Map of China
Landforms in China
There are four major landforms in China: mountains, deserts, grasslands, and rivers.
Mountains
The Himalayas are the world’s highest mountains. The Himalayas cover most of western China. They used to protect the Chinese people from foreign invasion. Mount Everest is part of the Himalayas. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth. Its peak is 8.848 meters above sea level. There are 10 of the world's highest peaks in the Himalayas. Many people live in the mountainous regions of China, but it can be very hard to travel between the small towns there.
Mountains
The Himalayas are the world’s highest mountains. The Himalayas cover most of western China. They used to protect the Chinese people from foreign invasion. Mount Everest is part of the Himalayas. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth. Its peak is 8.848 meters above sea level. There are 10 of the world's highest peaks in the Himalayas. Many people live in the mountainous regions of China, but it can be very hard to travel between the small towns there.
Deserts
The Gobi Desert lies in the northern and middle regions of China. The Gobi is Asia's largest desert. It stretches nearly 1,600 km east and west and nearly 8,050 km north and south across large parts of Mongolia and China. In total, it covers 805,000 square km.
Less than 20 cm of rain fall in the entire desert every year. The Gobi is very dry, but it is also very cold. It is nearly 915 m above sea level, and so its temperatures are very low at times. It can be quite hot or quite cold, often in the same day. Winter days can be filled with snowstorms and icy sandstorms. Average low temperatures are -40 degrees Celcius. Average highs are 45 degrees Celcius.
The Gobi Desert has massive rocky areas, large dry grasslands, and a good bit of sand, but it also has bodies of water. Surface and underground rivers run through the desert, which is also home to some lakes.
Some of archaeology's most significant finds have come from the Gobi, including the first dinosaur eggs. Many species of animals and plants live in the desert. Animal residents include wild camels, sheep, lynxes, black-tailed gazelles, sandplovers, brown bears, and snow leopards. Plant life includes such hearty species as gray sagebrush and needle grass.
People live in the desert as well, although many of them are nomads who follow herds of animals around.
The Gobi Desert lies in the northern and middle regions of China. The Gobi is Asia's largest desert. It stretches nearly 1,600 km east and west and nearly 8,050 km north and south across large parts of Mongolia and China. In total, it covers 805,000 square km.
Less than 20 cm of rain fall in the entire desert every year. The Gobi is very dry, but it is also very cold. It is nearly 915 m above sea level, and so its temperatures are very low at times. It can be quite hot or quite cold, often in the same day. Winter days can be filled with snowstorms and icy sandstorms. Average low temperatures are -40 degrees Celcius. Average highs are 45 degrees Celcius.
The Gobi Desert has massive rocky areas, large dry grasslands, and a good bit of sand, but it also has bodies of water. Surface and underground rivers run through the desert, which is also home to some lakes.
Some of archaeology's most significant finds have come from the Gobi, including the first dinosaur eggs. Many species of animals and plants live in the desert. Animal residents include wild camels, sheep, lynxes, black-tailed gazelles, sandplovers, brown bears, and snow leopards. Plant life includes such hearty species as gray sagebrush and needle grass.
People live in the desert as well, although many of them are nomads who follow herds of animals around.
Rivers
There are tens of thousands of rivers in China, but the three largest and most important are called The Yangtze, The Yellow River, and The Pearl River. People have been living near these rivers for thousands of years. They are a source of drinking water, food, and transportation.
The Yangtze is the world's third-longest river at 6,300 km. Its source is on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in western China. Its mouth is the East China Sea, near Shanghai.The Yangtze flows through nine provinces of China. The river has served as a means of transportation for 2,000 years. Settlements sprang up on the banks of and near the Yangtze River very early in the history of human civilization. Large ships can still sail 1,000 kilometers inland; steamers can go even farther, as far as 1,600 kilometers from the sea. The river is also used for sight-seeing tours and for private travel.
The river is also a bringer of commerce. In its annual travels, the Yangtze brings huge amounts of silt on shore in the Jiangsu Province, where rice is grown. This large plain is home to a large part of the world's rice production.
The Yangtze also passes through the Three Gorges (Qutang, Xiling, Wu), a beautiful region that has been known more recently for a series of dam projects that have created controversy and struggles between developers and environmentalists.
The Yangtze River used to have a dolphin variety living there, but due to pollution and the building of dams, it has been extinct since 2002.
Sadly the rivers in China are badly polluted. The run-off from factories and farms have made the water unsafe to drink. It is said that over 60% of the water in China's rivers is polluted.
There are tens of thousands of rivers in China, but the three largest and most important are called The Yangtze, The Yellow River, and The Pearl River. People have been living near these rivers for thousands of years. They are a source of drinking water, food, and transportation.
The Yangtze is the world's third-longest river at 6,300 km. Its source is on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in western China. Its mouth is the East China Sea, near Shanghai.The Yangtze flows through nine provinces of China. The river has served as a means of transportation for 2,000 years. Settlements sprang up on the banks of and near the Yangtze River very early in the history of human civilization. Large ships can still sail 1,000 kilometers inland; steamers can go even farther, as far as 1,600 kilometers from the sea. The river is also used for sight-seeing tours and for private travel.
The river is also a bringer of commerce. In its annual travels, the Yangtze brings huge amounts of silt on shore in the Jiangsu Province, where rice is grown. This large plain is home to a large part of the world's rice production.
The Yangtze also passes through the Three Gorges (Qutang, Xiling, Wu), a beautiful region that has been known more recently for a series of dam projects that have created controversy and struggles between developers and environmentalists.
The Yangtze River used to have a dolphin variety living there, but due to pollution and the building of dams, it has been extinct since 2002.
Sadly the rivers in China are badly polluted. The run-off from factories and farms have made the water unsafe to drink. It is said that over 60% of the water in China's rivers is polluted.
Grasslands
About one quarter of the earth is covered by grasslands. This landform can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Grasslands are large areas of grasses, herbs and flowers. Trees have a hard time surviving in most grasslands because the soil is too fine and dry.
Grasslands make up 40% of the total land in China. Near the Pacific Ocean coast there is a large area of grassland used for growing crops and raising animals for food. Apparently, water is so scarce in the arid regions of China that people in the grasslands never take baths and sometimes even use yak's milk to wash their faces.
Grasslands are quickly getting smaller and turning into deserts from over farming and over grazing of animals.
About one quarter of the earth is covered by grasslands. This landform can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Grasslands are large areas of grasses, herbs and flowers. Trees have a hard time surviving in most grasslands because the soil is too fine and dry.
Grasslands make up 40% of the total land in China. Near the Pacific Ocean coast there is a large area of grassland used for growing crops and raising animals for food. Apparently, water is so scarce in the arid regions of China that people in the grasslands never take baths and sometimes even use yak's milk to wash their faces.
Grasslands are quickly getting smaller and turning into deserts from over farming and over grazing of animals.
Chinese New Year!
Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese holidays, and is a time of feasting with the family, celebration, fireworks and gift-giving. It originally lasted for about 4 weeks, but now is only a 15-day holiday. It begins on the first day of a new moon after the sun passes the constellation Aquarius, and ends with the full moon on the day of the Lantern Festival.
The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar year, so the date of Chinese New Year changes every year. It can be anywhere between January 20 and February 19. The Chinese calendar follows a 12-year pattern with each year named after an animal. There are various stories which explain this. The simplest is that Buddha (or the Jade Emperor) invited all of the animals to join him for a New Year celebration, but only 12 animals turned up. To reward the animals that did come, Buddha named a year after each of them in the order that they arrived, starting with the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Depending on the year you are born, you are believed to have the various character traits of that year's animal.
During the Chinese New Year's celebration, people participate in many traditional activities. The Chinese believe that as they enter a new year, they should put behind them all things of the past. They clean their houses, pay off debts, purchase new clothes, paint their doors and window panes, and even get new haircuts. These activities symbolize new life and new beginnings.
Homes are decorated with flowers and paper decorations stating wishes of prosperity, good luck, happiness, good fortune, wealth, and longevity for the coming year. Decorations of the incoming zodiac animal are also displayed. Red and gold are very popular colors to decorate with. Red represents power happiness, vitality (and scares away beasts). Gold represents wealth and good fortune.
One very important tradition of the Chinese New Year is exchanging gifts. A traditional gift that is given is small red envelopes filled with "lucky money". These envelopes are given to children by their family and friends. The red color is used to bring good fortune, and the money inside is used by the children to buy holiday treats. These envelopes symbolize the giving of good fortune.
Food is also very important to New Year's celebrations. Families and friends get together for large feasts. Before they eat, they place their food on alters and make offerings to the gods. The foods served at these feasts vary, but what is served is always a tradition for that family.
The dragon is another popular symbol for Chinese New Year. It is a symbol of strength, goodness, and good luck, and supernatural forces. The dragon is said to be a mythical combination of many animals. During New Years, one of the main events is a large parade down the city streets. As part of this parade, people dress up in dragon costumes and dance down the streets. These costumes are made of brightly colored silk and decorated very extravagantly. Some of the dragons are 100 feet long! Men and boys perform intricate dragon dances with one person manipulating the head of the dragon and the rest moving the body.
A Chinese New Year celebration would not be complete without fireworks. There are many beliefs about why fireworks are used. One is that the noise wakes up the dragon who will fly across the sky to bring the spring rain for the crops. Another belief is that the noise of the fireworks is supposed to scare away all evil spirits and misfortunes, preventing them from coming into the new year. In fact, gunpowder was invented in China over 1000 years ago for that very purpose. Firecrackers are thrown at the feet of the dragons in the parade to keep them awake for the celebration. The dragons are believed to sleep the rest of the year.
Assignment:
Copy and answer the questions in your notebook.
1. How many animals are in the Chinese Zodiac?
2. What does the color red mean in Chinese culture?
3. What is the dragon a symbol of?
4. What is one reason why are fireworks used during Chinese New Year?
The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar year, so the date of Chinese New Year changes every year. It can be anywhere between January 20 and February 19. The Chinese calendar follows a 12-year pattern with each year named after an animal. There are various stories which explain this. The simplest is that Buddha (or the Jade Emperor) invited all of the animals to join him for a New Year celebration, but only 12 animals turned up. To reward the animals that did come, Buddha named a year after each of them in the order that they arrived, starting with the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Depending on the year you are born, you are believed to have the various character traits of that year's animal.
During the Chinese New Year's celebration, people participate in many traditional activities. The Chinese believe that as they enter a new year, they should put behind them all things of the past. They clean their houses, pay off debts, purchase new clothes, paint their doors and window panes, and even get new haircuts. These activities symbolize new life and new beginnings.
Homes are decorated with flowers and paper decorations stating wishes of prosperity, good luck, happiness, good fortune, wealth, and longevity for the coming year. Decorations of the incoming zodiac animal are also displayed. Red and gold are very popular colors to decorate with. Red represents power happiness, vitality (and scares away beasts). Gold represents wealth and good fortune.
One very important tradition of the Chinese New Year is exchanging gifts. A traditional gift that is given is small red envelopes filled with "lucky money". These envelopes are given to children by their family and friends. The red color is used to bring good fortune, and the money inside is used by the children to buy holiday treats. These envelopes symbolize the giving of good fortune.
Food is also very important to New Year's celebrations. Families and friends get together for large feasts. Before they eat, they place their food on alters and make offerings to the gods. The foods served at these feasts vary, but what is served is always a tradition for that family.
The dragon is another popular symbol for Chinese New Year. It is a symbol of strength, goodness, and good luck, and supernatural forces. The dragon is said to be a mythical combination of many animals. During New Years, one of the main events is a large parade down the city streets. As part of this parade, people dress up in dragon costumes and dance down the streets. These costumes are made of brightly colored silk and decorated very extravagantly. Some of the dragons are 100 feet long! Men and boys perform intricate dragon dances with one person manipulating the head of the dragon and the rest moving the body.
A Chinese New Year celebration would not be complete without fireworks. There are many beliefs about why fireworks are used. One is that the noise wakes up the dragon who will fly across the sky to bring the spring rain for the crops. Another belief is that the noise of the fireworks is supposed to scare away all evil spirits and misfortunes, preventing them from coming into the new year. In fact, gunpowder was invented in China over 1000 years ago for that very purpose. Firecrackers are thrown at the feet of the dragons in the parade to keep them awake for the celebration. The dragons are believed to sleep the rest of the year.
Assignment:
Copy and answer the questions in your notebook.
1. How many animals are in the Chinese Zodiac?
2. What does the color red mean in Chinese culture?
3. What is the dragon a symbol of?
4. What is one reason why are fireworks used during Chinese New Year?