Everyone knows that China is the world’s global manufacturing house, but it also is a country rich with culture, tradition, and a long history of invention.

Here are 13 fascinating details about China you may not have known.

  1. Fortune cookies are not a Chinese tradition. They were invented and made in San Francisco by a worker in the Key Heong Noodle Factory.
  2. Ancient Chinese Emperors kept pandas with the belief they would ward off evil spirits and natural disasters. They were also used as a symbol of strength and bravery.
  3. In China, it was customary for people both men and women, to grow the fingernails of their pinky fingers extremely long. This displayed high societal ranking. They would usually wear decorative gold and silver nail guards to protect their nails.
  4. The number one hobby in China is stamp collecting.
  5. Enjoy dessert? China invented ice cream, and Marco Polo is said to have brought back the recipe for both noodles and the dessert back to Europe on one of his return trips.
  6. You can find the world’s largest dam along the Yangtze River. It’s known as the “Three Gorges Dam” and it is an impressive piece of architecture. The hydroelectric dam provides massive amounts of power for China.
  7. The Chinese have one of the longest holidays on the planet. The Chinese New Year holiday, or Chinese Lunar New Year as they call it, is the most important holiday to the Chinese and is celebrated from late January through mid-February. It is traditionally believed that every person turns a year older on the New Year, and so it is everyone’s birthday.
  8. China is thought of by many historians to be the world’s oldest continuous civilization, and it also has the world’s longest used written language.
  9. Toilet paper was invented in China in the late 1300’s, and it was only for the emperor’s use. Talk about royal treatment!
  10. Kites were invented in China. In battle, they were used to frighten enemies, and it was considered awful luck to let one go. They were also used to predict the success of sea voyages, according to Marco Polo.
  11. In the Tang Dynasty, educated people were expected to greet and say goodbye to each other in poetic verse.
  12. The Chinese use the color white instead of black for funerals and mourning.
  13. Silk was a closely guarded secret in China. The Romans called China “Serica” (The land of silk). The Chinese had a monopoly on silk, and executed anyone that tried to take silkworm eggs or cocoons out of there.

Check out our other blog posts to learn more about China and their practices, as well as keeping up to date on manufacturing.