Journal Entry

• The Yin Yu Tang

House was moved

from China to Salem

and is now housed at

the Peabody Essex

Museum.

• Why do you think this

house is compared to

a “fortunate (lucky)

Child?”

History and Culture of China

Chapter 26

Section 2

Class Notes

Early History

• Longest continuous civilization

• 4,000 years old!

• Ruled by dynasties for much of its history

• Dynasty: a series of rulers from the same family

• The rulers of China’s dynasties were called:

• Emperors

The Qin (Chin) Dynasty 221-206 B.C.E

• First Dynasty to unite

China under one empire

• Shi Huangdi: Greatest

Emperor of the Dynasty

• Ordered the building of

much of the Great Wall

• Great Wall: Built to keep

invaders from the North

out of China!

Essential Question

• Based on the Map, who might

Shi Huangdi have wanted to

keep out of China by ordering

the construction of the first

“Great Wall”?

Terra-Cotta Warriors

• Shi was a brutal ruler who used slavery to build the Great Wall

• Only ruled for 11 years

• Shi also had thousands of terra-cotta (clay) warriors made to guard his tomb

• They were meant to protect him in the afterlife

• Discovered in 1974 in Xi’an near Emperor’s tomb

• Probably based on real soldiers

• Figures include soldiers, horses, acrobats and cavalry

• Estimates: Nearly 9,000 figures buried in 3 pits (now a museum)

• Most figures yet to be excavated (unburied)

Terra-Cotta Soldiers in the

Museum

Bronze Chariot for the Emperor

Journal Entry

• Why would it be difficult for a large

country such as China, Russia, The

United States or India to isolate itself

from the rest of the world?

• Why might isolation from the rest of

the world be dangerous for large

countries?

The Qing Dynasty 1644-1912

• The last dynasty

• China often had limited contact with outside cultures (Geography)

• In the 1800s, Europeans forced China to open up trade

• Europeans wanted Chinese goods like tea and silk

• Over time, Europeans began to gain control over the Emperor!

Revolution and Civil War

• 1911: Rebels force the last Emperor to leave

• China becomes a Republic!

• Republic: A government in which leaders are chosen by voters

• Sun Yat-sen (1886-1925): First President of Republic of China

• However, power struggles for control of China continued!

• Two groups would fight a civil war for control!

• Those groups were:

The Communists

•Led by:

Mao

Zedong

The Nationalists

•Led by:

•Chiang

Kai-shek

Journal Entry

• List and explain 2 aspects of our field trip

to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem

which make it a place that we, as

teachers, should continue to take future 6th

grade classes.

China in World War II • Japan invades China in 1937

• Truce is agreed to by Communists and Nationalists

• Anywhere from 10-20 million Chinese are killed in World War II

• Anywhere from 7-16 million were civilians killed by the Japanese military

• The Japanese are defeated in 1945

• The Civil war soon resumes

• Picture: Chinese civilians being buried alive by Japanese soldiers

• Essential Question: Why do you think the Nationalists and Communists would have called a truce once the Japanese invaded?

End of the Civil War

• October 1949

• The Civil War Ends

• The Communists win

• Mao becomes the

leader of China’s new

government

• Chiang Kai-shek

flees to Taiwan

Communist China Under Mao

• Mao favors a command economy at first

• Government seizes control over all:

• Farms, factories and businesses

• Mixed Results, for example:

• Women gain more freedoms under Mao

• However, people who criticized the government were imprisoned!

• 1960s: “Great Leap Forward”

• Private farming banned!

• Millions die from starvation!

Communist China Since Mao

• Mao died in 1976

• Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997) (Show-Ping) becomes the new leader

• Modernized and improved China’s economy

• China becomes a mixed economy

• Deng allowed some private businesses but government monitors them closely

• The government may also choose to control those businesses, if they want

• Economy began growing rapidly under Deng’s leadership

China’s People and Culture • Population of 1.3 billion!

• Largest in the World!

• Most live in the East

• 92% identify themselves as Han Chinese

• Many Han speak Mandarin

• Others speak a dialect:

• Dialect: regional version of a language

• 55 ethnic groups make up remaining 8% of population

• Most of these groups live in the West and South

Question of the Day

• List and explain 3 examples

of how religious beliefs can

affect a society. Consider

topics you’ve learned about

in school and/or your own

general knowledge.

Religious Beliefs

• Since 1949, China

has had a

Communist

government

• Religion is

discouraged by

Communism

• Still, 3 main

Religions /

philosophies greatly

influence China

• These are:

Daoism

• Stresses:

• Living simply and

in harmony with

nature

• The word Dao

means:

• “The Way”

Confucianism

• Based on the ideas

and beliefs of the

ancient philosopher

Confucius

• Stresses:

• Family

• Moral Values

• Respect for Elders

Buddhism • Arrived in China from India

around 100 AD

• Based on teachings of the ancient leader known as:

• The Buddha

• Stresses

• Moral Behavior

• Kindness and Meditation

• Pagodas: Buddhist temples which have multi-storied towers with an upward curving roof at each floor

• Islam and Christianity are also practiced

Sources

• http://powerpoint-backgrounds.com/green-bamboo-border-powerpoint-background-image-slide-template-background.html

• http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Arts/images/china%20wall.gif

• http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/

• http://heritage-key.com/china/top-10-interesting-facts-about-terracotta-warriors

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1_terracotta_army_2011.JPG

• http://www.world-guides.com/images/china/china_country_map.jpg

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deng_Xiaoping.jpg

• http://www.wacowebdesign.be/images/stories/yin-yang.jpg

• http://www.bu.edu/religion/files/images/Daoism-Chinese-Culture.jpg

• http://www.history-of-china.com/Spring-and-Autumn-Period/educator-confucius.html