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
