A monthly tough quiz of general history, traditions, geography questions for July
1. The Wuyishan mountains were used as the film location for which epic film?
Alien
The English Patient
Avator
Zhangjiajie was used as the setting for many of the dramatic scenes. The association is so strong that they now often called the Avator mountains
Street scene at Zhangjiajie, Hunan. September 2019. Image by Paul Kerswill
2. The first book of Chinese poetry the Book of Odes was written when?
1,500CE
1,200CE
600BCE
The book of Odes (Songs) is an assorted collection of song lyrics from a variety of sources from the Zhou dynasty. The topics covered include love, marriage, victory celebrations, sacrifices and hunts.
One Thousand Character classic in Ouyang Xun calligraphy style. Image by 忍海 available under a Creative Commons License ➚
3. A melon in a Chinese picture may symbolize a wish for what?
rain
promotion
children
A melon has very many seeds and so represents a wish for many children to continue the family line.
Lidded box in form of a melon with grapevines, probably Chang'an, Shaanxi province, China, early to mid Tang dynasty, late 7th-early 8th century AD, cast and hammered silver. Image by Daderot ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚
4. By tradition the semi-precious stone jade is said to be made of what?
gingko roots
oyster shells
crystallized moonlight
Jade is considered the ultimate yin in the yin-yang system and so is associated with female, moon and darkness as opposed to male, sun and light.
Qing dynasty jade Fish and Lotus Ornament , Capital Museum, Beijing. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com. Image by Gary Todd available under a Creative Commons License ➚
5. How long did Japan occupy the island of Taiwan?
10 years
200 years
50 years
Taiwan was seceded to Japan as a result of the terms of the peace treaty that ended the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) together with the Liaodong peninsula. Taiwan was ruled by Japan for the next 50 years and used as a strategic base during the Second World War. It became the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1949 after Chiang Kaishek's invasion.
The arid Tarim Basin holds at its heart the scorching sand desert of the Taklamakan (literally translated as ‘go in, not come out’).
7. A traditional doctor in China will take considerable time checking what?
hearing
muscles
pulse
It is the precise measurement of the flow of blood through the body that was considered the best indicator of health and an indicator of where any illness may lie.
Dispensing traditional medicine prescriptions. Graham Street Market, Hong Kong. 2010
Image by deror_avi ➚ available under a Creative Commons license ➚.
8. What was the 'cangue' used to punish minor crimes?
water torture
sharp knife
wooden neck board
For more petty crimes it was common to put a wide wooden cangue around the neck for weeks or months, this prevented the convicts from being able to feed themselves or even sleep comfortably. The cangue had details of the crime pasted onto it for all to see.
9. Which Central Asian country does China not have a border with?
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Afghanistan
There are 14 countries with land borders with China. Afghanistan has only a tiny border with China of 40 miles [64 kms] in length. Uzbekistan is a small country bordering Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
Maotai Liquor is distilled from a wheat and sorghum base; it is famous throughout China and beyond. It is distilled at Maotai, a town in northern Guizhou.
Maotai spirit at Baijia Dayuan restaurant, Beijing. September 2019. Image by Paul Kerswill
11. How many people performers are needed for a lion dance?
two
one
four
The lion dance needs two performers one for the head and one for the tail. It is the dragon dance that can have many performers.
Traditional lion dance near a temple
12. Which element destroys the water element in the feng shui system?
earth
metal
fire
In the classic Feng Shui destruction cycle of elements it is earth that destroys water. This can be by forming a dam or by absorption.
13. The Chinese Rites controversy of 1704 decided by the Pope was about what?
Use of Latin
Ancestor veneration
Emperor as leader
The Jesuits in Beijing sought an accommodation of the worship/veneration of ancestors which is the bedrock of Chinese religion. The Pope refused and the Christian mission soon foundered.
Matteo Ricci and Paul Xu Guangqi From Athanasius Kircher, La Chine … Illustr?e, Amsterdam, 1670.
Image from web page ➚
Image available under a Creative Commons license ➚.
14. What was Sichuan's most important export in the past
salt
rice
wheat
Salt was a key commodity in China as in the rest of the world. Sichuan has large underground deposits that were extracted by pumping in water through bamboo pipes.
15. Oracle bones were mainly used for divination in which dynasty?
Shang
Han
Xia
Oracle bones were used during the Shang dynasty 4,000 years ago to ask all sorts of questions of the heavens. They were replaced by the Yi Jing (I Ching) in the following Zhou dynasty.
A monthly tough quiz of general history, traditions, geography questions for July
