Ancient China What you should know…

5 Themes of Geography in China Located in the east under Russia and above Vietnam Natural barriers isolate China from the rest of the world The landscape is mostly mountains and plateaus in the west and lower lands in the east Location Region

Human Environment Interaction Outer China is sparsely populated Agriculture China is where most people live Under Communist rule, the government (gov.) moved people to collective farms to produce more goods Chinese population: 1 billion +++ (most are farmers, but only 4% of the land can be cultivated)

Population Facts In 1980, China passed a “one-couple, one-child” law Largest ethnic group is the Han

Place: What is the culture of China? Confucianism Major religions Belief in strong morals and consequences Influenced much of the behavior of the Chinese Buddhism (taught by Guatama Buddha, suffering is part of a cycle of life in which one day you reach Nirvana) Taoism (action by inaction; harmony with life

Buddhism Siddharta Gautama He was born rich, and deserted it to find personal peace or enlightenment He was called Buddha, meaning “enlightened one” Happiness is achieved by giving up worldly possessions Reincarnation—if you live a bad life, you’re reborn as animals or insects, etc. The cycle can be broken by reaching nirvana Buddhism founder Buddhism beliefs

Paper and Printing Invented by Chinese in 105 B.C. from silk rags Mass produced during Han dynasty Woodblock printing came along in 9th century—very similar to printing press Invented moveable type (Song dynasty) There are over 80,000 characters in Chinese Paper

Other inventions Chinese inventions Compass Gunpowder Wheelbarrow Chopsticks Tea drinking kites

Movement: Dynasties The order of the major players Shang (1550-1046 B.C.)—first written history Zhou (1045-256 B.C.)—first philosophers and interest in culture; LONGEST dynasty Warring States Period (no one group ruled) (256-222 B.C. Qin (221-206 B.C.) Shi-Huangdi becomes China’s first emperor. He orders building of the Great Wall Han (202-220 A.D.) Trade with Europe begins via the Silk Route begins. Paper is invented in 105 A.D.

More dynasties Three Kingdoms (22-581 A.D.) China splits into separate states. Buddhism spreads across China Sui Dynasty (581-618 A.D.) China is reunited as a country; the Grand Canal makes it easier to travel around China Tang (618-907) Literature and the arts flourish Song (960-1279) Landscape painting, poetry, and calligraphy flourish. Mongols gain control of all China. Printing and gunpowder are invented.

Last bit of dynasties… Yuan (1279-1368) Marco Polo visits China b/w A.D. 1275-1292 Ming (1368-1644) This period is known for its porcelain, architecture, and popular literature

The Silk Road Mongols authority From 1279-1368 Mongols ruled China, thus allowing merchants to trade freely throughout the GIANT empire Silk was the major export out of China, and it was the only place it could be found due to its secret process Camels were the mode of transportation (as they could survive harsh conditions—lack of water…)

Marco Polo Marco Polo Traveled the Silk Road during the Yuan’s dynasty. He was a favorite of Kublai Khan’s and served as an official in his gov. for 20 years Wrote a book about his travels called Travels of Marco Polo in which he told of the fabulous wealth of the Chinese