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'.
2. In the pastures of Xinjiang sheep are grazing. What is the name of the type of building used by the herdsmen?
yurt
kohte
yak
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.
3. Where might you find this famous building?
Lhasa
Lijiang
Kunming
The Potala palace in Lhasa is the winter palace of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
4. This building is known by which name?
Presidential Palace
Beijing Concert Hall
Great Hall of the People
Every province has its own internal hall within the ‘Great Hall of the People’. It lies on the west side of Tiananmen Square, Beijing.
5. Which ancient figure is represented by this massive stone statue?
Mao Zedong
Emperor Qin Shihuangdi
Laozi
Laozi the founder of Daoism is typically depicted as an old man with a long flowing beard.
6. Where is this famous pagoda?
Qufu
Kaifeng
Xi'an
It is the Great Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an that was built to house the Buddhist scriptures brought back to China by Xuanzang.
7. This lovely pristine beach is located where?
Sanya, Hainan
Weihei , Shandong
Beihai, Guangxi
Hainan island is famous as a semi-tropical beach resort.
8. Why is this creature so important in Chinese history?
eaten by giant pandas
provided staple food
producing silk
It is the caterpillar of the silkworm moth that spins a silk cocoon. It is usually fed on white mulberry leaves.
9. Why are there nine mythical beasts behind the 'man on a hen' on this roof?
nine was the Imperial number
nine is a lucky number
represent the Double Ninth Festival
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
10. Where might you find this famous landmark?
Old Summer Palace in Beijing
Beihai Park in Beijing
Dongting Lake
The famous White Dagoba stands in Beihai Park and was built in the Mongol dynasty.
11. This striking church can be seen in which Chinese city?
Beijing
Harbin
Hohhot
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.
12. These objects are associated with which religion?
Buddhism
Confucianism
Communism
This form of stupa which often contains sacred Buddhist relics is common in Tibet, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia.
13. Which game are these men playing?
kerplunk
xiangqi
weiqi
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
Temple of Heaven
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. Where can you find this famous building?
Temple of Heaven, Beijing
Summer Palace, Beijing
Iron Pagoda, Kaifeng
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests within the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) complex, Beijing.
16. In which month might you expect to see this watery spectacle?
June
October
April
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 view is from “The Peak” on Hong Kong island looking over Victoria to Kowloon.
18. This demonstration of Kung Fu is primarily associated with which place?
Taishan
Shaolin monastery
Wudan monastery
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.