Qicheng Wang - The Big Book of China: A Guided Tour Through 5,000 Years of History and Culture

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Table of Contents

Isnt it great to meet friends from afar!

Its an ancient Eastern country ...

China

Preface

On this beautiful planet where we live, theres a country with a 5,000-year history of civilization. Embracing a vast land of great diversity and beauty in the worlds East, this ancient culture has developed at an amazing speed. This countrys name is- China.

Through this lovely and very different book, I will be your young guide on a fun tour across China, along its long river of history, unveiling the mysteries of this ancient nation of Asia. During our journey across this land shaped like a rooster, Let us take a joy-filled ride to appreciate the incredible beauty of its rivers and mountains, savor the glory and brilliance of its fascinating culture, take a glimpse into the lives of todays chinese people and discover the secret potions for chinas magically flowering economy.

Isnt it a pleasure to meet friends from afar! the ancient chinese sage confucius conveyed this greeting to the world 2,000 years ago. And today, with the sincerity of all the welcoming chinese people, I extend to you my warmest invitation.

Welcome to China!

Your Friend,
Qi Qi

A Vast Country With a Long History

China is located in the eastern part of the Asian continent and on the western shores of the Pacific, far off across this ocean on the other side is the United States of America.

China is located in the eastern part of the Asian continent and on the western shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Ancient Chinese people believed that the sky was round and the earth was square, that China was in the middle, so they named the country Zhongguo, or the Middle Kingdom.

Over its 5,000 years of civilization, the Chinese people - comprising 56 ethnic groups - have created an incalculably precious historical legacy.

Vast Territory

The map of China looks like a rooster with its head facing east. The country is about 5,500 km long from north to south and 5,200 km long from east to west.

The topography of China is like stairs, gradually sloping down from west to east. The first level is the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, averaging more than 4,000 m above sea level; the second level consists of the Inner Mongolia Plateau, the Loess Plateau and the Sichuan Basin, averaging 1,000 m to 2,000 m above sea level; the third level is made up of the Northeast Plain, the North China Plain and the Middle and Lower Yangtze Valley Plains, averaging 500 m to less than 1,000 m above sea level; and the fourth level is the offshore area of continental shelf on the western shores of Pacific Ocean, where the water depths are less than 200 m.

China has a land area of 9.6 million sq km, and is the third largest country in the world, next only to Russia and Canada. China is almost as big as the whole of Europe. About 70% of Chinas land consists of hills, plateau and hilly terrain, while the rest are basins and plains.

A total of 5,400 islands dot Chinas territorial waters. The largest of these is Taiwan Island. Diaoyu and Chiwei, located to the northeast of Taiwan, are Chinas easternmost islands. The many islands, islets, reefs and shoals in the South China Sea are known collectively as the South China Sea Islands, Chinas southernmost island group.

Variety of Climate Types

The climate of China has distinct features of a monsoon climate, characterized by a continental monsoon climate and a variety of climate types. In winter, it is cold and dry with northern winds and low temperatures. There are great differences between the temperatures of northern and southern parts of China, a range which can be more than 50C.

Beijing, the capital city of China, has a distinctive climate. In spring, flowers blossom; while summer is hot and rainy. Autumn is the best season in Beijing when the climate is cool, and winter is cold and dry.

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