Number 10. Put up buildings quickly. Construction projects in China have not only significantly increased in recent years, the structures are often put up in record time. In 2015, a 57-story skyscraper was completed in only 19 days.

Number 9. Make copies. The Chinese manufacture a great number of knock-offs, making cheaper versions of highly desirable items such as electronic devices and designer handbags. Some are easier to spot than others, like the iPhone dupe emblazoned with a pear instead of an apple.

Number 8. Tea. In addition to producing a lot of it, China has fostered a culture around the beverage that is as serious and detailed as that of wine. Though Americans are growing fonder of the drink, conversations about where the leaves were grown and what sort of pot it was brewed in are rare.

Number 7. Growing its middle class. The number of those who can count themselves among the financially comfortable group continues to plummet in the United States, but the opposite is true in China. The Asian nation now has the largest middle class population in the world.

Number 6. Sequencing DNA. China has greeted advances in the field with open arms, becoming the fastest growing locale for genetic sequencing in the world. The country has also been instrumental in driving down the price of the process.

Number 5. High-speed rail. With roughly 7,000 miles of track as of 2013, China is able to offer fast train travel to hundreds of millions of its people. Though the US has been talking about building a system somewhere, the number of actual high-speed rail projects that have come to fruition remains 0.

Number 4. Gun Control. While in the US, we are bombarded with regular reports of gun related shootings and deaths, such crimes are rare in China as residents can’t own  firearms except under limited usage including military, police, sports, and hunting.

Number 3. Martial arts. In China, the myriad means of combat that fall under the umbrella mark the meeting of art, history, and sport. The US has increasingly adopted the physical practices, but has yet to establish as significant a culture around the activities. To be fair, China has been at it for roughly 4,000 years.

Number 2. Producing goods. Be it American cars or imitation Christmas trees, if you own one there is a very good chance at least part of it was made in China. The nation is also the world’s top producer of air conditioners, cell phones, and shoes.

Number 1. Exports. The Asian nation was crowned the export king of the world in 2009, and has been holding strong since. Among its best customers is the United States, which, in 2014 alone, imported roughly $435 billion worth of China’s stuff. What do you think China does best?

China facts. Can you fill in the gaps with the words given in the table.

1. In China, every year is represented by one of 12 …… .

2. Developed about 5,000 years ago, the earliest …… were used for cooking, not eating.

3. Hong Kong has more …… than any other city in the world.

4. Chinese white…… , which live off southern China, are often pink.

5. More people speak …… , a Chinese Dialect, as their first language than any other language in the world.

6. China’s giant …… are good swimmers.

7. Many Chinese emperors considered themselves to be descendants of …… .

8. Half of all …… on earth live in China.

9. Chinese brides often wear …… , a colour considered to be lucky.

10. The word …… may come from a Chinese word for pickled-fish sauce.

Key

1. animals

2. chopsticks

3. skyscrapers

4. dolphins

5. Mandarin

6. pandas

7. dragons

8. pigs

9. red

10. ketchup

The start of the lunar year has begun, and millions of people across the world will be gathering with family to get out the firecrackers and celebrate the Chinese New Year.

This January denotes the beginning of the Year of the Rooster, defined by the Chinese zodiac cycle.

The day is traditionally marked with the giving of gifts and celebrations with family, as well as looking to what the sign of the Rooster will mean for the year ahead.

Here’s everything you need to know about  the Chinese New Year.

When is the Chinese New Year and why does the date change every year?

The Year of the Rooster begins on January 28, 2017.

Celebrations begin on January 27, New Year’s Eve, and typically last around two weeks, making this the longest holiday in the Chinese calendar.

This year the festivities are set to end on February 2.

The Chinese New Year takes place on a different date every year, because it is based on the lunar calendar.

In this calendar a month is two days shorter than in the solar calendar so to make up for it an extra month is added every few years.

The lunar calendar means the celebration always falls on a different date – unlike the January 1 New Year we are used to, based on the Gregorian calendar.

But the Chinese New Year always falls between the end of January and mid-February.

Each year is denoted by a different symbol from the Chinese 12-year animal zodiac, with this year being matched to the tenth sign. Last year was the Year of the Goat.

What animal represents this year?

The Chinese calendar attaches different animals from the zodiac to each lunar year in a cycle of 12 years.

This year is the Year of the Rooster.

But for people born in a rooster year – 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005 – it is set to be an unlucky time because tradition denotes that the year of your birth makes for an unlucky 12 months.

Roosters are the tenth sign in the zodiac and are seen as confident, honest and hardworking. They also enjoy being around people but can be seen as attention seekers.

How is the Chinese New Year celebrated?

The Chinese New Year is celebrated with the ringing of bells, the lighting of firecrackers and watching traditional lion dances.

In China New Year’s Eve is seen as an important date, with families gathering together for a reunion dinner. Firecrackers are then let off to signal the end of last year and the beginning of next.

On New Year’s Day, families gather, clean their houses and sweep away bad fortune.

Red envelopes stuffed with “lucky money” are given to children, along with written wishes for their kids to grow up healthy.

However, the Chinese New Year has also been touched by the digital age, with red envelope apps – where people can exchange cyber money – being launched.

People also decorate their houses with red paper cut-outs, banners and special New Year paintings during the festive period. This year is also likely to see Rooster themed decorations.

source: Mirror

Chinese New Year Facts

The 15-day festival, which starts on January 31 this year, starts with the first new moon of each calendar year and ends on the full moon. According to Chinese astrology, it will be the Year of the Horse: this animal brings surprises in adventure and romance, and people born during this year are believed to be good communicators, kind, talkative, independent, and impatient.

Food is a big part of Chinese New Year celebrations, and many meals are eaten with family and friends. Some traditional dishes for the holidays are the New Year cake made from rice, steamed rice pudding, long noodles(for longevity), raw fish (for success), and dumplings.

Homes are cleaned top to bottom before the beginning of the new year, and all cleaning equipment is put away before New Year’s Eve because good fortune may be swept away if cleaning is done on New Year’s Day.

Before New Year’s Day, homes are decorated with trays of oranges and tangerines, a candy tray with eight kinds of dried sweet fruits, and live plants and vases of fresh flowers. Wishes for the new year are written on red paper. Red is a key colour for New Year’s celebrations, as it symbolizes a bright and happy future. People wear red clothing during the festivities. Children, unmarried friends, and close relatives are given little red envelopes with money inside for good luck.

Legend holds that the Chinese New Year began with a battle against a mythical beast called the Nian, who would come on the first day of the new year to eat children, livestock, and crops. In order to protect themselves from the Nian, villagers put food in front of their doors so that the creature would eat that and leave everything else alone. It was believed that the Nian was afraid of the colour red and firecrackers, so people would hang red lanterns outside and set off firecrackers.

The Lantern Festival on the 15th night is an ancient festival, going back for more than two thousand years. As part of the festivities, children take part in a nighttime parade, carrying lanterns with wishes drawn and written on them. The beautiful flying lanterns of the festival carry people’s dreams to heaven.

according to – szerint
talkative – bőbeszédű
independent – önálló
impatient – türelmetlen
longevity – hosszú élet
raw – nyers
dumpling – gombóc
equipment – felszerelés
to sweep away – kiseperni, elseperni
wish – kívánság
unmarried – nőtlen, hajadon
battle – csata
beast – szörny
livestock – háziállatok
crops – termés
in order to – abból a célból, hogy
so that – azért, hogy
to leave something/someone alone – békén hagyni
firecracker – petárda
lantern – lampion, lámpás
ancient – ősi
nighttime parade – éjszakai felvonulás
heaven – mennyország

True or false?

1. Firecrackers and red lanterns bring good luck.

2. People born in the Year of the Horse have great communication skills but can be impatient.

3. The Chinese celebrate the beginning of the new year for a whole month.

4. Fish is a main ingredient in many new year dishes.

5. Children carry lanterns at the nighttime parade on the last day of the festival.

answers: 1-F 2-T 3-F 4-F 5-T

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-GB
X-NONE
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}