Geography of China’s River Valleys

John H. Clark IV

OMS

Chapter 5, Section 1

Dragons• In ancient China

dragons were considered to be sacred because the Chinese believed they brought you good luck.

Climate and Landforms• The North China Plain is built up on soil deposits left by

the Huang River. It’s located in East Asia.

• The North China Plain has an intensely rainy summer season which is caused by monsoon winds. The Plain is a very dry place the rest of the year.

• The monsoon rains last from March through September in South China. This gives South China a warm and wet climate almost year round.

Climate and Landform Effects on Civilization• Due to the steep valleys the early Chinese

civilizations settled in, they used a farming technique called terrace farming.

• Geographic barriers such as mountains and seas separate China from the world around it.

• Due to these barriers they knew very little about the outside world.

• The Chinese believed that they lived at the center of the world, so they called themselves the Middle Kingdom.

• China’s civilizations developed along its two longest rivers, the Huang and its longest river the Chang.

The Huang River A.K.A. Yellow River

The Huang River A.K.A. Yellow River Cont. • The Huang is the second-longest river in China.• It is the muddiest river in the world!!!• Due to the loess – a yellowish-brown soil that is

carried along the river currents, the Huang is known as The Yellow River.

• The loess that the river carries provides very fertile farm lands to the North China Plain.

• The fertile farm lands allow China to grow millet – a type of grain that has been part of their diet for thousands of years.

Flood Control• To help control flooding

China built dikes – a type of protective wall that holds back water.

• The loess that was carried along the Huang River built up to the point that the river eventually rose above the dikes causing more flooding.

Early Chinese Civilizations• Historians estimate that the earliest farming settlements

began around 5000 BC.• As the settlements grew larger they began to control large

sections of the Huang River Valley.• The early Chinese believed that rulers came to power

because it was their destiny. This belief was known as the Mandate of Heaven, it supported the right of their leaders to rule over their people and also gave fathers authority over their families.

• The First Chinese Dynasties:1) The Shang Dynasty (1760 BC – 1160 BC)2) The Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC – 256 BC )

The Shang Dynasty• The Shang Dynasty began around 1760

BC, and was the first civilization in China.

• They built the first Chinese cities, developed a writing system and were very adept at making bronze pieces.

• For a period of time the Shang Dynasty shared a border with the Zhou Dynasty.

The Shang Dynasty Cont.

The Zhou Dynasty• Like any bordering civilization

The Shang and Zhou Dynasties were sometimes peaceful and at other times created war with one another.

• The Zhou Dynasty eventually conquered the Shang Dynasty and ruled over China.

• Later a period of warring states began fighting for control of China.

Family Life• A household in ancient China might have up to five

generations living together. This is known as an Extended Family – a group of closely related people of several generations.

• Rich families tended to live in large houses but poor families usually lived in one room cottages.

• The status of each family member depended on their age and gender.

• The eldest man had the authority and decided who his children and grandchildren would marry. Those who were disrespectful were punished severely.

• Once the eldest male figure died his lands were divided among his sons who then started their own families.

Family Life Cont.• Women were considered to be of a lower status then men

were.• Traditionally women were controlled by the 3 Obedience's:

1) Their fathers in their youth2) Their husbands in marriage 3) Their sons in widowhood

• They also had to live by the 4 Virtues:1) Morality2) Modesty3) Proper speech4) Domestic skills

Family Names• The Chinese were the first people to use a two

name system. Their first names are their family names, the same as our last names today. Their last name was used to identify the individual, same as our first names today.

• Example: Yao Ming's, the basketball superstar, family name is Yao and his individual name is Ming. So if you wrote my name in the Chinese tradition it would be Clark John instead of John Clark.