Report on the topic of China. Full description of China

China is the largest country in the world in terms of population. Its population is 1 billion 289 million people, which means that almost every fifth inhabitant of the Earth is Chinese. The country's territory is 9 million 600 thousand square meters. km, but the country is populated unevenly.

In the east, on the fertile lands of the Great Plain of China, four-fifths of the total population of China live. Three quarters of Chinese people live in rural areas, but there are many millionaire cities in the country. And the largest Chinese city is the largest seaport Shanghai.

The country's capital, Beijing, is only slightly smaller than Shanghai. In the oldest part of Beijing is the Forbidden City - a complex of palaces of Chinese emperors. Now these palaces and parks have become museums.

China lies within the temperate, subtropical and tropical climatic zones, it is mainly warm here all year round, but there is no sweltering heat. The southwestern part of China is occupied by the Tibetan plateau, in the west and northwest - the high plains and mountains of the Eastern Tien Shan. Two great rivers - the Yellow River and the Yangtze Yellow River ("Yellow River") mean a lot to China, descending from the mountains, carries with them light fertile soils - loess. In the valley of this river in ancient times (4 thousand years ago), agriculture was born, Chinese civilization began, which developed in an original way, impassable mountains and desert areas inhabited by ferocious nomadic tribes separated it from other civilizations. The Great Wall of China was built to protect against nomads.

In the Celestial Empire (as the Chinese called their country), paper, gunpowder, porcelain were invented, they learned to print books and spin silk threads. But for foreigners, China has been a closed country for many centuries. For many centuries, only a thin line of the Great Silk Road connected the country with the states in the West. The isolation of China led to a significant departure from the advanced European countries. In the middle of the nineteenth century, China was unable to resist the claims of the European colonialists, who imposed a series of unequal treaties on the Chinese government. Nevertheless, China has managed to maintain its sovereignty.

In 1911, the imperial dynasty was overthrown and the Republic of China was proclaimed. In the following decades, China experienced a whole series of revolutions and civil wars, and fought against the Japanese invaders. It was only in 1949 that the strong rule of the Communist Party and its leader, Mao Zedong, was established in the country. After Mao's death in 1976, the new leadership of the Chinese communists began reforms aimed at improving the efficiency of the country's economy. Today China is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. Here, great success has been achieved in the development of light industry, China has turned into a shoe and sewing workshop for the whole world. At the same time, the computer industry is rapidly developing here, and active space research is being carried out.

The head of the Chinese state bears the traditional title of Chairman of the People's Republic of China (PRC). This is tantamount to being president in other countries. But if in most countries of the world the president is elected by the population, then the chairman of the PRC must make a successful party career, head the Communist Party of China. Since 2013, Xi Jinping has been the chairman of the PRC.

The official language in the country is Chinese, the currency is the yuan.

Throughout its long history, China has changed several names. Once upon a time, China was called "Celestial Empire", "Middle Country", "Blooming Xia". But from the name change, the Chinese remained the same people as before. China is now one of the most influential countries in the world. Tens of millions of tourists visit China every year to see this unique country in person. China will be interesting for any traveler - there is a huge number of attractions, ski and beach resorts, beautiful nature, friendly people and delicious cuisine.

China is located in East Asia. In the north, China borders Mongolia, in the northeast - with North Korea and Russia, in the northwest - with Kazakhstan, in the southwest - with India, Bhutan, Pakistan and Nepal, in the west - with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, and in the south - with Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar (Burma). The total area of ​​this country, including the islands, is 9,596,960 sq. km., and the total length of the state border is more than 22 thousand km.

The shores of China are washed by three seas - East China, South China and Yellow. The largest island in China is Taiwan.

The Great Plain of China lies from Beijing to Shanghai. In the north of China there is a whole belt of mountains. In the east and south of China, there are small mountains and plains. The highest peak in China is Mount Chomolungma, whose height reaches 8,848 meters.

More than 8 thousand rivers flow through the territory of China. The largest of them are Yangtze, Yellow River, Amur, Zhujiang and Mekong.

The capital of China is Beijing, which is now home to about 17.5 million people. Archaeologists claim that the city on the site of modern Beijing existed already in the 5th century. BC.

The official language in China is Chinese, which belongs to the Chinese branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family.

The dominant religions in China are Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. In addition, there are many Muslims and Christians in China.

According to the current Constitution, China is the People's Republic. Its head is the President, who is traditionally also the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.

Chinese Parliament - National People's Congress (2,979 deputies who are elected for 5 years by regional people's congresses).

The climate in China is very diverse due to its very large territory and geographic location. Mainly in China, the dry season and the monsoon season prevail. There are 5 climatic (temperature) zones in China. The average annual air temperature is + 11.8C. The highest average air temperature is observed in June and July (+ 31C), and the lowest in January (-10C). The average annual rainfall is 619 mm.

The shores of China are washed by three seas - East China, South China and Yellow. The total length of the coastline is almost 14.5 thousand km. The largest island in China is Taiwan.

More than 8 thousand rivers flow through the territory of China. The largest of them are Yangtze, Yellow River, Amur, Zhujiang and Mekong. As for the Chinese lakes, among them, one should first of all name the Qinghai, Xingkai, Poyang, Dongting and Taihu lakes.

The history of China goes back millennia. Archaeologists claim that Homo sapiens appeared on the territory of China about 18 thousand years ago. The first Chinese dynasty was called Xiau. Its representatives ruled China from about 2205 BC. e. until 1766 BC e.

There are 17 dynasties in the history of China. In addition, in 907-959 there was a so-called. the era of the Five Dynasties.

The last Chinese emperor (from the Qing dynasty) abdicated in 1912 (or rather, Empress Longyu abdicated on behalf of her young son, the emperor) after the Xinhai Revolution.

It was after the Xinhai Revolution that the Republic of China was proclaimed (in 1912). In 1949, the People's Republic of China was formed, which still exists today.

The culture of China is so unique and diverse that it is necessary to write a dissertation about it. The basis of Chinese culture is Confucianism and Buddhism.

For tourists in China, we recommend visiting traditional local festivals, which are held almost without interruption. The most popular Chinese festivals are Lantern Festival, Lichun, New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Harvest Festival, Remembrance Day (Qingming Festival), Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter Solstice , "Little New Year".

Wedding traditions are very interesting in China. Every bride in China should be able to cry. Usually, a Chinese bride starts crying 1 month before the wedding (but no later than 2-3 weeks before the wedding). If a girl cries well before marriage, this is a sign of her virtue.

Girls learn to cry properly for a wedding from the age of 12. Some girls' mothers even invite special teachers to teach the bride-to-be to cry properly. When Chinese girls turn 15, they visit each other to find out which of them cries the best and exchange experiences on this important issue.

When Chinese girls cry about their marriage, they often sing songs about their "unhappy life." The origins of these traditions go back to the era of feudalism, when Chinese girls were married off against their will.

As such, there is no single Chinese cuisine - there are Chinese provincial cuisines. The staple food in China is rice. The Chinese have come up with a lot of ways to cook rice. Beans, meat, vegetables, eggs and other products are added to rice. Rice is usually eaten by the Chinese with pickles, bamboo shoots, pickled duck eggs and tofu.

Also in Chinese cuisine, noodles are very popular. The first mention of noodles in China dates back to the Han Dynasty, and during the Song Dynasty, noodles became very popular among the Chinese. Chinese noodles can be thin or thick, but always long. The fact is that for the Chinese, long noodles symbolize the longevity of human life.

At the moment, there are hundreds of noodle dishes in China, each province has its own way of making it.

The Chinese are very fond of vegetables, which are, along with rice and noodles, the staple food in China. Note that the Chinese prefer boiled vegetables rather than raw ones. In addition, the Chinese like to salt vegetables.

It is possible that more eggs are consumed in China every year than in other parts of the world. The most exotic Chinese egg dish is salted duck eggs. Fresh duck eggs are soaked in salted brine for 1 month, resulting in a very tasty product.

Fish is of great importance in the Chinese culinary tradition. The fact is that for the Chinese, fish is considered a symbol of abundance and prosperity. During the holidays, fish is the main dish on the family table. One of the most popular fish dishes among the Chinese is fish stew with brown sauce. Fish must be on the Chinese table when celebrating the local New Year, because it will bring prosperity to the coming year.

Another popular dish in China is tofu (bean curd). It is made from soy milk. Tofu is low in fat but high in calcium, protein and iron. Most often, tofu is served along with spices and marinades.

In Chinese cuisine, meat has a prominent place. The Chinese eat pork, beef, lamb, poultry, duck, and pigeons. Most often, the Chinese eat pork. The most famous Chinese meat dish is Peking Duck. Moreover, "Peking Duck" must be eaten in a special way - it is necessarily cut into 120 thin pieces, each of which consists of meat and skin.

Soup is an important part of Chinese cuisine. When preparing soups, the Chinese use meat, vegetables, noodles, fruits, fish and seafood, eggs, mushrooms and fruits.

1. Peking Duck, Beijing
2. Rice noodles, Guilin
3. Bun soup, Shanghai
4. Hotpot (stew with vegetables), Chengdu
5. Dumplings, Xi'an
6. "Dim Sum" (small dumplings of different shapes and with different fillings), Hong Kong.

The most popular non-alcoholic drink among the Chinese is green tea, which they have been drinking for 4 thousand years. For a long time, tea has been used as a medicinal herb in China. Tea began to be used as an everyday drink in China during the Tang Dynasty. It was from China that tea came to Japan, where the famous Japanese tea ceremony then developed. However, the Chinese ceremony can rival it in complexity and symbolism.

Traditional alcoholic drinks in China are rice beer and vodka, which is infused with a variety of ingredients.

According to official information, there are now tens of thousands of historical, cultural, archaeological and ethnographic monuments in China. Many of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (Temple and Tomb of Confucius, Temple of Heaven in Beijing, Yungang cave temples, etc.). The top ten Chinese attractions, in our opinion, may include the following:

1. The great Wall of China
2. Terracotta Warriors in Xian
3. Confucius Temple near Qufu City
4. Potala Palace in Lhasa
5. Fuzi Confucian Temple in Nanjing
6. Temple of Heaven in Beijing
7. Tibetan monasteries
8. Yungan Buddhist Caves
9. Shaolin Monastery on Songshan Mountain
10. Lingu Ta Pagoda in Nanjing

The largest Chinese cities are Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin, and, of course, Beijing.

Due to its geographic location, China has excellent conditions for a beach holiday. The most popular beach resorts are Qinhuangdao, Beidaihe, Dalian, Hainan Island (and Sanya City on that island). By the way, the tourist season in Sanya lasts all year round. However, the entire island of Hainan is a year-round beach resort with sea temperatures ranging from + 26C to + 29C. Even in January on the island of Hainan, the average air temperature is + 22C. The beaches on Hainan Island are composed of white fine sand.

Most Chinese beach resorts have traditional Chinese medicine centers where tourists can improve their health if they wish. So, even on the island of Hainan there are thermal springs.

Generally, many hotels in China offer spa services to their visitors. The skills of Chinese spa specialists, including massage therapists, are highly regarded in many countries around the world. Traditional Chinese spa programs include hot stone massage, aroma massage, whitening, Tui-na massage, body wrap, Mandara massage, Mandarin massage. A must-have spa in China is herbal tea.

There are also several dozen ski resorts in China, although there are few foreign tourists there. Basically, these ski resorts are designed for local residents. However, the curious traveler and lover of downhill skiing will find it useful to visit the Chinese ski resorts. In recent years, more and more tourists from Russia, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore can be found in Chinese ski resorts. So, Russian tourists most often go skiing in China to the Heilongjiang province (this is the north-east of the country). Tourists from Australia and Thailand prefer the Beijing-Nanshan ski resort.

The ski season in the ski resorts of China lasts from mid-December to the end of March.

From China, tourists usually bring silk, green tea, porcelain, folk art (embroidery, ceramics, prints, etc.), jade, Chinese paintings, parchments with samples of Chinese calligraphy, wine and alcoholic beverages, traditional Chinese medicinal traditional medicine (from herbs, rhizomes, etc.), including ginseng.

Government agencies:
Mon-Fri: 08: 00-17: 00

Official name - People's Republic of China
Capital-Beijing
Language- Chinese. But v Hong Kong two official languages- English and Chinese.
Political structure - Federal Parliamentary Republic with presidential form of government
Religion- Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity.
Population- 1 billion 300 million people
Currency - Yuan Currency of Hong Kong - Hong Kong dollar
Calling code - China - 86

State in Central and East Asia ... In the north it borders with Mongolia and Russia, in the northeast with Russia and the DPRK, in the south with Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, India, Bhutan and Nepal, in the west with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, in the northwest with Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In the east and southeast, the country's coast is washed by the Bohai, Yellow, East China and South China Seas (the length of the coastline is 18 thousand km), the country owns more than 3.4 thousand islands.

China is the third largest country in the world (9.6 million sq. Km). The relief of the country is extremely diverse - from the Tibetan Plateau, framed by the highest mountain systems of Asia (average height of about 4500 m) in the southwest and the high plains and mountains of the Eastern Tien Shan in the northwest, to the Loess Plateau and the lowlands of the Great China Plain in the east. In the northeast, there are low chains of the Manchu-Korean Mountains and the Khingan Mountains, and in the south - the Nanling Mountains and Yunnan-Guizhou Highlands. The rocky deserts of Taklamakan and Gobi occupy vast areas in the north and west of the country, while cultivated subtropical forests occupy southeast China.

China- country with ancient history and amazing culture. Homeland of tea, paper, gunpowder, silk. About this country has heard everything. AND everyone knows that the population of the country - the biggest in world (1.3 billion people) that the capital - Beijing that every holiday is accompanied by red paper lanterns and actors dressed in dragon costumes.

China landmarks

China has everything: the highest mountains and highlands, lowlands and plains, along the shores of numerous seas - ports, beaches and resorts, famous monasteries, including the legendary Shaolin, ginseng farms in Qinghai province, numerous archaeological excavations in the Gobi and Takla deserts- Makan, climbing bases on the eastern slopes of the Himalayas and Karakorum.

There are colossal "reserves" of natural attractions - the picturesque Yunnan-Guizhou Highlands with many mountain rivers, waterfalls and deep caves, the unique Taihu and Xihu lakes, the picturesque Taishan Mountain (included in the UNESCO treasures list), Dunhuang Caves - a treasury of ancient Buddhist art, Yun Gang caves , Huangoshu waterfall (height 74 m, width 81 m), karst caves and "stone forest" in Wansheng county, Reed Flute, Black Buddha, New Water and Dragon caves near Guangxi, majestic Longgong and Rijing caves near A nshun, and in the boundless steppes of Inner Mongolia you can see the ancient art of equestrian competition. Hunting is organized in the forests of the Big Khingan. Harbin hosts annual ice sculpture festivals and you can even go skiing and ice skating.

Traveling through the ancient Silk Road, you can visit Xinjiang, where there are three famous canyons, Sanxia on the Yangtze River, Mount Emei and Jiuzhaigou State Reserve. A uniquely picturesque region - the Lijiang River in Guilin and five "sacred" mountains, abounding in beautiful places. Mount Huangshan is considered "the face of the Chinese mountains", and Mount Emeishan is famous for its inaccessibility and unique charm. 99 cities of enormous cultural and historical significance and 750 unique cultural monuments, which are under state protection, as well as 119 landscape sites, are open to tourists. Among them, 19 are included in the UN List of World Natural and Cultural Heritage.

Beijing, lying south of the Shanxi plateau, although not the most ancient city in the country, but one of the most interesting. You should definitely see the Forbidden City - the largest surviving palace complex of the imperial Gugun Palace(Palace of the old rulers, Xv c.), surrounded by a medieval wall and literally saturated with historical structures (more than 9 thousand buildings). Today, many rooms are open to museum expositions, collections of imperial treasures, collections of clocks, puppets, the most ancient examples of colored ceramics, jade products, bronze products, funerary statues from the times of Emperor Qin Shihuang, works of calligraphy, paintings, carvings and other products of applied art are exhibited.

No less interesting is one of the largest squares in the world - Tiananmen ("Gate of Heavenly Peace square", 880х500 m.)," Front Gate "Jiangmen and Tiananmen Gate (1651), Summer Palace (Yiheyuan, 12 km from Beijing), imperial parks Beihai (" North Sea ") and Yiheyuan (" serene recreation park " ), the two-walled Temple of Heaven "Tiantan" (1420) with the famous Huyingbi ("Wall of Returning Sound"), the "round city" Tuancheng with the "Pavilion of Reflected Radiance" Chengguandian and the "Wall of Nine Dragons" Jiulongbi. Also interesting is the Buddhist temple Yonghegong (1694-1746), "Confucius Temple" Kunmyao (1306) northeast of Beihai Park, Baiyunguan Taoist Temple, Mao Zedong Mausoleum "Mao Zhuxi Jinyantang", Museum of the Chinese Revolution, one of the oldest bridges in China - Lugouqiao (Marco Polo Bridge, 1189),

National Gallery, Qiang Tang Park with the tombs of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty and the "alley of animals" (50 km north of Beijing), a complex of buildings of museums of the History of China and the History of the Chinese Revolution, Peace Park with copies of the most famous buildings in the world, "underground city "during the" Cultural Revolution "and just a colossal number of temples.

Many tourists are attracted by the wonderful museums of the Chinese capital - the Beijing Museum of Natural History, the Military Museum of the Chinese Revolution, the Chinese Museum of Applied Arts in the Baisheng Department Store, the Yanhuang Art Museum, the Capital Museum and many others.

80 km. to the north-west of Beijing there are sections of Badaling, Mutianyu (90 km. to the north) and Simatai (110 km. to the north-east) of the Great Wall of China ( II-III centuries, the total length is about 6.8 thousand km.). 200 km. to the east of the capital, on the shore of the Yellow Sea, there is a wonderful resort place Beidaihe, near which the eastern end of the Great Wall faces the sea. 17 km. southwest of Beidaihe, 52 km. stretches the famous "Golden Beach", framed by huge sand dunes. Not less famous sea resorts are located nearby. Hebei and Qinghuangdao.

In the ancient city Xi'an there is a unique museum of terracotta figures of warriors and horses from the tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang, and about Zhoukoudian there are unique archaeological sites included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list - the place where fossil remains of the earliest forms of man were discovered. V Suzhou there are more than 100 well-preserved garden and park ensembles created by many generations of the imperial dynasties. Southeast of Beijing is the famous scenic mountain Taishan- one of the most revered shrines in the five sacred mountains of Taoism, as well as the Temple of Confucius (478 BC) and the architectural and park complex of the Yanshengong residence near the city Qufu with a complex of mansions surrounding it and "Confucius Forest" - a huge park with unique trees and the best-preserved ancient cemetery in China.

Located in Shanxi province Pingyao was founded in VII-VIII centuries BC e. and is famous for the ancient city wall (1370) with a length of more than 6 km., the Zhengosi temple with the Wanfosi wooden pavilion ( X c.), unique temples Shuanglinsya (571) and Qingxuiguan (657), as well as ancient shops and many temples and monasteries. The city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Another ancient city from the UNESCO World Heritage List - small Lijiang in Yunnan province. The main attraction of the city is the Syfan street-square lined with multi-colored stone slabs - one of the centers of the Silk and Tea trade routes of antiquity. Hundreds of streams and rivulets crossing it give a special charm to the city, over which about 1000 bridges built in different eras and in different styles are thrown.

V Guangzhou, the main city of Guangdong province, stretching along the coast of the South China Sea, it is worth visiting the country's main zoo, the Guangzhou Museum, the Guantasi and Huayseng Mosques, Zhenhai Pagoda and the Temple of the Six Fig trees. The city itself is an open economic zone with extremely developed trade and an intensively developing area of ​​sea resorts. Nearby Nanjing, the ancient (before 1420) capital of the country, is famous for its wide boulevards and shady trees, which in the conditions of a rather hot local climate (it is often called "one of the three ovens of China") turns it into a kind of oasis. Numerous medieval buildings have survived here, including the Ming era city wall (33 km - the longest city wall in the world), temples and pagodas, as well as the mausoleum of the first President of the Republic of China, Sun Yatsen, east of the city.

Chongqing- one of the ancient cities of China, its history goes back more than 3 thousand years. The city is known for its old, adhered to the mountain slopes, neighborhoods, hot springs, picturesque foothills of the Jinyunshan and Nanshan mountains, as well as the nearby Wulong caves, Jinfoshan forest park, Dazu rock reliefs, colorful waterfalls on the Ziyang River in the Wushan fortress, Hechuan, the architectural and landscape ensemble of the Shibaozhai fortress in Zhongxian county, the idol of Zhang Fei in Yunyang, the Shuanguitang Buddhist monastery in Liangping county and the "stone forest" of Wansheng county. In the city itself, interesting are the Hongyantsun Museum, the Memorial Complex of the Victims of the Kuomintang concentration camps, the residence of Chiang Kai-shek, Zhang Chzhichzhong (Guiyuan) and Kong Xiangxi (Kunyuan). From the city, numerous river cruises along the great Yangtze River, to the Fuling rapids and the "heavenly staircase" in Shizhu County, start.

V Hong kong, the busiest deep-water port in the world, interesting Victoria Park on the side of the mountain, "floating market area" Aberdeen, Temple Meng Mo ("Temple of Old Man Mo"), Central Market, "paradise for sailors" Wanchai, the building of the Legislative Council, Anglican Cathedral of St. John, the building of the former French mission, the House of Government, the most beautiful protected parks, the area of ​​which is about 40% of the entire city, zoological and botanical gardens, the beaches of Ripals Bay, Deep Water Bay and Stanley, as well as ultra-modern buildings of banks and financial institutions ...

On the Kowloon Peninsula, in Tsim Sha Tsui, is the tourist center of Hong Kong - thousands of shops and bars, the Cosmonautics Museum, the History Museum and the famous Peninsula Hotel, the Walled City Park with relics of the Qing Dynasty, giant chessboards, Bird Garden, greenhouses, exposition of bonsai and other landscape monuments. Island Lantau famous for its relatively unspoiled nature and the Po Lin Monastery with its giant bronze Buddha statue.

Separate administrative unit Shanghai is one of the largest trading cities in the world. In addition to thousands of shopping establishments of Nanjing Donglu, Huaihai Zhonglu, Jingling Donglu, Sichuan Beilu, Jinling Donglu and Nianjing Silu streets, as well as the Gang and Frenchtown districts, you should definitely see the picturesque Sizhou Creek Street, Old City, Renmin Square with an extensive Shanghai Exhibition Museum, Shanghai City Center, Museum of Art and History, Natural Science Museum, Yu Mandarin Garden ( Xvi c.), the garden of Purple Autumn Clouds, the temples of the Jade Buddha (Yufesi) and Chenghuangmyo, as well as the majestic 5-story Longhua Pagoda.

Island Hainan("Island South of the Sea"), often called "Hawaii of the East", is one of the best resort areas in East Asia. The magnificent landscape parks and hot springs of Guantan and Xinglong in the Valley of Hot Springs, the ancient Ma An volcano, the Li and Miao ethnic minority villages, the Middle Kindom Ocean Park - Asia's largest aquarium with exotic fish and marine animals, a tropical plant garden in Xinglong, and also tens of kilometers of beautiful beaches. The best resort on the island - Sanya, known for its fashionableness and relatively high prices.

Tibet- an original land of thousands of monasteries and ancient culture. The heart of Tibet is considered Lhasa with dozens of Buddhist monasteries and temples, the most famous of which is the Yokhan Temple, as well as the Patala Palace ( Xvii c.) - the residence of the Dalai Lama, and the Tibetan Norbulingka Park (Norbug Linkha, the summer residence of the Dalai Lama, in 1994 was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List). Pilgrims who come here will definitely strive to visit the "center of the world" - the Kailash mountain range and the Panchen Lama's residence in Shigatse, walk the ancient Silk Road through the Karakorum highway in the north, or simply enjoy excellent trekking conditions and magnificent panoramas of ancient Tibet.

History lovers will be interested in cities Port arthur(Dalian, admission is limited), Harbin, the capital of Old Mongolia - Gohhot, the most remote city in the world from the ocean - Urumqi, Luoyang with its Songyue (523, the oldest pagoda in the country) and the nearby Shaolin monastery, northern cities Erhai Lake, Lijiyan, "two-faced" Enzhou, Fandu on the sacred mountain Mingshan, "ghost town" Fandu, a treasury of Buddhist art in the Mogao caves, a city-monument and one of the shrines of Buddhism - Dazu, "the most beautiful place in the Middle Kingdom" - surroundings Guilin and Yangshuo, monuments of the mysterious Shu civilization - Sanxindui or "the capital of Chinese park art" Suzhou, as well as dozens and dozens of equally interesting places.

China(self-name Zhongguo (中国), literally. "Middle state") - the largest state in terms of population in the world, the second in terms of economic power, the third in terms of area. China has a long and almost continuous history of about six thousand years. Written sources, however, indicate a slightly younger age - 3600 years. The capital of the state since 1421 (intermittently) is Beijing.

China gave many inventions to mankind, including gunpowder, compass, paper and typesetting. Chinese writing based on hieroglyphs is a unique phenomenon in world history, one of the oldest and most complex writing systems. Until the 19th century, China was one of the world's most advanced states and the main cultural center of East Asia. Later, the country experienced centuries of colonial conquest, but was able to re-emerge as a powerful, independent industrial power.

Since 1949, the country has been ruled by the Communist Party. According to the constitution, the PRC is a socialist republic (the state controls strategic enterprises and industries, a planning system operates, a command-administrative system under the control of the Communist Party). The chairman of the PRC is Xi Jinping (since 2013), the chairman of the government of Li Keqiang. In addition to the ruling party, the CCP, there are 8 others participating in the government.

China is the world leader in the production and export of most industrial products. It has the largest gold and foreign exchange reserves. One of the leading space powers in the world, it possesses nuclear weapons and the largest army in terms of the number of military personnel.

The national currency is the Chinese yuan (CNY). Banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1 yuan are in circulation. There are also smaller banknotes and coins. There are 10 chiao in one yuan, and 10 fen in one jiao.

China phone code +86, time +5 Moscow time.

Visa to China

Russian citizens must obtain a visa to visit China. For registration, you must contact the Chinese Consulate in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok or Irkutsk. There is a visa-free exchange for tourist groups. In Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, as well as Harbin, Shenyang, Dalian, Xian, Kunming, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guilin and Wuhan, visa-free transit is allowed for 72/144 hours. Transit is possible with a third country visa and an air ticket to the final destination of the flight.

From 2019, 144-hour visa-free transit will begin operating in Qingdao, Shandong and Xiamen provinces.

China fact sheet

Population 2018 is1.390 million people. China is a single multinational state with 56 nationalities living on its territory. Han people make up 91.6% of the total population of the PRC. The country is divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 cities under central jurisdiction and 2 special administrative regions - Hong Kong and Macau.

China is located in the eastern part of Asia, washed by the waters of the western seas of the Pacific Ocean. The country borders on land with 14 countries, by sea - with 6. The area of ​​China's land area is 9.6 million square meters. km.

The most populated province in China- prov. Guangdong, at the end of 2015, the population of this province reached 108.5 million.
The largest administrative unit in the territory of the PRC- XUAR (1.6649 million sq. Km)
Highest point on Earth: Chomolungma peak has a height of 8844.43 m and is the highest peak in the world.
Lowest point: the lowest place in China (-155 m. Lake Eidenhu), located in the Turpan basin.
The largest river in China- the Yangtze River, its total length is 6300 km, it ranks third in the world in length.

Main cities of China

Beijing is one of the four ancient capitals of China. The first settlements appeared here in the first millennium BC. Over the course of 3000 years, the city has been repeatedly conquered, destroyed, burned, rebuilt, but it has retained its power and grandeur.
Shanghai is located at the point where the Yangtze River flows into the sea, and is the gateway to its basin and central China. Shanghai is a city of central subordination with a population of 13.34 million. It is the economic, financial, trade and communication center of China.
Chongqing is one of the largest commercial centers in China. The main industries are: chemical, metallurgical and mechanical engineering. The city has 5 factories for the production of complete vehicles and more than 400 factories for the production of car parts.

China climate

In winter, temperatures in China are lower than in other countries located at the same latitude, in summer they are much higher. China's climate is characterized primarily by summer monsoon rains and northerly winds with little winter precipitation.

In total, there are three climatic zones in China: temperate. subtropical and tropical. Most of the country lies in the region of a temperate climate, which in turn is subdivided into moderately warm and moderately cold zones. The continentality of the climate is clearly expressed, with a distinct difference between the seasons and a large amplitude of temperatures and precipitation.

The average winter temperature in China is + 7 ° C. The average minimum temperature is -4 ° C. The average maximum temperature is kept at around + 14 ° C. In the central part of the country, the frost-free period lasts 5 and a half months.

Chinese civilization

The teachings of Confucius had a profound impact on the life of China and East Asia.

The territory of China, due to the peculiarities of its geographical position, is quite isolated from the rest of the world. For much of its history, China has developed in isolation. Chinese civilization, on the one hand, absorbed a large number of local states and cultures, on the other hand, until the 17th century, it almost did not come into contact with other civilizations. For a long time, the Chinese were in contact only with nomadic tribes and believed that only the lands of the barbarians lay outside their country. At the same time, the territory of China was regularly exposed to invasions from the outside, however, most of the invaders sooner or later were subjected to Sinification and assimilated into the Chinese ethnos.

In the middle of the first millennium BC. e. philosopher Confucius(551-479 BC) created the doctrine that formed the basis of Chinese civilization. This philosophical system aims to build ideal societies based on solid moral principles, with harmonious social relations. After several centuries, the ideas of Confucius became the state religion and, having remained almost unchanged for more than two millennia, retain an important role in the spiritual life of Chinese society.

The Chinese civilization has always been characterized by a high socio-political activity of each person, aimed at achieving happiness and well-being in earthly life. The fate of people depended not on divine predestination, but on their own efforts. This is the richness of Chinese history with mass popular movements and the high social mobility typical of China.

Chinese

Over the course of 6 thousand years of their history, the Chinese have learned to coexist in cramped quarters, are accustomed to living collectively, therefore, outside the collective (for example, outside the tourist group) they are very uncomfortable. Since ancient times, the authorities in China have learned to operate with these huge masses of people for state purposes (construction of the Great Wall of China, the Great Canal, the Cultural Revolution, etc.), to control the crowd, and control its behavior.

For the most part, the Chinese are peaceful, affable, good-natured and curious, very spontaneous and easy to handle. They will willingly help a foreigner, and sometimes even with money. But with an obvious violation of the generally accepted norms and rules by the same foreigner, with disrespect, they can quickly become aggressive, and if a crowd has gathered, then dangerous.

Ordinary people (primarily rural residents) are very hardworking and hardy, they are the people who built modern China - cities, factories, roads and high-speed highways. They are easily recognizable by their dark faces from the sun, they are lean to the point of thinness, extremely unpretentious and, as a rule, poorly dressed. The most enterprising and successful of them become rich people (and even millionaires), not burdened with knowledge and cultural baggage. They formed a huge stratum of middle-class traders (restaurateurs, construction businessmen, agricultural processors, etc.), whose second generation differs from their parents and grandfathers even physiologically: they are quite well-fed, no veins are visible on their hands, and even more so - muscles.

China has a huge number of talented people who are able not only to copy well and improve what someone else had invented, but also to create new ideas, formats and technologies, although historically the Chinese were "sharpened" to imitate models taken from their own history. On this - on the fact that all the best was already in the best periods of the history of China - in fact, Confucianism is based. Which, by the way, is not a religion, but the national philosophy of the Chinese people. Even the Chinese, due to the antiquity of their nation and the continuity of their history, have learned over these millennia to find a livelihood and the opportunity to earn money where anyone else walks by and sees nothing.

Etymology

"China" and "Katay"
According to the widespread version, the name "China" comes from "katai". This was the name of the Khitan, a proto-Mongol group of nomadic tribes from Manchuria. The same name later began to designate other nomads - the Jurchens and the Mongols. Thanks to European merchants, in particular Marco Polo, this name in the form of "Cathay" got into medieval Western Europe, displacing the Latin "China". From here it passed into most of the Slavic languages, where it became "China". In the West, "Katay" is occasionally used as a poetic name for "China".

"China"
The Latin name for China is probably derived from the name of the Chinese Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). Most likely, the Chinese merchants who traded on the Silk Road and traveled to the Roman Empire called themselves Qin. This name "Qin" was recorded by the Romans as "Cina", which eventually became "China".

"Sinae"
"Sinae" is another name for southern China, which was used by the Greeks and Romans along with "Cina" ("China"). The sources use the "Metropolis Sine". "Sine" was changed to the Latin prefixes "Sino-" and "Sin-", which began to denote objects and phenomena related to China. In Russian, these prefixes are used in the words "sinology", "sinologue" and others.

Zhongguo
Central State or "Zhongguo" (China's self-name). In Western and Russian historiography, this name of China is translated as "Middle State". However, this translation is not entirely correct, since the word "zhongguo" has long meant the center of the "Celestial Empire". Accordingly, the exact translation is "Central Country" or "Central State". The modern name for the nationality "Chinese" (中国 人, zhongguo ren) also contains this term.

History of china

First Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang

It is believed that people in China already lived 7 million years ago. And the first Chinese dynasty - Xia - began to rule as early as 2700 BC. All subsequent periods are associated with the rule of different dynasties in the country, successively replacing one another. To facilitate the perception of all Chinese history, the following periodization is used, based on traditional Han historiography:

1. Pre-imperial China (Xia, Shang, Zhou - before 221 BC)
2. Imperial China (Qin - Qing)
3. New China (1911 - present)

First Emperor Shi Huangdi- united China under his rule, dividing the newly formed empire Qin(221-206 BC) into 36 provinces ruled by officials appointed by the emperor. He announced the end of all wars, collected weapons from his subjects and melted them down, building 12 large monuments. He streamlined measures and weights, introduced a standard spelling of hieroglyphs, and organized a rigid bureaucratic management system. During the reign of Shi Huang, the construction of the Great Wall of China began. A network of roads with a width of 15 m and a total length of 7,500 km connected the country.

The second empire in the history of China, named Han(206 BC-220 AD), founded by a native of the middle bureaucracy Liu Bang. This period is considered one of the most important periods in the history of China, the Chinese themselves took their name from here (Han).

Epochs Tan(618-907) and Sung(960-1127) is usually called the classical period in the history of China.
During the Tang reign, a system of state examinations was formed. They contributed to the upbringing of an educated elite, since a candidate who knew the classical texts well, regardless of social origin, was able to take the rank of an official. People in the humanities - writers, philosophers, scientists - were people of a privileged class.
The Song period is considered an era of economic and cultural prosperity in China. The number of cities is growing, the urban population continues to grow, and Chinese artisans reach heights in the manufacture of items made of porcelain, silk, lacquer, wood, ivory, etc.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongols united under the rule of Genghis Khan invade China. They were driven out in the middle of the 14th century after a long struggle. One of the leaders of the uprising came to power - the son of a peasant Zhu Yuanzhang, who founded the state Min(1368-1644)

Dynasty Qing(1644-1911), created by the nomadic conquerors from Manchuria, built the last empire, expanding the territory of the country as much as possible. By the mid-19th century, China's population had grown to about 400 million, but the governance and financial system was grossly ineffective, setting the stage for future problems and crisis. Corruption was widespread, and the ruling elite did not want reforms. After a string of defeats in the Opium Wars, China was forced to conclude unequal treaties with the European powers, opening its markets and transferring the main ports to foreign control.

Mao Zedong announces the proclamation of the People's Republic of China

The Manchu dynasty was overthrown as a result Xinhai Revolution(1911). The Qing Empire collapsed and the establishment of the Republic of China was proclaimed. In 1912, with the support of the United States and Japan, the Kuomintang revolutionary party was created. And in 1921, with the support of the Russian organizations of the Comintern, the Communist Party of China was created. Since 1927, armed clashes began between the Kuomintang and the CPC, which resulted in a civil war. In the 1930s, Japanese intervention began, temporarily interrupting the conflict. After Japan's defeat in 1945, the war between the Kuomintang and the CCP resumed. By 1949, the CCP army had taken control of most of the country.

October 1, 1949 was proclaimed formation of the People's Republic of China. Chairman of the Communist Party of China Mao Zedong solemnly announced this from the rostrum in Tiananmen Square. The next day, the Soviet Union was the first to recognize the PRC and concluded a Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance with it.

PRC history

Deng Xiaoping - "the architect of the new China"

In 1949-1956, massive socialist construction was launched, industry was nationalized and agriculture was collectivized, and basic industries were created with the help of the USSR. Having approached the Soviet Union, China, accordingly, found itself in economic isolation from the United States and other NATO countries.

Since 1958, a new course was proclaimed in China, known as the "Great Leap Forward" policy (1958-1966), which further developed into the "Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976). The CCP later assessed her as “ turmoil, which brought serious disasters to the party, the state and the entire multinational people» .

After Mao's death in 1976, power in the country passed into the hands of reformers led by Deng Xiaoping, who at the end of 1978 proclaimed a policy of "reform and opening" - a course towards a socialist market economy with a combination of two systems: planning and distribution and market. The reforms assumed the massive attraction of foreign investment, greater economic independence of enterprises, the introduction of family contracts in the countryside, and a reduction in the share of the public sector in the economy.

Four cities - Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen, Shantou - were declared special economic zones. Following them, another 14 coastal cities, four regions at the mouths of the Yangtze and Zhujiang rivers, the southeastern part of Fujian province and a region in the Bohai Bay region received this status.

In subsequent years, China managed to develop high rates of growth of industrial production and GDP - an average of 9.5% per year, significantly raise the standard of living of the people. The reforms were successfully continued by Deng Xiaoping's successors - Jiang Zemin (since 1989), Hu Jintao (since 2002), Xi Jinping (since 2012).

The liberalization policy has taken the Chinese economy to a new qualitative level. At the same time, the development of the economy is uneven across the regions, social imbalances in the standard of living are accumulating. Areas located inland, in the northeast of the country, lag behind the southern and coastal provinces in development. The ecological situation has worsened.

Modern China

The high accumulation rate, skillful use of the opportunities of the world market after joining the World Trade Organization at the end of 2001 and the country's comparative advantages as the largest factory on the planet allowed China not only to maintain the dynamics of economic growth, but also to qualitatively increase its weight in the world economy.

Nevertheless, in China they believe that it is too early to speak of the revival of China as an accomplished event. Under "Chinese dream" means the "rebirth of the Chinese nation" in two steps - to the centenary of the CCP (2021) reach the level of "average prosperity", and by the centenary of the PRC (2049) become one of the developed countries the world.

By 2020, the government has set a task to quadruple GDP compared to 2000 and to ensure the construction of a society of "little prosperity" - "Xiaokang", that is, to reach the average world consumption level.

Modern China | Photo