China

I am a giant, sleeping dragon with rivers that wiggle like long blue ribbons and mountains that tickle the clouds. I have a wall so long it could wrap around a playground thousands of times! Can you guess who I am? I am the country of China!

My story began a very, very long time ago. Around 2070 BCE, the first families, called the Xia dynasty, built their homes near my Yellow River. To keep everyone safe, my people started building a Great Wall in the 7th century BCE. It’s like a stone dragon resting on the mountains! Over the years, clever people who lived here invented amazing things. Around the 2nd century CE, during the Han Dynasty, they invented paper to draw and write stories on. They also invented colorful fireworks that go POP-FIZZ-BOOM in the night sky and kites that dance with the wind. Imagine flying a dragon kite that you made yourself!

Today, my cities are full of sparkling tall buildings, and my countryside is covered in green fields where yummy rice grows. I am also the cozy home to special black-and-white bears called Giant Pandas who love to munch on bamboo. From my oldest stories to my newest inventions, I love to share my treasures with the whole world. I am a place of amazing history and bright new ideas, and I welcome everyone to come and say, ‘Ni hao!’—that means hello!