Updated September 3, 2020
During my last couple of years in China, I have had enough opportunities to learn, discover and appreciate what China had to offer. It has been a wonderful time living and working in China.
Here goes a list of 20 mind-blowing facts about China:
#1 GDP
China has the second highest GDP in the world, 13.61 trillion USD (2018); just behind US (20.54 trillion USD), and far ahead of Japan (4.971 trillion USD). In fact, in the last couple of decades, China has seen a steep rise in its GDP growth rate, Japan, however, has been rather stagnant.
No wonder living in a Shanghai type of city feels like living in a very developed country.
#2 Cost of Living
Despite rising GDP, the cost of living in China is more affordable. RMB 5,000/person/month.
- Cost Of Living In China
- Top 5 Things To Do Before Moving To China
- Buying A House In China: Real Estate Price Data
#3 Very Safe
Living in China has been a very safe experience. No GUNS. No stampedes. Literally, NO violence!
#4 Chinese Music
China has a rich musical heritage. I love Chinese songs and traditional music instruments.
#5 Cement
China is the world’s largest cement producer. In fact, in just two years (between 2011 and 2013), China produced more cements that what US produced in the entire 20th century. Also, China consumes nearly 60% of global cement.
#6 Chopsticks
So popular in China! About 45 billion chopsticks are used in one year. However, every year, nearly 20mn trees are cut to meet the rising demands of chopsticks. Don’t forget to learn using chopsticks before coming to China.
#7 Railways
Length of railway tracks in China is about 139,000 km. You know how much is the circumference of the earth? About 40,000 kilometers. Basically, China’s railway track can look around the earth, more than thrice.
#8 Sock city
Datang, a town in Zhejiang Province, is known as sock city. Because it produces nearly 8bn pairs of socks every year. More than 1 pair of socks for each person on this planet. Globally, 1/3rd of the socks are made in Datang.
#9 Diabetics
China has 116mn diabetics, largest in the world. India is the second (77mn).
I wrote this book (Kindle and Paperback on Amazon) about reversing diabetes:
#10 Time Zone
Although China and US are almost same in geographic size, China has only one time zone. In some parts of China, the sun rises at 10am, and sets at 10pm (I have personally observed it in Gansu).
#11 Smoking
About 1mn people in China die of smoking every year. About 2.5 million Chinese die due to tobacco related disease.
#12 Huge
China is almost 40 times larger than the UK.
#13 Population
Over 18% people in the word are Chinese. In China, nearly 35 babies are born every minute.
#14 Lucky number
The number “9” is considered to be a lucky number in China. The Forbidden City in Beijing has “9,999” rooms.
#15 Calendar
China has its own calendar: traditional Chinese calendar. Dates of holidays in China are decided based on the same traditional Chinese calendar.
#16 Fast food
Although Chinese food is very popular and tasty, western fast food is becoming very popular in China. MacDonald’s has over 2,500 outlets in China. KFC has 5,000.
#17 Toilet Papers
Although toilet paper was invented in China in the 6th century, initially, only the emperor’s could use them.
#18 Pork
China is the world’s largest pork consumer. In 2015, Chinese consumed on average 31.2 kilograms of pork per person.
#19 QR Codes
In China, you can scan QR codes with smart phones to pay all types of bills, such as shopping bills. Further, you can rent umbrellas by scanning QR codes. You can book flights and trains with QR codes. Similarly, you can also pay bus and subway fares. Now the QR codes are being replaced by facial recognition system.
#20 No Physical Frisking
Generally, NO physical frisking in China, unless you are taking a flight. You are not touched generally. However, at airports, quite often, pretty women would frisk you. “You are so hard working”, I said to one of them, in Xiamen city. 🙂
Have you been to China? How was your experience?
Wow! I love you China! I know you can develop my country to a modern style!