Gung Hei Fat Choy!
Celebrate Lunar New Year with the BBC Learning Hub’s curated resources for students ages 4–14. Through videos, articles, and printables, students can explore the traditions, symbols, and stories that mark this important holiday. From family gatherings and festive foods to lanterns, lion dances, and the Chinese Zodiac, these resources help students understand how Lunar New Year is celebrated across cultures and communities around the world.
What country has the world’s largest population, some of the oldest traditions on Earth, and landscapes ranging from towering mountains to vast deserts? Meet China, a country where ancient history and modern life exist side by side.
From the Forbidden City to giant pandas to the peaks of the Himalayas, China is filled with remarkable places, people, and wildlife. Explore how geography has shaped life across the country, discover important moments in China’s long history, and learn about its languages, government, food, traditions, and growing cities. You’ll also meet some of China’s unique animals!
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce a geography or social studies unit
- Support nonfiction reading practice
- Compare countries and cultures
- Complete map and research activities
- Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
In Mao Zedong’s Policies Devastated China During the Cultural Revolution, host Andrew Marr explains reveals that millions of people were targeted, killed, or “re-educated” during this time. One resistor, Deng Xiaoping, was exiled and his son tortured and disabled under Mao. They returned to China later to rise to power and merge capitalism and communism to reshape China’s future. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andrew Marr's History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In The Go Jetters Save a Terracotta Army in China, the Go Jetters crew travels to China to save the Terracotta Army from Grandmaster Glitch’s noisy concert. Ubercorn shares funky facts about the Terracotta Army, a collection of clay statues that were buried with the first Chinese emperor. Can the Go Jetters stop Grandmaster Glitch’s concert from shaking and shattering the statues? This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four international heroes as they travel the globe visiting landmarks and solving environmental problems with Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In How Rice Grows in China’s Paddy Fields, the Go Jetters crew explores the beautiful hills of Yuan Yang, China, where rice is grown in special paddy fields. Farmers have been planting rice in these fields for thousands of years, carving steps into the hillsides so the water can flow down. The rice needs plenty of water to grow. One quarter of the world’s rice comes from these fields, where hard-working farmers make sure the crops have everything they need! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In The Go Jetters Visit the Great Wall of China, the Go Jetters crew visits The Great Wall of China. Learn about how the Chinese in the south of China built the wall to keep out the Chinese in the north. Today, the wall is a popular tourist destination. This video is excerpted from BBC's Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In Throwing Fire for Chinese New Year, iron metal workers in Nanquan, China, create amazing, glowing art with molten metal. Today, they perform nightly, but the tradition goes back hundreds of years. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth, a documentary series detailing the world's largest annual human migration (Chunyun), where over 1.5 billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year.
In Inside the Harbin Ice Festival, the Harbin Ice Festival lights up the night sky in Harbin, China for a few weeks each winter. Huge ice buildings are created and lit for tourists to visit before they melt in the spring. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth, a documentary series detailing the world's largest annual human migration (Chunyun), where over 1.5 billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year.
In Chunwan: The World’s Biggest Stage, performers have prepared for a year to participate in the largest televised event in China. The Chunwan, or Chinese Spring Festival Gala, is a collection of amazing acts. It is televised to the entire country and is watched by billions of people. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth, a documentary series detailing the world's largest annual human migration (Chunyun), where over 1.5 billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year.
It’s officially the “Beijing International Automotive Exhibition,” but its friends call it “Auto China,” and it’s now the largest car show in the world. Nearly 1000 companies flock to the exhibits taking up more than 380,000 square meters, or over 50 football fields! Or 1,246,719 feet and 50 soccer fields, if you’re from America! Or 9,329,989 beep-boop-zoinks and 50 astro-space-ball fields if you’re a Martian from outer space! Any way you spin it, this car show is a big deal, and there were two standout trends.
The first was electric vehicles. There’s always been an issue with charging, as makers have tried to maximize how far cars can travel on single charge while minimizing how long that charge takes. Now, a company called BYD claims to have an ultra-fast charging system that can provide 400 km of range with only 5 minutes of charging. What’s more, it’s designed to operate under extreme weather conditions. Since batteries are usually sensitive to high or low temperatures, addressing this is a major step in making electric vehicles as reliable as gas cars.
The other big topic was also fully autonomous, or self-driving cars. The company Geely developed a self-driving car built specifically for ride-hailing, so there’s no steering wheel or driver’s seat. That means you can pick your nose without fear of the driver judging you! Xpeng’s driverless car uses a combination of lasers, radar, and cameras to build a real time picture of the road, but we hope it works just as well in the clouds, because they may be extending this technology into flying cars as early as next year. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s just my Uber! That’s one way to beat traffic.
Journey across Great Wall of China and discover the story behind one of the most impressive structures ever built. Students will explore how different sections of the wall were constructed over centuries, why rulers believed it was important for protection and defense, and what it reveals about power, leadership, and human determination.
This Kahoot examines the history and engineering of the Great Wall, including the materials used to build it, the soldiers and workers who maintained it, and the challenges of constructing such a massive structure across mountains and deserts. Students will also discover why the wall became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and remains one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks.
Ideal for lessons on history, geography, engineering, and world cultures, this Kahoot encourages students to explore the lasting legacy of ancient Chinese civilization and one of humanity’s greatest building achievements.
In High Altitude Living in China, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how only a few animals are adapted to survive winter on the high mountain slopes. Watch a giant panda munch on bamboo and a group of golden snub-nosed monkeys huddle for warmth. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Gung Hei Fat Choy!
Celebrate Lunar New Year with the BBC Learning Hub’s curated resources for students ages 4–14. Through videos, articles, and printables, students can explore the traditions, symbols, and stories that mark this important holiday. From family gatherings and festive foods to lanterns, lion dances, and the Chinese Zodiac, these resources help students understand how Lunar New Year is celebrated across cultures and communities around the world.
What country has the world’s largest population, some of the oldest traditions on Earth, and landscapes ranging from towering mountains to vast deserts? Meet China, a country where ancient history and modern life exist side by side.
From the Forbidden City to giant pandas to the peaks of the Himalayas, China is filled with remarkable places, people, and wildlife. Explore how geography has shaped life across the country, discover important moments in China’s long history, and learn about its languages, government, food, traditions, and growing cities. You’ll also meet some of China’s unique animals!
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce a geography or social studies unit
- Support nonfiction reading practice
- Compare countries and cultures
- Complete map and research activities
- Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
In Mao Zedong’s Policies Devastated China During the Cultural Revolution, host Andrew Marr explains reveals that millions of people were targeted, killed, or “re-educated” during this time. One resistor, Deng Xiaoping, was exiled and his son tortured and disabled under Mao. They returned to China later to rise to power and merge capitalism and communism to reshape China’s future. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andrew Marr's History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In The Go Jetters Save a Terracotta Army in China, the Go Jetters crew travels to China to save the Terracotta Army from Grandmaster Glitch’s noisy concert. Ubercorn shares funky facts about the Terracotta Army, a collection of clay statues that were buried with the first Chinese emperor. Can the Go Jetters stop Grandmaster Glitch’s concert from shaking and shattering the statues? This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four international heroes as they travel the globe visiting landmarks and solving environmental problems with Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In How Rice Grows in China’s Paddy Fields, the Go Jetters crew explores the beautiful hills of Yuan Yang, China, where rice is grown in special paddy fields. Farmers have been planting rice in these fields for thousands of years, carving steps into the hillsides so the water can flow down. The rice needs plenty of water to grow. One quarter of the world’s rice comes from these fields, where hard-working farmers make sure the crops have everything they need! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In The Go Jetters Visit the Great Wall of China, the Go Jetters crew visits The Great Wall of China. Learn about how the Chinese in the south of China built the wall to keep out the Chinese in the north. Today, the wall is a popular tourist destination. This video is excerpted from BBC's Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In Throwing Fire for Chinese New Year, iron metal workers in Nanquan, China, create amazing, glowing art with molten metal. Today, they perform nightly, but the tradition goes back hundreds of years. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth, a documentary series detailing the world's largest annual human migration (Chunyun), where over 1.5 billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year.
In Inside the Harbin Ice Festival, the Harbin Ice Festival lights up the night sky in Harbin, China for a few weeks each winter. Huge ice buildings are created and lit for tourists to visit before they melt in the spring. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth, a documentary series detailing the world's largest annual human migration (Chunyun), where over 1.5 billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year.
In Chunwan: The World’s Biggest Stage, performers have prepared for a year to participate in the largest televised event in China. The Chunwan, or Chinese Spring Festival Gala, is a collection of amazing acts. It is televised to the entire country and is watched by billions of people. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth, a documentary series detailing the world's largest annual human migration (Chunyun), where over 1.5 billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year.
It’s officially the “Beijing International Automotive Exhibition,” but its friends call it “Auto China,” and it’s now the largest car show in the world. Nearly 1000 companies flock to the exhibits taking up more than 380,000 square meters, or over 50 football fields! Or 1,246,719 feet and 50 soccer fields, if you’re from America! Or 9,329,989 beep-boop-zoinks and 50 astro-space-ball fields if you’re a Martian from outer space! Any way you spin it, this car show is a big deal, and there were two standout trends.
The first was electric vehicles. There’s always been an issue with charging, as makers have tried to maximize how far cars can travel on single charge while minimizing how long that charge takes. Now, a company called BYD claims to have an ultra-fast charging system that can provide 400 km of range with only 5 minutes of charging. What’s more, it’s designed to operate under extreme weather conditions. Since batteries are usually sensitive to high or low temperatures, addressing this is a major step in making electric vehicles as reliable as gas cars.
The other big topic was also fully autonomous, or self-driving cars. The company Geely developed a self-driving car built specifically for ride-hailing, so there’s no steering wheel or driver’s seat. That means you can pick your nose without fear of the driver judging you! Xpeng’s driverless car uses a combination of lasers, radar, and cameras to build a real time picture of the road, but we hope it works just as well in the clouds, because they may be extending this technology into flying cars as early as next year. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s just my Uber! That’s one way to beat traffic.
Journey across Great Wall of China and discover the story behind one of the most impressive structures ever built. Students will explore how different sections of the wall were constructed over centuries, why rulers believed it was important for protection and defense, and what it reveals about power, leadership, and human determination.
This Kahoot examines the history and engineering of the Great Wall, including the materials used to build it, the soldiers and workers who maintained it, and the challenges of constructing such a massive structure across mountains and deserts. Students will also discover why the wall became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and remains one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks.
Ideal for lessons on history, geography, engineering, and world cultures, this Kahoot encourages students to explore the lasting legacy of ancient Chinese civilization and one of humanity’s greatest building achievements.
In High Altitude Living in China, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how only a few animals are adapted to survive winter on the high mountain slopes. Watch a giant panda munch on bamboo and a group of golden snub-nosed monkeys huddle for warmth. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.