Noodle Factory in San Francisco.i
6. China is also known as the “Flowery Kingdom” and many of the fruits and flowers (such as the orange
and orchid) are now grown all over the world.i
7. Toilet paper was invented in China in the late 1300s. It was for
emperors only.m
8. The Chinese invented paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing.c
9. The Chinese invented kites (“paper birds” or “Aeolian harps”) about
3,000 years ago. They were used to frighten the enemies in battle, and
Marco Polo (1254-1324) noted that kites were also used to predict the
success of a voyage. It was considered bad luck to purposely let a kite
go.i
10. Cricket fighting is a popular amusement in China. Many Chinese children keep crickets as pets.m
11. Despite its size, all of China is in one time zone.h
12. Many historians believe soccer originated in China around 1000 B.C.f
13. Ping-pong is one of the most popular games in China, but it was not invented in China. It originated in
Britain, where it is called table tennis.m
14. The number one hobby in China is stamp collecting.m
15. Giant Pandas (“bear cat”) date back two to three million years. The
early Chinese emperors kept pandas to ward off evil spirits and natural
disasters. Pandas also were considered symbols of might and bravery.i
16. White, rather than black, is the Chinese color for mourning and
funerals.i
17. Though Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is credited with designing the
first parachute, Chinese alchemists successfully used man-carrying
tethered kites by the fourth century A.D. Parachutes were not used
safely and effectively in Europe until the late 1700s.m
18. The custom of binding feet (euphemistically called “golden lilies”) began among female entertainers
and members of the Chinese court during the Song dynasty (A.D. 960-1279). Tightly wrapped
bandages gradually broke the arch of the foot and caused the woman's toes and heel to grow inward
toward one another. Her leg muscles would also atrophy and become very thin. Bound feet were
seen as highly sexual.m
Invented in China, toilet paper was
initially only for emperors
Viewed as a status symbol, stamp
collecting is China’s number one
hobby
2. 19. Historians speculate that as the Chinese population grew, people had to conserve cooking fuel by
chopping food into small pieces so that it could cook faster. These bite-sized foods eliminated the
need for knives and, hence, chopsticks were invented.c
20. In A.D. 130, Zhang Heng, an astronomer and literary scholar, invented the first instrument for
monitoring earthquakes. The machine could detect and indicate the direction of an earthquake.c
21. China invented ice cream, and Marco Polo is rumored to have taken the
recipe (along with the recipe for noodles) back with him to Europe.i
22. A civil servant named Su Song built the first mechanicalclock between
A.D 1088 and 1092. It could tell the time of day and also track the
constellations so that accurate horoscopes could be determined.c
23. On September 27, 2008, Zhai Zhigang made the first spacewalk by a
Chinese astronaut.l
24. The Chinese were the first to invent the waterwheel to harness water in
A.D. 31—1,200 years before the Europeans. China was also the first
country in the world to use an iron plow. Europe didn’t begin using the iron plow until the seventeenth
century.m
25. The name of China’s capital has changed over the centuries. At one time or another it has been
known as Yanjing, Dadu, and Beiping. Peking or “Beijing means “Northern Capital.” Beijing is the
officially sanctioned pinyin spelling based on the Mandarin dialect. Beijing is the second largest city
after Shanghai.h
26. It was customary for wealthy men and women in the late empire to grow the nails of their little fingers
extremely long as a sign of their rank. They often wore decorative gold and silver nail guards to
protect their nails.c
27. By the fourth century B.C., the Chinese were drilling for natural gas and using it as a heat source,
preceding Western natural gas drilling by about 2,300 years.m
28. By the second century B.C., the Chinese discovered that blood circulated throughout the body and
that the heart pumped the blood. In Europe, circulation wasn’t discovered until the early seventeenth
century by William Harvey (1578-1657).m
29. The Chinese were using the decimal system as early as the fourteenth century B.C., nearly 2,300
years before the first known use of the system in European mathematics. The Chinese were also the
first to use a place for zero.m
30. The crossbow was invented and first used by the Chinese. They were also the first in the world to use
chemical and gas weapons, 2,000 years before gas was used in Europe during WWI.m
31. The Three Gorges Hydroelectric Dam spans the Yangtze River and is the largest dam in the world. It
is also the most controversial dam in the world because it has been plagued by corruption, human
rights violations, technological difficulties, and has caused dramatic environmental changes.e
32. According to popular legend, tea was discovered by the Chinese
emperor Shennong in 2737 B.C. when a tea leaf fell into his boiling
water. The Chinese consider tea to be a necessity of life.i
33. Martial arts are practiced throughout China and were largely developed
from ancient farming and hunting methods.i
34. The most important holiday in China is the Chinese New Year or Lunar
New Year. Chinese traditionally believe that every person turns one
year older on the New Year and, thus, that day is considered to be
everyone’s birthday.i
35. Chinese is spoken by 92% of China’s population. There are at least seven major families of the
Chinese language, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Wu, Hakka, Gan, Xiang, and Min.i
The Chinese inventedice cream by
packing a milkmixture andrice into
snow
Tea was supposedly discovered
when a tea leaf fell into a Chinese
emperor’s boiling water
3. 36. Red symbolizes happiness for the Chinese and is commonly used at Chinese festivals and other
happy occasions such as birthdays and weddings.i
37. In ancient China, the lotus was seen as a symbol of purity and was sacred to both the Buddhists and
Daoists. The peony (“King of Flowers”) symbolized spring, the chrysanthemum symbolized long life,
and the narcissus was thought to bring good luck.i
38. The Chinese have made silk since at least 3,000 B.C. The Romans knew
China as “Serica,” which means “Land of Silk.” The Chinese fiercely
guarded the secrets of silk making, and anyone caught smuggling
silkworm eggs or cocoons outside of China was put to death.i
39. According to a Chinese legend, silk was discovered in 3000 B.C. by Lady
Xi Ling Sui, wife of the Emperor Huang Di. When a silk worm cocoon
accidentally dropped into her hot tea, fine threads from the cocoon
unraveled in the hot water and silk was born.i
40. The oldest piece of paper in the world was found in China and dates back
to the second or first century B.C. Paper was so durable, it was sometimes used for clothing and even
light body armor.m
41. The Chinese were the first in the world to use stirrups in the third century A.D.m
42. China’s “one child” policy has contributed to female infanticide and has created a significant gender
imbalance. There are currently 32 million more boys than girls in China. In the future, tens of millions
of men will be unable to find wives, prompting some scholars to suggest that this imbalance could
lead to a threat to world security.m
43. The first known species of Homo erectus, the Peking Man, was found in China and lived between
300,000-550,000 years ago. It is thought that he knew how to manipulate fire.c
44. During the first half the twentieth century, Shanghai was the only port in the world to accept Jews
fleeing the Holocaust without an entry visa.i
45. Chinese mathematics evolved independently of Greek mathematics and is consequently of great
interest to historians of mathematics.m
46. Originating as far back as 250 B.C., Chinese lanterns were an important symbol of long life. Lanterns
were once symbols of a family’s wealth, and the richest families had lanterns so large, it required
several people with poles to hoist them into place.i
47. In the Tang dynasty, anyone with an education was expected to greet as well as say goodbye to
another person in poetic verse composed on the spot.i
48. In 1974, a group of farmers digging for a well in the Shaanxi province uncovered some bits of very old
pottery. They discovered the tomb of Qin (259-210 B.C.) the first emperor who united China. The
tomb contained thousands of amazing life-sized soldiers, horses, and chariots.c
49. China’s Grand Canal is the world’s oldest and longest canal at 1,114 miles
(1,795 km) long with 24 locks and around 60 bridges.e
50. The bat is a traditional good luck symbol that is frequently depicted in designs
for porcelain, textiles, and other crafts.i
51. The bicycle was introduced into China around 1891 by two American travelers
named Allen and Sachtleben. The bicycle is now the primary transportation
for millions of Chinese. The last Qing emperor (Puyi) rode a bicycle around
the Forbidden City in Beijing. China is currently the leading bicycle
manufacturer.i
52. The Boxer Rebellion between 1898 and 1901 in northern China was against
Christian missionaries, foreign diplomats, and technology by a secret group
called the “Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists” (Yihequan or I-ho-ch’uan) so named because
Anyone caught smuggling the
secrets of silk making out of
ancient China were put to death
The Grand Canal of China
is the world’s longest canal
4. its members practiced weaponless martial arts as well as secret rituals. Westerns called it “shadow
boxing” and the members “Boxers.”m
53. Suspension bridges were invented in China in 25 B.C, 1,800 years before such bridges were known
in the West.m
54. The first American woman to win the Nobel Prize was Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) for her novels about
China, most notably The Good Earth (1931). Amy Tan (1952-) is a best-selling Chinese-American
author of The Joy Luck Club.i
55. The Chinese word for civilization (wen) is pronounced the same as the word for script, pattern, or
calligraphy. In fact, calligraphy was thought to reveal the calligrapher’s moral and spiritual self-
cultivation as a type of “heart print.”i
56. The carp is a symbol of strength and perseverance. The scales and whiskers of the fish make it
resemble a dragon, the greatest symbol of power in China. Fish in general play a large role in
Chinese culture and the words for “fish” and “abundance” are pronounced the same in Chinese (yu).i
57. In some parts of China, “pigtails” were associated with a girl’s marital
status. A young girl would wear two pigtails, and when she married, she
would wear just one. This may have contributed to the Western view
that pigtails are associated with children and young girls.i
58. In ancient China, mirrors were believed to protect their owners from evil,
making hidden spirits visible and revealing the secrets of the future. A
person who had been scared by a ghost could be healed by looking in
the mirror. Mirrors were often hung on the ceilings of burial chambers.i
59. The longest river in China is the 3,494-mile Yangtze (Changjian) River
and the 2,903-mile-long Yellow (Huanghe) River.e
60. The Chinese developed a theory of three levels of heaven—Heaven, Earth, and man—which has
been influential in landscape painting and flower arrangements.e
61. The horse most likely originated in Central Asia and became very important in China. A horse is
considered to be associated with the masculine symbol, yang, and with the element of fire. A person
born in the Year of the Horse is considered cheerful, independent, clever, talkative, quick to anger,
and able to handle money.i
62. Because the cicada (katydid) has the longest life span of any insect (up to 17 years) and sheds its
skin, it has long been a symbol of regeneration and rebirth for the Chinese. In ancient China, the
Chinese would place jade cicadas in the mouths of the dead because they were thought to slow down
the decay process and speed up the rebirth in another world.i
63. Concubinage has been practiced throughout Chinese history, primarily by wealthy men who could
afford it. Chinese emperors had large harems with hundreds of concubines.j
64. The phoenix is the most important bird in Chinese legend and represents the feminine power of the
empress. The graceful crane, which is a symbol of long life, is the second most important bird in
Chinese legend. Ducks are also important symbols and represent happiness and marital faithfulness.i
65. The Cultural Revolution (the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution) from1966-1976 resulted in severe
famine, thousands of deaths, and the erosion of thousands of acres of farmland.m
66. While the dragon is typically seen as an evil creature in Western culture, it holds first place among the
four greatest creatures in Chinese mythology, including the phoenix, tiger, and tortoise. It is typically
associated with the emperor.i
67. The highest mountain in the world (29,028 feet) is named in the honor the Englishman Sir George
Everest who was the first surveyor of India. The Chinese call Mount Everest Qomolangma, which
means “Mother Goddess of the Earth.”e
In some regions of ancient China,
pigtails were indicative of girl’s
marital status
5. 68. China’s national flag was adopted in September 1949 and first flown in
Tiananmen Square (the world’s largest public gathering place) on
October 1, 1949, the day the People’s Republic of China was formed.
The red in the flag symbolizes revolution. The large star symbolizes
communism and the little stars represent the Chinese people. The
position of the stars represents the unity of the Chinese people under the
leadership of the Communist Party.i
69. China has the world’s oldest calendar. This lunar calendar originated in
2600 B.C. and has 12 zodiac signs. It takes 60 years to complete.i
70. The number of birth defects in China continues to rise. Environmentalist and officials blame China’s
severe pollution.d
71. The consumption of mushrooms was recorded in Chinese historical documents more than 3,000
years ago. In 1996, China produced 600,000 tons of mushrooms, making it the world’s leading
producer, and it has 60% of the world’s mushroom varieties.i
72. In 2007, dog food and toothpaste products made in China were recalled because they contained
poisonous ingredients. In July, China’s head of the State Food and Drug Administration was found to
have accepted bribes from pharmaceutical companies. He was executed.g
73. Famous Chinese and Chinese-American actors include Jackie Chan (Hong Kong), Chow Yun Fat
(Hong Kong), Bruce Lee (San Francisco), Jet Li (Beijing), Zhang Ziyi (Beijing), and Lucy Lui (New
York).e
74. The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were the most expensive games in history.bWhile the 2004
Athens Games were estimated to cost around $15 billion, the Beijing Games were estimated to cost a
whopping $40 billion.j
The position of the stars on the
Chinese flag represents the
people’sunity under Communism