Kids from China

• Continent: East Asia
• Climate: Varies dramatically, from cold and dry in the north to steamy in the south
School:
• Most schools in China run from about 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., including a two-hour break for lunch. Uniforms are typically required.
• Besides subjects such as language and math, schools teach moral education-values and attitudes that are believed to be important for all citizens.
Play:
• Tiaoqi (Chinese checkers) and Xiangqi (Chinese chess) are favorite board games.
• Soccer and basketball are popular, as is ping-pong, which requires little playing space in this crowded nation.
Family:
• About half of city children in China—closer to three-quarters in Beijing, the capital—live mainly with their grandparents while their parents work.
• Since 1979, China has had a “one-child policy.” Most families are allowed to have only one child, or risk paying steep fines to the government.
Signature foods:
• Congee, a soupy rice porridge that may be eaten at any time of day; it often includes fish, yams or beans
• Jiaozi, dumplings filled with meat, fish or vegetables; they may be steamed boiled or fried
Interesting animals:
• The baiji, a freshwater dolphin about 8 feet long, including its narrow, pencil-like beak
• The white-lipped deer, a 500-pound animal with large hooves that help it navigate its mountain habitat
• Unique holiday: National Day celebrates the 1949 founding of the People's Republic of China with ceremonial flag-raisings, streets decked with paper flowers and colored lights and lavish displays of fireworks. The weeklong holiday begins October 1.
• Did you know? China has the largest population of any nation, with about 1.3 billion people. One in five people in the world is Chinese!

For more information, go to the Fact Monster page about China.