It is basic knowledge that China has been the most populous country in the world for centuries. But China has much more when it comes to being at the top of the world in many categories. In this article, we present record-breaking, fun facts about China. You will not only expand your knowledge of China and its position in the world but also can use the facts to impress others.
Fun facts about China: the longest bridge in the world connects Hong Kong and Macau
The longest bridge in the world connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau. The bridge connecting the ends of the Pearl River Delta is 55 km long. The undersea tunnel extends for several kilometers. The object was opened after nine years of construction work in October 2018. The completion of the project took two years longer than it was expected.
The HZM bridge (Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau) makes it easier for millions of people from the region to move around. It has immensely reduced travel time between Zhuhai and Hong Kong from four hours to only 30 minutes. The bridge was designed to last 120 years and cost RMB 127 billion. According to calculations, 400 thousand tons of steel that were used would be enough to build 60 Eiffel Towers.
The Grand Canal in China is the longest artificial canal
The Grand Canal extending from Hangzhou to Beijing is the world’s longest artificial transport canal. The first works on the canal began in the 5th century BC. Its total length is about 1,800 km, and it is 350 m at its widest point. In the 13th century, it was already 2 km long, connecting five rivers: the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the Hai River, the Huai River, and the Qiantang River. The Grand Canal was recognized and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.
The fastest trains are in China
Many people may be convinced there are no faster trains than the Japanese Shinkansen. Indeed they are fast, but not faster than the Shanghai Transrapid Magnetic Line (Maglev). Its trains, operating without wheels, can speed up to 501 km per hour, while in regular operation – up to 431 km per hour. Also, it accelerates up to 350 km per hour in two minutes.
The trains run from Longyang Road to Shanghai Pudong Airport, reaching the airport in about 7-8 minutes. There are more than 570 seats available on the train for passengers.
Fun facts about China: expressways in China are the longest in the world
There is over 142 km of expressways available in China, which places China first in the world. The total length of roads is approximately 4.8 million km. Hong Kong has one of the best land roads in terms of quality. In 2018, RMB 997 billion was invested in expressways, 7.7% more than in 2017. According to the collected data, the average annual daily traffic on the national highway is over 26 thousand vehicles.
The busiest port is in China
More than half of the ports listed in the top ten busiest ports in the world are in China. The busiest container port is the Port of Shanghai, which has been in operation for almost 200 years. The port faces the East China Sea to the east and Hangzhou Bay to the south. In 2018, the port handled over 42 million TEUs, surpassing the Port of Singapore by about 5.5 million TEUs. To improve efficiency, the Shanghai Port invested in the automated Yangshan terminal.
Fun facts about China: Chinese army is the largest in the world
In 2020, China had the largest active-duty military force in the world (Chinese People’s Liberation Army), with about 2.18 million active military personnel. However, China spends less on the army than the United States, the third-largest military army in the world. In terms of strength, China ranks third in the world, behind the United States and Russia.
The largest airport terminal in the world is in China
In September 2019, the world’s largest airport was opened. Beijing Daxing Airport is located on the southern border of Beijing. It is meant to relieve traffic from another international airport, the Beijing Capital International Airport, located northeast of the city.
The terminal area is about 700,000 square meters, which, according to estimates, will allow handling over a hundred million passengers a year. The cost of building Zaha Hadid’s project’s Phoenix-shaped (or starfish) airport was about USD 63 billion.
The Forbidden City is the biggest palace complex in the world
Speaking of Beijing, we cannot not mention one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world – the Forbidden City. It is symmetrically located on the north-south axis. On almost 730 square meters are about 800 palaces and numerous pavilions.
The complex was built for a Ming emperor at the beginning of the 15th century. It was in possession of the imperial family until the end of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). Because of its significance, the Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO as one of the first objects of China.
Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers
While Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is the tallest skyscraper in the world, Hong Kong has twice as many skyscrapers as Dubai. Most of the 303 skyscrapers are residential buildings. The highest is the International Commerce Center, which is 484 meters high and has 118 stories. It makes the Commercial Centre the 8th tallest building in the world. Hong Kong is a major business and financial center, as well as the most expensive city in terms of rental prices.
Fun facts about China: the longest wall is in China
Finally, we present one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The Great Wall of China was listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1987. The wall was intended to defend Chinese states and empires from the attacks of various nomadic tribes. Its construction began in the 7th century BC, while the most famous part of the Great Wall was added during the Ming dynasty (14th-17th centuries).
China’s Great Wall measures over 20,000 km. It equals half the length of the equator of the globe. The longest section extends to almost 3,500 km, connecting the Gulf of Bohai and the Yangguan Pass near the city of Dunhuang.
The above list shows the power of China. The country is also the largest exporter in the world. On our site, you can find articles on the import of various goods from China.