The Potala palace in Lhasa is the winter palace of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
2. Why are there nine mythical beasts behind the 'man on a hen' on this roof?
nine is a lucky number
nine was the Imperial number
ninth Imperial dynasty
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
3. Which ancient figure is represented by this massive stone statue?
Laozi
Yellow Emperor
Qu Yuan
Laozi the founder of Daoism is typically depicted as an old man with a long flowing beard.
4. This lovely pristine beach is located where?
Qingdao, Shandong
Sanya, Hainan
Weihei , Shandong
Hainan island is famous as a semi-tropical beach resort.
5. In which month might you expect to see this watery spectacle?
June
April
August
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.
6. These objects are associated with which religion?
Buddhism
Confucianism
Judaism
This form of stupa which often contains sacred Buddhist relics is common in Tibet, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia.
7. This striking church can be seen in which Chinese city?
Harbin
Shenyang
Beijing
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.
8. This is a memorial hall to which important figure in Chinese history?
Mao Zedong
Sun Yatsen
Chiang Kaishek
The Sun Yatsen memorial hall is in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province; the province where he was born.
9. This building is known by which name?
Beijing Museum
Natural History Museum
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.
10. 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.
11. Where might you find this European style building?
Shanghai
Macau
Guangzhou
The old part of Macau has a number of buildings of colonial Portuguese design including the church of Sao Lourenco.
12. These ruins are part of which Imperial building?
Chengde Resort
Forbidden City
Old Summer Palace
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.
13. Where might you find this famous landmark?
Beihai Park in Beijing
Summer Palace in Beijing
West Lake in Hangzhou
The famous White Dagoba stands in Beihai Park and was built in the Mongol dynasty.
14. 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.
15. Which muscial instrument is this man playing?
yangqin
erhu
guqin
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'.
19. In the pastures of Xinjiang sheep are grazing. What is the name of the type of building used by the herdsmen?
teepee
yurt
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.
20. Why is this creature so important in Chinese history?
eaten by giant pandas
producing silk
carries the Black Death
It is the caterpillar of the silkworm moth that spins a silk cocoon. It is usually fed on white mulberry leaves.
Do you recongize these places in China?
