01. China executes three times as many people as the rest of the world



China carries out almost three times as many executions as the rest of the world put together, according to the most conservative estimate by Amnesty International. In 2008, the group confirmed 1,718 executions through news reports and public documents, but many others are not reported. Some analysts say the figure may be above 6,000. The exact number is a state secret. Many executions are done on the road using vehicles called the death vans designed by Jinguan Motors. The makers of these vans say the vehicles and injections are a civilized alternative to the firing squad, ending the life of the condemned more quickly, clinically and safely. According to them, the switch from gunshots to injections is a sign thatChina "promotes" human rights now.

03. Over 4000 babies in China were named "Olympic Games" while the country was getting ready for Beijing 2008



The Beijing Olympics was more than just a point of pride for China — it was such an important part of the national consciousness that over 4,000 children have been named for the event. Most of the 4,104 people with the name "Aoyun," meaningOlympics , were born around the year 2000, as Beijing was bidding to host the 2008 Summer Games. The vast majority of people named Aoyun are male. Names related to theOlympics don't just stop with "Olympics ." More than 4,000 Chinese share their names with the Beijing Games mascots, the "Five Friendlies." Chinese have increasingly turned to unique names as a way to express a child's individuality.

In a country with a population of 1.3 billion, 87 percent share the same family names.

05. 200 million people in China live on less than $1 a day.



Poverty in China refers to people whose income is less than a poverty line of $1.25 per day. The poverty rate in China in 1981 was 64% of the population. Fortunately, this rate declined to 10% in 2004, indicating that about 500 million people have climbed out of poverty during this period.