China

All of these are super hard. But judging by the sort of monsters that the World Quizzing Championships is now throwing up, maybe none of them are off the table?

Questions

Following “The Three-Body Problem” and “The Dark Forest”, what is the title that completes Liu Cixin’s trilogy “Remembrance of Earth’s Past”?

DEATH’S END

Containing 40 biographies of notable figures like executed general Yue Fei, which book of woodcut prints from 1694 translates as ‘Table of Peerless Heroes’?

WU SHUANG PU

Its name meaning ‘music bureau’, what is a Chinese poem composed in a folk song style, one example being the “Wu Shuang Pu”?

YUEFU

Much younger than his rivals Cao Cao and Liu Bei, who founded the Wu dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period? He was portrayed by “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” star Chang Chen in the 2008 John Woo film “Red Cliff”.

SUN (QUAN)

Documented in Sima Qian’s “Records of the Grand Historian” and taking place in roughly 2,500 BC, which legendary battle in Chinese history saw the Yellow Emperor match up against the Flame Emperor?

BANQUAN

Containing a number and a title, which war during the Jin Dynasty lasted from 291 to 306 AD? All of the main figures had the family name Sima.

WAR OF THE EIGHT PRINCES

Occurring when the Wu Hu barbarians sacked Luoyang in 311 AD, which massacre is thought to have resulted in over 30,000 civilians being killed and led to the fall of the Western Jin dynasty?

DISASTER OF YONGJIA

When China was divided during the Northern and Southern dynasties period what was the first of the four groupings that ruled the south? Lasting from 420 to 479 AD and made up of two words, the first from its founder and the second shared with a later dynasty, its notable figures included astronomer Zu Chongchi who calculated pi to 7 decimal places.

LIU SONG

Associated with a people who were the subject of an 18th-century genocide, which geographical region roughly corresponds to the area between the Altai and Tian Shan ranges in northern Xinjiang?

DZUNGARIA

At which Chinese archaeological site in Shaanxi were tools found that date back prior to Dmanisi Man, this representing one of the earliest pieces of evidence for hominids outside of Africa? It was discovered in 1964 and first excavated during the early 2000s.

SHANGCHEN

China

More ludicrously hard questions from my insane run through of all things Chinese mythology. I really should consider playing “Smite” as it might just help me cement my knowledge of some of these world deities.

Questions

A symbol of wealth and prosperity with fiery red eyes, which three-legged golden toad with a two-word Chinese name is associated with the moon and is popularly used as a feng shui charm?

JIN CHAN

Lin Moniang was a Fujianese shamaness who has been deified as which major goddess associated with sailors and other folk that earn their livelihood from the sea? There is a statue of her in Tainan and she is supposedly buried in a group of East China Sea islands that are named for her.

MAZU / MATSU

On the twenty third of the twelfth lunar month which kitchen god goes up to heaven to report the goings on of households to the Jade Emperor? Legend tells of him becoming deified after he had burnt himself to death.

ZAO JUN

Providing the name for a unique sub-machine gun in “Cyperpunk 2077”, which ‘responsive’ dragon from Chinese mythology is a god of rain and a powerful servant of the Yellow Emperor? In contrast to Gonggong they are usually depicted with wings.

YINGLONG

Famous for its ability to eat an entire elephant, which monstrous snake from Chinese myth takes three years to digest that giant prey? The good news is a health elixir can then be made from the disgorged bones.

BASHE

Housing the National People’s Congress, which of China’s ‘Ten Great Buildings’ sits on the opposite side of Tiananmen Square to the National Museum of China? Both buildings were completed in 1959 to mark the ten year anniversary of the People’s Republic being established.

GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE

Though the heads are not regenerated like the famous monster from Greek mythology, which beast from Chinese mythology has been called the Chinese hydra? His name has been used for the moon of dwarf planet Gonggong, that scattered disc member being named in turn for the water god that the serpentine creature served.

XIANGLIU

After Nüwa’s daughter Yandi died in the East Sea she was tranformed into which bird that tries to fill up the sea with twigs and pebbles? They feature in the video game “Smite”, one of their moves being ‘persistent gust’.

JINGWEI

Containing works from the Han period and by the earlier Warring States figures of Qu Yuan and Song Yu, the title of which poetry anthology references a vassal state of the Zhou dynasty that lasted until the ascendancy of the Qin?

CHU CI or VERSES/SONGS/ELEGIES OF CHU

Part of the “Three Li” with the “Zhouli” and the “Yili”, what is the classic Confucius work called the “Liji” known as in English?

BOOK OF RITES

Famous examples being “Journey to the West” and the 16th century “The Investiture of the Gods”, what name is given to a subgenre of Chinese fiction that centres around gods and demons’?

SHENMO

China

Some re-writing of my journey through Chinese mythology as the original questions were so poor that they made no connection whatsoever. They’re still almost impossible to get, but at least they’re a bit more interesting now.

Questions

Following the use of Liaoning and Shandong for the first two, which Chinese province gives the name of China’s third aircraft carrier? It began the testing of its electromagnetic catapult launch system in 2023.

FUJIAN

Most often associated with Taoism, the qingniao birds are the messengers of which Queen Mother of the west? Her abode is said to lie in Kunlun Mountain.

XI WANGMU

Evidence for its use in timekeeping being found on oracle bones prior to 1,000 BC, what Chinese term is used for a sexagenary cycle of 60 years? The names for each year come from stems and branches, one example of this being ‘metal monkey’ for number 57.

GANZHI

Having a name meaning something like ‘nest-owner’, who was the inventor of houses and buildings in Chinese mythology? They taught people how to make wooden shelters.

YOUCHAO

Credited with introducing the Chinese to cooking, which legendary figure has a name meaning ‘fire-maker’? The first half of his name is also that of a later dynasty.

SUIREN

Discovering silk after a cocoon fell into her tea, which legendary wife of the Yellow Emperor is a pioneer of sericulture?

LEIZU

Along with his sister and wife Nüwa, which Chinese deity that is often depicted with the body of a serpent is said to have created humanity?

FUXI

A participant on the idol show “X-Fire” who became a member of boy band X-Nine, which Chinese singer’s song “Spotlight” became one of the biggest selling tracks of all time thanks to digital sales in 2020? This followed a controversial boycott of him linked to the Great Firewall of China shutting down fan fiction site Archive of Our Own.

XIAO (ZHAN) / SEAN XIAO

Two pagodas found in Xi’an are named for a wild version of which animal? Both being included in the extensive Silk Road World Heritage listing, they are distinguished from each other by reference to their size, one being called giant and the other being called small.

GOOSE

Xian’s Giant Wild Goose Pagoda holds items brought back from India by which 7th-century Buddhist monk? Honoured by a statue in front of that temple, his works include “Great Tang Records on the Western Regions” and translating part of the “Mahabharata”.

XUANZANG

Credited with authoring a pharmacopia that contained important knowledge on herbal medicine such as the mushroom of longevity known as the lingzhi, which legendary Chinese ruler is associated with teaching his subjects the skills required for agriculture? This multi-talented supposed inventor of the plough may even have accidentally discovered tea.

SHENNONG

Possibly making you think of a Chinese city, what term that finds use in Taoism is used for a being who is effectively immortal? One such example is Magu, a goddess who has been aasociated with hemp.

XIAN

One of the five classics of ancient Chinese literature, what is the Chinese title for a work that translates as the ‘Classic of Documents’? Thought to have been compiled by Confucius it does have other names, one being “Shangshu”, a term that means ‘venerated documents’.

SHUJING

One of the twelve ornaments that decorated imperial garments in ancient China, the three-eyed raven that represents the sun is known by what name?

SANZUWU

Known as the ‘Chinese Sisyphus’, which folkloric figure spends his time on the Moon trying to cut down an osmanthus tree only to have it grow back again when he’s nearly done?

WU GANG

China – History & mythology

I don’t really have any desire to play “Aura Kingdom” or think it really has any relevance, but I thought it made the question look nicer. Maybe it will help me get the question right should anyone ever ask it.

Questions

Born with the name Li Shumeng, Mao Zedong’s fourth wife Jiang Qing swiftly fell from power after her husband’s death under the watch of which designated successor? This person was Premier of the People’s Republic of China from 1976 to 1980.

HUA (GUOFENG)

Conceived as being similar to a large ancient city such as Xi’an but with an incessant atmosphere of darkness, what is the capital of Diyu, the Chinese underworld?

YOUDO

Known for overthrowing the Ming dynasty, Li Zicheng was one of a measly three emperors for which Chinese dynasty that only existed from 1644 to 1646? This name is shared with the predecessor of flood controller Yu the Great.

SHUN

Sharing its name with a metaverse platform launched by Baidu in 2021, what magic soil had self-expanding ability and was found very useful by Yu the Great when trying to control the floods?

XIRANG

Referenced in the “Classic of Mountains and Seas”, which name for a mythical tree later became a poetic name for Japan? One legend tells of ten birds that lived in this tree, one being tasked to carry the sun each day while the others rested.

FUSANG

Alternatively known as the Western Affairs Movement and part of the aftermath of the country’s lack of success in the Opium Wars, what is the usual English rendering of the Chinese institutional reforms called ‘Ziqiang yundong’? Taking place during the second half of the 19th century, they are seen as a form of westernisation.

SELF-STRENGTHENING MOVEMENT

Found in the Loess plateau of northern China, what Chinese name is given to a dwelling carved out from a cliffside that helped people to keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter? Many of these collapsed during the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake, contributing to it being one of the deadliest such events in history.

YAODONG

Possibly lying in today’s Pamir Mountains, which mountain was damaged by the water deity Gonggong when he was having a fit of rage? Despite repairs being made by Nüwa, its permanent deformation caused the topography of China to tilt towards the sea.

BUZHOU

Most deaths occurring in the province of Shanxi though neighbouring provinces were also affected, what type of disaster took place in northern China between 1876 and 1879?

FAMINE

Associated with the mythological Kunlun Shan, which blue or green birds are considered to be the messengers of the Queen Mother of the West? In the MMORPG “Aura Kingdom” a spirit by this name can capture enemies with a bird cage.

QINGNIAO

China

I do have a ton of China questions in need of a rewrite, but there are only ten here. There’s no dressing up that these take longer to stick because of the language barrier, but you know there’s going to be some fanscinating stuff to discover if the effort is made.

Questions

An imperial descendent from the same Liu family as his predecessor Ruzi Ying, which briefly ruling emperor of the restored Han dynasty was deposed by the Red Eyebrows peasant rebellion?

THE GENGSHI EMPEROR

An alliance of how many nations invaded China in 1900 with the aim of ending the Boxer Rebellion, this being achieved in 1901 when the Boxer Protocol was signed with the Qing Empire? Included among its members were Austria-Hungary, the British Empire and Japan.

EIGHT

Its illustrations including a nine-headed phoenix, the mother goddess Nüwa and a nine-tailed fox, the “Shanhaijing” is a compilation of mythical geography and beasts known by what English title?

CLASSIC OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS

A term also used to a lesser extant in both Japan and Korea, what name is given to a series of treaties perceived as detrimental to the interests of the Chinese, usually signed after they had suffered a defeat? They include the 1842 Treaty of Nanking that saw Hong Kong ceded to the British and the 1901 Boxer Protocol.

UNEQUAL TREATIES

Used to explain a wide range of phenomena from cosmic cycles to the success of political regimes, what is the Chinese philosophical system of five phases that is made up of wood, water, fire, metal and earth?

WUXING

Following defeat in the 1894 to 1895 Sino-Japanese War the Chinese signed which treaty that is named for a city in Yamaguchi prefecture? Part of the agreement saw them recognise the independence of Korea and cede Taiwan to the Japanese.

SHIMONOSEKI

Nine of them being lost during the turmoil that saw Qin Shi Huangdi come to power, what short word is used for an ancient Chinese tripod cauldron? This particular batch were symbols associated with the ruler’s mandate of heaven.

DING

Taking its name from a secret religious society, which rebellion that took place in China from 1794 to 1804 might make one think of a TV show that first hit our screens in 2021?

WHITE LOTUS

One of the many characters featured in “Journey to the West”, which ruler of the Chinese underworld is often depicted with a scowling red face, bulging eyes and a long, black beard?

YANLUO WANG / YAN WANG

Revolts that took place in China from 1862 to 1877 and 1895 to 1896 take their name from which word that is used in former Soviet countries to refer to Muslim people of Hui origin?

DUNGAN