Welcome to China!

China is located on the continent of Asia. Europe North America Asia Africa South America Australia Antarctica China is in the shape of a moose.

Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China, also known in China as the Great Wall of 10,000, is an ancient Chinese fortification built from the end of the 14th century until the beginning of the 17th century in order to protect China from raids by the Mongols and Turkic tribes. The Great Wall of China stretches 4500 miles across what was once the northern border of China.

Great Wall of China The wall was built mostly by forced labor of peasants and captives. Armies were garrisoned to stand guard over the workers as well as to defend against invasion. Each successive Chinese dynasty added to and improved the wall.

Originally, work on first sections of wall started in the 7th century B.C. During the Zhou Dynasty The wall is built of earth and stone, faced with brick in the eastern parts. It was preceded by several walls built since the 3rd century BC against the raids of nomadic tribes coming from areas now in modern day Mongolia and Manchuria. Several hundred kilometers of the Great Wall remain intact in the eastern reaches. It is said to be the only artificially created object visible from the moon.

Great Wall of China The wall functioned as an early warning system as well as a first line of defense. To bring supplies to the top of the wall, ropes were slung over posts set in the Chinese side of the wall and baskets were hauled up hand over hand.

Inventions

Papermaking Chinese legend tells that the new invention of paper was presented to the Emperor in the year 105 AD by Cai Lun. Archeological evidence, however, shows that paper was in use two hundred years before then. Either way, the Chinese were significantly ahead of the rest of the world. The craft of papermaking relied upon an abundance of bamboo fiber to produce a fine quality paper. In China the papermaker uses only the traditional materials and methods to produce fine art paper.

Gunpowder Imagine their enemy's surprise when the Chinese first demonstrated their newest invention in the eighth century AD. Chinese scientists discovered that an explosive mixture could be produced by combining sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate). The military applications were clear. New weapons were rapidly developed, including rockets and others that were launched from a bamboo tube. Once again, the raw materials at hand, like bamboo, contributed ideas for new technologies.

Compass By the third century AD, Chinese scientists had studied and learned much about magnetism in nature. For example, they knew that iron ore, called magnetite, tended to align itself in a North/South position. Scientists learned to "make magnets" by heating pieces of ore to red hot temperatures and then cooling the pieces in a North/South position. The magnet was then placed on a piece of reed and floated in a bowl of water marked with directional bearings. These first navigational compasses were widely used on Chinese ships by the eleventh century AD.

YO-YO or EMPTY BELL The oldest toy in the world was the yo-yo. The "empty bell" was invented during the Ming Dynasty between 1386 to 1644 AD. During the Chinese festivals in the old days, the Chinese yo-yo presentations played an important role as an entertaining program. The yo-yo became popular in the North part of China in the spring. The bamboo or empty bell was made of two ends of round saucer shapes with the middle being a horizontal piece of wood. They were mounted on a string and twirled with a vibrating motion. This emitted a humming sound.

Abacus The abacus is a calculator for adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying. Tests have shown that, for operations of addition and subtraction, the abacus is still faster than the electronic calculator.

Silk China is the first country in the world that discovered the use of silk. Silkworms were domesticated as early as 5000 years ago. The production of silk thread and fabrics gave rise to the art of embroidery. Historical documents record the use of embroidery in China as early as 2255 B.C. Archaeological finds, however, place the beginnings of embroidery at some point during the Shang dynasty(1766B.C.-1122 B.C.)

Wheelbarrow The wheelbarrow was invented by the Chinese. The Chinese wheelbarrow had a single wheel in the middle of the wheelbarrow. Farmers used the wheelbarrow to take a load of produce to the market place. Builders used the wheelbarrow to carry heavy building supplies. Soldiers used the wheelbarrow to remove injured or dead people from the battlefield.

Climate There are 4 seasons. China has a variety of plant life.

The Gobi Desert Bamboo Land Forests

Land Mount Everest Hills & Mountains Now slicing nearly six miles (ten kilometers) into the sky, the Himalaya became the highest mountain range on Earth. Mount Everest continues to rise. How fast is the great peak growing? In 1994 researchers placed a global positioning satellite (GPS) device on the South Col, a plateau below the summit. Readings suggest that Everest grows 0.1576 inches (about four millimeters) each year.

The Yangtze River, called Chang Jiang in Chinese, is the longest river in China and becomes well-known by its Three Gorges scenery.

Shang Society was organized like a pyramid King and family Nobles or relatives of King, army, priests *Craft workers: metalworkers, potters Farmers, peasants, servants, serfs Slaves and prisoners * Archaeologists at Anyang have uncovered many “Pithouses,” or huts, dug partly underground that were believed to be workshops for metal workers and homes for peasants and servants.

“Lady” Fu Hao’s Tomb Ivory drinking vessel Bronze food storage vessel In 1976 archaeologists discovered the tomb of Fu Hao, the wife of one of the last Shang Kings. She led troops in war and ruled her own town. Her tomb contained hundreds of artifacts from valuable jade and ivory, to “oracle bones.”

The Terra Cotta Army More than 25 years ago, in 1974, Chinese farmers were digging a well in central China when they discovered an important archaeological site. They discovered fragments from the burial grounds of a Chinese emperor, Shi Huangdi (Shee-hwang-dee). His name is also spelled Shihuangdi.

Qin was the name of the part of China he ruled Qin was the name of the part of China he ruled. He had his army of more than one million soldiers conquer the entire country in 221 B.C. He united all the little kingdoms he conquered and became an emperor. An emperor is the supreme ruler of an empire. Like most Chinese, he believed in taking the real world with him when he died. He wanted his tomb to be spectacular, and he certainly would need an army to protect him when he died. Therefore, he ordered a terra cotta (clay) army be built. He ordered that the terra cotta soldiers be set up in formation with their backs to him. The terra cotta soldiers and horses would stand guard in order to protect him from attack.

As many as 700,000 people worked for more than thirty years to make the 7,000 - 8,000 soldiers, horses and chariots. When they were first made more than 2,000 years ago, the soldiers were brightly painted and held real weapons. While molds were used to make the bodies, no two soldiers were alike. They had different hair styles, shoes, expressions and uniforms. Over the years, the paint has faded, and vandals have taken the weapons. Most of the bodies are smashed because the wooden ceiling that was above them fell, and terra cotta breaks easily. Therefore, most of the soldiers are in bits and pieces. Archaeologists carefully sift through the dirt inch by inch to find the tiniest parts.

Writing on Bones??? Oracle Bones were used by Chinese nobility as a way to communicate with their dead ancestors, who, they believed, controlled human life, and to Predict the Future. Kings and noblemen would ask special questions of priests or ”oracles.” They would heat the bones and read the cracks that formed to provide answers which they would write on the bones in detail.

Oracle bone from Shang Dynasty

Farming Life Most of the people of ancient China were peasant farmers who grew crops on small plots of land. Every member of the family helped grow and harvest the crops. Farmers supplied food to the army and to people in the city. Farmers in the north grew wheat, millet, and barley to eat. Farmers in the south grew rice to eat. Farmers may have kept pigs and chickens, but dairy cows were not kept due to a lack of pasture land. Oxen and water buffalo were used to pull carts and plows.

Farming Life Villagers dug ditches and canals to water the fields. Many farmers used simple wooden or stone tools even after bronze and iron weapons were invented. The lives of peasant farmers consisted of many long, back- breaking hours tending to crops. Peasant farmers also had to serve in the army and help with government projects such as building walls and canals. Poor people spent most of their time growing and preparing food, or doing heavy work such as digging and carrying large loads. Farmers use a method known as terracing which is cutting flat plains into hillsides. They would farm on the flat plains. The flat plains looked like shelves coming out of the side of a hill. Cutting flat plains into the hillside would also slow erosion in a hilly area.

Clothing Clothing was a mark of class in ancient China. The type of fabric, the color and decorations on the fabric, jewelry, headgear and footwear all told something about the wearer's position in society. High-ranking people dressed in the finest silk in public. Peasants wore a long, shirt-like garment, made of undyed hemp fiber. Hemp is a rough fabric woven from plant fibers. The type of jewelry worn showed the position of that person in society. A man almost always wore a hat in public. The hat showed the wearer's occupation and status in society.

Homes Farmers usually made their homes from mud bricks with reed or tile roofs. The bottom floor was often built below ground to help keep the family warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Some Chinese built their house with timber or bamboo poles. A timber frame held up the roof. The outer walls were sometimes made of brick. The Chinese preferred wood to stone for building because it looked more natural and it was less likely to injure people if the house collapsed during an earthquake. Poor people often cooked outside in the open air. Wealth people had a kitchen indoors on the bottom floor. Servants would also live on the bottom floor. Charcoal or coal was burned in the fireplace to keep the house warm. A traditional home was divided into different sections by courtyards.

Beliefs and Customs Families in China usually included many generations living together - often under the same roof. The oldest male was usually in charge of everyone in the house. There was little individualism in Chinese families. Decisions were made that benefited the entire family and family honor and family achievements were more important than individual needs or achievements. Age demanded respect. The old were considered wise and were treated with honor. Children were taught to respect and obey their elders. Children were taught that they must care for their mothers and fathers in sickness and old age. Boys learned their family's trade, and girls learned to manage a household.

Festivals Most Chinese worked from dawn to dusk with no days off. The Chinese calendar was based on the moon, and it was divided into twelve groups. Each group was named after an animal. The Chinese New Year was the most important festival. It was in the spring and offerings were made to the spirits. Farmers gave thanks for the earth's abundance.

Chinese Zodiac The Chinese Zodiac is a twelve-year cycle. It started from Buddhism. According to the story, Buddha called all the animals of China to his bedside, but only twelve animals came. Because he wanted to honor the animals for their devotion, he created a year for each animal. The twelve animals that appeared were the rat, ox, tiger, hare (rabbit), dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and the pig. Each animal has its own special characteristics. Many people believe that these characteristics affect events that happen during the year. In addition, some people believe that people born in a certain year will have qualities of that year's animal.

Animal Dates Characteristics 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 charming, bright, creative, thrifty Rat 1949, 1961, 1973 1985, 1997, 2009 steadfast, dependable, methodical Ox Tiger 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 dynamic, warm, sincere, a leader humble, artistic, clear-sighted Hare/Rabbit 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Dragon 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 flamboyant, lucky, imaginative Snake 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 discreet, refined, intelligent Horse 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 social, competitive, stubborn

Animal Dates Characteristics caring, industrious, home-loving 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Sheep artistic, fastidious, indecisive 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 witty, popular, good-humored, versatile Monkey Rooster 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 aggressive, alert, perfectionist 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 honest, conservative, sympathetic, loyal Dog Boar/Pig 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019 caring, industrious, home-loving

Writing Chinese is written with characters known as hànzi There are tens of thousands of Chinese characters, many of which are archaic or obscure. Knowledge of about 5,000 characters is sufficient to read modern standard written Chinese competently. This takes at least 5 years of full-time study to acquire. Starting from about the fifth century BC, we begin to find examples of writings on bamboo strips.

Chinese Symbols (Writing)

How do you say "Hello" in Chinese? Ni hao. (sounds like "knee how") How do you say "I love you" in Chinese? The Chinese for "I love you" sounds something like "wo eye knee" (usually spelt "wo ai ni"). The Chinese character for love includes the symbol for "heart" in its center.