China

Discover China

Fun Foods

Xiaolongbao, Kung Pao Chicken, Dim Sum

The Great Wall of China is so long you could walk for a whole year and still not finish. Good luck to any invaders trying to climb over that.

China started making history over 4,000 years ago. Ancient Chinese people invented paper, gunpowder, and the compass long before the rest of the world caught on.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang got tired of little kingdoms fighting each other. So in 221 BC he conquered them all and created one China. He ruled with an iron fist but built an empire that lasted.

The Han dynasty came next and ruled for 400 years. They opened the Silk Road, a trading path that stretched all the way to Europe. Merchants carried silk, spices, and ideas back and forth.

China had good times and rough patches. The Mongols invaded and took over for a while. Later the Ming dynasty drove them out and built the Forbidden City, a massive palace in Beijing with thousands of rooms.

Wars with other countries in the 1800s weakened China badly. The country fought through hard times for over 100 years. In 1949, Mao Zedong and his army won a long civil war and created the People's Republic of China.

You can still visit that famous Wall near Beijing today. Xi'an holds the Terracotta Army, thousands of clay soldiers guarding an old emperor's tomb. Shanghai dazzles with lights and the fastest train on Earth.

Chinese food varies wildly from region to region. In the north, dumplings and noodles rule. In the south, rice and seafood take over. Families share many dishes at once, and slurping your noodles is a compliment to the cook.

Chinese New Year lasts fifteen days of fireworks, parades, and family feasts. Kids collect red envelopes full of lucky money. Dragons and lions dance through streets to scare away bad spirits.

China has 56 different ethnic groups living together. The Han people are the biggest group, but others like the Zhuang and Tibetans keep their own traditions alive. Each group adds something special to this huge country.

Giant pandas munch bamboo in the misty mountains here. These chunky bears only live wild in China. Visiting a panda sanctuary might be the cutest thing you ever do.