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Quiz about The Many Attractions of China
Quiz about The Many Attractions of China

The Many Attractions of China Trivia Quiz


China has an abundance of attractions for the tourist or backpacker. This quiz describes, part by part, one route around China, visiting many places of interest. At each point, you must figure out your location.

A multiple-choice quiz by headrock. Estimated time: 13 mins.
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Author
headrock
Time
13 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
212,746
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
25
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
15 / 25
Plays
712
Last 3 plays: Guest 162 (0/25), Coachpete1 (24/25), Guest 172 (7/25).
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Question 1 of 25
1. Landing at one of the world's busiest airports, you take the 23-minute train to one of the world's tallest buildings. You better hope for good weather, because at most times of the year the ocean blows in a thick fog that lowers visibility. Funny, you didn't think so many people in China could speak English! Hint


Question 2 of 25
2. The two-hour KCR train will take you only a bit deeper into the country, but already there is much change in scenery. You pass through an industrial area and into one of the largest and richest cities in China. Many concrete bridges cover most of the main streets, giving an eerie feeling of urban claustrophobia, but you can take the metro just as easy to see YueXie park, Sun Yat-Sen's memorial hall, or the lovely ex-Portugese Shamian Island. Hint


Question 3 of 25
3. A night train takes 14 hours to your next destination, taking a long detour up north, then back southwest. Finally it arrives in a large city, and you go on to take a two-hour minibus ride down south to your next destination, a little town that is a main attraction for both foreign and Chinese tourists. As the minibus makes its way through the fog, suddenly huge white cliffs begin to appear out of the mists, towering high above your head. How strange this must seem, especially because you're on a plain! The town lies at the conjunction of two rivers, and is surrounded by many villages and farms. Many Chinese consider this place as a "mythical land" whose beauty is revered in songs and stories. Hint


Question 4 of 25
4. You decide to take another three-hour bus ride north to see the Dragon's Backbone, one of the world's most ancient and elaborate array of agricultural terraces. The town at which you arrive is only an hour's ride from any of the myriad of tiny minority villages located in the area of the Dragon's Backbone. Hint


Question 5 of 25
5. The train to your next destination is already crowded when you get on board, and you still have more than 20 hours to spend on it! As the train takes you to the southwest, the view slowly changes from mountains and forests to a more rolling-hill kind of landscape, covered by little trees and crisscrossed by many rivers and streams. The train runs through the capital of Guangxi province, and then shifts and goes west to another province, the southwesternmost of all Chinese provinces. The city you eventually reach, the capital of the southwest, is a vibrant, modern city, surprisingly clean, and named by many the "City of Eternal Spring". Which way has the train taken you? Hint


Question 6 of 25
6. With no train to take to your next destination, you board a 14-hour sleeper-bus that rides south along a heavily-winding road through the jungle. Eventually you reach this city, the capital of the autonomous Xishuangbanna prefecture, which sits close to the borders of Laos and Myanmar. A huge, recently constructed bridge spans the famous Mekong River here. Most of the signs in this city aren't even in Chinese - they're written in a language that resembles Thai and Indochinese. You can't wait to get a guide and go into the Jungles... Hint


Question 7 of 25
7. To avoid having to take the awful sleeper-bus back to the capital of the province, you decide to take a short, half-hour flight from the tiny local airport. After a day of rest, your next destination is six hours northwest of the capital, and is truly one of the most beautiful places in all of China. You arrive at the "new city" that lies at the south end of the great lake. From there, a local bus will take you around the lake to the beautiful "old city", still surrounded by its ancient walls and gates. The marvellous view of the huge lake to your east is dwarfed by the sight of the great, snow-covered Cangshan mountains towering over the old city to the west. The valley runs to the north and south horizons and is dotted with villages and farms. There's something great to see in every direction your feet may fancy carrying you. Hint


Question 8 of 25
8. Another bus takes you two hours northwards to another city, packed with Chinese tourists to the maximum. The old quarter that lies at the heart of the city has been carefully preserved in its original style - stone-and-wood architecture, as well as narrow canals running through the quarter, criss-crossed by many stone and wooden bridges. A pagoda rests on top of a hill at the center, overlooking both old and new cities, and at night the quarter lights up in all colors of the rainbow as tourists go out to the myriad of restaurants and plazas. The Naxi people, the local minority, are one of the world's oldest existing matriarcial societies, and their dances in the main square are a sight to behold. Hint


Question 9 of 25
9. One day you set out for a trek outside the city, a world-famous trail that attracts many backpackers to the area. This trek runs out of a little town called Qiaotou, overlooks the first bend of the Yangtze river, and runs up over a beautiful gorge. The snow-covered mountains tower above you on both sides of the gorge, and the din of the Yangtze river below is always audible. This is one of the province's most powerful attractions, and is travelled by thousands of backpackers each year. Hint


Question 10 of 25
10. Your trip takes you further northwest, about four hours from your last destination, to a town close to the province of Tibet. The climate changes as the altitude increases, with snowy mountains and dark-green forests, but eventually you reach altitudes where vegetation cannot thrive. The town seems to be under lots of construction, and the main bus station sits on a street that looks like a chinese version of the wild west. The Chinese sometimes refer to this region as "Shangri-La". Hint


Question 11 of 25
11. Your trip changes direction now, as you take a sleeper-bus that heads back down from the mountains, past one of your last destinations, and then eastwards. The ride ends at a town that sits on the border between the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, and has the most major railway in the area (between the capitals of these two provinces) passing right through it. It is built on both sides of a long gorge, and there are many huge bridges criss-crossing the gorge to facilitate travel between the two sides of the city. Hint


Question 12 of 25
12. The train leaves north early in the morning, and arrives at your destination at night. This ancient capital of the west is one of the strangest cities in China in regards to weather, attitude, and even the landscape itself. This huge but surprisingly laid-back city lies at the center of a province that is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and this makes the weather behave differently from other parts of China. It is quite hot, even in early spring, but this doesn't stop the rain from drizzling down every night, even so far away from the ocean. The city's center is very modern, and new skyscrapers sprout up every few months here. There are several grand temple complexes scattered all around, even in the city center. If you like spicy food, you've certainly come to the right place! Hint


Question 13 of 25
13. There are many sights to see in this province, but one beats the others by all means. It is one of the five holy mountains in China, situated only two hours south of the Capital of the province. This mountain is 2 kilometers high, and is covered with a lush green forest, through which a climbing path will take you to the peak. The mountain is known for its wild monkey reserves, for the many monasteries on its slopes, and for the beautiful sunrise one can see from its peak in the morning, above the clouds. Hint


Question 14 of 25
14. After making many preparations and getting all the neccesary documents from the government, you take a flight to a province that was conquered by the Chinese in the mid 20th century. This land, sitting atop a vast plateau, is known to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and has some of the most important attractions in the central Asian region. It borders Nepal, Bhutan, and India. Hint


Question 15 of 25
15. The ride from the airport to the capital of the province takes around two hours, across the placid landscape. This capital only has around 100,000 people living in it, but is still both a religious center as well as a hub for all the province's population. At the center of the city stands a tall mound of rock, topped by a huge and magnificent palace/temple, to which many of the locals make annual pilgrimage. This palace is the most known symbol of the country, and even appears on the back of a 50-yuen bill. Hint


Question 16 of 25
16. You hire a jeep and a guide that will take you southwest from the capital towards the Himalayas. In particular, you are looking forward to seeing the mightiest mountain of them all - the Everest itself. The journey takes three days, but finally you reach the monastery at the foot of the mountain. Your guide tells you the local name of the mountain. What is it? Hint


Question 17 of 25
17. Returning to China proper, you make arrangements to travel eastwards for the first time. Your train will take another 16 hours to reach its destination, but first you must travel through China's largest and most populated city, sitting on the banks of the mighty Yangtze, at its western end. Hint


Question 18 of 25
18. You finally reach the capital of the next province. Further north than your last locale, it is still much warmer here as you are very close to the edge of a desert. The city's center has been revived, but is still surrounded by the massive stone walls that once served it when it was the capital of China. The ancient name of this city is Chang'An. What is its new name? Hint


Question 19 of 25
19. Not wasting any time with sightseeing in the city proper, you take the first bus you find to the village of Bingmayong, only an hour's ride away, where you intend to visit one of the greatest wonders of Chinese history. Hint


Question 20 of 25
20. Travelling eastwards again, you take your first seater-train, as this journey would only be six hours long. Luoyang, The town where you arrive, is quite unremarkable, but is near enough to one of the most tourist-attracting sites in China. The ancient martial arts school of Shaolin has existed for over a thousand years, and is the most famous Chinese kung-fu school in the world. How old are the main buildings of this temple? Hint


Question 21 of 25
21. After another night-train you finally reach the Chinese coast once again, this time at the eastern end of the country. This city is vast and in many ways very modern. It was once controlled mainly by Europeans, who built structures of their own style along the banks of the river. Today, the skyline is dominated by many tall skyscrapers of strange and wonderous designs - some of them are the tallest in the world. This city has always been the most "modern" of all cities in China-proper, and it will probably retain this title for many years to come. Hint


Question 22 of 25
22. Beijing. Capital of the Middle Kingdom. Putting yourself up at a nice place near the center, you waste no time heading for the very crux of the city, the famous Tien An Men square. Coming from the south side, what is the order of the monuments you will encounter? Hint


Question 23 of 25
23. There are many places to visit in Beijing, but no trip to China would be complete without a visit to the grandest monument of them all, the Great Wall of China. Up north of Beijing, the wall lies crumbled in some places, but excellently restored in others. Standing on the wall, you are looking out to the forests and valleys of one of the largest provinces of China. Which province would that be? Hint


Question 24 of 25
24. Eastwards from the capital, right on the coast of the ocean, lies a small town turned city which is the birthplace of the most successful of Chinese beers. This town was colonized by German immigrants for many years, and they were the ones who brought beer-making techniques to China and started the successful beer-making industry. What is the mandarin name of this beer, and the city, which serves as Beijing's main seaside port?

Answer: (one word, or two with a dash)
Question 25 of 25
25. The yuen is the currency of China, and is rapidly gaining strength in world markets. One yuen equalled roughly 1/8 of a US dollar in 2005. Each yuen is split into 10 jiao. But the jiao is then split into 10 smaller units of currency. What is the name of this smallest Chinese money?

Answer: (One Word)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Landing at one of the world's busiest airports, you take the 23-minute train to one of the world's tallest buildings. You better hope for good weather, because at most times of the year the ocean blows in a thick fog that lowers visibility. Funny, you didn't think so many people in China could speak English!

Answer: Hong Kong

Hong Kong was an English colony for ninety-nine years, and was given back to China only in 1997. No wonder they can all speak such great English! The view from the 55th floor of the FCI Tower on Hong Kong Island is amazing! That is, if the fog doesn't come so low that you can't see anything.
2. The two-hour KCR train will take you only a bit deeper into the country, but already there is much change in scenery. You pass through an industrial area and into one of the largest and richest cities in China. Many concrete bridges cover most of the main streets, giving an eerie feeling of urban claustrophobia, but you can take the metro just as easy to see YueXie park, Sun Yat-Sen's memorial hall, or the lovely ex-Portugese Shamian Island.

Answer: Guangzhou

Guangzhou is also called "Canton", the capital of Guangdong province. The city's a very dense metropolis, but beautiful sights, such as the Pearl River, are plentiful, if you just give it a chance. There are many foreigners living in Guangzhou, making a good deal of money by teaching English privately or at local schools.
3. A night train takes 14 hours to your next destination, taking a long detour up north, then back southwest. Finally it arrives in a large city, and you go on to take a two-hour minibus ride down south to your next destination, a little town that is a main attraction for both foreign and Chinese tourists. As the minibus makes its way through the fog, suddenly huge white cliffs begin to appear out of the mists, towering high above your head. How strange this must seem, especially because you're on a plain! The town lies at the conjunction of two rivers, and is surrounded by many villages and farms. Many Chinese consider this place as a "mythical land" whose beauty is revered in songs and stories.

Answer: Guilin and Yangshuo

While Guilin (the "large city" in the above description) is a bit more urban, Yangshuo, your destination, is a real vacation spot away from the din of city life. The landscape is amazing, and rock-climbers will find many challenges in these huge white cliffs that sprout out all over the countryside. Yangshuo is very tourist-oriented with guesthouses at every turn and shops that cater to both Chinese and foreign tourists.

A trip by bike through the countryside can be tough but will probably pay off the effort with amazing stories to tell.
4. You decide to take another three-hour bus ride north to see the Dragon's Backbone, one of the world's most ancient and elaborate array of agricultural terraces. The town at which you arrive is only an hour's ride from any of the myriad of tiny minority villages located in the area of the Dragon's Backbone.

Answer: Longsheng

The Dragon's Backbone terraces literally cover the entire mountainside, all the way down to the river winding in the gorge below. The locals use these ancient terraces to grow tea, cabbages, and of course rice. Water runs down a quaint-looking but highly effective bamboo pipeway system all through the terraces. You must always take a compass and map with you if you go out to see them - a fog may suddenly drop all around you and you might lose your way! There are many villages at both the top of the ridge and down by the river, populated by the colorful minorities of the region.
5. The train to your next destination is already crowded when you get on board, and you still have more than 20 hours to spend on it! As the train takes you to the southwest, the view slowly changes from mountains and forests to a more rolling-hill kind of landscape, covered by little trees and crisscrossed by many rivers and streams. The train runs through the capital of Guangxi province, and then shifts and goes west to another province, the southwesternmost of all Chinese provinces. The city you eventually reach, the capital of the southwest, is a vibrant, modern city, surprisingly clean, and named by many the "City of Eternal Spring". Which way has the train taken you?

Answer: Through Nanning to Kunming

The train ran through Nanning, the capital of Guangxi province. Later, during the night, it went through a long series of tunnels to enter Yunnan province. Kunming, capital of Yunnan, is a very clean city, and has a very open-air attitude to it. There are wide avenues, grand plazas, and the blue sky is reflected in the many mirrorlike skyscrapers of the downtown area.

There's a lovely bird market, a stone forest, and a huge lake just south of the city! The weather in Kunming tends to lean towards sunny, lightly-clouded days, and stays so for most parts of the year - as such, it is a true rarity in China.
6. With no train to take to your next destination, you board a 14-hour sleeper-bus that rides south along a heavily-winding road through the jungle. Eventually you reach this city, the capital of the autonomous Xishuangbanna prefecture, which sits close to the borders of Laos and Myanmar. A huge, recently constructed bridge spans the famous Mekong River here. Most of the signs in this city aren't even in Chinese - they're written in a language that resembles Thai and Indochinese. You can't wait to get a guide and go into the Jungles...

Answer: Jinghong

Jinghong used to be a resort-town for the workers of factories and companies sent on sponsored vacations, back when China was a lot more Socialist than it is today. Now, however, with the decline of domestic tourism to the area, the town has sunk into unemployement; the sight of men and women sitting on the street, playing cards for long hours of the day is hardly uncommon. Jinghong has many alleyways leading into its poorer neighbourhoods.

The weather is often sweltering hot. Foreign tourists seem to congregate around MeiMei's cafe at the town center, or go down to the Mekong bar to seek a guide that will take them into the jungle.
7. To avoid having to take the awful sleeper-bus back to the capital of the province, you decide to take a short, half-hour flight from the tiny local airport. After a day of rest, your next destination is six hours northwest of the capital, and is truly one of the most beautiful places in all of China. You arrive at the "new city" that lies at the south end of the great lake. From there, a local bus will take you around the lake to the beautiful "old city", still surrounded by its ancient walls and gates. The marvellous view of the huge lake to your east is dwarfed by the sight of the great, snow-covered Cangshan mountains towering over the old city to the west. The valley runs to the north and south horizons and is dotted with villages and farms. There's something great to see in every direction your feet may fancy carrying you.

Answer: Dali

Dali is one of the calmest places in China. The "new city", Xiaguan, offers anything you might need, but the "old city" is the real jewel. There's enough to do to fill a whole week! A walk through the city reveals ancient old-style architecture. The lake is a grand sight to behold, with fields and villages lining its western shores.

A cablecar or a hike through the woods will take you up the mountainside for a spectacular view of the valley, the city and the lake. If you're up for a horse-ride, you can visit an active kung-fu monastery not far north of the old city.
8. Another bus takes you two hours northwards to another city, packed with Chinese tourists to the maximum. The old quarter that lies at the heart of the city has been carefully preserved in its original style - stone-and-wood architecture, as well as narrow canals running through the quarter, criss-crossed by many stone and wooden bridges. A pagoda rests on top of a hill at the center, overlooking both old and new cities, and at night the quarter lights up in all colors of the rainbow as tourists go out to the myriad of restaurants and plazas. The Naxi people, the local minority, are one of the world's oldest existing matriarcial societies, and their dances in the main square are a sight to behold.

Answer: Lijiang

Lijiang is a real tourist-attraction, and Chinese tourists seem to favour it greatly, as they literally fill the streets of the old quarter during most hours of day and night. The Yulong snow mountain is always visible in the distance, and there are plenty of hills around you can climb for an even better view. You can also go to a world-famous Naxi music concert, or visit the masterfully-constructed Black Dragon pool at the north edge of the city.
9. One day you set out for a trek outside the city, a world-famous trail that attracts many backpackers to the area. This trek runs out of a little town called Qiaotou, overlooks the first bend of the Yangtze river, and runs up over a beautiful gorge. The snow-covered mountains tower above you on both sides of the gorge, and the din of the Yangtze river below is always audible. This is one of the province's most powerful attractions, and is travelled by thousands of backpackers each year.

Answer: The Tiger-Leap Gorge

The Tiger-Leap Gorge is often mistakenly called "Tiger-Leaping Gorge" due to a translation error that has become widely accepted. There are many places to sleep, up on the slopes, which serve great local food and for surprisingly cheap prices. The first trek ends at Tina's guesthouse back by the river at the bottom, but many choose to continue for a few days along the river to the stone village of Baoshan, an ancient, well-preserved village.
10. Your trip takes you further northwest, about four hours from your last destination, to a town close to the province of Tibet. The climate changes as the altitude increases, with snowy mountains and dark-green forests, but eventually you reach altitudes where vegetation cannot thrive. The town seems to be under lots of construction, and the main bus station sits on a street that looks like a chinese version of the wild west. The Chinese sometimes refer to this region as "Shangri-La".

Answer: Zhongdian

Zhongdian may look a bit rustic at first, but a walk through the downtown area reveals a vibrant, somewhat modern city. The weather, while cold, may provide some spectacular imagery, as clouds tend to form the strangest, most beautiful formations here.

The city has its own share of Tibetan temples and architecture, even though it resides inside China-proper. There are hot springs to visit, hills to climb for wonderful views, and a plethora of villages in easily accessible yet calm, "out-of-the-way" locations just nearby.
11. Your trip changes direction now, as you take a sleeper-bus that heads back down from the mountains, past one of your last destinations, and then eastwards. The ride ends at a town that sits on the border between the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, and has the most major railway in the area (between the capitals of these two provinces) passing right through it. It is built on both sides of a long gorge, and there are many huge bridges criss-crossing the gorge to facilitate travel between the two sides of the city.

Answer: Panzihua

Panzihua is a town undergoing very rapid development. Unlike most other Chinese residential areas, Panzihua isn't built on flat terrain, making it somewhat special in the region. Trains go through the city all day and night, moving passengers and cargo from Kunming in the south to Chengdu in the north.

The bridges described in the question are truly magnificent if you visit the city before sunrise, when the fog from the river below shrouds them, and as you ride through them they appear like monsters looming out of the darkness. In the southern part of the city, where the train station resides, residential neighbourhoods are actually interspersed with small bits of farmland.
12. The train leaves north early in the morning, and arrives at your destination at night. This ancient capital of the west is one of the strangest cities in China in regards to weather, attitude, and even the landscape itself. This huge but surprisingly laid-back city lies at the center of a province that is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and this makes the weather behave differently from other parts of China. It is quite hot, even in early spring, but this doesn't stop the rain from drizzling down every night, even so far away from the ocean. The city's center is very modern, and new skyscrapers sprout up every few months here. There are several grand temple complexes scattered all around, even in the city center. If you like spicy food, you've certainly come to the right place!

Answer: Chengdu

Oh ChengDu, such a relaxing place to be in after a long period of travelling. The city can be so pleasantly laid-back at times that it becomes hard to leave. The city's very modern and has anything you might need, all arrayed around the statue of Mao Ze-Dong that stands looking down the main avenue, with a McDonald's right across the street.

While it lacks a metro system, the city's traffic seems to flow excellently compared to its sprawling size, but it seems that on foot you can discover some amazing sights, among them the many parks and ancient temples that are still well-maintained. ChengDu is also the home of the Panda Breeding Research Base, a must-see for any traveller in China. (They're so cute!)
13. There are many sights to see in this province, but one beats the others by all means. It is one of the five holy mountains in China, situated only two hours south of the Capital of the province. This mountain is 2 kilometers high, and is covered with a lush green forest, through which a climbing path will take you to the peak. The mountain is known for its wild monkey reserves, for the many monasteries on its slopes, and for the beautiful sunrise one can see from its peak in the morning, above the clouds.

Answer: Emeishan

Mount Emei is truly one of the most spectacular places in China. It is literally teeming with life, mostly neon-colored insects and spiders, and of course the macaque monkeys. Travelling up the mountain alone may be dangerous - the monkeys have learned that humans usually have food, and may assail the unexpecting hiker and take what they want. Regardless, the view from the top is nothing short of amazing.
14. After making many preparations and getting all the neccesary documents from the government, you take a flight to a province that was conquered by the Chinese in the mid 20th century. This land, sitting atop a vast plateau, is known to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and has some of the most important attractions in the central Asian region. It borders Nepal, Bhutan, and India.

Answer: Tibet

Tibet has been under Chinese occupation for quite some time, and has only recently opened up for visitors. The Tibetans take every opportunity to make money off the tourists, but who can blame them when their living conditions are so poor up in the Tibetan plateau? Tibet has huge mirror-like lakes, vast flat valleys surrounded by snow-capped peaks, and of course the northern face of Mount Everest.

Despite the abundance of water, Tibet is largely arid due to the altitude, where plants find it extremely difficult to survive. One must acquire special documents to visit Tibet, and also additional papers authorizing travel inside the province, so a trip to Tibet is always an expensive one compared to other parts of China.
15. The ride from the airport to the capital of the province takes around two hours, across the placid landscape. This capital only has around 100,000 people living in it, but is still both a religious center as well as a hub for all the province's population. At the center of the city stands a tall mound of rock, topped by a huge and magnificent palace/temple, to which many of the locals make annual pilgrimage. This palace is the most known symbol of the country, and even appears on the back of a 50-yuen bill.

Answer: The Potala Palace in Lhasa

The Potala is a massive structure built in the square Tibetan fashion from earthen bricks and mud, but painted marvellously with shades of deep red and bright white, and of course decorated with gold. The palace is visible from any part of the city. Pilgrims are seen walking towards the palace at all times of day, throwing themselves prone on the ground in its direction.

Some pilgrims do nothing but this for their entire life, walking from their village to the Potala palace and back - and other Tibetans eagerly give them food or shelter on their journeys.
16. You hire a jeep and a guide that will take you southwest from the capital towards the Himalayas. In particular, you are looking forward to seeing the mightiest mountain of them all - the Everest itself. The journey takes three days, but finally you reach the monastery at the foot of the mountain. Your guide tells you the local name of the mountain. What is it?

Answer: Qomolangma

Mount Qomolangma stands 8,848 meters above sea level, and is the tallest mountain on the surface of the Earth. The Rongbuk monastery sits at around 5,000 meters, with a perfect view of the northern face of the mountain, which changes spectacular colors during sunrise and sunset. It is possible to either take a horse-cart or hike up the mountainside for about 2 hours to reach the Everest basecamp where hikers prepare to climb the mountain itself.

It is illegal to proceed beyond that point without the neccesary permits.

However it is possible to sleep at the basecamp in those square tibetan tents that tend to stay quite warm compared with the outside.
17. Returning to China proper, you make arrangements to travel eastwards for the first time. Your train will take another 16 hours to reach its destination, but first you must travel through China's largest and most populated city, sitting on the banks of the mighty Yangtze, at its western end.

Answer: Chongqing

If population growth isn't curbed considerably during the next decade, Chongqing may yet become the largest city on Earth. Most travellers shun Chongqing altogether, but some find the experience of wandering around such a densely-populated city to be unforgettable. Chongqing has grown so large, it has recently been separated from Sichuan province and given its own principality.
18. You finally reach the capital of the next province. Further north than your last locale, it is still much warmer here as you are very close to the edge of a desert. The city's center has been revived, but is still surrounded by the massive stone walls that once served it when it was the capital of China. The ancient name of this city is Chang'An. What is its new name?

Answer: Xi'An

The city has spread far beyond the walls, but they are still standing proudly around the inner city. The great Bell Tower in the city center dominates a large roundabout, and also a McDonald's right across the street. The city is bustling with western tourism, as it is so close to the tomb of Shihuang-Di and his terracotta army (see next question).
19. Not wasting any time with sightseeing in the city proper, you take the first bus you find to the village of Bingmayong, only an hour's ride away, where you intend to visit one of the greatest wonders of Chinese history.

Answer: The Terracotta Army and Tomb of Qin Shihuang

Qin Shihuang was China's first Emperor. He was obsessed with premonitions of his own death, and sought a potion that would grant him immortality. Unfortunately for him, the potions he experimented with eventually killed him, but not before he could complete the massive feat of constructing a grand tomb for himself.

He ordered a whole army of terracotta warriors to be sculpted and buried nearby for his protection in the afterlife. What remains of the grand army is displayed in a massive museum, and the burial mound of the emperor is just 20-minutes' walk from there.
20. Travelling eastwards again, you take your first seater-train, as this journey would only be six hours long. Luoyang, The town where you arrive, is quite unremarkable, but is near enough to one of the most tourist-attracting sites in China. The ancient martial arts school of Shaolin has existed for over a thousand years, and is the most famous Chinese kung-fu school in the world. How old are the main buildings of this temple?

Answer: Circa 1983

The Shaolin temple has been destroyed many times, whether by fire or due to conflict the temple's residents had with the emperors of old. It has been rebuilt each time, and its rebuilders have always attempted to construct it as close as they could to its old architectural design.

The Shaolin temple still has a kung-fu school, and also a kung-fu theatre where one may go to see an hour-long show of acrobatics - nothing too spectacular, unfortunately. There is also another temple right across the main yard filled with countless statues of the temple's elders of the past.
21. After another night-train you finally reach the Chinese coast once again, this time at the eastern end of the country. This city is vast and in many ways very modern. It was once controlled mainly by Europeans, who built structures of their own style along the banks of the river. Today, the skyline is dominated by many tall skyscrapers of strange and wonderous designs - some of them are the tallest in the world. This city has always been the most "modern" of all cities in China-proper, and it will probably retain this title for many years to come.

Answer: Shanghai

Shanghai is a nice place to get back in touch with western civilization for one who's been deep inland for so long. Efficient subways, massive malls, and of course a McDonald's at every turn.
The Bund, Shanghai's street on the western side of the river, is dominated by European architecture. The Eastern side, once dotted only with poor villages, is now a high-tech area with some of the tallest towers in the world. The Jinmao building is fifth-tallest in fact, and has an observation deck on the 88th floor.
Shanghai also has a vivid nightlife and many places to eat all kinds of chinese and western cuisine.
22. Beijing. Capital of the Middle Kingdom. Putting yourself up at a nice place near the center, you waste no time heading for the very crux of the city, the famous Tien An Men square. Coming from the south side, what is the order of the monuments you will encounter?

Answer: The maosoleum, the square, Tien An Men gate, forbidden city

Passing through Qien Men gate at the south end, the sight of the square is rather spectacular, even at night. There are many huge red flags waving, and the portrait of Mao Ze Dong hangs over Tien An Men gate at the far end (the northern end of the square), beyond which lies the forbidden city. On your right as you walk through the square you can see a large electronic board counting back the years, months, days, minutes and seconds to the opening of the 2008 Olympics, which will start on 8/8/08 at 8 PM! Eight is considered to be a very lucky number. Trust the Chinese to be accurate about that!
23. There are many places to visit in Beijing, but no trip to China would be complete without a visit to the grandest monument of them all, the Great Wall of China. Up north of Beijing, the wall lies crumbled in some places, but excellently restored in others. Standing on the wall, you are looking out to the forests and valleys of one of the largest provinces of China. Which province would that be?

Answer: Inner Mongolia

If you want to escape the crowds, a good choice would be to visit the wall at a place called Jinshanling and Simatai, a four-hour trek along the wall that includes both a refurbished, standing section of the wall as well as a time-worn, untouched section.

The trek ends at a dam crossing a large river. Better pack some refreshments - prices for food and water from peddlers along the wall can be sky-high.
24. Eastwards from the capital, right on the coast of the ocean, lies a small town turned city which is the birthplace of the most successful of Chinese beers. This town was colonized by German immigrants for many years, and they were the ones who brought beer-making techniques to China and started the successful beer-making industry. What is the mandarin name of this beer, and the city, which serves as Beijing's main seaside port?

Answer: qingdao

In China, Qingdao beer, also known in the west as Tsing-Tao, comes in 2/3 liter bottles, which isn't all that difficult to guzzle down as this beer is relatively light in alcohol contents. It is quite a common sight, in the later hours of the night, to see groups of foreign travellers sitting around a table upon which stands a big old bunch of empty Qingdao bottles.

In Beijing they can be as cheap as half a yuen! Although most regions in China have their own successful local beer brands, Qingdao is sold practically anywhere in the country, from Shanghai in the east, to Tibet in the west. Bottoms up!
25. The yuen is the currency of China, and is rapidly gaining strength in world markets. One yuen equalled roughly 1/8 of a US dollar in 2005. Each yuen is split into 10 jiao. But the jiao is then split into 10 smaller units of currency. What is the name of this smallest Chinese money?

Answer: fen

Most Chinese money is printed out as notes rather than minted as coins. Although there exists a 1-yuen coin, it is largely unaccepted in the rural areas (as of 2005). The jiao also has both note and coin representation. However, the fen, the smallest currency, which is worth about 1/8 of an American cent, is being phased out due to its insignificant value in China's growing economy. A few banks, the most major ones, still distribute fen as either a very light coin, or as a tiny orange bill which strangely resembles "Monopoly" money.

If you would like to see pictures of the places and monuments described in this quiz, please have a look at the following link:
http://www.myonlineimages.com/public.aspx?MemberID=11403

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Source: Author headrock

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