Traveling China
Tommy Reinthaler Hour 6
China's flag (红五星旗 hóngwûxīngqí)
- The red symbolizes the revolution of the communist party.
- The yellow is the official color of the Manchu (Qing) Dynasty and is significant to the Chinese people
- The big star is symbolic of the communist party
- The four stars symbolize the working classes: laborer class, peasant class, merchant class, and middle class.
- They are drawn towards the big star to show unity under communism
Mount Everest 珠穆朗玛 Zhūmùlǎngmǎ
- China's highest point reaching 29,029 ft.
Longsheng Rice Terrace 龙胜各族自治县米台Lóngshènggèzúzìzhìxiànmǐtái
- Steps carved into hillsides allow the Chinese to maximize arable farmland.
Geography
地理 dìlî
- Being about 9.6 sq. km, China is the third largest country in terms of land mass.
- The Yangtze River, China's longest river, is 6,300 km long and is the 3rd largest in the world.
- Heavy coal use has created dense air pollution in both northern and eastern China.
- Another issue is the shortage of water in the North caused by pollution.
- Deforestation has destroyed 1/5 of China's arable land because of soul erosion.
- The west is mountainous and barren mountains and accounts for 70% of land.
- China's highest point is Mt. Everest, the highest point on Earth.
- China has 14 bordering countries.
- Climate is severely impacted by location; in the North, temperatures can be almost subarctic. In the South, it's tropical.
- Bordered by 4 bodies of water including: the East China Sea, Korea Bay, the Yellow Sea, and the South China Sea.
Culture
文 wén
Social organization- Most occupations are found in services-35%. China has a labor force of nearly 798.5 million.
Religion- Encouraged by the government to practice atheism, however cannot be forced as their constitution allows freedom of religion. 3 major religions are Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.
Government- China has a communist government. Current President is Xi Jinping.
Economy- The currency is the Renminbi. Currently has a surplus of nearly $439.1 Million.
Language- Standard Chinese is spoken by over 70% of the population and is the official language. English is spoken in China by many business people.
Arts & Literature- Table Tennis is the official sport. Lady Meng-Jiang is a popular children's story told about the Great Wall.
Customs & Traditions- Chinese New Year is a time to honor ancestors and to have a new beginning in the new lunar year. There is also a pilgrimage to Confucious's hometown on his birthday, September 28th.
Xi Jinping
Chinese New Year Dragon
Chinese Olympic Table Tennis Team London 2012
DBQ's
Questions 问题 wèntí
Answer: 1/5 of the population.
2. The man mentioned a quote stating that if "China [closed] its doors to the outside world it would have a have no way out". Why do you think China would have a hard time developing without the outside world? How would it affect China today?
Answer: China wouldn't have the wealth or experience without trade from other nations. China today benefits from America greatly by exporting great amounts of products to the US.