Nihao(nee-how)(hello),mynameisGoashuang.I'matenyearoldgirllivinginBeijing,China.IspeakManderinandlikemostofthepeopleinmycountry,IbelongtotheHannationality.IliveinabeautifulAsiancountry.DidyouknowthatChinahasmorepeoplethananyothercountryintheworld?Infact,onefifthoftheworld'spopulationlivesinChina.Wehavetallmountains,farmland,lowlands,plains,anddrydeserts.

　　Ijustgotbackfromplayingagameofpingpongwithmyfriends.Pingpongismyfavoritegame.SomeothergamesmyfriendsandIliketoplayarevolleyball,basketball,andbadminton.

　　Boyisitcold.Itgetsprettycoldinthewinter,butinthesummerit'swarmer.Unfortunatelyit'snotsummerrightnow;it'scoldwinter,andIhaveschooltomorrowandIcanusuallycountonitbeingextracoldthere.Ihavetowakeupatseveno'clock,soIcanbeatschoolateight.Ihavetenminutesbetweenclassesandatwohourlunchbreak.Iaminfifthgrade.Iwillstartjuniorhighinseventhgrade.Therearethreeyearsofjuniorhigh.AfterthatIwillstartseniorhigh.Therearethreeyearsofthat.IgotoschoolsixdaysaweekandgetSundayoff.AtschoolIlearntowriteusingtheChinesewritingsystem.Weusecharactersinsteadofanalphabet.Eachcharacterisasymbolthatstandsforacompleteword.Iusuallyridemybiketoschool.AlotofpeopleridebikesinChina.

　　OnSundaymyfamilygoestothepark.Wedonotgotoanytypeofchurchsinceourgovernmentdiscouragesreligion.WewatchpeoplepracticeT'aiChiCh'uanintheearlymorning.Itisaformofmartialarts.LatermyfriendsandIplaybasketball.

　　It'salmostsuppertime.Forsupper,eachmemberofmyfamilystartswithabowlofrice.Thenwecanhelpourselvestothenearestdishwhichmightincludesoup,pork,andfish.Forbreakfastwehavenoodlesandleftoverrice.Theonlyutensilsweusearechopsticksandsoupspoons.TeaisthefavoriteChinesedrink.

　　Weeatdifferentfoodonholidays.MyfavoriteholidayisNational'sDay,becauseofthefireworksandparades.

　　IfyoucometovisitChina,besuretoseetheGreatWallofChina.DidyouknowtheGreatWallisthelongeststructureeverbuilt?It'sabout4,000miles(6,400kilometers)long.Itwasbuiltentirelybyhand.ThewallcrossesnorthernChinabetweentheeastcoastandnorth-centralChina.

　　Mysisterisgettingmarried.Wehadafortunetellercometoourhouse.ShedecidedontheweddingdateformysisterbasedonherbirthdateandbyconsultingtheChinesealmanac.

　　I'dliketotellsomeinterestingthingsaboutmycountry.DidyouknowthereareoveronebillionpeoplelivinginChina?Thecitiesareverycrowded.ThetwolargestcitiesinChinaareShanghaiandBeijing(alsospelledPeking),whichisalsoChina'scapitalcity.Eventhoughwehavemanybigcities,mostofthepeopleinmycountryliveinruralvillagesandsmalltowns.Manyofthemherdsheepandgoatsorgrowcrops.

　　Chinesepeopleareverycreative.DidyouknowthattheChinesewerethefirstpeopletoinventthecompass,paper,porcelain,andsilkcloth?