What animals live in China?

China is home to some of the most remarkable creatures on earth! The giant panda lives in the misty bamboo forests of Sichuan province — it is one of the rarest bears in the world, with its bold black-and-white markings. The South China tiger and the snow leopard also roam China's wild places, though they are very hard to spot. China also has the red panda, which looks more like a rusty fox than a bear, and the golden snub-nosed monkey, whose bright blue face makes it unlike any other monkey. In the rivers of the Yangtze, there is a giant salamander that can grow as long as a grown man is tall — the largest amphibian on earth. God packed a lot of variety into this one country, and it is a reminder of what a creative Creator He is!

What do kids eat in China?

Kids in China often eat rice or noodles at almost every meal — it's a staple the way bread is in many Western countries. A popular breakfast is congee, which is a warm, thick rice porridge, sometimes topped with egg or pickled vegetables. Dumplings called jiaozi are a favorite too, and families often make them together, folding the little dough pockets by hand. China is a huge country, so food changes a lot depending on where you are. In the north, steamed buns called mantou are common, while kids in the south might eat rice noodle soup for breakfast. Spicy dishes are popular in the Sichuan region, and street food stalls sell skewers of meat and vegetables that make for a quick, tasty snack. With so many different regions, a kid traveling across China could eat something new almost every single day.

How do people say hello in China?

In China, the most common way to say hello is 'Nǐ hǎo' (say it like: nee how). It works almost anywhere — with a shopkeeper, a neighbor, or a new friend at school. Chinese is one of the oldest languages in the world, and over a billion people speak it! If you want to be extra polite, you can say 'Nǐ hǎo ma?' which means 'How are you?' Chinese writing is different too — instead of an alphabet, people use thousands of special characters called 'characters' or 'hànzì.' Each one stands for a whole word or idea. Missionaries who go to China spend years learning to read and speak Chinese so they can share the good news about Jesus in a way people truly understand.

What sports or games do kids play in China?

Kids in China love badminton — you'll see people playing it in parks, schoolyards, and even on sidewalks! Table tennis (ping-pong) is huge too, and China has some of the best players in the whole world. Jump rope and a kicking game called jianzi, where you keep a feathered shuttlecock in the air using only your feet, are favorites at recess. Chinese chess, called xiangqi, is something even young kids learn, and you might spot older men playing it outdoors on stone tables in a park. A game called mahjong, played with small tiles, is popular with families. And just like kids almost everywhere, millions of children in China enjoy soccer, basketball, and running races at school. Sports have a way of connecting people — and Chinese Christians sometimes use games as a way to build friendships and share the good news about Jesus.

What's the weather like in China?

China is so large that it has almost every kind of weather you can think of! The north can get bitterly cold winters with heavy snow, while the south stays warm and rainy much of the year. In the west, you have high, icy mountains and dry deserts. The middle and eastern parts of China have four full seasons — hot summers, cold winters, and everything in between. Every summer, powerful storms called typhoons can hit the southeastern coast, bringing strong winds and flooding rain. It is a land of real variety, from the frozen peaks of Tibet to the tropical warmth of Hainan Island in the south.

Tell me a fun fact about China.

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! China is home to the Giant Panda, one of the rarest animals on earth — but here's a detail that surprises most people: pandas have a special extra 'thumb' on their paw that isn't really a thumb at all. It's an enlarged wrist bone that helps them grip bamboo stalks. They can munch through 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo in a single day! Rusty wants to add this: China also invented paper, printing, and the compass — inventions that changed the whole world. In fact, without movable-type printing developed in China, it would have been much harder to print Bibles and spread God's Word across nations. Isn't it something how God can use the gifts He gives one people group to bless the whole earth?

What is school like for kids in China?

Herman here, with Rusty peering over my shoulder at the map! School in China is serious business. Most kids go six days a week, and the school day is long — often starting early in the morning and running into the late afternoon. Students study subjects like math, Chinese language, history, and science, and they often have a good amount of homework each night. Rusty wants to add something important: many kids in China learn about China's history and government as a big part of their schooling, but hearing about Jesus is not easy to find in a classroom there. The government keeps a close watch on what children are taught about faith. That means many kids grow up never really hearing who Jesus is or why He came. That's one reason missionaries and Chinese Christians work so hard — and sometimes at great risk — to share the gospel with families and young people across China.

Who are the unreached people in China?

Great question! China is one of the most interesting places in the world to study for missions. Even though China has millions of Christians, there are still hundreds of people groups inside China who have never really heard the good news about Jesus. These groups often live in mountains, valleys, or remote regions, speaking their own languages, and no one has ever explained to them who Jesus is or why He came. Some of the largest unreached groups include the Tibetans in the high plateaus, the Uyghurs in the west who are mostly Muslim, and dozens of smaller groups like the Yi, Miao, and Zhuang peoples — each with their own language and traditions. Many of these groups do not even have the Bible in their own language yet. That means missionaries and Bible translators are working hard so that one day every one of these peoples can read or hear about Jesus in words their own heart understands.

How can I pray for the people of China?

Herman and Rusty are glad you asked — prayer is one of the most important things you can do for the people of China! China has over 1.4 billion people, and many of them have never heard the true story of who Jesus is and what He did for them. Pray that God opens their hearts to hear the gospel and trust Jesus as their Savior. There are brave Christians in China who sometimes face real danger just for going to church or owning a Bible — that is called persecution, and it is hard. Pray that those believers stay strong and courageous, that more Chinese leaders rise up to teach God's Word to their own people, and that every language group in China gets a Bible they can read and understand. God hears every prayer, and He is already at work in China.

What is a holiday or celebration in China?

One of the biggest celebrations in China is the Spring Festival, also called Chinese New Year. It marks the start of a new year on the lunar calendar, and families travel from all over the country just to eat a big meal together. There are fireworks, red lanterns, and red envelopes filled with money given to children as gifts. The Spring Festival lasts about fifteen days and ends with the Lantern Festival, when people carry glowing lanterns into the streets at night. For most Chinese families, this holiday is about luck and ancestors — but many Chinese Christians use this time to celebrate God's goodness and share the gospel with family members who have never heard about Jesus. It is one of the best times of the year for believers in China to talk about their faith.

What language do people speak in China?

Great question to ask when exploring China! The main language is called Mandarin Chinese, and it is spoken by more people than any other language on earth. The Chinese writing system uses thousands of special characters called logograms — each one is a little picture-symbol that stands for a word or idea. But here is something interesting: China is so large that people in different regions actually speak very different languages at home, like Cantonese, Shanghainese, and dozens of others. Many of these smaller languages do not yet have a full Bible translation, which means missionaries and Bible translators are working hard so that every person in China can read about Jesus in the language they know best.

What's a famous place to visit in China?

One of the most famous places in China is the Great Wall — a massive stone wall that stretches thousands of miles across mountains and valleys in northern China. People built it long ago to protect the land from invaders, and some sections of it are still standing strong today. Another place worth knowing about is the city of Xi'an, where you can see the Terracotta Army — thousands of life-sized clay soldiers buried with an ancient emperor over 2,000 years ago. China has a deep and long history, and explorers who visit find layer after layer of it everywhere they look. What's really remarkable is that even in a land with so much history and culture, many people there are still searching for the one true God who made them and loves them.

China — Kids Missions Explorer

Giant Panda

Giant pandas have a special wrist bone that works like a thumb, helping them grip bamboo stalks as they eat up to 80 pounds of it every day.

Red-crowned Crane

Red-crowned cranes are one of the rarest cranes in the world and have been a symbol of long life and good fortune in Chinese culture for thousands of years.

Golden Snub-nosed Monkey

Golden snub-nosed monkeys live high in the cold mountain forests of central China and huddle together in large groups to stay warm through the winter.

Dumplings (Jiaozi)

Jiaozi are small dough pockets stuffed with pork and cabbage or other fillings, pinched shut by hand and eaten boiled, steamed, or pan-fried — especially at Lunar New Year.

Hot Pot

Hot pot is a shared meal where a bubbling pot of seasoned broth sits at the center of the table and everyone cooks their own meat, vegetables, and noodles right in the pot.

Steamed Buns (Baozi)

Baozi are soft, fluffy buns filled with savory meat or sweet red bean paste and steamed until pillowy, often eaten as a quick breakfast from street vendors.

China

Things you should know about China

Wildlife you might meet

What’s on the table

Did you know?

Life in China

Missions in China

Pray for China