Let’s go to China A Fact Finding Presentation

Where in the world is China? China is in the Asian Continent. The Chinese civilization began more than 5000 years ago.

China is a very large country and many people live there. The Chinese capital is called Beijing. Beijing.

Ancient China Ancient Chinese people were nomads. This meant they travelled from place to place looking for animals to hunt and fruit to eat. As time went on many Chinese people began setting up farms. Most families could support themselves by growing crops, particularly rice.

The Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China was originally built by farmers who wanted to keep their land. The walls were rebuilt and the Qin Emperor ordered that the walls be connected to form one long wall that curves. It had watchtowers all along its length. These days it attracts many visitors and can even be seen from space!

Chinese Philosophy Philosophers told people what the world means and how people should react to it. Confucius was a famous Chinese philosopher who was born in 551 BC. He believed everyone is born good and that people need to help each other.

Chinese Philosophy Taoism is another famous philosophy that comes from China. The word ‘Tao’ means ‘the way’ and Taoists believe that everything in nature works together. You might recognise the symbol of their faith.

Ancient Chinese Life Chinese people were famous for many inventions Markets were very popular in Ancient China and the abacus was a counting machine invented to help stallholders keep track of large numbers.

Ancient Chinese Life Around 100 BC the Chinese invented paper. It was very expensive and was made of silk. Soon they found a way to make paper by mashing plants and rags making it much cheaper. The paper was often used by nobles, who wrote messages for the emperor that could then be read to the peasants.

Other things from China A tiered house like this is called a pagoda. They are considered a traditional part of Chinese architecture and originally had a religious purpose.

Other things from China A panda is a type of bear with black and white fur. They used to live all over China but moved away from lowlands as farming and housing increased. They now live in some mountain areas and are an endangered species Although they are carnivores their main diet is bamboo shoots!

Other things from China A Chinese Dragon is often shown as a long snake type animal with four legs and an angry face. It was originally a symbol used by the Emperors of China

Other things from China There are twelve animals that make up the Chinese Zodiac. Chinese New Year is celebrated in February and the animals are rotated so each year is associated with one of the twelve animals. 2008

Other things from China Chinese Opera is a traditional type of Chinese theatre The people taking part wear elaborate masks or fancy make up. There is a famous Chinese Opera House in Beijing.

Why are we all talking about China? This year China is the host nation for the Olympic Games. Many countries will be competing in a large number of sporting events!

Presentation ©Bev Evans, Clip art ©Bev Evans 2008 or available from Background available from