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China: Geography
China: Geography
Geography
China is a country located in East Asia with an area of 9,596,960
km2 (3,705,410 sq mi).[1] The exact land area can sometimes be
challenged by border disputes, including those concerning Taiwan, Aksai
Chin, the Trans-Karakoram Tract, the South China Sea Islands, the
Senkaku Islands, and South Tibet. As sovereignty over Hong Kong and
Macau were restored to China in 1997 and 1999, two special
administrative regions were established under the One Country, Two
Systems policy. The People’s Republic of China is either the third or fourth
largest country in the world, being either slightly larger or slightly
smaller than the United States depending on how the area of the United
States is measured.
China has great physical diversity. The eastern plains and
southern coasts of the country consist of fertile lowlands and
foothills. They are the location of most of China's agricultural
output and human population. The southern areas of the country
(south of the Yangtze River) consist of hilly and mountainous
terrain. The west and north of the country are dominated by
sunken basins (such as the Gobi and the Taklamakan),
rolling plateaus, and towering massifs. It contains part of the
highest tableland on earth, the Tibetan Plateau, and has much
lower agricultural potential and population.
East China and South China straddle along the Pacific Ocean,
with the South China Sea to the south, and the East China
Sea and Yellow Sea to the east.
Traditionally, the Chinese population centered on the Chinese
central plain and oriented itself toward its own enormous inland
market, developing as an imperial power whose center lay in the
middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River on the northern
plains.[citation needed] More recently, the 18,000 km (11,000 mi)
coastline has been used extensively for export-oriented trade,
causing the coastal provinces to become the leading economic
center.
In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered the various warring states and
created for himself the title of Huangdi or “emperor” of the Qin, marking
the beginning of imperial China. However, the oppressive government fell
soon after his death, and was supplanted by the longer-lived Han dynasty
(206 BC – 220 AD). Successive dynasties developed bureaucratic systems
that enabled the emperor to control vast territories directly. In the 21
centuries from 206 BC until AD 1912, routine administrative tasks were
handled by a special elite of scholar-officials. Young men, well-versed in
calligraphy, history, literature, and philosophy, were carefully selected
through difficult government examinations. China’s last dynasty was the
Qing (1644–1912), which was replaced by the Republic of China in 1912,
and then in the mainland by the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The
Republic of China retreated to the island of Taiwan in 1949. Both the PRC
and the ROC currently claim to be the sole legitimate government of
China, resulting in an ongoing dispute even after the United Nations
recognized the PRC as the government to represent China at all UN
conferences in 1971. Hong Kong and Macau transferred sovereignty to
China in 1997 and 1999 from the United Kingdom and Portugal
respectively, becoming special administrative regions (SARs) of the PRC.
"Nobody can be a true hero unless he has been on the Great Wall" goes the
popular Chinese saying, one that clearly demonstrates the importance
placed upon this unique ancient monument.
It was while digging wells on the outskirts of Xi'an in the 1970s that
farmers stumbled across what was to be China's most important
archeological find: the Terracotta Army. Distributed over three large
underground pits and built to guard the First Emperor's tomb, the find
included more than 8,000 life-size warriors, some 520 horses, and more
than 100 chariots, along with numerous other non-military characters
dating from around 280 BC.
Although some were severely damaged due to the passing of time, many
of the statues unearthed have been painstakingly re-assembled and stand
as testament to the importance bestowed upon the emperor and the
afterlife. The site - part of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site
Park - is one of China's most important tourist destinations and offers the
unforgettable experience of standing in front of this assembly of soldiers
and horses as if inspecting a centuries-old parade. English language
guided tours are available.
Other highlights include the Hall of Happiness and Longevity (Le Shou
Tang Hall), with its lovely gardens and courtyards, as well as many miles
of picturesque pathways and walking trails. If time allows, try to also
take in the ruins of the Old Summer Palace, said to have once been one of
the country's most elaborate and architecturally attractive palaces. Sadly,
this once impressive structure was destroyed by colonial forces in the
mid-1800s.
The best way to enjoy the area is to take a cruise along the Li River. The
most popular stretch is from Guilin to Yangshuo, where the river
meanders peacefully through some 80 kilometers of remarkable rock
formations and caves with romantic names such as the Mount of Unique
Beauty , Elephant Trunk Hill, and Reed Flute Cave. Depending upon the
type of boat used - you can choose from a tourist cruise ship to small
bamboo punts - trips can take anywhere from a few hours to multiple
days.
Traditional sports
1. Bamboo kayaking
Guizhou is located in the high mountain areas with deep ditches, causing
extremely inconvenient traffic for the local people. However, the bamboos
there are growing vigorously. In order to facilitate travel and go out for
the gathering, local residents often cut down bamboo by the river and
drift down with it. Gradually bamboos become a water transportation
tool for people in Guizhou.
In the nowadays Guizhou area, This “single tree drifting” activity has
become a real sport, called bamboo kayaking, for both exercise and
entertainment purposes, attracting numerous tourists and travelers from
outside of Guizhou every year. To play bamboo kayaking well, players
require various capabilities, such as strong balance, patience, skillful
rowing, and flexibility.
During the competition, players will dress up in traditional clothing and
use on the stick of bamboo as a boat and another one as an oar to navigate
through the water, which is very fun to watch.
2.Dragon boat
Quyuan once was a doctor of Sanlu in Chu State in the Spring and
Autumn Period. His political propositions of joining forces against the Qin
Dynasty with other countries and appointing talented people at were
slandered by conservative aristocrats and alienated by King Huai of Chu
and banished to the south of Yangtze River.
Quyuan could not bear to abandon the Chu and, on May 5th, after writing
his masterpiece Huaisha, he jumped into the river and suicided. People in
the State of Chu mourned so much and decided to use dragon boats to
disperse the fish in the river so as not to eat Quyuan’s body
3. Firework-catching
start from 1 : 50
Once the competition started, no matter where the red ring falls, people
always scramble to find it. When one of them grabs the red ring, he has to
compete with others, overcoming various difficulties, and send it to the
referee standing in the temple to really get the win. It is also a brave spot.
4. Jianshu (Swordplay)
However, the practice of jianshu in modern times has declined not only
because it requires considerable practice and skill in order to wield
correctly, but also because people think wielding a sword is a very
dangerous behaviour, especially in the peace period.
5. Zang style tug-of-war
I‘m sure you must know the sport tug-of-war but do you know there is
another special type of tug-of-war in China? It’s called Zang style tug-of-
war, a traditional sport of the Zang nationality.
The rule is very simple. You just need to find a flat land and draw two
parallel lines on the ground as the boundary and one line as the middle
boundary. The competition is conducted by two people tied with a rope,
positioning back to back.
The two players need to pull each other forward, using the strength of
their leg, waist, shoulder, and neck.
Festival
1. Dongzhi Festival
Image Source
Being one of the most celebrated Chinese festivals 2021, Dongzhi Festival
is held in the month of December every year. This is the most
famous festivals in china and is also called Winter Solstice. If you are
wondering what is the philosophy behind this festival, then you will be
glad to know it is based on balance and harmony in the cosmos. After the
grand celebration of this festival days will be filled with longer daylight
hours. Today people in China celebrate this festival by visiting each other
and making delicious dishes like Tangyuan, which is made from rice flour.
Tangyuan is a delicious multicoloured dish and you must try it while you
are on your vacation!
Also known as the Chinese Spring Festival, this is without a doubt one of
the most important Chinese festivals with a history of more than 4000
years and you will get to know about Chinese new year traditions on this
day. Most of the people enjoy this festival for 7 days and the celebration
lasts for ov
er 2 weeks, beginning from the eve of the festival. The Chinese New Year
festival is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, i.e., on the first day
of the first lunar month.
Also called the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival in China, Yuan Xiao
Festival is held on the 15th day after the Spring Festival. It marks the
continuation and end of the New Year celebration. Among all the festivals
in China, this festival involves enjoying the sight of beautiful lanterns of
different shapes and sizes at night. The lantern shows bring people from
all over the world to witness the amazing designs and colors. A traditional
Chinese dish called Tangyuan is also eaten on this day.
4. Mid-Autumn Festival
Image Source
The National Day celebrates the founding of the People’s Republic of China
in 1949 and it is undoubtedly one of the most important festivals in China.
It is celebrated throughout mainland China, Macau, and Hong Kong with
a number of different activities, such as concerts and fireworks organized
by the Government
Regional Attire
The cheongsam, or Qipao, is the classic dress for Chinese women, which
combines the elaborate elegance of Chinese tradition with unique elements
of style. The high- necked, closed-collar cheongsam features a loose chest,
asymmetrical fastening, fitted waist, and side slits. To fans, the
cheongsam encapsulates a woman's modesty, softness, and beauty.
Designed to show off the natural softness of the female form, it also
creates the illusion of long, slender legs.
This close-fitting dress, with a high neck and the slits on the sides, comes
from China's Manchu Nationality (满族). There is a beautiful legend from
the Manchus about the cheongsam.
Mao suit (Zhongshan suit, 中山装)
The Mao suit is the western name for the style of male attire known as the
Sun Zhongshan suit or Zhongshan suit, named after Sun Zhongshan (Sun
Yat-sen) who introduced it shortly after the founding of the Republic of
China. By the Chinese tradition of changing the style of dress for different
dynasties, Sun Yat-sen instructed that a new form of clothing be designed
for the new republic. The Western name comes from its popularisation by
Mao Zedong
BAMBOO STRAINER/SPIDER
This Chinese spider/strainer is great for frying or straining and is
commonly seen in many Chinatown restaurants. These days, however,
any strainer or even a slotted spoon for frying or draining liquid from
wontons or dumplings will do just fine. We use a variety of strainers in
The Woks of Life kitchen including the traditional Chinese spider pictured
below. It’s perfect for scooping egg roll filling out of the wok as you can
see in our Egg Roll recipe – just like the Chinese cooking tools used in
Chinese restaurants! I am sure you will use it for frying like we do every
year when making crispy shrimp chips for Chinese New year!
WOK RING
These days, some ranges come with a big wok burner, which has that
bigger flame needed for authentic Chinese cooking. I think we’re the
only one we know who has one of these (not everyone wants THAT big
a burner on their stove, I’m sure. We’re just crazy. If you want to get
an idea of what it looks like, check out this older post). Anyway, if you
have a regular-sized gas or electric stove, you may want to consider
investing in a wok ring. These aren’t strictly necessary, but helpful
nevertheless.
. Bamboo Wok Brush
A wok brush is all you will need to clean your wok. You can also use a
stainless steel scrubber in place of a wok brush to clean your wok. Simply
rinse the wok under running tap water, then move your wok brush in a
circular motion to remove any food residue that may be stuck on the wok
surface, then place the wok back on the burner over medium-high heat to
allow it to dry. Never use soap as it will remove the oils that are very
much needed to season your wok and give it that nice patina over time.
. Bamboo Steamers
Bamboo steamers are famously used for dim sum but you can steam
just about anything that you can fit into the steamer. Simply boil some water
in your wok and place the bamboo steamer right over it (make sure you leave
about a couple of inches between the boiling water and the steamer).
Use Bamboo Steamer Liners for quick and easy clean-up!
Raw ingredients
Chinese Dried Black Mushrooms
This is one of the most important ingredients in Chinese cooking. They
have a very concentrated flavour- used to add umami (savoury taste) and
depth of flavour, and most of the time, fresh mushrooms cannot replace it.
Various classic dishes such as hot and sour soup, egg rolls, and
potstickers use shiitake mushrooms to enhance the flavour. The
mushrooms also taste wonderful in noodles, clay pot rice, and braised
meat dishes, in which they get infused with meat drippings.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch, also known as corn flour, is the most common thickening
agent used in Chinese cooking. It is also the most readily available
ingredient. When mixed with water, the cornstarch helps thicken
countless sauces in stir-fry dishes and braises. Another common use for
cornstarch is marinating meat, to make the texture of meat silky and juicy
and for dredging & frying, yielding a perfectly light and crunchy texture.
Substitutions for cornstarch are tapioca starch and potato starch.
Dried Shrimp
Dried shrimp is a handy ingredient to have in your pantry, if you’re
looking to add a seafood-like flavour to soup and dumplings without
adding many calories to a dish. Commonly used in many Asian cuisines,
the shrimp are sun-dried until very small for preservation purposes. It
can be used in stir-fried and braised dishes, soups, salads, dumplings, or
any other dish, to add flavour. Dried shrimp requires pre-soaking before
cooking, so they can release more flavour.
Five Spice Powder
This very powerful, five-flavour powder is prepared from five spices:
cloves, fennel, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and Chinese cinnamon- a
balance of sweet, sour, salty, pungent, and bitter flavours. It’s an
important ingredient in marinating and braising, but you can add it to
any other dish for depth of flavour. It can also be sprinkled in small
amounts to a vegetable stir-fry. You can purchase or prepare it at home,
using a spice grinder.
Garlic
Along with ginger, it is often used to season cooking oil. Everyone knows
garlic, but you can never have too much garlic in your pantry when
cooking Chinese food. Eaten raw, cooked, dried, pickled, and/or fried, this
perennial herb and its flat leaves are components of many Chinese dishes
including many garlic sauces. Remember to avoid burning the garlic since
it is the foundation of many recipes and the bitterness of burnt garlic will
ruin your dish.
Gingerroot
Ginger has a unique flavour and is used in many recognizable seafood
recipes. Always use fresh ginger unless the recipe states otherwise.
Caramelizing ginger slices in oil infuses dishes with a toasty ginger
flavour that carries through your entire dish for a truly authentic flavour.
Chinese cuisine has many dishes that use ginger, involving seafood, since
the flavour pairs well with shellfish and fish. The Chinese also believe
ginger has medicinal qualities and helps “cleanse” the shellfish.
Oyster Sauce
Made from boiled oysters and seasonings or a mixture of cornstarch, salt,
sugar and oyster essence, this rich yet distinct savoury sauce is the key
ingredient in Cantonese cooking. It is mainly used in meat and vegetable
dishes. Like hoisin sauce, the oyster sauce will make every dish taste
better. If you add a drop of oyster sauce to simple fried noodles or noodle
soup, it will enhance the depth of flavour and make the dish instantly
taste better.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is the foundation of Chinese and other Asian cooking- both light
and dark. The main ingredients are usually soybeans, wheat, water and
salt. Light soy sauce is thinner and saltier than the dark soy variety and is
typically used in small quantities as a light seasoning or dipping sauce.
Dark soy sauce is more like food colouring, as it is used to darken a dish
with an appetizing colour- usually used in marinades and stir-fries.
Spring Onions (Green Onions, Scallions)
Often used as a garnish, or added to stir-fries in the wok, scallions, or
green onions, are used everywhere in Chinese cooking. Lengthwise or
julienned cuts are great for steamed fish and noodle dishes, whereas
chopping them are essential for fried rice and great for garnishes. Dark
green scallions indicate that they are fresh. The green portions are great
for colour and garnish & offer a milder flavor and the white portions will
add a more sweet onion flavour.
White Pepper
Chinese cuisine doesn’t use black pepper in their cuisine; instead, they
stick to ground white pepper. The white version is added for its sharp
bite. They are added to dishes to give them a spicier flavour, without
setting the tongue on fire. Moreover, they are preferred over the darker
variety, especially in the case of soups and light-coloured dishes. The light
colour of this ground pepper doesn't interfere with the aesthetic value of
the dish.
Staple food
Rice
China is the world’s largest rice producer, and one of the earliest
centers of rice cultivation.Rice is a major staple food for people from rice
Chinese Dumpling
Eating dumplings is an important activity for most families on New
Year's Eve in Spring Festival. The wrapper is usually made from flour and
water, but the fillings vary a lot, ranging from all sorts of meat and
vegetables to s
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised
for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or
as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates
worldwide. Sorghum is in the subfamily Panicoideae and the tribe
Andropogoneae.
Noodles
Noodles are a staple food in Chinese cuisine, with a long history and wide
popularity. Its first appearance can be traced back to the East Han
Dynasty, and it became very popular during Song Dynasty. It come dry or
fresh in a variety of sizes, shapes and textures and are often served in
soups or fried as toppings. Some varieties, such as Shou Mian, are
symbolic of long life and good health according to Chinese tradition.
Noodles can be served hot or cold with different toppings and broth. Its
cooking methods are numerous, though relatively simple. People can,
according to their likes and tastes, add different ingredients and materials
to make a great variety of noodles.
Millet
The millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely
grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for both human food
and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional
or agronomic one.
Wheat
In wheat farming areas in Northern China, people largely rely on flour-
based food, such as noodles, breads, dumplings and steamed buns.
Rice Noodles
Thin and transparent, rice noodles should be soaked in hot water to soften
them before use. They are used in soups, salads, stir-fries and spring
rolls.
Tofu
Tofu is made from soymilk and resembles the consistency of cheesecake. It
is a very nutritious ingredient, rich in minerals and an excellent source of
protein. It is served in soups, salads, stir-fried dishes. Tofu contains little
fat, and is high in protein, calcium and iron. Tofu itself has very little
flavor or smell, but it has the ability to absorb new flavors through spices
and marinades. Mapo Tofu with the spicy sauce is our favorite.There is a
wide variety of tofu, which can be split into two main categories: fresh
tofu – produced directly from soy milk, and processed tofu
Chinese Wonton
The wrapper of the wonton is thin and tastes soft and smooth, the filling
is rather fresh, and the soup is clear and tasty. wonton is a traditional
food in China. In ancient times, Chinese people regarded it as a kind of
sealed meat bun without any opening and named it 'Hun Dun' (chaos).
Barley ,
Barley is a common staple in human and animal diets. it is a tender grain
and care must be taken in all stages of its growth and harvest. Because
barley is a whole-grain food, consumption provides several health
benefits. It is high is soluble fiber and can reduce blood cholesterol and
blood glucose levels. It's also low in fat.
Speciality dishes
Hotpot
Ingredient Checklist
• 1 small bok choy, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, stems and greens
separated
• 1 14-ounce package firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 1/2-
inch cubes
Instructions Checklist
• Step 1
• Step 2
• Step 3
Add the mushroom mixture to the broth. Add noodles, reduce heat
to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes. Add bok choy greens
and tofu; simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in
carrots, vinegar to taste, soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve
garnished with scallions.
Ma po tofu
I NGREDI ENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
1. First, we toast the chilies. If you have homemade toasted chili
oil, you can skip this step. Heat your wok or a small saucepan
over low heat. Add ¼ cup of the oil and throw in the fresh and
dried peppers. Stir occasionally and heat until fragrant, about 5
minutes, ensuring that the peppers don’t burn. Remove from
heat and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining ¼ cup of oil in your wok over medium
heat. Add your ground Sichuan peppercorns and stir
occasionally for 30 seconds. Add the ginger. After 1 minute, add
the garlic. Fry for another minute, and then turn up the heat to
high and add the ground pork. Break up the meat and fry it until
it’s cooked through.
3. Add the spicy bean sauce to the mixture and stir it in well. Add
⅔ cups of chicken broth to the wok and stir. Let this simmer for
a minute or so. While that's happening, ready your tofu and also
put a ¼ cup of water in a small bowl with your cornstarch and
mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Add the cornstarch mixture to your sauce and stir. Let it
bubble away until the sauce starts to thicken. (If it gets too thick,
splash in a little more water or chicken stock.)
5. Then add your chili oil from before—peppers and all! If you are
using homemade chili oil, ONLY use the standing oil, as it's
likely that you have salted it and you only want the oil, not
additional salt. Stir the oil into the sauce, and add the tofu. Use
your spatula to gently toss the tofu in the sauce. Let everything
cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the sesame oil and sugar (if using)
along with the scallions and stir until the scallions are just
wilted.
6. Serve with a last sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorn powder as a
garnish if desired.
Hot and sour soup
Ingredients
• Shiitake mushrooms: four ounces; dried, sliced and stemmed; feel
free to use other types of mushrooms here, too
• Wood ear mushrooms: one-fourth cup; dried
• Lily flowers: one-fourth cup; dried
• Chicken or pork loin: thin strips
• Salt: one-fourth tsp
• Cornstarch: one-half tbsp.
• Ginger: one tbsp; minced
• Green onions: two, chopped
• Chinkiang (or white rice) vinegar: two tbsp.; here is where you
get the sour; two tbsp.
• White pepper powder: here is where you get the hot flavor; start
with one-half tsp and add as desired; you might find a teeter-totter
rhythm between the vinegar and pepper
• Water (six cups) or chicken broth (six cups); see notes below for
veggie version
• Eight cups of broth: beef, chicken or veggie
• Tofu: one and one-fourth oz.; look for an extra firm block of tofu
so it does not dissolve in the soup; drain the tofu, press it and cut
into cubes of about 1/2 inch
• Bamboo shoots: eight oz.; sliced
• Bok choy: one medium-size bunch; strip until only green parts
are left, peel into thin strips
• Soy sauce: one tbsp.
• Cornstarch: three tbsp.
• Eggs: two; beaten
• Sesame oil: one tsp
• Scallions: six, sliced
• Cilantro: one-fourth cup, fresh and finely chopped
• Sesame seeds: toasted, one-fourth cup; you can top your dish
with the seeds so use at your own discretion and feel free to skip if
you prefer.
Instructions
• Using tap water, clean and pat dry the shiitake mushroom, wood
ear mushrooms and lily flowers
• Place all three in respective bowls with 1.5-2 cups of water
• Cut mushrooms into slices
• Remove lily flower ends
• Cut away the hard wood ear mushroom ends and chop into small
pieces
• In a mixing bowl, add pork, wine, cornstarch and salt; mix and
let sit for 15 minutes
• In a smaller mixing bowl, combine white pepper and vinegar;
mix until pepper disappears
• In a pot over medium-high heat, combine chicken stock, green
onion and ginger
• Add mushrooms and tofu
• Cooking to simmer
• Add soy sauce
• Return heat to low or medium
• In a small mixing bowl, combine cornstarch and one-fourth cup
water; mix until cornstarch is liquefied
• Add cornstarch to soup (for thicker soup, add more cornstarch)
• Add pork and stir gently
• Add salt
• Add beaten egg; stir until egg is dispersed
• Remove pot or heat to add vinegar and pepper; mix well
• Add sesame oil, sesame seeds and cilantro on top
• Serve hot!