The Great Wall of China - China Travel Guide Chinese Mariner Zheng He [Cheng Ho] Zheng He's Tomb Zheng He (1371-1435), or Cheng Ho, is arguably China's most famous navigator. Starting from the beginning of the 15th Century, he traveled to the West seven times. In 1985, during the 580th anniversary of Zheng He's voyage, his tomb was restored. At the entrance to the tomb is a Ming-style structure, which houses the memorial hall. Zhenghe constructed many wooden ships, some of which are the largest in the history, in Nanjing. Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty History, History of Ancient China, China's dynasties Era Information Time: 1027 B.C.-221B.C.Location of Capital:Hao, near the city of Xian, Shannxi ProvinceEmperors: Twelve kings for eleven dynasties Replaced by:Spring and Autumn Period According to Chinese accounts, Zhou was built by a chieftain of a tribe called Zhou. The chieftain overthrew Shang’s last ruler and build the Zhou dynasty. He settled down in Hao, a city near today’s Xi’an city in Shannxi province. Take a Xian Tours to experience the historical site. Zhou dynasty has lasted for a long time from 1027B.C. to 221B.C. The Zhou Dynasty originated from the Zhou clan whose existence stretches back into history. At that time, the Shang Dynasty was under the rule of King Zhou. After Zhou Wenwang died, his son Ji Fa (Zhou Wuwang) succeeded him. The achievements during the Zhou Dynasty in economy, politics, science and culture, were much more illustrious than any which occurred during the Shang Dynasty.
Great Wall of China, Great Wall Introduction (500 photos and videos) Introduction to the Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China is an immensely long man-made wall that was built to keep out invaders. It spans nine provinces and its total length is 6,700 km (3,948 miles). The Great Wall extends from ShanHaiGuan (the 'Old Dragon Head'), a seaport along the coast of BoHai, in the east (near BeiDaiHe resort) to JiaYuGuan Pass in GanSu Province in the west. In this guide, we look at the history of the Great Wall and its design and construction. History of the Great Wall of China Although the Great Wall of China was originally built for protection, the wall stands as a tribute to the amazing ingenuity of the Chinese. Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, the Great Wall ('Chang Cheng' in Chinese) is a true marvel and a testament to the long history of the Chinese Civilisation. Today, people from all over the world visit to walk on the Great Wall of China, to stand on a watchtower and view the wall snaking into the distance. Early Great Walls
Chinese Inventions: Can You Name Them? from • Silk • Tea • Porcelain • Paper • Printing • Gunpowder • Compass • Alchemy [Chemistry] • Civil Service • Grain Storage • Other [plant life, political theory] Discussion Questions Related Link: Timeline of Chinese Inventions The Chinese knew how to produce silk at least by 1300 B.C., but not until the second century B.C. did it begin to be exported to Europe, and not until about 550 A.D., when monks who had traveled to China brought back silkworm eggs, did the West learn the Chinese secret of silk-making. The Chinese traded silk with the Roman Empire and then with Byzantium. In return they received such items as wool, glass, and asbestos. Through the silk trade the world's two great empires in the first century A.D. | back to top | Tea drinking originated in China and spread throughout the world. Porcelain, also called "china," is a type of clay pottery that was invented in China by using clay with special minerals. Paper was first invented in China about 105 A.C. Henry A.
Chinese Dynasty Guide - The Art of Asia - History and Maps Chinese history, which dates back more than 5,000 years, is extraordinarily rich, complex-and potentially confusing. Understanding at least its basic chronology and some of its most notable events and developments is made somewhat easier by virtue of its ancient system of dynasties. The word dynasty means, quite simply, a succession of rulers from the same family. Beginning with the Bronze Age Shang dynasty, historical eras in China have borne the name of the family or clan that dominated during that period. Some dynasties, such as the Chou and the Ming, lasted for centuries. Over the lengthy span of Chinese history, each dynasty is distinguished both by its name and by the impact of individuals, outside influences, and technological advances on all aspects of its culture-economic, political, artistic, and religious. To use this guide, select from the dynasties at right or click on the timeline above.
1000-1450 CE: China's Golden Age: The Song, the Mongols, and the Ming Voyages | Central Themes and Key Points This period of Chinese history, from roughly 600-1600 C.E., is a period of stunning development in China. From the Tang (discussed in the unit on the Tang Dynasty) through the "pre-modern" commercial and urban development of the Song, ca. 1000, to the Ming voyages of exploration (1405- 1433) with ships that reach the coast of Africa. (The achievements of China under the Song are the subject of Marco Polo's "fantastic" reports when he journeys to China under the Mongols, who rule in China for eighty-nine years (1279- 1368) as the Yuan dynasty, between the Song and Ming.) China's Preeminence under the Song (960-1279) and Commercial Development The Song dynasty (960-1279) follows the Tang (618-906) and the two together constitute what is often called "China's Golden Age." Mongols in Asia The Mongols invade China from the north, defeat the Song, and establish the Yuan dynasty in 1279, ruling less than one-hundred years, to 1368. The Ming Voyages Ming Dynasty China at the Time of Columbus
What is the Mandate of Heaven in China? Answer: The "Mandate of Heaven" is an ancient Chinese philosophical concept, which originated during the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE). The Mandate determines whether an emperor of China is sufficiently virtuous to rule; if he does not fulfill his obligations as emperor, then he loses the Mandate and thus the right to be emperor. There are four principles to the Mandate:1) Heaven grants the emperor the right to rule,2) Since there is only one Heaven, there can only be one emperor at any given time,3) The emperor's virtue determines his right to rule, and,4) No one dynasty has a permanent right to rule. Signs that a particular ruler had lost the Mandate of Heaven included peasant uprisings, invasions by foreign troops, drought, famine, floods and earthquakes. Of course, drought or floods often led to famine, which in turn caused peasant uprisings, so these factors were often interrelated. The Mandate of Heaven in Action: Effects of the Mandate of Heaven Idea
Central Themes for a Unit on China | Central Themes and Key Points These recurrent "central themes" may be referred to repeatedly in the study of Chinese history, suggesting distinctive patterns to students, until a portrait of cultural difference is accumulated. Of many possible themes, six are discussed here as illustrative of Chinese culture and its relation to the world: Theme 1: National Identity and China's Cultural Tradition China is one of the oldest continuous civilizations in history and the dominant cultural center of East Asia; with flourishing philosophical, political, economic, artistic and scientific traditions, China developed a strong cultural identity as a universalistic civilization. China has struggled for the last century with the challenge of forging a new identity in a world of nation-states and of redefining its cultural values in a modern world. Theme 2: Agriculture and Population: The Agrarian Dilemma in China's Modernization Theme 3: Family and State: The Importance of Hierarchy and Paternalism in the Ordering of Society
Ancient China Life History Facts:Dynasties,Discoveries,Religions,Crossbow,Sports,Chopsticks China China is a country in East Asia whose culture is considered the oldest, still extant, in the world. The name `China’ comes from the Sanskrit Cina (derived from the name of the Chinese Qin Dynasty, pronounced `Chin’) which was translated as `Cin’ by the Persians and seems to have become popularized through trade along the Silk Road from China to the rest of the world. The Romans and the Greeks knew the country as `Seres’, “the land where silk comes from”. The name `China’ does not appear in print in the west until 1516 CE in Barbosa’s journals narrating his travels in the east (though the Europeans had long known of China through trade via the Silk Road). Pre-History Well before the advent of recognizable civilization in the region, the land was occupied by hominids. It has generally been accepted that the Chinese `Cradle of Civilization’ is the Yellow River Valley which gave rise to villages sometime around 5000 BCE. The First Dynasties Tang was from the kingdom of Shang. The Qin Dynasty
Infobase Most of the laws of Ancient China came from the moral teachings written in the legal-code books. The basic law was devotion of children to parents and obedience to the government. The rest of the laws consisted of orders that were handed down by the emperors. If the laws were broken the punishments were severe. Any girl who insulted her parents was strangled; if she wounded them she was tortured and cut up into pieces. Several crimes were punished by banishment (being sent from the country), which was often for life. The burial sites for families were considered sacred and could not be taken over by anyone else. The most shameful of all punishments in Ancient China was decapitation (beheading). Crimes against the emperor brought the accused no mercy. Soldiers were usually chosen to be executioners and they were proud of the strength that they needed to carry out their duties.
List of rulers of China The list of rulers of China includes rulers of China with various titles. From the Shang dynasty to the Qin dynasty, rulers usually held the title "king" (Chinese: 王; pinyin: wáng). With the separation of China into different Warring States, this title had become so common that the unifier of China, the first Qin Emperor Qin Shi Huang created a new title for himself, that of "emperor" (pinyin: huángdì). This title of emperor of China continued to be used for the remainder of China's Imperial history, right down to the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912. While many other monarchs existed in and around China throughout its history, this list covers only those with a quasi-legitimate claim to the majority of China, or those who have traditionally been named in king-lists. The following list of Chinese monarchs is in no way comprehensive. Follow these links to see how they are related: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors[edit] Xia dynasty[edit] Main article: Xia dynasty Shang dynasty[edit]
Ancient China - The Ancient Chinese Civilization Chinese Historical Accounts the Forbidden City, the home of the Chinese emperors until the last dynasty was overthrown in the 20th century Chinese history, until the twentieth century, was written mostly by members of the ruling scholar-official class and was meant to provide the ruler with precedents to guide or justify his policies. These accounts focused on dynastic politics and colorful court histories and included developments among the commoners only as backdrops. The historians described a Chinese political pattern of dynasties, one following another in a cycle of ascent, achievement, decay, and rebirth under a new family. Of the consistent traits identified by independent historians, a salient one has been the capacity of the Chinese to absorb the people of surrounding areas into their own civilization. Sun-Tzu, the realist writer of the the influential "Art of War" The first prehistoric dynasty is said to be Xia , from about the twenty-first to the sixteenth century B.C.