Environmentalist Efforts in China

The rapid economic development of China in the past 30 years has wreaked havoc on its environment. Many habitats are fragile and vulnerable to mining, infrastructure, tourism and dam construction. Many species can only be found in China. Species such as the cao vit gibbon and the big rhododendron tree are on the edge of extinction.

However, there is a growing wave of environmentalism amongst China’s population. People are becoming more and more engaged with conservation of the country’s wildlife and corporate social responsibility. This is a great sign of hope for the future.

The Fauna & Flora International (FFI) China Programme was initiated in 1999 with a wetland project in Lhasa. It then rapidly expanded to include multi-stakeholder planning projects in Sichuan and Qinghai.

The programme is now also working in Guangxi, Yunnan, Chongqing and Hainan. Activities range from species-focused projects for China’s most endangered primates and tree species, to landscape-level community-based initiatives, to advising on provincial policy and conservation governance.

Effort to protect close to extinction species

In a concerted effort to protect the nation’s zoological and botanical resources, China had established 763 nature reserves covering 66.18 million hectares by 1994. Sichuan’s Wolong, Jilin’s Changbai Mountains, Guangdong’s Dinghu Mountains, Guizhou’s Fanjing Mountains, Fujian’s Wuyi Mountains, Hubei’s Shennongjia, Inner Mongolia’s Xilingol, Xinjiang’s Mt. Bogda, Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna and Jiangsu’s Yancheng serve as bases for international scientific research projects; Heilongjiang’s Zhalong, Jilin’s Xianghai, Dongting Lake in eastern Hunan, Jiangxi’s Poyang Lake, Qinghai’s Bird Island and Hainan’s Dongzhai Harbour have been included in the listing of the world’s important waterfowl wetlands. In addition, rescue centres for animals close to extinction have been established in Beijing, Kunming, Guangzhou and elsewhere. To date, China has succeeded in breeding more than 60 species of animals close to extinction, a great contribution to the world’s efforts to save such creatores.

Natural Vegetation in China

 

 

 

Ginko Tree

Much of China’s natural vegetation has been replaced or altered by thousands of years of human settlement, but isolated areas still support one of the world’s richest and most varied collections of plants. Nearly every major plant found in the tropical and temperate zones of the northern hemisphere can be found there. In all, more than 7,000 species of woody plants have been recorded, of which there are 2,800 timber trees and over 300 species of gymnosperms.

The rare gingko tree, cathaya tree, and metasequoia, long extinct elsewhere, can still be found growing in China. Among flowering plants, 650 of the 800 known varieties of azalea occur in China, while 390 of the 450 known varieties of primrose and about 230 of the 400 known varieties of gentian are also found there. The tree peony, which originated in Shandong Province, appears in 400 varieties.

The richest and most extensive needle-leaf forests occur in the Greater Hinggan ling (Khingan) Mountains of the northeast, where stands of larch, Asian white birch, and Scotch pine flourish, and in the Lesser Hinggan ling (Khingan) Mountains, with stands of Korean pine and Dahurian larch. In the Sichuan (Szechuan) Basin, vegetation changes with altitude to embrace a variety of conifers at high levels, deciduous trees and cypresses at middle elevations, and bamboo in lower elevations. Farther south, in subtropical Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, broadleaf evergreen forests predominate. Forests give way to natural grasslands and scrub in drier western and northwestern areas, especially in the semiarid regions of Shanxi and Shaanxi, in the steppes of Inner Mongolia, and along the desert margins of the Tarim and Junggar basins.

Famous Chinese People

Famous People Born in China

Confucius
One of the most famous Chinese philosophers is Confucius, an influential Chinese thinker who had a great impact on Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese lifestyle. His philosophy emphasized personal and government morality. He preached justice and sincerity and his thoughts were developed into a system of philosophy called Confucianism.

 

Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu was one of the famous people of ancient China who is considered to be the father of Chinese Taoism. Taoism is an ancient philosophy that advocates living a simple life. He is said to have lived in the 6th century BC, according to ancient Chinese history.

Xi Shi
Xi Shi is one the famous women of China, who lived around 500 BC. She is one of the Four Great Beauties of China. Xi Shi’s father was a tea trader and she was trained in court etiquette. She was given to the King Fuchai of Wu and her goal was to bewitch the king so that it would lead to his downfall. She was successful in her task and then she withdrew herself from public life. You can read more on women in ancient Chinese culture.

Empress Dou
She is one of the most famous people of Chinese history, who was also known as Shiao Wen. Empress Dou was the wife of Emperor Wen of the Western Han. She was a follower of Taoist philosophy and was able to influence her husband with this philosophy. Thus, she would create an era of peace and tranquility in her husbands empire of Western Han.

Zhang Ziyi
Another one of the famous Chinese women who is a dancer and actress. She won the Silver Bear award in 2000 Berlin Film Festival for her first film The Road Home. She is known for her roles in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Rush Hour 2.

Jackie Chan
Perhaps of the most famous Chinese actor is Jackie Chan. He is an not only an actor, but also an action choreographer, filmmaker, comedian, producer, martial artist, singer, stunt man, screenwriter, entrepreneur, the list is simply endless. He is one of the most known Chinese faces in Hollywood, whose impressive stunts have mesmerized the audience. He has also sung many pop songs and lend his voice for many cartoons and video games.

Yao Ming
He is the tallest basketball player with the gigantic height of 7 feet, 6 inches. He is one of the famous Chinese people in NBA and has a reputation of begin personable that makes him one of the very popular celebrity players.

These were just a few of the famous people of China. The list of famous Chinese people is endless and you find many names in Chinese history that have made a mark in world history. Chinese have been known for their global culture and Chinese food is one of the top cuisines around the world. This vast nation of rich cultures and traditions have given the world many famous people born in China and outside China.

Chinese Inventions

Many commodities of everyday use have found their origins in China. Papryus was found in China. It was from Papryus that paper was created. Even the art of printing was first invented and then fine-tuned by the Chinese. The early lodestone was also invented in China. It is common knowledge that gunpowder was first made in China, though it is a misconception that the Chinese used it only for festivals.   The Chinese had various weapons working on gunpowder. Other notable inventions were the wheelbarrow, cast iron, the iron plough, the suspension bridge, the parachute, compass, matches, raised relief maps, the propeller, the cross bow and the cannon. The Chinese were also the first to use natural gas as fuel. The Chinese astronomers were the first to make notes about the Supernova.

Chinese Calendar

 

 

 

The lunar calendar has a sixty year cycle. In the Chinese horoscope, the five basic elements of Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth, which make up all matter, are combined with the twelve animal signs of Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Lamb, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig to form the sixty year cycle. One’s Chinese horoscope is based on which lunar year in this sixty year cycle one was born.

The Traditional Triplet of Blessings

 

Fu, Lu and Shou, meaning blessings, wealth and longevity respectively are the good luck triple symbols most favored in China. Picture on the right is a decorative way of writing Fu, Lu and Shou.

This good luck triplet is usually presented in posters, paintings, literatures and other decorations while its members may be used separately, such as fu, a most displayed good luck symbol in Chinese New Year.

1. Fu — the most favored and used good lucky symbol in Chinese. It means blessings or good luck.

2. Lu — It meant an official’s salary and benefits in the feudal time of China. Now people still use it to mean wealth and monetary fortune, but it is less used in younger generations.

 

3. Shou — a character symbol meaning age and longevity.

 

When the triplet is used together, people wish you not just good luck for your year, they also wish you being prosperous and having the longevity to enjoy your good fortune.

China’s Flag

 

China’s national flag was adopted in September, 1949. This flag was first flown in Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949 – the day of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The rectangular flag has a red field with five golden-yellow stars (each with five points) in the upper left corner. The star on the left is larger than the other four.

The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution. The large star symbolizes the Communist Party (which rules China) and the smaller stars represent the people of China

Religion

The “official” faith of the people of China is centered on the worship of Shangdi or the Supreme god. The worship of Shangdi includes erection of shrines. Taoism is an indigenous religion of China. Its beginning can be traced to the composition of Laozi’s Tao Te Ching. In its unorganized form, Taoism can be considered a folk religion of China. Buddhism is also popular among the Chinese. It was introduced from central Asia during the Han Dynasty. Islam was introduced in 651. Muslims came to China for trade during the Song Dynasty. Judaism in the country dates to as early as 7th or 8th century AD, while Christianity developed during the 7th century AD.

Where in the world is China?

 

The People’s Republic of China is located in the eastern part of Asia. It is bordered by Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam. It is on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean in the southern part of the Eurasian continent, bordering East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam. It is the third-largest country in the world and covers an area of 3,696,000 square miles and has an estimated population of 1,331,460,000