8 features of China that you should know about before traveling

China is a mysterious country that continues to attract tourists from all over the world. Throughout the history of China’s existence, which dates back more than 5,000 years, one of the richest and most mysterious cultures on our planet has been formed here. China is famous all over the world for its magnificent monuments, ancient traditions and features, works of culture and art, which to this day remain one of the largest evidences of the manifestation of the imagination of mankind.

China is the land where some of the most significant events in the history of mankind took place. In these lands, the great philosophers Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Chuang Zhou expounded their teachings on life and the laws of the universe, forming not only Chinese society but also the society of the entire South Asian region. Many traditional trips to China are connected with these places and with the most famous sights of China in the world. For example, the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army, and the Forbidden City are always popular among tourists. There is also always the opportunity to see giant pandas in the Chengdu Nature Reserve, go on a cruise along the great Yangtze River, or relax among the karst landscapes of the Guilin region.

China’s Incredible Culture

China is a huge country with its thousand-year history, features, culture, and philosophy incomprehensible to a European person. Despite the rapid globalization, the Celestial Empire remains the most mysterious country in the world, having its own peculiarities, traditions, and rules of behavior in each country.

China is full of interesting features that shock foreigners. For example, the PRC is one of the largest countries in the world, but throughout its territory, according to the law, there is a single standard time – Beijing. Therefore, in the west of the country, sunsets are 4-5 hours late and the sunsets around midnight. But this is not the most amazing thing that is happening in this country. To help you prepare in advance for your trip to this unique country, we have prepared for you a list of 8 features of China that you should know about before your trip.

1. Every city park has a sports ground with free exercise equipment

According to foreigners, at 4-5 in the morning the streets are already full of people: someone is doing gymnastics, someone is running, jumping, playing football. But most of the people are at the sites where there are simulators for a variety of muscle groups. So if you like an active lifestyle, now you know exactly where you need to go.

2. Features of China: European appearance delights locals

In small cities, the Chinese are very surprised and happy with the appearance of foreigners, not hiding their emotions. Often the Chinese look at European people as if they are aliens. Don’t be surprised also that some will even ask you to take a picture with them. Humble yourself and smile more: such people are kindly curious.

3. Special booths for husbands are installed in shopping centers of large cities

In all countries, there is the same problem — husbands do not know what to do while their wives are shopping. China has found a solution to this problem. In shopping malls, the Chinese install special booths for husbands. Inside the booth, there is a comfortable armchair, a monitor, and a gaming keyboard with a joystick, as well as hundreds of 8-bit games. While the wife is shopping, the husband can take food, drinks and relax in a pleasant atmosphere. Also in Shanghai, you can find similar booths, only for two, and instead of games, there is karaoke.

4. Features of China: The Chinese have a real cult of street food

People eat on the street, in transport, on the move, while standing in line for other food. But they like not just to eat, but to eat delicious and varied, so the range of street dishes is really amazing. So, if you are suddenly hungry, you can find anything right on the street – from sushi to dumplings, from a scorpion kebab to a “classic set” of meat + rice + vegetables.

5. The Chinese combine the incongruous in food

There are many local cuisines in Chine with a certain set of products, with the peculiarities and specifics of cooking certain dishes. However, they all have an important common principle – a combination of incongruous, so surprising to many Americans and Europeans. So get ready to see food with the most incredible flavors that only a brave man would dare to try. There are both quite harmless and unusual combinations of flavors, such as green tea-flavored beer or blueberry pizza.

6. The most popular drink in the country is not tea, but hot water

Drinking warm water is a Chinese tradition that goes back to the distant past. There are several theories of its origin: supposedly, hot water helps to get rid of various diseases, preserves the balance of yin and yang energy. There is also a more likely version: in a country with a terrible ecology, people simply cannot afford to drink water directly from the tap without boiling it. Therefore, that is the usual thing that the waiters first bring you a glass of hot water instead of the menu in the cafe.

7. Features of China: China’s air pollution is a myth

Probably, everyone has heard about air pollution in China. We hasten to assure you that almost everywhere Chinese have already solved this problem: they have reduced harmful emissions and carefully have limited the number of personal transport. For this reason, smog in China is now rare and mostly only in the north and in winter (because the Chinese heat coal). If you worry about air quality, you can monitor it in the Air Visual application.

8. Lack of familiar social networks

The Internet in China is a test. Firstly, the internet connection speed is very slow. Secondly, Google services are unavailable in most of China, including Gmail, Maps, Photos, Drive, Play, etc.; YouTube is blocked accordingly. Facebook Instagram and Twitter are also banned. There is no access to Dropbox and Flickr. You can’t go to many Western news resources, such as Reuters, Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg. You can partially solve the problem by using VPN services.