China is a place of amazing beauty, many curiosities and a wealth of interesting facts. Most people are familiar with China's well-known landmarks, such as the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City, but there are a myriad of fascinating facts about China that are less known. Many inventions used in everyday life come from China, serving as a testament to the ingenuity of the Chinese people. Following are five things you might not know about China:

5 Facts You Might Not Know

1
The first person to invent an instrument designed to monitor earthquakes, was Chinese literary scholar and astronomer, Zhang Heng. The device was invented in the year 130 AD, and could determine the direction an earthquake moved.
2
Ice cream, a tasty treat enjoyed the world over, was an invention of the Chinese. The original creation was a combination of milk, flavorings and rice that was packed in snow. According to legend, the famous explorer Marco Polo was so delighted by the delicacy, he secured the recipe and brought it home with him when he returned to Europe.
3
Silk is a discovery of the Chinese, dating back to 3000 BC. According to legend, Emperor Huang Di's wife, Lady Xi Ling Sui, discovered a silk worm cocoon that had fallen into her tea. The heat from the tea is said to have caused the strands of the cocoon to unravel, revealing the silken thread.
4
The Chinese lantern is a symbol representing long life, with origins dating back to 250 BC. At one time, lanterns also represented the wealth of a family. To exhibit their prosperity, the wealthiest families owned lanterns of such immense size, hanging them required the assistance of several people.
5
Kites were invented by the Chinese sometime around 2000 BC. They were originally designed to create fear in their enemies during battle. Kites are also called Aeolian, meaning paper birds. It was once believed that intentionally letting go of a kite would bring bad luck.

The capital of China is Beijing. The currency of China is the Yuan Renminbi(CNY) Flag of China

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