While the internet is often seen as a global resource, not all websites are available to users worldwide. Due to cultural, political, or regulatory reasons, several well-known U.S. websites are restricted or banned in certain countries, blocking millions from accessing content that many Americans take for granted. From social media platforms to major news outlets, these websites have been shut out in regions where governments are wary of their influence or content.

This list delves into ten popular U.S. websites that have faced bans or heavy restrictions around the world.

Related: 10 Pop Songs Banned by Governments

10 Facebook

Facebook, one of the world’s largest social media platforms, has been banned in several countries, most notably China and Iran, and is partially restricted in North Korea. In China, Facebook was blocked in 2009 following the Urumqi riots, with the government claiming that the platform was being used to organize anti-government activities and spread unrest. The Chinese government maintains a high degree of control over its citizens’ access to information, fearing that platforms like Facebook could be used to criticize the government or organize protests.

Instead of Facebook, Chinese users have access to local alternatives like WeChat and Weibo, both of which are monitored and regulated by Chinese authorities. WeChat serves as an all-encompassing app for communication, payments, and social networking, allowing the government tighter control over digital activities. For the Chinese government, restricting Facebook and encouraging the use of homegrown apps helps maintain social stability and allows for greater oversight of citizens’ online interactions.^[1]

9 YouTube

YouTube, the go-to platform for video content, has faced bans and heavy restrictions in countries such as China, North Korea, and, at times, Pakistan. Pakistan initially banned YouTube in 2012 after the release of the controversial video Innocence of Muslims, which was deemed offensive to Islam and led to violent protests across the country. Pakistan eventually lifted the ban in 2016 after Google assured the government it would remove certain offensive content. In China, YouTube is banned entirely as part of the government’s broader censorship efforts, which aim to control politically sensitive information. Recently, even Russia has begun efforts to ban YouTube.

In countries where YouTube is restricted, local alternatives often take its place. For example, in Pakistan, the government actively monitors video content, and apps like Dailymotion or Vimeo serve as popular substitutes. In China, domestic platforms like Youku and Bilibili provide similar content, albeit with heavy censorship. These local platforms allow governments to filter and regulate video content more effectively, which is essential in regions where online media is tightly controlled to maintain government narratives.^[2]

8 Twitter/X

Twitter… uh, X, known for its fast-paced, open platform, is banned or heavily restricted in several countries, including China, North Korea, and, until recently, Nigeria. In China, Twitter has been banned since 2009, with the government citing the platform’s potential to incite social unrest. China’s authorities are wary of Twitter’s ability to rapidly spread information and its appeal for organizing protests. North Korea, on the other hand, blocks Twitter entirely as part of its policy of isolating citizens from outside influences. Brazil has also recently banned X in a feud with Elon Musk over political content on the platform.

During Nigeria’s ban on Twitter in 2021, the government cited the platform’s alleged interference in Nigerian domestic issues after Twitter removed a controversial tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigeria eventually lifted the ban after Twitter agreed to certain conditions. In China, Sina Weibo functions as the country’s answer to Twitter, but with stringent monitoring and censorship. This reliance on domestic alternatives allows governments to offer a similar service while ensuring that posts align with national interests and narratives.^[3]

7 Google Search

Google Search is one of the most widely used search engines globally, but it has been banned in China since 2010. The Chinese government initially allowed Google to operate in a heavily censored form, but Google decided to withdraw after refusing to comply with demands to censor search results further. This move followed a series of cyber-attacks allegedly targeting human rights activists’ Gmail accounts, which led to increased tensions between Google and the Chinese government. China’s decision to ban Google Search is part of its strategy to control the flow of information within the country.

Since then, Baidu has become China’s most popular search engine, offering a similar service but within the government’s strict regulatory framework. Baidu censors’ results were related to sensitive topics, such as the Tiananmen Square protests and the Tibetan and Taiwan independence movements. The ban on Google Search underscores China’s commitment to keeping information flows in check and promoting domestic platforms that are more compliant with government interests, showing how censorship shapes even the most basic internet functions. ^[4]

6 Wikipedia

Wikipedia, the world’s largest open-source encyclopedia, has been banned or restricted in countries like Turkey (until recently) and China. Turkey banned Wikipedia in 2017, accusing it of hosting articles suggesting that Turkey supported terrorist groups, an accusation that the government vehemently denied. This ban lasted nearly three years until Turkey’s highest court ruled that it violated freedom of expression. In China, Wikipedia remains banned due to its articles on politically sensitive topics, including human rights abuses, Tibet, and the history of the Communist Party.

The decentralized nature of Wikipedia, where contributors from around the world can edit and publish information, makes it difficult for governments to control content. In China, people turn to Baidu Baike, a government-approved online encyclopedia that offers similar information but with state oversight. This censorship approach allows governments to limit access to unregulated information, controlling narratives and preventing citizens from accessing perspectives that might challenge official state positions.^[5]

5 Reddit

Reddit, often called “the front page of the internet,” is banned in China and has faced temporary restrictions in countries like Indonesia. China blocks Reddit due to its decentralized, user-driven content, which can easily delve into controversial topics that challenge government narratives [LINK 6]. Indonesia also briefly restricted Reddit due to its allowance of explicit content and discussions that contradict local cultural norms, but later lifted the ban with certain content filtering requirements in place.

In China, popular forums like Baidu Tieba offer similar functions but are tightly monitored by government censors. These forums avoid politically sensitive or culturally taboo topics, maintaining an environment consistent with the government’s internet regulations. Reddit’s ban reflects how governments prioritize control over online discourse and aim to restrict platforms that offer unrestricted freedom of expression.^[6]

4 The New York Times

The New York Times, a globally respected newspaper, is banned in China, where authorities object to its investigative reporting on sensitive topics, such as Chinese leadership, political corruption, and human rights issues. The ban began in 2012 after the Times published an exposé detailing the wealth of former Premier Wen Jiabao’s family, a story that embarrassed the Chinese government and prompted swift retaliation. Since then, the Times has faced ongoing restrictions as Chinese authorities aim to limit access to foreign journalism that may criticize or scrutinize government actions.

Chinese readers seeking global news often turn to government-approved publications like the Xinhua News Agency or Global Times, which provide news through a state-approved lens. The Chinese government’s crackdown on foreign media outlets highlights its desire to shape public perception and ensure that journalism aligns with national interests. The restriction on the New York Times demonstrates the challenges that independent news organizations face in countries with strict media control.^[7]

3 Dropbox

Dropbox, a popular cloud storage service, has been banned in China since 2014 due to concerns over data privacy and government control. Chinese authorities worry that Dropbox’s encryption makes it impossible to monitor, potentially allowing citizens to store or share information the government deems inappropriate or dangerous. Unlike other tech companies, Dropbox has not created a censored version for the Chinese market, choosing instead to maintain its commitment to user privacy.

China’s answer to Dropbox is Baidu Cloud, which offers similar services but complies with local data regulations that allow government access to stored data when needed. The Dropbox ban illustrates the clash between international tech companies’ data protection policies and governments’ demand for surveillance, especially in countries where control over online content is strict.^[8]

2 PayPal

PayPal, the global online payment system, was not outright banned but faced suspension in Turkey in 2016 after failing to comply with local data storage laws. Turkish regulators required all payment processing companies to store customer data locally, a rule that PayPal was unable to meet with its existing infrastructure. As a result, PayPal ceased its operations in Turkey, leaving Turkish users without one of the most popular digital payment platforms in the world.

Since then, local alternatives like Iyzico and Papara have filled the gap left by PayPal’s exit. Turkey’s insistence on data localization reflects a broader trend among countries looking to assert control over digital financial transactions and customer data. PayPal’s struggle in Turkey underscores the challenge for international companies trying to comply with varying regulatory standards while maintaining operational efficiency.^[9]

1 WhatsApp

WhatsApp, the popular messaging app known for its end-to-end encryption, has been banned or heavily restricted in countries like China, North Korea, and parts of the Middle East. China, in particular, has restricted WhatsApp since 2017, claiming the app’s encryption poses a national security threat by preventing the government from monitoring messages. End-to-end encryption is also frowned upon in countries where government surveillance is prioritized.

In China, WeChat, a government-approved messaging app, serves as the primary alternative. WeChat offers messaging, social media, and payment services, all of which the government can monitor more easily. The WhatsApp ban is a clear example of how encryption technologies can clash with national security policies, especially in countries where the government seeks full control over communication channels.^[10]

Life under Mao Tse–tung was strange and brutish. While he was chairman of China, he introduced some policies that didn’t work well and that eventually killed an estimated 45–75 million of his own people. Under the feverish sway of Mao’s cult of personality, people in China got a little weird—and there are some lesser-known stories from Mao’s rule that you’d never imagine.

10 Mao Sent Mangoes To People, And They Went Crazy

In 1968, a Pakistani foreign minister gave Mao a gift: a cart full of mangoes. To the minister, this was probably nothing more than a simple gesture. But in China, it sparked a wave of complete insanity.

Mao gave the mangoes to a few people on his propaganda team, and they reacted as if Mao had just dragged an angel down from Heaven and dropped him on their doorstep. The People’s Daily wrote an article saying that “tears swelled up in their eyes” with the joy of getting a mango and that they “cried out enthusiastically and sang with wild abandonment.”

A textile factory put their mango in a shrine and had workers pass by and pay respects to it when they entered. When the mango went bad, they made a replica of the mango and kept it in the shrine so that no worker would have to start their day without giving thanks for the mango.

9 A Man Was Executed For Comparing Mangoes To Sweet Potatoes

As most Chinese people had never seen a mango before, the experience was life-changing for every single person honored enough to behold this juicy tropical fruit. That is, every person except for one.

A dentist got the chance to see a mango in person and somehow was not impressed. He denounced the mango as being similar to a sweet potato, which made the people furious.

The dentist was arrested on charges of “counterrevolutionary speech.” He was sent to prison and, shortly after, executed for the crime of saying mangoes kind of look like sweet potatoes. Nobody ever dared to scoff at mangoes again.

8 Stamp Collecting Was Made A Crime

Mao tried to put an end to every hint of bourgeoisie in his country. Sometimes, this meant putting an end to corrupt businesses and wealthy landowners. Other times, it meant tearing up children’s stamp collections.

Reportedly, Mao hated stamps. He viewed collecting them as a bourgeois pastime and, when the Cultural Revolution began, banned his people from keeping stamps in any collected form.

The ruling stayed in place until Mao died, and it took until he was gone before Chinese hobbyists could openly show off the stamps they’d slipped off envelopes. Ironically, the effect of Mao’s ban is that stamps from the Cultural Revolution are now among the most prized and sought after in the world.

7 Students Were Encouraged To Beat Their Teachers

The Communist Party of China encouraged its people to “clear away the evil habits of the old society” and tear down the old ideas of their forefathers. Although there’s no proof they ever explicitly said that meant “beat your teacher to death,” that’s definitely how people took it.

In 1966, students in at least 91 separate schools dragged their teachers into the streets and beat them until they decried their corrupt ways. In some instances, the students splashed ink on the teachers’ clothes and hung boards on them with their names crossed out with red X’s. Then the students beat these teachers with nail-spiked clubs and burned them with scalding water, often until they died.

By the end, 18 educators had been killed by their students and many more had committed suicide over the humiliation. Meanwhile, Mao sat back and ordered his security not to interfere with what the students were doing. He didn’t let the army try to restore order for a full two years.

6 The Great Wall Was Torn Down For Building Materials

During the 1970s, the Chinese government realized that it didn’t need to waste so much money on building materials for housing. After all, the longest wall in the world was just sitting there taking up space. With another chance to destroy an old relic, they encouraged people to start dismantling the Great Wall for the spare bricks.

Villagers living near the Great Wall tore parts of it down and then worked the bricks into their homes. Even the government tore down whole sections and used the parts to build a dam.

The Great Wall eventually became a heritage site, and the area was protected. To this day, though, there are still a few houses with great chunks of history holding up their walls.

5 Tigers Were Declared An Enemy Of The People And Nearly Eradicated

In 1959, Mao got fed up with tigers. After farmers in China were attacked by animals, Mao announced that tigers—along with wolves and leopards—were “enemies of the people” and should be destroyed.

The Communist Party sparked a number of “anti-pest” campaigns that encouraged people to seek out and kill predatory animals. In just a few years, the Chinese had slaughtered nearly 75 percent of the world’s population of South Asian tigers and brought these animals to the brink of extinction.

4 The Red Guard Wanted To Make People Go On Red Traffic Lights

The Red Guard was on a constant lookout for anything that might be counterrevolutionary. In September 1966, some of them noticed something insidious—people were stopping their cars when they saw red traffic lights.

Since red was the color of the party, the group decided that stopping on red and driving on green was “obstructing the progress of revolution,” and they marched to demand an end to it. From then on, the men declared, they would force people to drive on red.

Fortunately, the Red Guard was stopped by China’s Premier Chou En-lai before they could put their plan into motion. Premier Chou sat the men down and assured them that stopping on red symbolized how the party “guarantees the safety of all revolutionary activities.” An onslaught of riots and traffic accidents was just barely avoided.

3 People Were Arrested For Owning Ties

According to writer Liang Heng, you could get into trouble in Mao’s time just for dressing well. Liang recounts a story in which his father was nearly sent to prison because he was found in possession of a tie.

Members of the Red Guard had broken into Liang’s home and were searching through his father’s things when they found a tie. A Red Guard held up the tie and announced that it was “capitalist.” When Liang’s father was found to own a suit and cuff links, he was denounced as a “stinking intellectual,” and then his clothes and books were gathered together and burned.

Liang’s father escaped imprisonment by agreeing to state that burning his possessions was “a revolutionary action” and a good thing. Still, he didn’t emerge unscathed. The Red Guards took his radio and a month’s salary as payment before leaving his home.

2 People Cannibalized Each Other To Show Their Dedication To The Party

In Mao’s China, cannibalism was a major problem. According to some reports, some of the students who killed their principals ate the dead bodies as a way of celebrating their triumph over counterrevolutionaries. A government-run cafeteria also allegedly displayed the bodies of traitors on meathooks and served their flesh for lunch.

The worst cases were in Guangxi Province. In the late 1960s, at least 137 people were killed and eaten in that province alone. These bodies were usually shared with others, suggesting that there were likely thousands of people who committed cannibalism.

While there’s almost no doubt that starvation was part of the reason this happened, the people who did it didn’t see themselves as desperate. The acts of cannibalism were touted as a way of showing just how feverishly dedicated a person was to the cause of the party. If you were willing to eat China’s enemies, they figured, no one could say you were taking the cause lightly.

1 Mao Tried To Gift 10 Million Women To The US

In 1973, in Mao’s later years, he sat down with Henry Kissinger, hoping to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement with the United States. At first, Kissinger reportedly tried to keep the conversation on serious topics, but Mao’s mind was on other things.

Mao told Kissinger that China was a “very poor country” and had little to offer in a trade agreement—except, that is, for women. He offered to send 10 million women to the US, saying that he had them in excess and that they only caused problems.

As Mao riffed on about how women were ruining the country, one of his party members warned him that, if his words got out, “it would incur the public wrath.” The dying Mao, though, was getting old and tired. He didn’t seem too worried.

“I’m not afraid of anything,” the chairman said between heavy coughs. “God has sent me an invitation.”

China is known for many things, but they’re perhaps most infamous for their counterfeit items. From clothes to bags to electronics—even whole towns—China has it all. However, they’ve recently taken the counterfeit business a little further and have entered the disturbing realm of counterfeit foods.

10Plastic Rice

If there’s one food that should be impossible to counterfeit, it would be rice. But the Chinese did it anyway. China’s fake rice is also called plastic rice. It’s made from potatoes, sweet potatoes, and synthetic resin molded into the shape of real rice. The faux rice was commonly sold in Chinese markets, especially in Taiyuan in Shaanxi Province. The rice remained as hard as stone even after it was cooked and did not digest easily. It’s also pretty dangerous, since consuming three bowls of it is equal to consuming one bag of vinyl, or one plastic bag.

Aside from producing artificial rice, dishonest Chinese rice sellers also add flavors to ordinary rice and sell them to the unsuspecting public as “Wuchang rice,” which is more costly and generally considered one of the better brands of rice sold in Chinese markets. Only 800,000 tons of this Wuchang rice are produced annually, while about 10 million tons are sold. In other words, more than 9 million tons are fake.

9Rat Mutton

When they’re not tampering with rice, dishonest Chinese food sellers are adding chemicals to meat from rats, minks, and foxes and selling them as mutton. The scheme was so popular and successful that the police arrested more than 900 people and seized about 20,000 tons of this meat, all within three months. One of the sellers, a man named Wei, even raked in more than £1 million from sales alone. He mixed fox, rat, and mink meat with nitrate, gelatin, and carmine before selling it in markets to unsuspecting buyers.

Chinese police posted a tutorial on Sina Weibo, China’s biggest microblogging site, to teach people how to differentiate between real and fake mutton. While the difference between them is hard to tell at first glance, the white and red parts of real mutton don’t separate after getting thawed, torn by hand, or boiled, while the fake meat does.

8Chemical Tofu

Tofu, also called soya curd, is a cheese-like food made from a mixture of soy milk and a coagulant. Chinese authorities recently closed down two factories in Wuhan, Hubei Province for selling fake tofu, which was made by mixing various chemicals together. One worker confessed that they combined soy protein with flour, monosodium glutamate, pigment, and ice to make the fake tofu before packaging it and selling it under the name of another company that was producing real tofu.

Using soy protein to make tofu isn’t the most dastardly of deeds, but not all the schemes were so innocent. Another criminal gang made counterfeit tofu by adding rongalite, an industrial bleaching agent that’s been linked to cancer. Supposedly, the chemical made their tofu chewier and brighter. The syndicate was headed by three cousins who sold about 100 tons of the tainted product to the unsuspecting public. When police raided their factory, they found employees making the counterfeit food with grimy, unwashed equipment.

7Formaldehyde And Duck Blood

Duck blood tofu is a delicacy in China. It’s made from blood extracted from slaughtered ducks. The blood is then heated until it thickens, allowing it to be cut into squares and sold. That’s strange already, but it gets worse: Sellers have been known to mix deadly ingredients like formaldehyde with much cheaper pig or buffalo blood, then sell the concoction as duck blood.

Chinese authorities once broke a fake duck-blood ring that was being run by a couple in Jiangsu Province. In this instance, the couple wasn’t using pig or buffalo meat. Instead, they used chicken blood mixed with inedible dye and materials used for printing. One ton of fake duck blood was confiscated. The use of fake duck blood for duck blood tofu is so prevalent in China today that customers have become pretty good at spotting the difference between the real stuff and the fake stuff.

6Adulterated Honey

There are two types of counterfeit honey: the adulterated one, which is a mixture of real honey and sugar syrup, beetroot syrup, or rice syrup, and the fake honey, which looks more like real honey than real honey itself. It is made from a mixture of water, sugar, alum, and coloring.

One kilogram (2.2 lb) of fake honey can be produced for just 10 yuan (about $1.60) and sold for as much as 60 yuan ($9.50). About 70 percent of the honey sold in China’s Jinan Province is fake and, as usual, Chinese newspapers have offered instructions on how to differentiate between real and fake honey.

Police raided several fake honey production sites where 38 buckets of honey were seized. China is the world’s biggest producer of honey, which it exports to other countries. A study revealed that 10 percent of the honey sold in France was fake and most likely originated in either East Europe or China. US Customs also busted a fake honey-smuggling ring made up of US honey producers. It was discovered that they had been bringing fake honey into the US from China via Australia.

5Contaminated Bottled Water

Selling fake honey is one thing; messing with people’s water supplies is a whole other criminal ballpark. Police have recently uncovered a scam in which plastic bottles are filled with tap water or poorly treated water and sealed with quality standard seals—the same used by genuine bottled water companies. Among other things, the bottles have been found to contain E. coli and a stew of harmful fungi. More than 100 million bottles of this bacterial soup are sold annually, with the sellers raking in more than 1 billion yuan (about $120 million). For comparison, about 200 million bottles of water (both genuine and counterfeit) are produced in Beijing annually.

The bottled water scam is not new and has been going on since at least 2002. It costs producers about three yuan to produce fake water, which can then be sold for nearly 10 yuan. Real bottled water costs six yuan to produce.

4Rotten Rice Noodles

China’s counterfeit rice noodles are made from rotten, stale, and moldy grains which are usually used as animal feed. These are then mixed with cancer-causing additives such as sulfur dioxide to get the final product. And this isn’t a one-man show—almost 50 factories in Dongguan city were found to be in on the scheme, churning out 500,000 kilograms (1.1 million lb) of counterfeited rice noodles per day. Another inspection of 35 other factories showed that 30 of them were producing substandard rice noodles. Producers bleached spoiled rice and mixed it with additives to get triple the amount of rice noodles.

Aside from using stale rice, some producers use flour, starch, and corn powders instead. These noodles usually have a very low protein content—as low as 1 percent compared to 7 percent for pure rice noodles and 4.5 percent for mixed rice noodles. Some pigs that were fed these fake rice noodles ended up with weak limbs and several other problems.

3Clenbuterol-Laced Pork

Clenbuterol, also called “lean meat powder,” is an additive added to animal feed. It burns fat in the animals but can cause sickness, heart problems, unnecessary sweating, and dizziness in humans. Its use in animal feed began in the 1980s, but was banned in 2002 because of its health risks. However, some meat-processing companies still give it to their pigs because it makes their pork leaner, and leaner pork fetches more money on the market.

To make matters worse, one of the companies involved is China’s largest meat processor and a subsidiary of Henan Shuanghui Investment and Development Company. The company issued an apology for the act, then recalled more than 2,000 tons of their pork. Twenty-four workers were sacked or suspended.

In an attempt to minimize losses, the company’s shares were suspended to stop the scandal from affecting its stock price. The China Meat Association also tried to downplay the incident so that it would not damage the Chinese meat market. Between 1998 and 2007, China witnessed 18 outbreaks of banned clenbuterol, during which one person died and more than 1,700 people became sick.

2Fake Wine

Fake and counterfeited wine is a big problem in China. China Central Television (CTV) reported that half of all the wine sold in China is fake. A lot of people in China’s wine industry also believe that about 90 percent of premium wines sold in China are fake as well. To counter the sales of fake wine, the Guangdong Provincial Wine Testing Center was founded to determine the authenticity of wines. Wine producers have joined forces with the government to produce an app meant to track wine bottles and cartons to determine whether they’re original or fake.

The scam was simple: Counterfeit wine makers would use the original name, label, and design from expensive wine bottles, but would slightly alter the names and logos on theirs to differentiate them. Others would simply collect empty bottles from expensive wines and then refill them with dirt-cheap wine.

Today, big hotels, restaurants, and auction houses break wine bottles after use to prevent them from being reused. During a raid on a fake wine-making syndicate in China, police recovered more than 40,000 bottles of counterfeited wine worth more than $32 million. The group had been buying cheap wine and dumping it into fake bottles from expensive wine brands. In 2012, police also recovered more than 350 cases of counterfeited wine in Shanghai. The total haul was worth about $1.6 million.

1Yangcheng Hairy Crabs

Yangcheng hairy crabs are the most expensive crabs in China, so it’s no surprise that people would try to pass off regular crabs as the pricier breed. The real deal comes exclusively from Yangcheng Lake, but there are a few sneaky ways around that. For example, some sellers take water from Yangcheng Lake and put other crabs in it for several hours before selling them as Yangchengs. Others use chemicals on the crabs to make them look like Yangcheng crabs.

Only 1 in every 300 Yangcheng hairy crabs sold is real. The total number of crabs produced from Yangcheng is less than 3,000 tons annually, but more than 100,000 tons of crabs are sold. To counter the fake crabs, the Suzhou Crab Business Association demanded that a plastic ring with a special numerical code be attached to one of the claws of each original Yangcheng hairy crab. That plan soon failed when sellers of the real Yangcheng hairy crabs sold their tags to those selling fakes.

+Cardboard Buns

Cardboard buns are made from cut cardboard mixed with chemicals and pork flavors. An investigation carried out by CTV showed a video of a seller making the buns, commonly called baozi, out of cardboard. The cardboard is first mixed with caustic soda—which is used in the production of soap and paper—and then cut before being mixed with pork and seasoning.

The video went viral and was picked up by several international media organizations. The Chinese government responded this time, saying that the foreign media organizations had taken the news too far and that the fake buns were actually a hoax. The reporter who filmed the video was also arrested. The government said that he had done it to earn more audience ratings for the station.

Elizabeth is an aspiring writer and blogger. She enjoys reading your comments. You can also email her at [email protected].

The emperors of the ancient world held an incredible amount of power. Those who ruled over the kingdoms of ancient China were called the sons of Heaven. They were deified men whose every word was to be followed without question.

When a whole kingdom follows your every word, it can be hard to stay stable, but it’s easy to fall into a decadent and unstable life. That much power can drive a man insane. Sometimes, it did.

10 King Zhou Of Shang Had A Lake Of Wine

As the reign of King Zhou went on, he started to get comfortable. He was the king of a great dynasty, and he resolved to enjoy it—in some absolutely unbelievable ways.

Zhou ordered the construction of the Pool Of Wine And Forest Of Meat, which was exactly what the name suggests. This was a massive, man-made lake filled with nothing but liquor. It was big enough for several canoes. In the center of the pool was a little island, dotted with trees. The tree’s branches, though, were skewers full of meat. Zhou and his concubines would pass their time drifting around in the canoes, drinking the liquor and plucking off meat.

As you might expect, all that decadence didn’t make King Zhou particularly popular. When he saw the people rising against him, Zhou set himself on fire—because, apparently, he was better at coming up with ideas for parties than painless suicide methods. His pool of liquor was destroyed, and his successors, who were significantly less fun, banned alcohol across the kingdom.

9 King Wu Of Qin Died In Powerlifting Contest

King Wu was a massive hulk of a man, obsessed with showing off his muscles. He valued strength above all else. He kicked all the book-reading nerds out of power and filled the highest ranks in his kingdom with musclemen, chosen for their ability to lift heavy things above their heads.

That love for lifting heavy things would be his end. One of the strongest men in the kingdom, Meng Yue, challenged him to a cauldron-lifting contest. It seems that Meng won: While Wu was lifting his cauldron up, his knees snapped, and he collapsed.

Wu spent about eight months slowly and painfully dying before his body finally gave up, which was bad news for Meng. As his reward for soundly beating the king in a powerlifting contest, Meng and his entire family were hunted down and killed.

8 Emperor Wu Of Jin Let A Goat Choose His Concubines

One of the major benefits of being the emperor was the harems. They were meant to be a little perk for ruling the country, but for Emperor Wu, they were more of a distraction.

Emperor Wu dedicated most of his time to his harem. He would pull every pretty girl he could find out of her home to make her his concubine, especially preying on his officials’ daughters. This, for Emperor Wu, was important work—so much so that he made it a crime to get married until he was finished picking his concubines.

By the end, Emperor Wu had more than 10,000 women in his harem. To choose his partner for the night, he would ride around in a cart drawn by goats. When the goats stopped, he’d sleep with whichever woman they’d brought him to.

7 Emperor Gaozu Peed In Scholars’ Hats

Emperor Gaozu wasn’t the biggest supporter of education. He believed in military might and obedience to a strong, centralized government, and he didn’t really see any point in wasting time learning to read or discussing philosophy. “All I possess I have won on horseback,” he told one of his advisors. “Why should I bother with [the Books of] Odes and History?”

This wasn’t just simple disinterest; education actively enraged him. In Gaozu’s time, most scholars were followers of Confucius, and they walked with pointy hats. He spent most of his time launching into curse-filled tirades about how awful they were. When he actually saw a scholar, he’d rip off the scholar’s hat and pee in it.

When his advisor, Lu Jia, wrote a flattering book about his victories, though, Gaozu changed his tune. In one of history’s rare instances of someone admitting they were wrong, Gaozu set up Confucian schools across the empire and made it the state ideology.

6 Emperor Xuanzong Had 40,000 Concubines

Traditionally, in Xuanzong’s time, emperors would release their concubines when their reign came to an end. Since it often only took a couple of years for someone to get fed up and assassinate the king, that meant that being a concubine was only a temporary position.

Xuanzong, however, stubbornly refused to die. His reign went on for 44 years, and his harem just kept getting bigger. By the end, he had over 40,000 women. Xuanzong almost certainly didn’t have time to meet them all, so instead, they just sat around learning poetry, mathematics, and the classics and taking care of mulberry trees.

That doesn’t mean he stopped adding to his harem, though. When he was 60 years old, Xuanzong made his own son divorce his wife so that he could make his daughter-in-law one of his concubines.

5 Emperor Houfei Used His General’s Belly For Target Practice

Emperor Houfei was nine years old when he ascended to the throne. Nine, as the Chinese learned, is a bit too young to be given absolute power over an empire—and Emperor Houfei went mad with power in the way only a child could. He managed to survive for five years before people finally got fed up and killed him. The beginning of the end came when he saw his general, Xiao Daocheng, sleeping naked.

Houfei was captivated by the round bulge of Xiao’s massive belly, and he had a stroke of inspiration. He pinned a target to the general’s gut and used it as target practice. He would have used real arrows, but his attendant managed to convince him to use blunted ones. If he kept his general alive, his attendant told him, he could shoot arrows at his belly every day.

Xiao got his revenge. He sent a man into Houfei’s room while he was sleeping to cut off his head. Xiao then took over the empire himself.

4 Emperor Jing Killed A Man For Beating Him At A Board Game

Anyone who has flipped a Monopoly game in outrage has a kindred spirit in Emperor Jing. He lost his temper during a game of Liubo, an ancient Chinese game played on a heavy stone board. Emperor Jing was losing, and his opponent, apparently, hurt his feelings. He threw the stone board at his opponent’s head, hitting him so hard that he killed him.

Unfortunately for Emperor Jing, his opponent was the prince and heir to the Wu Empire. The King of Wu vowed revenge. He united seven kingdoms and led a revolt against Jing.

Emperor Jing, though, was better at war than he was at Liubo. He managed to crush the rebellion. Then he shrunk the kingdoms of those who dared to question him and his policy of killing anyone who beats him at a board game.

3 King Fu Sheng Made It A Crime To Say ‘Without’

Legend has it that that King Fu Sheng’s eye was pecked out when he tried to steal an eagle’s eggs. That might be a myth, but the man was definitely blind in one eye, and he was a bit sensitive about it. He was so paranoid that he believed anyone who said the words “missing,” “lacking,” “less,” or “without” must be mocking him—so he made it a crime. Anyone who uttered one of those words in his presence was sentenced to death.

Murder was how Fu Sheng solved most of his problems. His astrologers advised him that if he didn’t change his ways, his reign would be short, but he didn’t really listen. Before his two years as king were up, he’d executed his wife, her father, and her uncle, and he was working his way through his own family.

When his cousins found out he was planning on taking them on next, they attacked his castle, pulled him out of his room, and had him dragged to death by a horse. For all of his efforts to stop people from making fun of him, Fu Sheng went down in history as the “One-Eyed Tyrant.”

2 Emperor Wenxuan Walked Around Naked Wearing Makeup

Wenxuan’s reign started off well, but as time went on, he started devoting less and less time to managing the state and more and more time to getting blindingly drunk. It didn’t take long before he was nearly perpetually drunk, and he completely lost control. He had a bad habit of taking all of his clothes off, putting makeup on his face, and wandering into his noble’s bedrooms. He’d even wander around naked in the winter.

His worst habit, though, was getting drunk and killing people. One time, he stopped a woman on the street and asked, “What is the Son of Heaven like?” When she answered, “He is so crazy that he really cannot be considered a Son of Heaven,” he beheaded her.

This wasn’t an isolated event. He drunkenly killed people so often that whenever he got drunk, his minister would bring him a condemned prisoner to murder so that he could get it out of his system before he took it out on the innocent.

1 Emperor Zhengde Liked To Play Make-Believe

Zhengde became emperor when he was 13 years old, and he wasn’t quite done with the days of childhood. He still liked to make believe, and because he was the emperor, everyone else had to go along with it.

He would force his ministers to dress up as merchants so that he could pretend he was a commoner visiting their shops. This, under Emperor Zhengde, was an imperial duty. Anyone who would not play make-believe with him was removed from their post.

He built a 200-room building called the “Leopard Quarter” next to the imperial zoo. He and his friends would spend their time there drinking and hunting the animals in the zoo, pretending they were in the jungles chasing wild game.

Zhengde also told his people that he had an identical double named General Zhu Shou. He would give orders for them to pass on to Zhu Shou. Then he would change his clothes and come back out, now forcing everyone to call him Zhu Shou. His men would have to tell him his own orders, and he would pretend to be surprised.

For an imaginary person, Zhu Shou was actually a pretty capable general. Zhengde stayed in power until he turned 29. In the end, though, the liquor got him. Drunk out his mind, he fell out of a boat. The cold water left him with an illness that ended his life.

A history as old as China’s is a smorgasbord for archaeologists. The ancient culture continues to reveal long-hidden layers, adding to an already complex past. The latest from this vast country covers a remarkable trove, from revealing missing links to what games the nobility played to how the climate brought death to dynasties. Even more intriguing are the new mysteries and legends proving to be true.

10A Legend’s Treasure

A river in China is said to be strewn with treasure. The legend goes that during a peasant revolt, their leader led a 100-boat convoy down the Minjiang River. The gold-carrying ships were ambushed on their way south in the modern Sichuan Province. During the battle, the precious cargo sunk to the bottom and away into the world of myths. It took centuries and surprised construction workers to prove that the story was real.^[1]

In 2005, a crew was working on the banks where the Minjiang and Jinjiang rivers meet and came upon seven ingots of silver stuck in the gravel. Archaeologists used pumps and retaining walls to cordon off and drain part of the Minjiang. This one area, measuring some 10,000 square meters, yielded a vast amount of valuables. Over 10,000 artifacts of gold and silver were found, including ingots, jewelry, and coins. Bronze items and weapons were also among the legendary hoard. Experts could date many of the artifacts to when the fight was said to have occurred, sometime between 1368–1644.

9The Unknown Human

When found in 2007 and 2014 respectively, two skulls created a buzz. Both were extracted from China’s Lingjing site in the Henan province. They belonged to the same strange species: a modern human with Neanderthal features.^[2]

Similar to people today, the pair owned reduced brow lines, slight cranial vaults, and big brains. However, semicircular ear canals and a thicker skull at the back were Neanderthal. Additionally, the low broad brain case was a trait of early eastern Eurasian humans.

Scientists involved in the study feel it’s an unknown human branch, but others suggest these are the first Denisovan skulls. Related to Neanderthals, all that’s ever been found of them is a finger bone and teeth. Living Chinese also have 0.1 percent Denisovan DNA. The Lingjing skulls are too ancient to yield the DNA sample that can solved this mystery. Aged 105,000–125,000 years old, they do provide an opportunity to study human evolution in eastern Eurasia. It’s likely that an unidentified archaic group lived alongside Neanderthals and modern humans, interbred, and passed down a mixed heritage for generations.

8Giant Buddha And Temple

In 2016, a renovation project began at the Hongmen dam in Nancheng County. The first step was to lower the water level. By the time it was down by 10 meters, villagers noticed the unmistakable face of a Buddha emerging. Closer investigation revealed it had been carved from the cliff face, and the head was only the visible tip of a complete statue that stood 3.8 meters high.

The Buddha’s carving style places it in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) or earlier. Also found were inscriptions and the floor of a large room covering 165 square meters. Considering the sacred figure nearby, the floor was likely all that remained of a temple, and local historic records soon confirmed the theory.^[3]

There was once an ancient town, Xiaoshi, which was the trading hub between the provinces of Jiangxi and Fujian. The local temple stood at the intersection of two rivers, meant to safeguard sailors from dangerous currents. The statue and Xiaoshi’s ruins became submerged and forgotten when the reservoir was constructed around them and flooded.

7Royal Mausoleum

Several wealthy kings served under China’s emperor in the second century BC.

The elaborate resting place of King Liu Fei was recently opened. The arrogant royal once ruled the Jiangdu kingdom (modern-day Xuyi County) and had a luxurious lifestyle until he died in 128 BC. The crypt had been plundered but remained an archaeological wonderland. Excavations running from 2009–2011 listed over 10,000 artifacts from three main tombs, 11 attendant graves, weaponry, and horse-and-chariot pits. The king’s chamber consisted of smaller rooms connected by corridors and came with a stocked kitchen, coin-filled treasury, musical instruments, model chariots, and a wide variety of weapons.

Unfortunately, Liu Fei’s exquisite jade coffins were badly damaged, and the king himself was missing.^[4] Next door, archaeologists discovered the most important find of the dig. Amid treasures of lacquer and precious metals was the casket of an unidentified individual. In pristine condition, it remains the only jade coffin in Chinese archaeology to be found undamaged. Also, five normal-sized chariots and 50 additional miniature versions were retrieved from two more pits.

6Drought Inscriptions

The Qinling Mountains in central China receives most of the summer rainfall. It provides regional rivers with water and a recent discovery revealed it was also an emergency reservoir during droughts. One cave received at least 70 visits over a period of 500 years.

The most scientifically important years connected with Dayu Cave came to light when wall inscriptions were found, detailing seven droughts between 1528–1894. The authors capture the desperation of the local communities, describing how hundreds would follow important individuals, such as a local mayor, fortuneteller, or district governor to collect water and pray for rain. To double check the historical texts, several stalagmites were analyzed, and their chemical composition confirmed that the given years had a lower rainfall. Interestingly, this is the first time that stalagmites and ancient records from the same site had ever been compared.

There is an old theory that climate change destabilized Chinese society enough times to contribute to the destruction of the Tang, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. Dayu Cave presents direct evidence to support this view.^[5]

5A Game With No Rules

Nearby Qingzhou City lies a massive, elite tomb. A lot of its treasures were removed by looters over the course of its 2,300-year-old existence. The recurring waves of thieves were probably in no mood to play games because a rare entertainment set was left behind during each robbery.

When researchers entered the aristocratic grave in 2004, they recognized the items as possibly belonging to a game called “Bo” or “Liubo.” The playing board was a large tile. Upon discovery, it was in pieces, but once repaired, the surface showed images of stylized clouds and lightning. The center was decorated with a pair of eyes. Playing pieces included 21 tokens that were rectangular and numbered.

There was also a die with 14 sides. Crafted from an animal tooth, 12 sides carried an ancient form of Chinese writing—seal script—while the other two were blank. Bo stopped being popular over 1,500 years ago, and the rules vanished over time.^[6] All that is known about Bo is that it was a two-person game of strategy where pieces were “kinged” and points accrued.

4Origins Of Polo

Conventional wisdom names Persia as the place where polo was born around 2,600 years ago. Now, archaeologists have come across polo sticks and balls that might give China that honor.^[7]

The sport equipment was found in the Yanghai Tombs in the northwest and is 2,400–2,800 years old. Eight lengthy sticks have a similar design to those depicted in artwork of a much later era, the Tang Dynasty (618–907), although the first writings that mention polo appeared during the Han Dynasty (202 BC–AD 221). The three balls, sheepskin tightly packed with leather and wool, resemble others found in a Han tomb but, like the sticks, are also much older.

The Yanghai site included the mummified remains of those who practiced this equine tradition. The bodies belonged to a light-haired, fair-skinned people called the Subeixi. They were the first steppe tribe who abandoned the nomadic lifestyle that was the norm around 3,000 years ago, becoming herders and also helped to establish the famous Silk Road. Their most notable skill was horsemanship, so it’s no surprise they kept themselves sharp with polo matches.

3Chariot Graveyard

A mass grave of a different sort was unearthed in recent years. In Zaoyang city in Hubei Province, a piece of land produced vehicles, people, and animals. Thirty tombs belonged to members of the nobility who died between 770–476 BC. Separate from them was a massive pit. Inside were 28 wooden chariots arranged flat on their sides and densely stacked together. Five meters from the chariot corridor was another pit containing 98 horse skeletons. Both the chariots and horses were buried around 2,800 years ago, and the animals appeared to have been killed beforehand as there were no signs of resistance.

After death, the horses were buried in pairs, most likely because the chariots were the type pulled by two-horse teams.^[8] Since the vehicles were the high-tech cars of the time and owned by the ruling class, the sheer number found were meant to demonstrate the high rank and power of the individuals buried there. Also discovered were musical instruments, among them the oldest bianzhong (bronze chimes set in a frame).

2The Missing Textile Link

The Han Dynasty produced copious amounts of silk. Distributed throughout Eurasia and even the Roman Empire in the west, it wasn’t clear how weavers managed to keep up with the demand. In 2013, construction workers uncovered a five-chambered tomb from the second century BC. Located in the city of Chengdu, the crypt held a woman, aged around 50. Below the burial room were four compartments. One made weaving history.

Inside, were four looms. They were models of the real thing, one-sixth in scale. Carved weavers, around 10 inches high, were arranged around them performing tasks. Some wielded tools, while others worked the thread. A study determined that they were the earliest examples of pattern looms, complex machines capable of producing “programmed” patterns. This enabled the production of enough material for the Silk Road.^[9]

The miniatures complete the story of China’s textile evolution. They fit snugly between more ancient equipment and the weaving machines that followed centuries later. Other parts of the world also benefited when the technologies spread and became a major influence on the West’s weaver community.

1The Blue Monster

The spring of 2013 brought another remarkable tomb to the attention of archaeologists. Unfortunately, it had been gutted by looters shortly before discovery. The bodies were gone and the coffins all but destroyed.

A corridor leading to the burial chamber, however, still had some beautiful and intriguing murals intact, including a winged horse and ascension themes. Other imagery cannot be explained or had never been found before in tombs from the same period, dating around 1,400 years ago. What stumped experts is the “blue monster” that looks down from the corridor’s vaulted ceiling.

Nobody knows what the vividly colored creature represents or even what it is supposed to be. Another figure is at least a recognizable deity, called the master of wind.^[10] However, for some inexplicable reason, he’s almost nude and running toward the tomb. On the flip side, other scenes were dead normal and showed horse trading, gatehouse duty, and hunting. The corridor allows researchers the valuable chance to study the beliefs, fashion, daily life as well as some new mysteries about ancient Chinese culture.

China isn’t usually the country that comes to mind when we think of “environmental responsibility”. This is, after all, a country that loses 1.6 million lives each year to the toxins in its air.

See Also: 10 Animals That Surprisingly Benefit From Climate Change

Still, no country better understands the dangers of pollution than China – and that’s having an effect. While other countries have been slacking in their commitment to the world’s climate pacts, China’s actually been stepping up – and is on track to becoming the world leader in combating climate change.

It’s the last thing anyone ever expected. China has become our last, best hope for the environment.

How in the world did this happen?

10 The Chinese People Demand It

In 2008, the US Embassy in Beijing installed a little air-quality monitor on the top of their building and had it send out automated tweets reporting the daily level of air pollution. They weren’t out to be subversive, but they accidentally revealed a major issue.

The levels the embassy reported were much, much higher than the ones the Chinese government were reporting, and they made something painfully clear – the government wasn’t telling the truth.

Soon, Chinese citizens started tuning in to the embassy’s report instead of the government’s. The government tried to censor it, announcing that its “readings were illegal”, but the embassy went on tweeting anyway.

The people started getting worried. They complained about the “state secret” of environment pollution levels. Normally, complaining would have been dangerous, but the government’s a bit more forgiving when it comes to the environment, and so the complaints rage on.

Pretty soon, the government had to start giving out the real numbers. They had to change their approach due to the population – because the people wanted it. 90% of the country was willing to sacrifice economics for the environment, and the government had to follow suit.^[1]

9 China Is Calling For Bigger Emissions Cuts Than The UN

In 2011, China stood before the UN and declared that every major economy – including themselves – should be legally forced to curb greenhouse gas emissions after 2020. They proposed introducing consequences to countries that didn’t meet their targets and volunteered to sign up first, saying, “We accept a legally binding agreement.”

The world was confused. This was, after all, China, the pollution center of the world. Most of the world’s leaders just wanted to figure out what China was up to. As it turns out, though, China has actually followed through with its commitment. They have plans on lowering their reliance on coal over the next few years and have committed to making carbon dioxide emissions peak by 2030, with levels only going down after that.

And it’s working. Based on their progress so far, experts actually believe they’re going to do better than promised. There are people asking if China’s emissions have already peaked, 14 years ahead of schedule.^[2]

8 China Probably Isn’t The Worst Polluter

We usually think of China as the world’s biggest polluter – but people are starting to shift blame onto the US instead. And they might not be wrong.

Technically, China releases the most greenhouse gases per year, but from a historical perspective, they’re far from the worst. Between 1850 and 2011, the United States was the source 27% of all carbon dioxide emissions, while China only caused 11%.

Even today, the United States might actually be creating more pollution that China. China produces 8.5 billion tons of greenhouse gases annually, but that’s just because their economy relies on industry. 20% of those gases come from factories producing things for the United States.

American companies pay for these factories, but they put them in China instead of the US to keep their costs down. Still, the pollution is actually coming from American activities and interests. If we shift the responsibility for that pollution back to America, the United States’ annual 6.9 billion tons of greenhouse gases gets a lot higher – and it becomes a bigger number than China’s.^[3]

7 Reforestation Initiatives

One of the reasons the climate’s going up so quickly is because we’ve lost so much of the rainforest. You’ve probably already heard that the rainforest absorbs a massive amount of carbon dioxide, and that without it we’ve lost a major natural defense. You might not have heard, though, that China’s pretty much made up for it.

Ever since 1981, every Chinese student over the age of 11 has been required to plant at least one tree each year to encourage their role in taking care of the environment. It’s made a difference. In 2008 alone, China increased its forestage by 4.77 million hectares.

The biggest impact, though, is from the Great Green Wall they are planting in the Gobi desert. China is planning on covering a 4,500km area of desert with 100 billion trees.

The impact will be incredible. Already, the Great Green Wall has offset 81% of the loss in above-ground biomass carbon lost to tropical rainforest deforestation since 2003 – and they aren’t even done planting yet.^[4]

6 Car-Free Cities

Cars are one of the biggest sources of air pollution in the world. Currently, the vehicles on Chinese roads are responsible for nearly a third of the toxins in the air – but they’re doing something about it.

China is currently working on a plan to take 5 million aging vehicles off of the road as part of a larger commitment to cut emissions by 17%. In exchange, more and more people are going with electric cars. In fact, sales of Tesla’s electric cars tripled in the last year.

The most interesting idea, though, is the Great City, China’s plan to create a town that doesn’t have a single car. The city will be able to house 80,000 and will be surrounded by a buffer green spaces that make up 60% of the area. It will take 20 minutes to walk across the city on foot, and people will have to use public transit to enter and exit the town.^[5]

5 Animal Rights Activism

China doesn’t exactly have the world’s best track record for animal rights, but it’s starting to get a better. They’ve made some major changes in how they harvest shark fins, and what’s interesting, for an autocratic country, is how it happened.

NBA All-Star Yao Ming launched a massive campaign to stop shark fin consumption in China. Before he’d started, the public was unaware of where their food was coming from. Shark fin soup, in China, is marketed as “fish wing soup”. Because of its name, in 2006, 75% of the people didn’t even know it came from sharks, let alone that crippled sharks were being tossed back in the water to die after their fins were harvested

That changed because of Yao Ming’s campaign. By 2013, 91% of the population of China supported a nationwide shark fin ban – showing that the people are really willing to fight for animal rights as long as they understand it.^[6]

4 China Bans Every Pollutant

China hasn’t banned shark fin soup yet – but they’ve banned an awful lot else. China can get away with limiting people’s freedoms in a way that democratic countries can’t, and they’re taking advantage of it in the war on pollution.

They are the largest country in the world to ban plastic bags, and, because of it, Chinese supermarkets have reduced bag use by 66%.

That’s just the start, though. They’ve also set limits on fireworks – which sounds like a silly idea, but actually makes a lot of sense. Fireworks create a lot more pollution than we realize. In an experiment, scientists lit off 3 fireworks in a 30-cubic-meter room and pollution went up to 40X the safe level. In China, where New Years means fireworks are being lit on every corner, it adds up a serious effect.

Anything and everything that adds to air pollution is being cut out of Chinese life. Smoking was banned in Beijing because of its contribution to air pollution. In some places, China even banned bacon for putting too many toxins in the air.^[7]

3 Carbon Trading

China has been looking into ways to stop just regulating and forcing people to stop polluting and start trying to find ways to make going green economically worthwhile. One of those is their new carbon market, which is going to be the biggest of its kind in the world.

Next year, China will open a cap-and-trade program to lower emissions from their most environmentally dangerous industries. The plan puts a cap on the six industrial sectors that create the most pollution. They aren’t allowed to go over their limits, but if they stay under, the can sell their extra permission to other industries.

They’re going to share power outside of the country, as well. China is currently working on setting up a super grid with India, South Korea and Japan that will let them share excess power with their neighbors, reducing energy waste and their impact on their environment.^[8]

2 They Are Sacrificing Their GDP To Help The Environment

China is committed to their new image. They have admitted that, in the past, “China’s GDP growth has sacrificed its environment,” but their plan has changed – and now they’ve pledged to put the environment first.

The country has set aside $6.6 trillion to meet their greenhouse gas reduction goals. They’re planning on going even further, too – they’re committed to regularly checking their progress and increasing their goals whenever possible.

When America started talking about dropping out of the Paris Agreement, China didn’t change their plans. Instead, they are filling the gap by putting $3.1 billion into helping other developing countries’ climate programs.

It’s a strange role reversal. Today, China is criticizing America for not doing enough to protect the environment. “If they resist this trend,” one Chinese politician warned, “I don’t think they’ll win the support of their people, and their country’s economic and social progress will also be affected.”^[9]

1 Soft Power

China’s doing all this for a reason – it’s for their own gain.

China has become a bastion of progressive environmental ideals because it’s in their best interest. They’re trying to win over the world through soft power, or, in other words, by expand their political influence. They’re fighting for a green future because it lets them take the moral higher ground in UN meetings on other issues.

That’s not an opinion – that’s a quote. China’s senior climate talks negotiator, Zou Ji, has directly said, “taking action against climate change will improve China’s international image and allow it to occupy the moral high ground.”

Winning the moral high ground on the environment, Zou Ji said, will “spill over into other areas of global governance and increase China’s global standing, power and leadership.”

So, China’s doing this for crass, political reasons – not out of the goodness of their hearts. But in a weird way, it actually might be our best hope. China’s the one country we can count on to hold up their promises – because it’s worth their while.^[10]

China is ancient and beautiful. But cherry blossoms and the Great Wall aside, the country’s freakiest issues could harm its own population, the international community, and even unborn sacred leaders.

SEE ALSO: 10 Ways You Are Ruled By Communist China

There is a terrifying reason why China is never short of organ donors. Its social point system is also straight out of a dystopian novel. Some mysteries are equally creepy. Nobody knows why the government remains quiet about a deadly virus, or what happened that day when American diplomats experienced a bizarre attack on Chinese soil. If you think those things are weird, you won’t believe these strange occurrences:

10. The J-20 Fighter Jet

China gave one look at an American fighter plane, the F-22 Raptor, and decided to counter it. Enter the J-20. For a long time, the stealth aircraft was designed and tested in secret. In 2018, it rolled out onto the tarmac for everyone to see. The answer to the Raptor was finally combat-ready.

The sinister aura fostered during its secretive beginnings was missing. More correctly, a little bit delayed. A set of WS-15 engines was supposed to make it equal or better than the F-22. Instead, after an explosion during a ground test in 2015, the engines were excluded from the plane’s design. This means that while China’s latest jet is operational and capable, it cannot yet growl at the F-22.

For the time being, the J-20 flies with weaker engines until the WS-15 problem is sorted out. This could take a few years but the aircraft remains special. An array of weaponry arms this beast, making it China’s best defense against the stealth planes of the U.S.

9. Most New Pharmaceuticals Are Fake

In 2016, the Chinese government investigated the latest pharmaceutical drugs. The study focused on products waiting for approval. The analysis included 1,622 clinical trials and additional data like application paperwork, ingredients, and the creation timelines of the drugs. The results were disturbing.

Over 80 percent of the data was fraudulent. Records about side effects had been deleted. Information was twisted until it “proved” that the drugs worked. Other information was incomplete or missing. Many products were not even new. Instead, somebody just mixed existing medicines. The investigators also found that several trial results were written before any experiments were performed.

The dishonesty ran deep. Scientists, pharma companies, laboratories, and even other investigators were implicated. This seedy network was not purely motivated by greed. Pharmaceutical employees are under enormous pressure to produce groundbreaking work or risk getting fired. Add the cut-throat competition among companies and the rampant corner-cutting starts to make sense.

8. Presidential Enemy – Winnie The Pooh

A lot of things we take for granted are blocked in China. In 2017, Winnie-the-Pooh joined the censored club. The reason was not that the lovable character made remarks about the government. Or disagreed with Chinese law. Or refuse to wear pants. His terrible crime? Chinese citizens started to compare President Xi Jinping to the iconic bear.

Revenge was swift. Pooh was banned from Chinese social media and his stickers were removed from chat apps. China’s upper crust famously lacks humor. They cannot stand civilians with clown genes. For example, those individuals who first started the trend in 2013 after they compared Xi and President Obama with a picture of the tubby bear walking next to the fit-looking Tigger. A year later, Xi fumbled a handshake with Japan’s Prime Minister and the internet struck with a meeting between Pooh and Eeyore. In 2015, China’s most censored image was that of Pooh popping up through a toy car’s roof. It was a composite that also showed Xi standing up through the opening of his parade car’s roof.

7. Mysterious “BreedReady” List

In 2019, a Dutch researcher stumbled upon a database in China and anyone could read it. This was more than a little disturbing. The cache held the private information of 1.8 million Chinese women. Not only did the database reveal their phone numbers and home addresses (a stalker’s dream) but it also gave each person a “BreedReady” status.

Some speculated that poor translation caused the bizarre word. The database was written in English. A language-challenged individual from China could easily have mangled the word without any sinister intentions. The original Chinese phrase could have referred to women of child-bearing age or whether they had children. Indeed, the average age was 32.

Alternatively, the creepy options were legion. The government could be identifying women who can “breed,” since birthrates are falling too fast. It might not even be a government registry. Another company, dating app, or hacker could have compiled the list which also included details about the women’s education levels and political views. We might never know who gazed at those ovaries. The database was taken down soon after the Dutch researcher spilled the beans.

6. The Electromagnetic Railgun

One of China’s latest naval toys is an electromagnetic railgun. Spotted for the first time in 2011, it uses electromagnetic energy instead of conventional gunpowder to fire. Incredibly, the force shoots projectiles at 2.6 kilometers per second (1.6 miles per second).

In 2019, photos showed the first Chinese warship mounted with the gun. The Haiyangshan was a Type 072II Yuting-class tank landing ship. It was first noticed on the Yangtze River where the vessel was docked near a shipyard. A few months later, more photos appeared on social media and they apparently showed Haiyangshan sailing the open ocean. It was still armed with what looked like the electromagnetic railgun. This raised suspicions that the weapon was being tested under sea conditions.

This kind of firepower is enough to give other nations the willies. But China is not satisfied. US defense sources claim that the country wants, by 2025, a warship with electromagnetic railguns that can hit a target at 200 kilometers (124 mi.) away.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Utterly Bizarre Things Banned In China

5. Reincarnation Must Obey Chinese Laws

For the first time in history, the world might see two Dalai Lamas living at the same time. This remark came from the current Buddhist leader during a 2019 interview. The 83-year-old man was chosen for this exalted position when he was two years old. For the past 60 years, the Dalai Lama lived in India after he fled the Chinese in his native Tibet.

Recently, Beijing said that his reincarnation must comply with their laws. It’s called the “New Regulations on Religious Affairs and the Rules on the Management of the Reincarnation of Tibetan Living Buddhas.” According to this mouthful, China reserves the right to approve the selection of the child destined to be the next Dalai Lama.

The present leader knows how dangerous this is. His successor would be under the control of China’s Communist Party, which persecutes most religions. Additionally, in 1995, the Dalai Lama identified a child as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. This position is the second-highest rank after himself. The Chinese government took the 6-year-old Tibetan boy into “protective custody.” Beijing provided a Panchen Lama of their choice and nobody ever saw the Tibetan kid again. Due to this, the current leader implored people to only trust a Dalai Lama reborn in a free country and not the one chosen by China.

4. Dystopian Credit System

Imagine not being able to ride a train or get quick treatment at a hospital. The reason? You lack enough government points. In 2018, China implemented a surveillance and population control project unlike anything the world had ever seen.

Called the Social Credit System, a score is given to every citizen and business. A positive score is bolstered by things like paying the bills on time, sorting recycling items properly, and doing charity. Perks include cheaper travel rates, better credit opportunities, and shorter waiting periods at a hospital. A chilling statement provided the other side of the coin, saying that the system was designed to “make it hard for the discredited to take a single step.” This epic public coercion is made possible by the country’s 200 million CCTV cameras. They are hooked up to facial recognition software and once a person is identified, the system can riffle through their private records and watch for disobedience.

A point deduction is frighteningly easy. People can lose points for smoking in forbidden zones, jaywalking, or struggling to pay their bills. One journalist, Liu Hu, reported government corruption and was scored as “dishonest.” He was denied access to public transport, his social media accounts were closed down and his career was destroyed.

3. Sonic Attacks

In 2017, American diplomats stationed in Cuba fell ill. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the event, which many suspect was a sonic attack, soured relations between Cuba and the US. At one point, all Cuban diplomats were kicked out of the States. This episode is well-known to those who follow the news. A fact that received less attention was that during the same year, and a few months into 2018, the same thing happened in China.

American diplomats stationed in Guangzhou started hearing funny noises. This was followed by splitting headaches and insomnia. One consulate, who also reported abnormal feelings of pressure, ended up with brain trauma. Highly alarmed, the American government withdrew several staff members and their families. The consequences between the two countries did not reflect the Cuban kaboodle. Chinese diplomats were not expelled, but officials from China expressed their concern when the US refused to play open cards with them. A local investigation found no wrongdoing but said it would remain open-minded to any information the Americans might share, which was not forthcoming.

2. China Is Hogging A Lethal Virus

The United States and China had an understanding: Ever since the H7N9 bird flu was first detected in China in 2013, samples would be provided to the US on a regular basis. Initially, things went swell. China shared the new flu strains and all related data. Over time, communication deteriorated until the samples stopped. No amount of asking could produce a single vial.

The implications are not immediately obvious. However, China’s refusal is a disaster waiting in the wings. H7N9 has a 40 percent fatality rate. If that is not terrifying enough, the strain keeps evolving. American scientists need to follow and understand this shapeshifting to protect people from a pandemic. But since the silence fell, there came with it the chance that the world might experience an outbreak nobody is prepared for. Indeed, there is no way to develop a vaccine without the latest samples.

Worse, China experienced two bumper infections in the meantime, in 2016 and 2017. Scientists outside of the country know nothing about the type of H7N9 that felled hundreds. No samples or patient information were ever released. Should this virus hogging continue, many scientists fear that it could lead to an international crisis and countless deaths.

1. A Terrifying Organ Trade

China is known for its efficiency. However, some fields cannot produce zippy results without causing suspicion. For instance, every country struggles with the number of patients needing organ transplants. There are not enough donors. Most people wait for years to replace a defective organ. In China, the period is more like weeks.

In 2016, around 640 organs were transplanted. This sounds normal until you check the facts. All 640 operations occurred over a period of 10 days. The official donors were listed as 30 individuals, which runs to an impossible 21 body parts harvested per person. In the past, China plucked organs from prisoners without their permission. The country claimed to have abandoned this practice. But in 2019, a tribunal interviewed witnesses and combed through records. They found that the forced harvesting was still very much alive.

One doctor testified that he was ordered to remove the kidneys from a prisoner who had been shot in the head. He performed the operation while the man was still alive and struggling. Criminals are not the only targets. The so-called dissidents, or people arrested because they catch the government’s dislike, are also slaughtered like cattle. Among them are ethnic minorities and especially hard-hit are the members of a spiritual movement called Falun Gong.

Taiwan is one of those countries most people in the West don’t know a lot about. This is partly due to Taiwan’s ability to stay out of the more negative aspects of international news, but it also has a lot to do with China.

Top 10 Creepy Things Happening Inside China

Whatever the reasons, unless you’ve been there, are from there, or know someone from Taiwan, odds are, you don’t know what an amazing country it is, and that it has a rich and fascinating history.

These ten facts don’t cover everything you should know about Taiwan, but it’s a great place to start learning about this amazing island nation.

10 Bubble Tea Was Invented In Taiwan

If you’ve ever stopped somewhere to drink some bubble tea, you can thank Taiwan for inventing it. The delicious drink was invented in the 1980s, and the oldest known version consisted of a mixture of hot Taiwanese black tea, condensed milk, syrup, and small tapioca pearls. Nobody knows who should get the credit for inventing it, which is due to conflicting stories. There are two claimants to its creation, though it’s unknown if the Chun Shui Tang tearoom in Taichung or the Hanlin Tea Room of Tainan’s claims are legitimate.

Regardless, bubble tea became immensely popular in Taiwan during the 1980s, but it took a while to move outside the country. Numerous variations arose soon after it was introduced, and by the 1990s, it was popular in places like Vietnam, China, and Malaysia. In the United States, the drink started becoming popular in the 1990s, though it was predominantly found in communities with large populations of Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants. These days, you can find it in specialty shops all over the country, though it’s commonly referred to as “boba” in the West, and “bubble tea” in the east.^[1]

9 Taiwan Is China, But Not In The Way You Think

Like many island nations in the Pacific, Taiwan has a long history of international meddling, which began when the Dutch established a colony in 1624. By 1662, the Dutch were out, and in 1682, the island was annexed under the Qing Dynasty in China. Fast-forward to 1895, and the Empire of Japan was in control, but they lost the island at the end of WWII, leaving it to the Republic of China. In 1971, the mainland ROC changed its name to the People’s Republic of China, but since 1949, Taiwan has officially identified itself on the world stage as the ROC.

The relationship between the mainland ROC and Taiwan became problematic in 1949 when the Communists took over China. At that time, the legitimate ROC government fled to Taiwan and continued to govern as if they were representatives of China. In reality, they governed Taiwan and a small number of islands. Because of this, Taiwan maintains that it is the “real China,” having existed prior to the establishment of the PRC, which claims Taiwan as part of its government. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, there are two Chinas, and that has created a dangerous geopolitical situation.^[2]

8 Taiwan Is Famous For Having The Stinkiest Tofu

Every country is known for a particular dish its people enjoy more than anything, and for Taiwan, it’s a special kind of fermented tofu. The snack is literally called “stinky tofu” when translated into English, and the name is apt, as many people have described the stench as smelling like blue cheese or wet socks. To make it, non-stinky tofu is fermented for weeks or months in a special brine. When it comes out, it smells awful, which is mostly due to the components that go into the brine.

Most brine recipes include fermented milk, various meats, fish, and vegetables. Stinky tofu doesn’t just reek when you’re nearby; its smell can carry for as far as 300 meters, but the majority of Taiwanese folks love it. Stinky tofu isn’t typically sold in restaurants, so if you ever visit the country, you’ll have to check out some of its famous night markets. You can find the dish in any of these street markets, each with a distinct flavor and smell. They are often served fried with sides, including cucumber, pickled cabbage, chili, and soy sauce.^[3]

7 Taiwan’s Involvement With The United Nations

The United Nations was founded at the end of World War II, and at that time, Taiwan (as the Republic of China) was a founding member of the organization and a permanent member of the Security Council. Today, Taiwan isn’t even a member, and the reason for this has a lot to do with the Communist Party of China. Between 1945 and 1971, the Republic of China was a member of the UN General Assembly, but they were unceremoniously expelled in 1971 when Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the ROC, refused to recognize the accreditation of the PRC as representatives of China.

Both governments continued to fight one another diplomatically for the right to represent China, but the PRC, which had rarely been recognized before the 1970s, won out in the end. The result was an abandonment of the argument over which government represented China and changed into how Taiwan was recognized on the world stage. Neither country recognizes the sovereignty of the other, which has resulted in the “Two Chinas” situation, and a troublesome problem for Taiwan where UN membership is concerned. The PRC, which holds a permanent seat on the Security Council, will not support the recognition of Taiwan, which it sees as a rogue state of the PRC.^[4]

6 Taiwan Takes Its Trash Seriously

In most developed countries, people throw their garbage into a bin of some sort and wheel it out to the curb for the garbage collectors to come and take it away. Most people around the world don’t give their trash a second thought once they’ve left it out for collection. In Taiwan, people don’t take their trash to the curb for the garbage truck unless the truck is coming down the street at that moment, which begs the question, how do they know when to take out their trash?

Garbage trucks in Taiwan blast music in much the same way ice cream trucks play music to attract children in the West. The trucks arrive nightly, and they are loud, so the music is even louder, which makes it possible to hear it before it’s even heading down a person’s street. If someone doesn’t get their trash out in time for the garbage truck, they’ll be stuck with it until the following night. In terms of the music they play, it’s anything from Beethoven’s “Für Elise” to the latest hits in Kpop and other popular music.^[5][6]

10 Ways You Are Ruled By Communist China

5 Donald Trump Broke Precedent Regarding Taiwan Soon After His Election

There’s not a lot that US President Donald Trump does that conforms with the expectations of someone who holds his office, but there are some lines no previous administration has ever crossed. One such line deals with Taiwan, and the United States’ stance towards its recognition. Since 1979, the United States and Taiwan have not had official political relations, and like the rest of the world, the US doesn’t recognize Taiwan as an independent country. This is largely out of fear of Communist China, which has declared it will cease all diplomatic relationships with any country that does so.

As a result, no United States President has done so much as take a phonecall with a Taiwanese leader… that is, of course, until Mr Trump won the election in 2016. Shortly after the US election, Tsai Ing-wen, the President of the Republic of China, and leader of the Taiwanese Democratic Progressive Party got on the phone with President-elect Trump in a complete break in US policy. This was especially significant due to the DPP’s pro-independence stance. The call was so problematic, there’s even a Wikipedia page devoted to it, but no significant political fallout came from their conversation.^[7]

4 Taiwanese Women Avoid Direct Sunlight

No, they aren’t vampires, but the vast majority of Taiwanese women don’t go uncovered when the sun is out, and it’s entirely for cultural reasons. Most Taiwanese women prefer to have as fair a complexion as possible, so you won’t find many tanning booths in the country. On any given day, it’s normal to see hundreds of umbrellas out when the sun is shining. The ideal look involves very light-colored skin, so to achieve this, most women will carry umbrellas with them whenever they leave the house — rain or especially shine.

Umbrellas are common all over the island, but the fight against the tanning rays of the sun don’t end there. Many women will cover their entire bodies, even in the hottest weather. They will go out with sunglasses, a hat, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and often, gloves. All of that goes with an umbrella, no matter how hot it is outside. This practice isn’t unique to Taiwan and is found in mainland China, Vietnam, and other countries, but it is prevalent throughout the whole island and a common sight in the country, which produces 30% of the world’s umbrellas.^[8][9]

3 President Trump Has Taken Steps To Improve Taiwan-US Relations

Since Donald Trump took office, he has taken various steps in supporting Taiwan through the passage of laws and the implementation of trade deals Beijing has vociferously opposed. His first move came when he took the phone call from Tsai Ing-wen, but the first significant move came in 2018 with the passage of the Taiwan Travel Act. The new law made it possible for government representatives of the United States to visit Taiwan and vice versa. This was the first law of its kind since 1979’s Taiwan Relations Act, which established non-diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In March 2020, President Trump signed the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI)^[10] Act into law, making significant moves toward formal recognition of the country. The TAIPEI Act strengthened the official and unofficial relations with the country and outlined a provision enabling the US to work as an advocate in gaining Taiwan membership in international organizations. Trump continued angering Beijing when, in March 2020, he authorized a $180 million arms sale to Taiwan in the form of eighteen MK-48 Mod6 Advanced Technology Heavy Weight Torpedoes and related equipment.^[11]

2 Taiwan Is One Of Four Asian Tigers

When the ROC fled to Taiwan, the island would best be described as a developing economy, and it would take some time for it to become the developed nation it is today. In the latter half of the 20th century, Taiwan experienced a rapid period of economic growth and development alongside Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong as part of the so-called “Four Asian Tigers.” For Taiwan, its growth came after the United States provided $4 billion in economic aid, making it possible for the nation to reboot its economy.

Between 1945 and 1965, Taiwan focused most of its attention on internal economic improvement through the passage of laws and the rapid expansion of agricultural products used for international trade. Additionally, the country focused on importing industrialization so the Taiwanese economy could create a protected market. When Taiwan was booted from the UN General Assembly in the early ’70s, the country focused on technology, and became a primary supplier to DEC and IBM, helping to kickstart Silicon Valley. By the 1980s, Taiwan was an economic power, and it has continued to remain as such to this day.^[12]

1 Taiwan’s Night Markets Offer Some Of The Best Food On The Island

A common sight in Taiwan is the many night markets, which operate between sunset and sunrise. Most night markets feature a variety of places to get street food, though some, like the Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market, otherwise known as Snake Alley, are purpose-built marketplaces.^[13] Snake Alley is found in Taipei and extends for two blocks in the Wanhua District, which is the oldest in the city.

The market was once known for the many delicacies composed of snake meat, but it has since diversified with offerings of snake blood, turtle blood, turtle meat, and deer penis wine, which you can’t find anywhere else.

Night markets are also one of the only places to find stinky tofu in its many forms, and they are found all over the island. Taiwan doesn’t hold the monopoly on night markets, as they began in the ninth century of China’s Tang Dynasty, though Taiwan’s markets are known around the world. They started as much smaller marketplaces for predominantly urban customers in the 1950s but expanded over time to become more prosperous and viable as stable businesses serving tourists and locals alike.^[14]

10 Reasons Why Communism Sucks

The Communist Party of China (CCP) is becoming increasingly paranoid of its own citizens. As China has advanced towards a more prosperous future, workers have come to expect better salaries and individual ownership. But the CCP remains hostile to any philosophy that undermines its Marxist roots. All threats, from the separatist musings of Uyghur Muslims to the external pressures of Western capitalism, are immediately expunged from the public consciousness.

President Xi Jinping, now the “president for life,” is harnessing the country’s technological superiority to keep his people in line. The repressive regime has introduced a social credit score that punishes dissident behavior. Each score is calculated using a wealth of “big data,” including a person’s internet search history, criminal records, and shopping habits. A number of socially undesirable behaviors can cause a score to plummet. These include insincere apologies in court, traffic violations, posting fake news online, protesting against the CCP, or failing to visit elderly relatives.^[1] Penalties for falling afoul of these expectations include throttled internet connections, travel bans, loan rejections, and restricted access to public transport.

China is now a tech-driven police state, crushing all forms of religion, freedom of expression, and political opposition. This level of control is partially achieved through China’s “Skynet Project” – a sprawling network of surveillance cameras that track the movements of each and every citizen. The system is overseen by major tech companies, most of which are forced to report back to their CCP puppet masters. Overall life in communist China is now the stuff of dystopia, even surpassing the inhumanity of Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi show Black Mirror.

Top 10 Creepy Things Happening Inside China

10 Facial Recognition for Toilet Paper

China is currently going through a “Toilet Revolution.” The initiative, spearheaded by President Xi Jinping in 2015, was designed to improve the bathroom facilities across tourist hotspots. Travelers have frequently complained about China’s unhygienic restrooms, which often house squalid pit toilets. In response, the Chinese Communist Party has pumped billions of dollars into building luxury restrooms.^[2] Some facilities even offer Wi-Fi, vending machines, televisions, and charging stations for electric scooters and cars.

But some local authorities have gone a step further. In many public bathrooms, Citizens must stand on a designated marker and wait for a facial recognition machine to scan their faces. A camera takes a snapshot of the user’s face and dispenses a 28-inch strip of toilet paper (around 6-7 sheets). Each visitor must wait a further 9 minutes to obtain more toilet paper. Some “smart” bathrooms even include alarms that tell the restroom’s operators when a user has spent too long on the toilet. The alarm is set to go off after 15 minutes, at which point a supervisor is sent to check on the person.^[3]

9 Public Humiliation for Jay Walking

Each year, around 260,000 people are killed in road traffic accidents throughout mainland China. Pedestrians and bikers make up a staggering 60 percent of this death toll.^[4] Mounting evidence suggests that some drivers are deliberately killing pedestrians, initially knocked over during simple traffic accidents, to avoid paying large medical costs. This phenomenon is known locally as the “hit-to-kill” rule.^[5] A victim’s ongoing medical bills, it is said, are far costlier than a one-time payment of compensation to the victim’s family.

To stop these accidents from happening in the first place, the government has put in place a range of technologies to stop its citizens from jaywalking. One such measure involves capturing the faces of jaywalkers and posting them on electronic billboards and online websites. The move is designed to shame Chinese citizens into following the rules.

The government, with the aid of its face recognition database, identifies the offender and slaps them with a small fine. The money is automatically pulled using the person’s social networking accounts, usually Weibo or WeChat. Repeat offenders are blacklisted on China’s social credit system, meaning they no longer have access to certain public services.

In 2018, city officials in Ningbo were left red-faced after accusing an advertisement of jaywalking.^[6] The anti-jaywalking tech captured a female face on the side of a moving bus. It then mistook the ad for a jaywalker and uploaded it to the city’s electronic wall of shame. It turned out the face belonged to Dong Mingzhu, a respected business woman who appeared in an advertisement for her own air conditioning company.

8 Fitting Workforces with Brain-Reading Headsets

In 2018, it was revealed that many major companies were using sophisticated head gear to monitor the brainwave activities of workers. From factory floors to state-operated trains, many sectors have deployed brain-monitoring devices to improve worker efficiency. A government-owned power company in Hangzhou credits the tech with improving its workflow and profit margins. Changhai Hospital uses the headbands, along with pressure sensors and cameras, to preempt violent outbursts from patients. And state schools are starting to use the tool to analyze the concentration levels of pupils.

The headset uses electrodes to detect a variety of problematic brainwave signals. Overly emotional workers, it seems, do not make for productive workers. Employers may then reassign workers who are struggling with anxiety or depression. “When the system issues a warning, the manager asks the worker to take a day off or move to a less critical post,” explained neuroscience professor Jin Jia. “Some jobs require high concentration. There is no room for a mistake.”^[7]

7 Robo-Dove Spy Drones

Dozens of Chinese agencies use robotic birds to spy on unsuspecting citizens. The surveillance drones – which feature a suite of GPS antennas, sensors, and cameras – are part of a project called “Dove.” Weighing just 200 grams, the drone uses a set of semi-deformable wings to generate both lift and thrust. The engineering team claims its invention has even confused real birds. Flocks are often seen following the robo-dove’s natural movements and flight patterns, helping it to blend in with the crowd.

The authorities believe the near-silent machine represents a perfect tool for conducting covert surveillance operations. The birds have already seen action in five provinces, including the Muslim-majority region of Xinjiang. In recent decades, the government has expressed concern over the rise of Turkic separatists in the north. President Jinping has sought to combat this movement using widespread surveillance, DNA tracking, and “re-education camps.”

Clocking in at a speed of 25 miles per hour, the low-flying drone remains undetectable to all but the most sensitive of radar systems. China’s military has evaluated the robo-doves and is looking at further applications. Project leader Song Bifeng says the drones have already taken to the skies for the purposes of “environmental protection, land planning… and border patrol.”^[8]

6 Artificial News Anchors

At the World Internet Conference in 2018, Xinhua News Agency announced the world’s first artificial news readers.^[9] Developed by search engine behemoth Sogou, the virtual presenters display lifelike hand and facial animations. The English-speaking presenter is modeled on one of Xinhua’s own newsreaders, Zhang Zhao. During his official debut, the self-proclaimed “AI news anchor” discussed how Panama represents a lynchpin in China’s efforts to access Latin American markets. “That’s all for today’s English news program,” he signs off. “As an AI news anchor under development, I know there is a lot to improve.”^[10]

Nearly two years on, newer additions to the AI news team have emerged, including the country’s first digital female presenter. The wizards behind the technology have also used machine learning to improve the presenters’ mannerisms, facial animations, and speech patterns. The hosts, lauded for their “tireless” work, have presented thousands of reports on Xinhua’s news website and apps.

Xinhua is an organ of the CCP, producing state-sanctioned newspapers, magazines, and broadcasts. The news agency’s journalists contribute to China’s “internal media,” producing uncensored news reports that are only available to CCP officials. Meanwhile, one of Sogou’s parent companies, the software giant Tencent, continues to aid and abet the regime’s mass surveillance efforts.

Top 10 Ways You Are Already Being Ruled By Communist China

5 Faking Exercise to Avoid Salary Deductions

With the widespread use of fitness tracking apps, businesses in China are starting to take a keen interest in the health of their workforces. In 2015, Tencent added a fitness tracker to its popular social media and payment app, WeChat. The tracker monitors the number of steps a user takes and allows people to “like [their] friends’ steps.”^[11]

In 2018, a real estate agency in southeast China began using WeChat’s fitness app to monitor its employees. Workers were told they would incur a financial penalty if they failed to reach a target of 180,000 steps per month.^[12] One Chinese yuan (14 cents) is deducted from an employee’s salary for every 100 steps missed. A staffer in human resources reportedly lost $14 for missing her target by 10,000 steps. Several major insurance companies also request step counts from their customers, giving away discounts to frequent exercisers.

In response, many in China are simply cheating the system. WeChat’s fitness tracker uses a mobile phone’s internal sensors to estimate the number of steps a person walks. Swinging the device in a cradle, therefore, tricks the phone’s accelerometer into thinking the user is walking. Some Chinese restaurants have added the bizarre contraptions to their establishments in a bid to keep patrons drinking and eating.^[13]

4 Study the Great Nation App

China’s Publicity Department has developed an app that teaches citizens about their country. The app, dubbed “Study the Great Nation,” waxes lyrical about the achievements of President Jinping and the Party. But the app is not just a tool for propaganda. It also grants the CCP “super-user privileges,” meaning the CCP can potentially track a phone user’s daily activities.^[14]

Study the Great Nation focuses heavily on news about President Xi Jinping, even going so far as to promote a television series called “Xi Time.”^[15] The app also takes citizens on a tour of China’s history, culture, and socialist underpinnings. Users are then expected to complete a series of tests to ensure they have truly absorbed the Party’s wisdoms. Test results are posted on leaderboards to stir up competition between members of the public.

The CCP has promoted the app far and wide. School children are routinely shamed for having low test scores. Employers force workers to provide proof of their test scores. And journalists use the app to take a course on President Jinping. Only then will they receive their press cards.

With over 100 million users, Study the Great Nation has proven a runaway success. Admittedly, much of the app’s popularity was due to the government’s attempts to coerce citizens into using it. The first reviews were largely unfavorable, averaging just 2.7 stars on the Apple app store. “Everybody is installing this app voluntarily,” stated one rather sarcastic user. “Nobody is forcing us.”^[16] The reviews were soon deleted.

3 Catching Wanted Criminals with Smart Glasses

Police forces across China are quickly adapting to the technological revolution, harnessing the power of facial recognition techniques to apprehend criminals. In 2015, tech company LLVision released its own version of Google Glass. Forces across China use the technology, called GLXSS, to quickly pick out criminals from a crowd. The tech showed promise after it was tested on busy railway platforms in Zhengzhou. During the Lunar New Year in 2018, the railway police used the smart glasses to detain human traffickers, hit-and-run suspects, and people traveling with fake IDs.^[17]

Meanwhile, cops in the Chinese province of Sichuan wear the tech to monitor traffic across a number of highway checkpoints. LLVision’s smart glasses are used to capture a passing vehicle’s license plate. A simple database check provides information about the vehicle and its registered owner. The occupants of the car are then scanned against the facial recognition database to identify any potential fugitives.

GLXSS uses an 8-megapixel camera to capture HD footage. The data is then beamed to a tablet, which compares the imagery to a database of wanted criminals. Responding to concerns over potential human rights violations, LLVision boss Wu Fei said the CCP was using the technology for “noble” purposes. “We trust the government,” Fei added.^[18]

2 Taser-Wielding Police Robots

China has quickly become a world leader in military and police robotics, exporting many of its technologies to emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa. The techno-nationalist country has built up an impressive array of unmanned drones, including attack helicopters, stealth jets, mini submarines, tank destroyers, and gun-mounted rovers. Special coronavirus patrol bots measure body temperatures and instruct citizens to wear masks. And police robots wander around China’s city centers, hospitals, airports, and construction sites.

In 2016, the National Defense University unveiled AnBot – a self-directed security and police patrol robot. Reminiscent of Doctor Who’s genocidal Daleks, the 78kg robot is designed to “patrol autonomously and protect against violence or unrest.”^[19] To that end, it comes with a host of surveillance cameras and an extendable electroshock arm. AnBot reacts to cries for help, rolling towards danger at speeds of 11 miles per hour. It currently patrols the terminals of Shenzhen Airport.

A similar robot made its debut at a railway station in Henan province. The E-Patrol Robot Sheriff looks out for unlawful activity and cross references commuters with China’s criminal databases. It can also detect abnormal changes in humidity and temperature. On its very first day, the bot discovered a fire. “Thankfully, the robot’s air monitoring and humidity monitoring functions helped us, if not we’d have a huge mess on our hands,” explained one on-duty cop.^[20]

1 Execution Vans that Harvest Organs

The CCP has long maintained that capital punishment is necessary for maintaining social order. For decades, the Chinese government has used firing squads to execute convicted criminals. But, since 2010, the authorities have started to phase out the practice in favor of lethal injection. However, many rural municipalities balk at the cost of transporting prisoners to specialized execution centers.^[21] This problem has led to the rise of an unorthodox solution: mobile execution vans and buses.

In small towns and villages, criminals who are sentenced to death are cuffed to stretchers and loaded into the back of specialized execution vehicles. A cocktail of drugs is then administered, causing the crook to lose consciousness and go into cardiac arrest. A technician must carry out the death in the presence of a third-party witness, and a video feed of the event ensures the executioner complies with the state’s rules. The deceased’s organs are then harvested and packed into ice boxes.

With thousands of citizens facing the death penalty each year, human rights groups have accused the government of using execution vans for financial gain. A number of low-level crimes are still punishable by death, including tax fraud and general corruption. Unsurprisingly, the organ trade has now ballooned into a multi-billion dollar industry.

In 2019, a criminal tribunal in London found China guilty of harvesting organs from political prisoners. The CCP allegedly launched a persecution campaign against the Falun Gong, a meditative and spiritual group. Chinese surgeons are said to have extracted eyes, hearts, kidneys, livers, lungs, and skin tissue from detainees.^[22] Some of the victims were still alive during the procedures.

10 Ways Life Will Change If China Becomes The World’s Superpower

“Ruthless,” “witty,” and “scheming” are only a few of the words that describe the first female emperor of China, Wu Zetian. Despite the obstacles that stood in the way of her uphill climb to power, she overcome a plethora of opposing forces and remains one of the most impactful, influential women in Chinese history.

Known and referenced as the “scheming shrew” of China, historians of her time tried to remove Wu’s name and impact from history. However, thousands of years later, snippets of the life that Wu Zetian lived and her achievements are being released.

10 She Was Emperor Taizong’s Secretary

Wu Zhao was born circa AD 624 to a wealthy, high-ranking family. Due to her father’s occupation and strong ties to the court, he encouraged Wu to acquire the education that many women in her time could not receive. It is said that as soon as Emperor Taizong laid eyes on Wu at the age of 14, he awarded her the title of carin (fifth-ranked concubine), calling her Mei-Niang, which means “charming” or “beautiful.”

Even though Wu was a concubine, she was still able to pursue art and music in the palace.^[1] By following her own interests, she continued to seek out knowledge that would set her apart from all of the other girls. Through Wu’s beauty and intelligence, she enticed Emperor Taizong and became his secretary for ten years. As Wu spent more time with Taizong, she learned about state affairs and was in charge of several important documents. When the time came for Wu to reign, she used what she had learned under Emperor Taizong in her own government.

9 She Had An Affair With Taizong’s Son To Get Back Into The Palace

In 649, Emperor Taizong died. Traditionally, when an emperor dies, his concubines would have to shave their heads and become nuns. However, Wu wasn’t like any of the other concubines. When Wu was in the court, she had won the affections of Li Zhi, Taizong’s son (later named Gaozong as emperor). So when Li Zhi came to honor his father in Ganye Temple, she seduced him and tried to convince him to take her back into the royal court.

Empress Wang (Gaozong’s wife) noticed the situation and took things into her own hands. Wang’s inability to bear children, which had created a rift between her and Gaozong, prompted her to tell Wu to stop shaving her head so that she could come back into the palace. As soon as Wu was brought back to court, she was given the title of the second concubine (the zhaoyi).^[2]

8 She Used The Death Of Her Daughter To Become Empress

After giving birth to two sons in 652 (Li Hong) and 653 (Li Xian), Wu gave birth to a daughter in 654, who was found strangled to death in her crib. Wu quickly put the blame on Empress Wang, claiming that Wang was jealous of her child. Not only did she accuse Wang of the murder, but she also accused Wang and her mother of witchcraft, ensuring that Wang and her family would be removed from the court. After Empress Wang and Consort Xiao left the court, Wu ordered them to be killed.^[3]

There are several speculations as to how Wu had Wang and Xiao killed, but it has been said she had their hands and feet amputated. Then, their arms and legs were tied together, and they were thrown into barrels of wine to drown. Though the killer of Wu’s daughter is unknown, several ancient Chinese and modern-day historians claim that Wu killed her daughter in a precarious attempt to become the empress of the Tang dynasty.

7 She Killed Anyone Who Was Against Her Position As Empress

As soon as Wu secured her spot as empress, she began to dispatch a secret police force who arrested those who were against her reign or plotted against her despite their status. One example of the efforts of these secret police was the death of Zhangsun Wuji, the brother-in-law of Taizong and close ally of Gaozong. Similar to several aristocrats in the Tang dynasty, Wuji failed to agree with Wu’s rise to empress. So in order to shut him up, Wu had Xu Jingzong accuse Wuji of treason, and eventually, Wuji was forced to commit suicide.

Eventually, Emperor Gaozong, Wu’s husband, suffered a stroke that blinded him and resulted in several administrative duties being passed onto Wu. During this time, Gaozong was worried about Wu’s control of the court and recruited his senior minister of the Zhongshu Sheng (legislative department), Shangguan Yi, to depose Empress Wu. However, it was too late. Once Wu was notified of Yi’s plans, she executed him.^[4]

6 She Deposed Her Eldest Son And His Wife To Become Emperor

After Emperor Gaozong’s death in 683, Wu placed her oldest son, Li Hong (Emperor Zhongzong) on the throne. Zhongzong was controlled by his wife, Lady Wei, who appointed all of her family members to high positions. However, Lady Wei proved to be a nuisance, as she tried to mimic Wu’s actions to climb to the top as empress. Wu quickly replaced Zhongzong with her younger son Ruizong (Li Dan), and Zhongzong was deposed.

Even though Ruizong was in power, he was a puppet emperor, and she forced him to abdicate in 690. She then named herself “Zetian” (Ruler of the sky) and “Wu” (meaning “military” or “weapon”) and rose to power.^[5]

5 She Considered Herself A Living Buddha

Being the emperor of the (second) Zhou dynasty wasn’t enough for Wu Zetian. She had statues of the Maitreya commissioned in her image and claimed herself to be the incarnation of the Maitreya Buddha (a Buddhist bodhisattva who saves suffering beings).^[6] She also called herself Empress Shengsen, which means “Holy Spirit.”

4 She Was Superstitious And Paranoid

Now that Wu was the emperor of Zhou dynasty (which was originally the Tang dynasty), she continued to have an irrational (or perhaps rational) fear of the court officials who were against her reign and had them imprisoned and replaced through her system of secret police.^[7]

To justify the nature of her reign, Wu also focused on symbols and good omens. Yet, despite the several good omens that came her way, when a mountain seemingly appeared after an earthquake, one of her ministers was convinced that it was a sign that her reign was not to be. Wu refused to believe that this was true, instead proclaiming the mountain to be a good omen. To get rid of the minister’s claims, she had him banished.

3 She Had Sexual Relationships With Several Men In The Palace

Even in her old age, Wu had her fair share of men. She had an affair with a fake monk named Huaiyi, which resulted in anger and disagreement in court. After Huayi was gone, she had an affair with the infamous Zhang brothers. Despite her effective and impactful rule throughout the Zhou dynasty, the affection that the Zhang brothers expressed made her forget about her responsibilities, and she lived her final years as emperor entertaining herself in their presence.^[8]

Members of her court finally had enough and ordered the brothers killed in 705. Wu was forced to abdicate. Zhongzong was restored as emperor, and the Zhou dynasty was ended. Wu spent the remaining months of her life in retirement until she died at the age of 80 or 81.

2 She Was Respected By Women And The Common People

Wu did a lot for those who were in need. She focused on the building of irrigation systems and lowering taxes for those who lived in poverty or were farmers. Due to this, many of the common people of the short-lived Zhou dynasty respected and revered Wu.

She also had an large impact on women’s rights. She gave positions to women in the courts and had scholars write biographies on important, influential women. Due to her reign, women had more freedoms and could express themselves in ways that would not have been possible at any other time. Wu influenced more women to actively participate in politics and even influenced other female leaders, writers, and artists.^[9]

1 Her Tombstone Is Blank

Despite all of the improvements that Wu brought during her reign, she was remembered as an dowager empress, not an emperor. And due to the scandals that surrounded her name, her tombstone was left blank.^[10]

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