1. In which month might you expect to see this watery spectacle?
March
April
June
The Dragon boat festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese calendar. This varies in date on the Gregorian calendar but normally falls in June but in some years it can be in late May.
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests within the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) complex, Beijing.
3. Why are there nine mythical beasts behind the 'man on a hen' on this roof?
represent the Double Ninth Festival
nine was the Imperial number
nine ancient rites
Yellow roof tiles can only be used for Imperial buildings as yellow was the dynastic color of the Qing dynasty. As three is a potent yang number the square of 3, nine, is an even more potent yang number. It was associated with the Emperor and many things in the Forbidden City are in nines.
Glazed animal sculptures on the palace roof of the Forbidden City, Beijing
4. Which muscial instrument is this man playing?
erhu
guqin
yangqin
Erhu is a two stringed violin with the bow string between the two strings. 二胡 èr hú means literally 'two' 'fiddle'. There is a less common instrument with four strings 'sihu'.
5. This striking church can be seen in which Chinese city?
Harbin
Hohhot
Beijing
The Russian influence in the province of Heilongjiang is quite pronounced reflecting years of Russian domination in the early 20th century. The "onion" domes of the Cathedral of Saint-Sophia, Harbin is a striking example.
6. Where might you find this building of European style architecture?
Xiamen
Macau
Shanghai
The old part of Macau has a number of buildings of colonial Portuguese design including the church of Sao Lourenco.
7. In the pastures of Xinjiang sheep are grazing. What is the name of the type of building used by the herdsmen?
yurt
tupiq
igloo
The yurt is made from layers of felt draped over a wooden framework. It can be very quickly moved to another location as the herdsmen follow their flocks.
8. This is a memorial hall to which important figure in Chinese history?
Sun Yatsen
Yuan Shikai
Zhou Enlai
The Sun Yatsen memorial hall is in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province; the province where he was born.
9. Where might you find this famous building?
Lhasa
Urumqi
Kunming
The Potala palace in Lhasa is the winter palace of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
10. Where might you find this famous landmark?
Old Summer Palace in Beijing
Dongting Lake
Beihai Park in Beijing
The famous White Dagoba stands in Beihai Park and was built in the Mongol dynasty.
11. This lovely pristine beach is located where?
Qinhuangdao, Hebei
Sanya, Hainan
Beihai, Guangxi
Hainan island is famous as a semi-tropical beach resort.
12. Which ancient figure is represented by this massive stone statue?
Confucius
Emperor Qin Shihuangdi
Laozi
Laozi the founder of Daoism is typically depicted as an old man with a long flowing beard.
13. Which game are these men playing?
xiangqi
chequers
mahjong
Chinese chess象棋 xiàng qí is played with discs on which characters are inscribed so can look like chequers from a distance.
14. These ruins are part of which Imperial building?
Old Summer Palace
Summer Palace
Chengde Resort
The style of the stone ornamentation of the Old Summer Palace shows that it was designed by European architects (mainly Jesuits) working for the Qing Emperors.
15. These objects are associated with which religion?
Islam
Buddhism
Confucianism
This form of stupa which often contains sacred Buddhist relics is common in Tibet, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia.
16. Why is this creature so important in Chinese history?
carries the Black Death
producing silk
eats rice pests
It is the caterpillar of the silkworm moth that spins a silk cocoon. It is usually fed on white mulberry leaves.
17. This demonstration of Kung Fu is at its original place in China where is that?
Lushan
Shaolin monastery
Lhasa
The world famous Shaolin monastery (literally ?Small Forest Temple?) is close to Songshan in Henan; it was immortalized by the 'Kung Fu' series of the 1970s. It is a Zen Buddhist temple and dates back to the Wei dynasty.
Do you recongize these places in China?
