Cultural
According to the World Bank, about 1.4 billion people live in China, representing 56 ethnic minority groups. The largest group is the Han Chinese, with about 900 million people. Other groups include the Tibetans, the Mongols, the Manchus, the Naxi, and the Hezhen, which is the smallest group, with fewer than 2,000 people.
Religion
The Chinese Communist Party that rules the nation is officially atheist, though it is gradually becoming more tolerant of religions.
Any religion other than Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism is illegal, even though the Chinese constitution states that people are allowed freedom of religion.
Language
Mandarin dialects are spoken by 71.5% of the population, followed by Wu (8.5%), Yue (5 %), Xiang (4.8%), Min (4.1%), Hakka (3.7%), and Gan (2.4%).
Food
Rice!
Like other aspects of Chinese life, the cuisine is heavily influenced by geography and ethnic diversity.
Celebrations
The largest festival (also called the Spring Festival) marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year. It falls between mid-January and mid-February and is a time to honor ancestors.
Science and Technology
China has invested large amounts of money in scientific advancements and currently challenges the United States in scientific research.
China spent 75% of what the United States spent in 2015, according to JCI Insight.
Energy
Historically, coal has always been China's main source of energy.
Today, coal still supplies 62% of the country's energy needs.
Ethical
In 2009 China burned nearly half of the world's coal, and coal accounted (at the time) for nearly 70% of China's energy mix.
Cities in China’s Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region suffered over 100 hazy days a year with PM2.5 concentration two to four times above World Health Organization guidelines.
PM2.5 refers to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) that have a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometers, which is about 3% the diameter of a human hair.
Beijing experienced 2,589 deaths and a loss of US$328 million in 2012 because of PM2.5 pollution.
Wearing N95 masks will provide effective protection against PM2.5 air pollution but ensure you are wearing the mask correctly with a tight seal around the face. N95 masks can be purchased in pharmacies and can be used multiple times.
With 16-26% of inhalable particles contributed from sources outside of one's city it's important that the governments regionally co-ordinate plans, something only the cities of the Pearl River Delta has tried to do.