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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 80 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 China
October 1, 1949. In front of thousands of communist supporters in Tiananmen Square, Mao Zedong proclaimed the PRC after the defeat, but escape, of the GMD and their government to Taiwan. Officially recognised by USSR the next day.
Rectification Program. The rectification program was used by Mao because of the sudden rush to Yan'an by all sorts of people after Japanese success on the mainland. It was used to make aware the doctrine of Mao and Communism and to spread the word of communism to all and sundry.
Nanjing . The rape of Nanjing took place after the Japanese army successfully removed all Chinese resistance in December 1937. For 6 weeks the Japanese army was let loose on the streets. It is not known exactly how many died at their hands.
1937. Unlike the Nationalist government, the CCP declared war on Japan when the Japanese attacked Chinese forces at Marco Polo Bridge on July 7, 1937. The central Guomindang government would not declare war officially until 1941.
Shanghai. The Shanghai massacre took place in 1927 after the success of the United Front, which helped the GMD gain power.
Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu. Li and Chen founded the CCP in 1921, which was a complete surprise to the Soviets in Russia. The October Revolution in Russia in 1917 has sparked major interest in China and Chen and Li used this to build the party.
Northern Expedition. The Northern Expedition started in 1926 when the Guomindang burst north out of Guangzhou, overthrowing most of the warlords who controlled seperate parts of China and establishing their own government in Nanjing in 1928.
Yuan Shikai. Yuan took power with the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1912, and pushed Sun aside although Sun was the provisional president. He then tried to establish himself as Emperor, to the ire of the population, but died in 1916.
Qing. The Qing dynasty was overthrown with the regime characterised by weak leadership, corruption and constant battles with the European powers. Pu Yi was the final emperor.
Japan. The Sino-Japanese War lasted two years, and proved to the world that China was not the power it was, as it was defeated by a smaller and westernised nation, much like the opium wars 50 years earlier.
| After the Opium War in 1842 China was forced by the Treaty of Nanking to open five treaty ports to the colonial powers. One of them is today China's largest city. Which? | Foreign Imperial Ports in China
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Shanghai . Shanghai was of little importance before 1840, but developed rapidly with the increase of concession sections and by 1920 was a highly cosmopolitan city.
| What was the Zhuqingting (also known by its Japanese name of Taketonbo)? | Ancient China
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A toy. The Zhuqingting, or 'bamboo dragonfly', was an ancient Chinese flying toy dating back to 400 A.D. The toy had a propeller like blade attached to a bamboo stick with string around it. The toy was released into the air by pulling the string. The Zhuqingting could fly on its own for some time.
It has sixteen tiers. Qianxun Pagoda was one of the best known architectural landmarks of ancient China.
Built sometime in the Tang Dynasty, the square shaped pagoda was the biggest of the three Pagodas of Dali. Its unique feature was its sixteen tier eaves, which was rare in ancient Chinese pagodas.
| What were known as the three 'perfections' in ancient China? | Ancient China
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Poetry, calligraphy and painting. In ancient China, poetry, calligraphy and painting represented the three "perfections". All educated people were required to learn them.
Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism were taught by three different preachers. Confucius founded the philosophy of Confucianism, and Laozi preached Taoism. Siddhartha Gautam ('Lord' Buddha) was the founder of Buddhism, China's most popular religion. They were commonly known as the 'Three Doctrines'.
A pump. A chain pump known as the dragon-backbone machine was used by farmers in ancient China to raise water. The machine helped peasants water the rice fields.
| What kind of wine was often used in the ceremonies and rituals of ancient China? | Ancient China
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Rice. Rice wine was an important part of ancient Chinese ceremonies and ritual sacrifices.
In 2003, archaeologists unearthed jars of rice wine from an ancient tomb in Xi'an. The tomb dated back to the Western Han dynasty.
| What was the significance of the ancient Chinese custom of bowing? | Ancient China
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A sign of respect. Children in ancient China were expected to bow in front of their elders as a sign of respect. Confucius preached that all people should respect and honour their family members.
| Why were ancient Chinese mummies covered with jade stone? | Ancient China
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To keep the body from decaying. Mummies in ancient China were cased in a suit of jade. This was because the ancient Chinese believed that jade stone had magical properties, and would keep the body from decaying. It was also said to ward off evil spirits.
A sword. The jian was one of the most common weapons used in ancient China. A straight, double-edged sword, it was also regarded as a sacred weapon. The sword was commonly used for self-defence by warriors.
No. Confucius was the leading and most famous teacher in ancient China. Sometimes he also acted as a political advisor to emperors.
Confucius opened the first school for the common people. His teachings went on to have a lasting influence on Chinese way of life.
Shi Huangdi. The earliest people in China were farmers who settled in villages and towns along the fertile Yellow River.
Gradually, the small settlements were divided into different states. Then Shi Huandi (259-210 B.C) the king of the powerful state of Qin, overthrew the others to become the first emperor of China.
| What item was often broken during the Democracy wall? (It's a pun on Deng Xiaoping's name). | Communist China
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glass bottles. Deng Xiaoping's last name, Xiaoping, means "little bottle" in Chinese. Thus, people would often break bottles in mockery of him.
| During the Hundred Flowers campaign, a phrase that was used that dated from one of the imperial dynasties. Which? | Communist China
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Ming. "Let one hundred flowers bloom; let one hundred schools of thought contend." This was the phrase often used during the campaign. Sometimes criticism went "too far". There was also a Ming based play that the CCP saw as offensive, and counter-revolutionary.
He died in prison. Liu Shaoqi was purged and thrown in jail during the cultural revolution. After Liu died, Mao announced the end of the cultural revolution.
| What year is said to be the year in which the CCP was founded? | Communist China
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1920. The CCP was founded in the early 20s and allied with the Nationalists multiple times to end the warlord period, and oust Japan.
October 1, 1949. October 10, 1911 is considered Taiwan's national day.
Hu Jintao. Jian Zemin was a former mayor of Shanghai. He impressed Party members of the PRC with his methods of suppressing rebellions.
Puyi. Puyi was put on the throne when he was just two years old. He continued to be the ruling emperor until 1912, when he was six years old. The Qing dynasty collapsed in 1912 when China became the Republic of China.
The next century consisted of unrest, war, and civil strife. The Republic later fell to the hands of the Japanese, who later left after World War II. Afterwards, China engaged into a couple years of civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists. Of course, the Communists won, effectually gaining control of China. Like the several dynasties ahead of the Communists, this new form of government seems to be just another dynasty in the long road of Chinese history. And, many people expect China to once again change; already today the Chinese government is opening up to Western influence and accepting more freely conducted business. Who knows? Perhaps this regime is just part of the Chinese cycle after all.
| After controlling China, what did the Manchurian emperors claim they had in order to show the Chinese people that they had the favor of the gods? | The Cycles of China
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Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven was created long before the Qing Dynasty, during the Zhou Dynasty. All emperors were thought to have this mandate, but it was controversial to the Chinese that Manchurians, a minor ethnic group, would come to claim it.
| What group of people conquered the declining Ming Dynasty during the mid to late 1600s? | The Cycles of China
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Manchurian. The Manchu conquered the Ming Dynasty and had control in 1662. They founded the Qing Dynasty, which is the last imperial dynasty of China. The end of the Ming also ended the last Han control of China. The Han is the major ethnic group of China.
| Years later, the Mongolians were forced out of China, and the Ming Dynasty was founded. What was the name of the explorer who lead the trading expeditions sent during the beginning of the Ming Dynasty? | The Cycles of China
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Zheng He. The Zheng He expeditions were later abandoned, as the government began to focus only on domestic issues. This led China to turn to tradition instead of innovation, which would later cause the nation to fall behind economically and scientifically Western empires.
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