History

China boasts about 5,000 years of continuous history, although early 'records' are of a mythological and legendary nature. The Xia Dynasty is claimed to have been the first Chinese dynasty, dating back to 2,200BC. Since then a number of dynasties have been more reliably documented - you may be familiar with some of their names, such as the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) or the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644AD).

China and its people have been responsible for a number of the world’s most important, life-changing inventions: for example, paper, gun powder, the wheelbarrow, fireworks, the compass…oh, yes, and ‘china’. (Think about it!)

Find out more at condensedchina.com

After World War II, the Chinese Civil War between the Communist Party of China and the Kuomintang ended in 1949 with the Communists in control of mainland China and the Kuomintang in control of Taiwan and some outlying islands of Fujian.

Mao supporters claim that the development of infrastructure, industry, healthcare and education raised living standards for the average Chinese; that campaigns such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution were essential steps in China’s development.

China (PRC) is the largest country in East Asia and the fourth largest in the world, after Russia, Canada, and the USA. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion people.

It remains officially a communist state, but it has considerably privatized its economy in recent years.