Why We Love the Chinese

We love pandas, including this 3-month-old giant panda at the Bifengxia Base of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Yaan of Sichuan Province, China.

We love the Great Wall of China. The massive stone wall, built since the 5th century BC, protected the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intruders. The Great Wall stretches 5,500 miles from Shanhaiguan to Lop Nur. We recommend you add it to your must-see list when visiting China.

We love Chinese acupuncture techniques and medicinal therapy. The treatment, known as Tiefu, is widely used in the therapy of bronchitis, asthma, arthritis and other diseases. This doctor is treating a patient for asthma by applying herbal medicine on the acupuncture points.

We love China's world-class gymnasts. This young boy practices gymnastics at a sports school in Guangzhou of Guangdong Province, China. There are around 3,000 sports schools in China, recruiting thousands of young children and preparing the elites for the Olympics.

We love dim sum, a Cantonese term for a type of Chinese dish that involves small portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate. The dim sum cuisine started when teahouses would offer tea and small bites of food for travelers who needed a place to rest along the famous Silk Road trade routes.

We love Chinese dragons. The legendary creatures are popular throughout China. In Chinese mythology, dragons are believed to have control over water, rainfall, hurricanes and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength and good luck.

We love Feng shui, a popular design aesthetic believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help improve life by channeling chi (positive energy) throughout a space.

Noodles are a staple in Chinese cuisine. The types of noodles depend on the how they are made, but we love them all, including lo mein, shrimp roe noodles, rice vermicelli and silver needle noodles. During the Chinese Song Dynasty (960-1279), noodle shops were very popular and remained open all night -- a practice you'll still find in modern-day China.

The Forbidden City -- the world's largest palace complex -- was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Today thousands of visitors flock to the complex, located in the heart of Beijing, to view royal family heirlooms and rare treasures. It's only a short walk from Tiananmen Square.

We love the delicious taste of wonton soup with all the fixins'. Wonton is a type of dumpling found in a number of Chinese dishes.

We love kung fu. A warrior monk displays his kung fu skills near the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, Henan Province, China. The Shaolin Temple was built in AD 495 during the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-581). Shaolin kung fu, with its incredible strength, vitality and flexibility, is expected to be included in the UNESCO intangible heritage list.

Green tea originated in China. Some evidence suggests that people who drink green tea regularly are at a lower risk for heart disease and developing certain types of cancer. If you're more of a coffee drinker, why not try a bowl of green tea ice cream (pictured)?

We love the iconic Terracotta Army that was buried with Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor of China, in 210 BC. In 1974, local farmers found the stone statues in the Lintong District of China's Shaanxi province. Their purpose was to help rule another empire with Shi Huangdi in the afterlife.

We love Chinese actor and martial artist Jackie Chan (pictured) and other popular celebs, including famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma, actor and martial artist Jet Li and pro basketball player Yao Ming.