CHINA
China, officially the People’s Republic of China. It emerged as one of the Earth’s first civilizations in the fertile yellow river basin in the northern China plain. The political system in China was for thousands of years based on race marshals or dynasties, the first of which was the semi-legendary Xia dynasty. Since the early dynasties, China has expanded, divided, and reunited many times over. In 1912, the Republic of China overthrew the last dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and assumed the administration of China. With a population of approximately 1.4 billion, it is the world’s most populous country, with 9.6 million km², the 3rd largest country in terms of land area. 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 directly administered cities, and Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions are sovereign and claim sovereignty over Taiwan.
PLACES TO VISIT IN CHINA
Great Wall of China: The Great Wall of China, which is thought to have been built to be protected from Mongolian and Turkish attacks, has the distinction of being the longest defense line of the world. The length of the building, which was started in 221 BC and completed in the 17th century AD, is 8850 km. Although the building is seen as the symbol of China, there are collapses and destruction at many points. Today, only the last parts of the Great Wall from the Ming dynasty can be visited.
Forbidden City: You may have thought that we were talking about a particular region when we said the forbidden city. In fact, this structure is one of the oldest and safest palaces in China with its 600-year history. The Forbidden City Palace, which was started to be built in 1406, has been serving as a museum since 1925.
Summer Palace: It was ruled by many different dynasties throughout its history. Named as a summer palace because it was used as a summer residence by the dynasties that ruled the city, the structure was built on an area of 290 hectares against the wonderful view of Kunming Lake. Looking from the windows of the palace, you have the chance to see the green mountain view on one side and the deep blue lake view on the other.
Earthen Soldiers: The Earthen Soldiers, also known as the Errakota Army, consist of 8 thousand soldiers standing ready for war miles under the ground. While it was thought that each of these 8 thousand people was the same in the first period of its discovery, when examined with today’s technology, it was understood that each of them was a sculpture belonging to a different person.
Potala Palace: It was built in the 7th century by Songsten Gampo. The palace, which has been greatly expanded with many additions since the first day it was built, has 13 floors and 400 windows. Another factor that will draw your attention while visiting the palace is that some parts of the palace are white and some parts are tile. This color separation has another purpose other than visuality.
Temple of Heaven: The Temple of Heaven in Beijing was built as a place of worship where emperors talked to the god and offered sacrifices to him. The circular structure was built entirely of wood and no nails were used in its construction. As soon as you enter the temple, you step into a colorful world.
West Lake: It is located in the West Lake Hanghozu City, which was included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2011. The lake, which contains many temples, gardens and artificial islands, has inspired Chinese poets and painters with its magnificent scenery over the years. You should definitely visit the lake, which we recommend to see its impressive view at sunset.
Pearl Tower: The Pearl of the East Tower, located in Shanghai, has been accepted as the tallest building in Asia. It takes about 1 minute to reach the highest point of the tower, which has a height of 468 meters, even with the elevator. When you climb to the top of the tower, there is a restaurant where you can dine against the magnificent Shanghai view.
Stone Forest: Stone Forest in China was formed as a result of 270 million karst formations. The forest, which has been eroded over time by the influence of water and wind, and has labyrinth-like cavities, is one of the most popular places to visit in Yunnan Province today. When you visit the city, we recommend you to visit this forest, which consists of stones instead of trees.
LOCAL FOOD IN CHINA
- Chinese Ravioli
- Rice Cake
- Ginseng’s root
- Xiajiao
- Shou Zhuafan
- Chongqing Huoguo
- Beijing Kaoya
- Ganchaoniuhe
- Chunbing
- Mapo Doufu
- Nangbaoro
FESTIVALS AND FEASTS IN CHINA
Chinese Traditional New Year’s Eve Feast: The Chinese New Year, a 4000-year-old tradition, is celebrated according to the lunar calendar. According to the belief, the order of the years was determined according to the order in which the 12 animals competing to give their names to the years accepted the invitation of the Jade Emperor, who is accepted as the first god in Chinese culture. Celebrating the Year of the Dog in 2018, the Chinese celebrate the Year of the Pig in February 2019. The pig is the last animal to respond to Jade Emperor’s invitation as it fell asleep.
Language Feast: It is a Chinese festival celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It usually falls on the last day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, in February or early March according to the Gregorian calendar. During the Lantern Festival, children carry paper lanterns at night and try to solve the riddles on the lanterns.
Blue Dragon Festival: The blue dragon festival is held on the 2nd of February. During the celebrations, Chinese families offer each other pancakes and noodles.
Duanwu Feast: Considered one of the three major festivals in China, Duanwu is celebrated on the 5th of the 5th month of the Chinese calendar.
