China Facts

Ice Cream was first made in China!

In Chinese, the KFC slogan "finger lickin' good" comes out as "eat your fingers off".

A mathematical thought experiment once claimed that if China's population walked past you in single file, the line would never end due to reproduction rates—but China's population is now declining for the first time since 1961.

China produces approximately 60-65% of the world's counterfeit goods, making it the dominant source of global counterfeiting.

Some Chinese-made hair bands were fashioned from recycled condoms.

In 1911, pigtails were banned in China because they were seen as a link with its feudal past.

Ching Shih, once a prostitute, became one of the most powerful pirates to have ever sailed. She commanded one of the most formidable pirate fleets in all of China during the early 1800s, with hundreds of ships under her command.

In 2000, China had zero billionaires. By 2024, it had over 800 billionaires, the second-highest number in the world after the United States.

The retail price for the iPad would be $1,140 if it were built by American workers instead of Chinese.

Some Chinese paramilitary police learn their 'perfect posture' with pins in their collar.

According to legend, kung fu has Indian roots—the monk Bodhidharma allegedly brought martial techniques from India to China's Shaolin Temple in the 6th century. While historians have debunked this story, India's Kalaripayattu is one of the world's oldest martial arts, dating back over 3,000 years.

The world's largest amphibian is the giant salamander. It can grow up to 5 ft. in length.

Roughly a quarter of the world's people live in China.

China's capital Beijing literally means "Northern Capital" in Mandarin Chinese.

In 1981, the Chinese government passed a resolution making it a duty for every citizen aged 11 and older to plant at least three trees per year, creating the world's largest reforestation program.

People in parts of Western China put salt in their tea instead of sugar.

The largest natural bridge on Earth, the 'Fairy Bridge', was virtually unknown to the rest of the world until it was observed on Google Earth.

Grenades were invented in China over 1,000 years ago.

In 2012, a Chinese gamer's father was so concerned about his son's habit, he hired virtual hitmen to kill off his avatar.

The Chow Chow and Chinese Shar-Pei are the only two dog breeds that require a solid blue-black tongue as part of their official breed standard.

In 1975, officials in the Chinese city of Haicheng were so alarmed by odd and anxious behavior of dogs and other animals, they ordered the evacuation of 90,000 residents from the city. Only a few hours later, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake destroyed nearly 90 percent of the city’s buildings.

Li Ching-Yuen was a Chinese herbalist who became famous for claims he lived to be 256 years old (1677-1933). While his extreme longevity is almost certainly legend, he was a real person who became a celebrity in 1920s China, with newspapers reporting the Qing government had congratulated him on his 150th and 200th birthdays.

Many people in parts of China eat insects. Some common insects are bean worms, scoprions, and locusts.

There's a species of soft-shelled turtle in China that 'pees' in puddles through its mouth.