Life now
- About 35 million Chinese live in caves, called ‘yaodong’: cave dwelling. It is a Chinese architectural style dating back to the stone age. Chinese in many areas appreciate underground and cave dwellings since they are cheaper to build, easier to warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. Especially in Shaanxi Province, cave dwellings are common.
- There exists a so-called ‘the Elderly Rights Law’. If you have parents that are over 60 years old, it’s illegal to not visit them regularly. This is definitely one of the most interesting China facts, since, in many other countries, the elders are being forgotten or put into rest-homes.
- In 2007, a Chinese couple seeking a distinctive name for their child settled on the e-mail ‘at’ symbol (@). A government official cited it as an example of citizens bringing bizarre names into the Chinese language. More than 4,000 Chinese children are named Aoyun, meaning “Olympic Games”.
- Rather than enjoying some time at bars and pubs, going to a karaoke place is one of the most popular ways to spend social time amongst the Chinese. There are karaoke houses, or more commonly known as ‘KTVs’ in many of the big cities in China. In case you have the chance to go there you will get an insulated room that has distorting speakers, microphones, a television, a large central table and couches lining the walls. For sure, you are expected to sing. While you’re entertaining the mass others can have a buffet dinner – all included in the entry price.
- Since its launch in 2011, WeChat has become the all-in-one tool for modern China. Before you step foot across China’s border make sure to download this app as it is the favored tool of communication for its 980 million active users in China. You can pay your utilities, order food to be delivered, online shop, and call yourself a taxi within the app. You can also search for flats, transfer money to other bank accounts, and find other people who use WeChat using the ‘shake’ feature.
- Payment and information come in a nice, neat little package in China — QR codes. While in the West, these never quite caught on, QR codes are a way of life here, from getting another person’s contact information and following a publication you like, to ordering food or paying bills. If you are walking down the street and see a wrinkled old man serving some local Chinese snacks, you can be sure that you will also see a QR code somewhere to scan and pay for his wares over the phone!
- China’s metro system is impressive, to say the least, now boasting 8 of the world’s 15 longest subway systems, half of the world’s 10 busiest subways, and subways in a total of 43 cities. Both the Beijing and Shanghai subways have a staggering daily ridership of more than 10 million.
- Shanghai now has the longest metro system in the world, with 450 km of track, overtaking the London Underground’s 408km. It took London 140 years to reach this length, Shanghai did it in 20 years. Due to overcrowding on Shanghai Metro Line 8, staff have been employed to push extra people into carriages at peak times.
- A number of oddly dressed people have been spotted by Chinese netizens on the Shanghai Metro. In recent years ‘Leopard Print Man,’ a robot, Superman, and an Egyptian mummy have all been spotted riding the subway.
- Shanghai is the home of the world’s first commercial magnetic levitation train, known as the Maglev. Opened in early 2002 and built by German engineers at a cost of US$1.2 billion, it reaches speeds of 430 km/h and covers the 19 miles distance between Pudong International Airport to the 88-story Jin Mao Tower in downtown Shanghai in less than eight minutes.
- Further developments have led to a new Maglev model capable of hitting speeds of 600 kilometers per hour. The sleek-looking train is scheduled to go into commercial production in 2021. It is believed the new Maglev will completely transform China’s travel landscape, filling the gap between high-speed rail and air transportation. Take Beijing to Shanghai as an example — counting preparation time for the journey, it takes about 4.5 hours by plane, about 5.5 hours by high-speed rail, and would only take about 3.5 hours with the new high-speed Maglev.
