1. Ketchup originated in China as a pickled fish sauce called ke-tsiap.
2. Concern about pollution in Chinese cities has inspired the production of canned fresh air, sold for five yuan a can. Varieties include "Pristine Tibet" air, "Revolutionary Yah'an" and Post-Industrial Taiwan".
3. Chinese women traditionally marry in festive red - a lucky color. White symbolizes death.
4. There are more Christians in China (an estimated 54 million) than in Italy (47 million) and China is on track to becoming home to the world's largest Christian population.
5. The rate of dog consumption in China is declining: most Chinese people now prefer to keep cats and dogs as pets. But snakes are still fair game.
6. On an average day in China, 1.7 million pigs are consumed.
7. A 13th floor is often absent from hotels and commercial buildings and vehicle license plates and phone numbers are often devoid of the number four. Superstition and numerology are prevalent in Chinese culture.
8. Despite its size, China fits into just one time zone.
9. Chinese people are under pressure to down chopsticks in order to save the planet's resources. Some 80 billion sets are produced annually.
10. One in five people in the world are Chinese.
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
