China is a civilization that is as old as history itself, with over 4,000 years of written history and culture that remains as vibrant as ever - even to this day, Chinese classics still remain a potent force wherever Chinese is widely spoken, while the altars of Chinese gods, heroes and saints are still laden with offerings and sacred flames, just as they always did in ages past - whereas the ancient gods of Egypt, Greece, Rome and Mesopotamia have all but disappeared.