China Facts & History
Time Difference
All over China, the time is GMT+8, even though this vast country actually spans five different time zones (Zhongyuan, Longshu, Tibet, Kunlun and Changbai).
Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan also conform to what is Beijing Time, which is worked out in the National Time Service Centre in Pucheng, Shaanxi, which lies at almost precisely the centre of China. China’s time stays the same throughout the year; it does not adopt Summer (or Daylight Saving) Time. You can find out more from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, which is the site of the Meridian Line.
An Introduction To Chinese History
The Chinese history is as old as 5000 years. The civilization can be dated back to the Neolithic era along the yellow river valley. The very first dynasty is the Xia Dynasty between ca. 2100 BCE – 1600 BCE. This dynasty was followed by the Shang dynasty during ca. 1700 BCE – ca. 1046 BCE. In fact, some of the ancient writings have been dated back to 1500 BCE. The other dynasty that followed Shang was the Zhou dynasty. It marked the origin of the Chinese culture, literature, and philosophy. These three dynasties were in existence during the ancient era, which was then followed by the Imperial era. There were several dynasties in the imperial era. Here is a synopsis of different dynasties during the Imperial era.
Political Division
The People's Republic of China has administrative control over 23 provinces. Apart from provinces, there are 5 Autonomous regions, 4 municipalities, and 2 Special Administrative Regions.
The 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities can be collectively referred to as "mainland China", a term which usually excludes Hong Kong and Macau.