Asia:Rich in Culture pg.482

Section 1: East Asia• Key Terms: commune, dialect, nomad,

homogenous

• In East Asia, tradition mixes with change. Businesspeople in Western suits greet each other with a bow. Ancient palaces stand among skyscrapers.

• In China, Japan, and the Koreas, reminders of the past mingle with activities of the present.

Communism Brings Change to China.• The Communist came into power in 1949, the made major

changes in the Chinese way of life.1.-Created communes, communities in which land is held in common and where members live and work together.

– Chinese farmers were accustomed to living in family groups that worked together in small fields, so they resisted the communes.

Food productions fell, and China suffered terrible food shortages. Only when the government allowed some private ownership did food production grow.

2.- The Communist also tried to slow China’s population growth by attacking the idea of large families. Here, they had more success.

a.-Chinese couples are supposed to wait until their late twenties to marry.

b.-They are not supposed to have more than one child per family.

c.-Chinese families with only one child receive special privileges.

Communism Brings Change to China.

Changing Korea• In Korea, daily life is

affected by long-standing traditions. A family looks after the welfare of all its members.

• In rural areas, grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles may live in one household.

• In cities, a family is usually just parents and children.

Japan’s Blend of Old and New• Japanese work at computers in skyscrapers and ride home

on speedy trains. Once they reach home, however, they may follow traditional customs and change into kimonos, or robes and sit on mats at a low table to have dinner.

• The Japanese try hard to preserve the past.– For example, some years ago, the Japanese saw that

traditional arts and crafts were dying out, so the government began offering lifetime salaries to some artist.

Similarities and Differences in Population

• China: The Han and Others

• About 19 of every 20 Chinese people trace their ancestry to the Han, the people of China’s second dynasty.

• Although they have a common language, they speak different dialects, or forms of a single language, from region to region.

• The other Chinese come from 55 different minority groups who live mainly in the western parts of China.

Korea and Japan: Few Minorities

• Historians believe that the ancient Koreans were descended from many different groups of nomads from Mongolia. – Nomads are people who have no settled home. They

move from place to place in search of water and grazing for their herds.

• Over centuries, these groups lost their separate traditions. They formed one homogenous group. That is, the group’s members were very similar.

Southeast Asia

Section 2 pg. 487

Arts and Religion in Cambodia• Most Cambodians are Buddhists, yet the cultural

heritage of Hinduism is reflected in Cambodian arts.

• In the capital city of Phnom Pen, Cambodia’s Royal Ballet has performed The Ramayana, a Hindu epic poem, since the 1700s.

• In Cambodian villages, this poem is read aloud or acted by shadow puppets.

• Today many Cambodians – about 90 percent – practice Buddhism, although at one time the Cambodian government discouraged the practice of religion.

• Two key ideas of Buddhism are:– Life includes suffering

– And that people live, die, and are reborn

A Heritage Maintained• The nations of Southeast

Asia are rich in minerals. Indonesia, Myanmar, and the small kingdom of Brunei contains large deposits of oil.

• In Brunei, you can find the world’s biggest palace, the home of the Sultan of Brunei.

• It has the area of 36 football fields and has 1,788 rooms.

Religion in Brunei• Although not all of its people are Muslims, Brunei

is an Islamic nation.

• It has used its oil wealth to sustain its people and to support Islamic traditions.

• The people of Brunei receive free helath care, free education, and high wages on which they do not pay taxes.

Section 3.South Asia• Religons of South Asia– Of the two major world religions that developed in India, Hinduism by far has the most

followers in the region today.– Buddhism had its greatest following in India in 200s B.C.

• Hinduism:– It does not have one single founder. Hindus worship many gods and goddesses, but they

believe in a single spirit. To Hindus, the various gods, and goddesses represent different parts of this spirit.

• Buddhism:– It developed in Inida. Its founder was a prince named Siddhartha Gautama. Gautama was

a Hindu of high caste who lived in a privileged life.

– He was 29 years old when he left his home to learn more about his kingdom. For the first time, he saw people who were hungry, sick, and poor. He became so unhappy that he gave up his wealth and pledged his life to finding the causes for people’s suffering.

– He then became known as the Buddha, or “Enlightened One”.

The Challenge of Diversity• Today about 80 percent of Indians are Hindus. Yet other

religions rremain important in Indian politics and culture.

• 14 percent of Indians are Muslim. Christianity and Sikhism are small but significant religious minorities in present-day India.

• Armed conflicts between religious groups endangers many people in India and presents a constant challenge to its government.