Intermediate quiz (quite tough) about the geography, history, traditions and language of China (5)
1. Why is Mongolia split into Outer and Inner Mongolia?
Revolution of 1924
Outer Mongolia was Genghiz Khan's home
Chinese invasion of 1875
Russian invasion of 1918
After the Russian Communist revolution of 1917 the Russians supported revolution in Outer Mongolia and it became a separate Communist state in 1924, at this time China was a Republic.
Bows and furs of Mongolia. Image by Rob Stallard
2. Mount Lushan is close to which major famous lake?
Qinghai Lake
Lake Nanyang
Poyang Lake
Lake Tai
Poyang Lake is in northern Jiangxi province just south of the Yangzi River.
3. The Jesuit missionaries most impressed the Imperial court with their knowledge of what?
astronomy
architecture
medicine
sword fighting
It was the new European methods in astronomy that really impressed the Chinese. Adam Schall and Ferdinand Verbiest in 1664 won a competition to make the most accurate prediction of a solar eclipse against the Chinese astronomers who used traditional Chinese methods.
Michael Alphonsius Shen Fuzong (Fu-tsung) by Sir Godfrey Kneller. 1685. Available under a Creative Commons License ➚
4. Why is the Yellow River so called?
named after color of Imperial robes
carries yellow mud
named after the Yellow Emperor
rivers were named after colors
The Yellow River carries a heavy load of 'loess' which is yellowish calcareous clay from northern China. The Yellow River is heavily used by people along its route and on occasions it dries up before reaching the sea.
The oldest and largest ironware cultural relics protection group in the world - Kai-Yuan Tang Large Iron Oxen, located 110 m-470 m outside the west gate of the Puzhou Ancient City 15 km in the west of Yonji City, Available under a Creative Commons License ➚
5. Which was China's most populous province in 2014?
Sichuan
Zhejiang
Beijing
Guangdong
Guangdong is top with 106.8 million closely followed by Henan with 100.4 million. See our province table for the full stats.
6. Tanggu or Binhai is the port area for which major city?
Hong Kong
Xiamen
Tianjin
Shanghai
Tianjin is the port serving Beijing and much of north-eastern China.
7. In which province is the fictional Shangrila said to be located?
Shandong
Guangxi
Yunnan
Xinjiang
The fictional heaven on Earth of Shangrila was created by James Hilton in his book 'Lost Horizon'. There is no location that exactly matches his descriptions but Mount Kawarkapo in Yunnan is as good as any. The Chinese have renamed Zhongdian as Shangrila to cash in on the story.
8. A magpie in a painting symbolizes a wish for what?
children
peace
joy
long life
The magpie is a harbinger of joy and as such is used in paintings to wish someone joy and happiness. If a magpie happens to be heard while ruminating on an action is considered a sign that the plan is the right one.
Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus, Fujigaoka 2 Chome, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Image by Toshihiro Gamo ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚
9. In which province did the Taiping rebellion begin?
Guangdong
Zhejiang
Sichuan
Fujian
Hong Xiuquan was born in Fuyuan Springs, Guangzhou and it was in the bustling city that he came across the Christian Bible and founded his rebellion there. It soon spread to neighboring Guangxi province.
Taiping rebels are chased out of Yuzhuang, March 8 1854. The Taiping arrived the previous day but had to retire the next day when the Manchus arrived in hot pursuit. From Ten scenes recording the retreat and defeat of the Taiping Northern Expeditionary Forces, February 1854-March 1855.
Source : web site ➚
Available under a Creative Commons license ➚.
10. Which province is the coldest in summer?
Xinjiang
Beijing
Inner Mongolia
Tibet
Tibet has such a high altitude and thin atmosphere that it does not heat up much in the summer. In winter the coldest province by far in Heilongjiang.
11. The Chinese nuclear test facility of Lop Nur is located in which province?
Xinjiang
Heilongjiang
Tibet
Qinghai
Lop Nur has been used as a nuclear testing site from 1959 to1996.
12. The Tiananmen Incident of 1976 occurred following the death of which leader?
Liu Shaoqi
Peng Dehuai
Zhou Enlai
Zhu De
Zhou Enlai was the premier of China for much of the time since 1949. He was seen as affable and flexible rather than doggedly doctrinal. There was a mass outpouring of grief in Tiananmen Square to mark his death. The Gang of Four violently suppressed the crowds that gathered. Four thousand people were arrested.
13. Which province is known by the shortened name 'Lu'?
Ningxia
Jiangsu
Shandong
Henan
The modern province of Shandong was the center of the state of Lu way back in Zhou dynasty (1042-289BCE). The state of Lu is famous because Confucius was born and lived at Qufu the capital of the Lu kingdom.
Statue of Confucius at the Imperial Academy (Guozijian) Beijing
14. Sun Yatsen's mausoleum is close to which major city?
Nanjing
Chongqing
Wuhan
Beijing
Sun Yatsen chose Nanjing as his Republican Capital of China in 1912, Beijing was still in the control of the northern warlords when he died in 1925.
16. What was the religion of the great explorer Zheng He?
Jewish
Christian
Muslim
Daoist
Zheng He (1371 - 1433) was a Muslim. His Muslim faith was a great aid in dealing with the mainly Arab traders he met on his travels; as this era was the zenith of Arab trade. His final journey took him as far as Mecca and Jeddah.
17. The Supreme Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama) was born in which country that neighbors China?
Burma
India
Vietnam
Nepal
Gautama was born into a rich household in Nepal living a life of luxury but when at the age of 29 he saw the suffering of people in the outside world he determined to renounce all worldly pleasures and founded Buddhism.
18. The magnificent Huangguoshu Waterfalls can be found in which province?
Guizhou
Jiangxi
Shandong
Gansu
The Huangguoshu Waterfall, Guizhou is the largest in China, there are nine 'falls' of level; eight cataracts and one large waterfall. It is best to visit between May and October when the river level is high.
19. K2 the second highest mountain in the world is on the border of China with which country?
Russia
India
Pakistan
Laos
K2 is on the border with Pakistan. It is in the Karakoram range and like Mount Everest is directly on the border so half is in Xinjiang, China the other half in Pakistan.
Intermediate quiz (quite tough) about the geography, history, traditions and language of China (5)
