Globolization makes today's world more open than ever. Yet, to the Western hemisphere, China remains an enigma. Sure, we all know that China is the world's most populus country.  We know the Great Wall, Tibet, the Cultural Revolution, of course Chinese food. But what else? Out of curiousy, I recently asked a 5 year old girl if she wanted to go to China and why. The answer was unexpectedly interesting - the little girl certainly wanted to go to China because that is where everything is made! Possibly, the secret to the Chinese enigma is the enormity of historical, cultural, and economic information. It is complex, fascinating, and constantly changing. One of the stereotypes about China is that all people living there are Buddhist and they all belong to the same ethnic group. To some extend this is true. Han Chinese (from the Han dynasty) make up approximately 92% of the total population. The main language spoken is the Mandarin dialect of Chinese, but there are also more than 150 languages and dialects spoken throughout the country. The religions range from traditional beliefs, to Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Daoism, and Confucianism. The 8% of minorities might seem small until you realize that it is part of the 1.2 billion population. Its geographical position brings many benefits to China. Since ancient times, it has served as a major route connecting the West and East. Continue on China here... |
