15 quirks of China that can tie a foreigner’s head up

China is full of interesting things that surprise foreigners. For example, it is one of the largest countries in the world, but in the entire territory, according to the law, only one time zone is used. Therefore, in the west of the country, the night takes between 4 and 5 hours, while the sun sets at approximately midnight.

But that’s not the most surprising thing that happens in this country. O awesome.club invites you to delve into an extraordinary world and learn more about its quirks that are omitted from the history books. In the end, a little bonus for puzzle and riddle enthusiasts.

When a baby is born, according to the East Asian calculation, it is already one year old. It is considered not only on the day of birth, but also in the new year, since it does not have a constant date and, according to the lunar calendar, enters the period between January 21 and February 21. Therefore, children born several months apart can be the same age according to their documents.

According to foreigners, the streets are full of people since 4 am, 5 am, when some practice gymnastics, others run, jump, play football; but most people are in the bands, where there are facilities to train different muscle groups.

In small towns, Chinese are very surprised and happy to see foreigners, without hiding their emotions.

Inside the cabin there is a comfortable armchair, a screen and a keyboard to play with a joystick, in addition to hundreds of games at your disposal. While the wife goes shopping, the husband can buy food, drinks and relax in pleasant surroundings. In addition, in Shanghai it is possible to find similar booths for two people and, instead of games, there is karaoke.

Yes, in the big industrial cities in the north and east of the country there is really bad ecology, but that is not the case in western China, where the skies are clear and the river water is crystal clear 365 days a year. The Chinese government is actively fighting the problem, and with the 2035 development strategy, the country will emerge from the ecological crisis.

On construction site fences, air purifiers are then installed to keep dust and dirt inside the work area. And, in order not to spoil the image, why not decorate them with flowers and plants?

Two problems, one solution: you deliver the used plastic and, for each bottle, the machine dispenses 20 grams of food to homeless animals.

A bicycle graveyard is a common image in China’s densely populated cities. Near the entrances to the subway and cafes, huge deposits of them were formed. That’s because bike rental companies wanted people not to have to park them in special parking lots and to be able to take them and drop them off in any public place. The citizens’ low social responsibility and the considerably small demand made this service a disaster.

People eat on the street, in transport or on the road while lining up to buy another product. But they don’t just like to eat, they like delicious things and a wide variety, which is why the range of street food is amazing. From sushi to ravioli, from roasted scorpion meat to “a food set”: meat + rice + vegetables.

For a foreigner in China, there is a lot of unfamiliar food that probably only the brave would dare to taste. There are also some dishes that are completely harmless, but the extraordinary combination of flavors, like beer flavored with green tea, or pizza with blueberries, does not fail to surprise tourists.

In these Chinese machines you can buy not only potatoes and soft drinks, but also cigarettes, fresh meat, herbs, crabs and even cars.

Chinese women prefer not to wash their hair at home, but in hairdressing salons, because the service is cheap and not only includes hair care, but also a massage for the face and neck.

Drinking warm water is a Chinese custom that originates from a distant past. There are several theories about its origin: according to them, hot water helps to eliminate different diseases and maintains the balance of Yin and Yang energy. According to another version, the most likely, in a country with a terrible environment, people simply cannot afford to get water straight from the tap without boiling it. So don’t be surprised if, in a coffee shop, instead of the menu, they first bring you a glass of hot water.

In Yiwu City, there are 600 factories that produce 60% of the world’s Christmas decorations. Migrants from other regions go there to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, and do not complain about the working conditions, as it is their only opportunity to earn money. In China, everything is made: from the best known to the most difficult to imagine.

One of the users was the first to take a phrase from the teen series as a reference riverdaleedited the video with an original “before and after” presentation of her transformation and that’s how the wave started and spread.

A person who knows the Cyrillic alphabet, seeing this absurdity, will think: “What set of letters is this?”. But a person who speaks English understands everything immediately, as it is a very famous phrase. It is written with the Cyrillic alphabet and in English it says: humanity united🇧🇷

What other things do you know that are rare for foreigners but completely normal in China? Tell us in the comments.