This week we are looking at China which is in East
Asia and is the largest of all the Asian countries, making up nearly the entire
East Asian landmass. It’s also nearly as large as Europe.
There are 33 administrative units under the central
government, these consist of 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities
and 2 special administrative regions.
It has a population of around 1,416,096,094 which is
around 17.2% or the total world population, it is the second largest populated
country.
The capital of China is Beijing and has been for
around 8 centuries, it has a population of over 22 million.
The official language is Standard Mandarin which is
mainly based on the Beijing dialect.
The flag is red with five golden stars, it has one
large star and four smaller stars in a arc, it has been the national flag since
the foundation of the People’s Republic of China on the 1 October 1949. It was
designed by Zeng Liansong. The red represents the Communist Revolution, and the
stars represent the unity of the four social classes of the Chinese people.
When we think of the Chinese currency, we think of
the currency we think of the Yuan which is the basic unit however, the currency
is the renminbi.
The People’s Bank of China has the exclusive
authority to issue currency. Banknotes range in denomination from 1 fen to 100
renminbi. The obverse side of some banknotes contain images of communist
leaders, such as Mao Zedong. The reverse side of most coins contains images of
historic buildings and the country’s diverse landscape.
Buddhist Statues
China is a centre for world religious thought and
practices. Although about half the population identifies as nonreligious or
atheist, many belief systems have shaped Chinese society for centuries. The
government officially recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism,
Protestantism, Catholicism, and Islam, though it keeps these under tight
control.
Confucianism Temple
Also popular is Confucianism which is a
worldview, social ethic, political ideology, and way of life that entails
ancestor reverence and profound human-centered religiousness. It emphasizes the
duty of the individual in society and government.
There is also Daoism, which is a, indigenous religious-philosophical
tradition, Daoism emphasizes mystical experience and the individual’s harmony
with nature.
Buddhism came to China possibly as early as the 3rd
century BCE. China became an incubator for many of the great present-day
Buddhist sects, including Zen and Pure Land, and, by its extension into Tibet,
the source of Tibetan Buddhism.
Folk Religion Temples
Many Chinese embrace aspects and rituals of
indigenous folk religions, which comprise the largest group of those professing
a belief. Deities of the popular pantheon are intimately involved in everyday
life as givers of blessings or bringers of calamities.
Christians are a small but significant and growing
minority, many of them converts to Evangelical Protestant denominations.
Islam Members of non-Han minorities constitute
the bulk of those following Islam.
That will do for this post, more next week.