Place
There are a variety of different climates in China, sub- arctic in the North, and sub- tropical in the south. There is diverse plant life and up to 2,800 different species of trees! Beijing has a warm to hot climate during the summer and cold, snowy winters. Some physical features have been previously mentioned, such as the JunDu Mountains, the Yan Mountains, the TaiHang Mountains, the Loess plateau, and the Liao River Plain. Rivers mentioned include the YongDing, ChaoBai, and the YangTze.
Language
Mandarin is the national language of China, and the majority people in Beijing speak it. Much like the English alphabet, the characters (in place of words) are used to express feeling, thoughts, or principles. The Chinese language has something similar to the alphabet called PinYin. This is a romanized alphabet that helps teach in Chinese schools and is used for international communication. Although around 50,000 characters exist, only around 8,000 are currently in use. For basic literacy, you need to know 1,500 to 2,000. I only know about 600-800 right now!
Economy
The people of China work 6/7 days a week! China also has many major manufacturing centers, including the making of chemicals, machinery, furniture, and processed foods. The craftsmen of Beijing make beautiful porcelain, tapestries and ceramic tiles.
Arts and Literature
Sports, theater, and holidays are greatly enjoyed. Each morning, people in Beijing gather together, young and old, to do something called TaiChi. There are also many arts and crafts in the Beijing community such as poetry, calligraphy/ painting, paper cutting, shadow puppetry, and pottery/jade carving. Kites are also a great recreation many people enjoy. They can often be seen flying in the skies and can be up to 16 feet long! Thay are made into a variety of shapes including dragons, birds, fish, and ships. Operas, theater, and circuses have become popular now, and comedy is used in many of these performances. Circuses were once looked down on until after the Chinese Revolution.
Government
The current president is XiJinPing and like the US, the voting age is 18. The president is able to run for 2 terms, and each term is 5 years. The Head Secretary of Chinese Communist Party is the most powerful position someone can be in. The government is considered repressive, and the freedoms of speech, religion, and press aren't respected well. Beijing in particular is home to many major government institutions, and has a local government, but is mostly under the control of the national government. China entirely is considered to be "fake communist", following some rules of communists and some of republicans.
Customs and Traditions
When meeting someone, they either nod, bow, or shake hands, and to be more formal in introductions, they use their guest's full title and aren't specific when identifying themselves. The names of people in China are different from the ones in America. They have a 1 character family name, and a 1 or 2 character given name. The family name (last name) is spoken and written before the given name. For example, last name: 罗, first name: 帅帅
Social Organizations
Family is more important than individuals, and the elderly are respected. Because of the increasing population, there is a one child population. Boys are prized heirs, and only children born into wealthy families are not expected to work and are called "Little emperors". The Chinese also believe that women hold up 1/2 of the sky, and they have a higher status than before now. They used to be generally housewives, but now, it is possible for them to work in the government!
Religion
About 30% of the people in Beijing practice a religion, but the government only allows to practice along strict guidelines. Some religions allowed are: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Taoism. Local religions can be found in small eastern towns. They usually focus on only one god and usually have some variation of Taoism or Buddhism. Temples and churches are constructed in public, but attending is STRONGLY discouraged. Religious practices that occur without authorization can lead to severe punishments.