Geography of China Tien Shan Himalayas Gobi Desert

Geography of China

Tien Shan Himalayas Gobi Desert Thick Rainforest Pacific Ocean China’s many physical barriers helped to form a unique society. Despite this physical isolation, China traded with civilizations thousands of miles to the east.

From the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau in the East flow two of the world’s largest rivers: The Huang He and the Yangtze.

Chinese civilization began along the banks of the Huang He River (also known as the yellow river). It later spread south to the Yangtze River.

Ancient Chinese History Please draw the following timeline in your notebook. 1600 B. C. 1029 B. C. 771 B. C. 551 B. C. 500 B. C. 475 B. C. 350 B. C. 221 B. C. 206 B. C. 50 A. D. 220 A. D.

1600 B. C. The Shang Dynasty is founded. 1600 B. C.

1029 B. C. Zhou Dynasty overthrows the Shang Dynasty to take control of China. In order to justify their takeover, they claim to have the “mandate of heaven”. 1029 B. C.

771 B. C. The Zhou dynasty begins a period of decline. Although Zhou emperors still maintain ritual importance, they hold little authority. The political instability of the next four hundred years leads to the golden age of Chinese philosophy. Many different schools of though emerge about how to best solve China’s instability. 771 B. C.

551 B. C. Confucius is born. His teachings will eventually influence Chinese society more than any other thinker. The Five Relationships 1. Ruler to Ruled 2. Father to Son 3. Husband to Wife 4. Elder Brother to Younger Brother 5. Friend to Friend Confucianism is based on harmony and each person in any given relationship is expected to live up to their side of the bargain. If everyone does this, the whole society will function smoothly. 551 B. C.

500 B. C. China enters an Iron Age. Chinese smelters developed a “Blast Furnace” which allowed them to heat Iron to a temperature of 1130°C. At that temperature, Iron melts and can be poured into molds and casts which is much more efficient than forging each individual piece. 500 B. C.

475 B. C. The Warring States Period begins. 7 different Feudal states battled for dominance in China for more than 250 years. 475 B. C.

350 B. C. The Tao Te Ching is Written by Lao Tzu. This text becomes the basis for Taoism (Daoism) which has enormous influence on Chinese culture. 350 B. C.

221 B. C. The Qin Dynasty is established when the seven warring states of China were unified by Emperor Qin Shi Huang was buried in 210 B. C. with over 8, 000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. This “Terracotta Army” was discovered by local farmers in 1974. 221 B. C.

This map shows the area of the Qin Dynasty at its greatest extent. The Qin formed the first real Empire in China by ruling over other states as well as their own.

206 B. C. The Han Dynasty is founded. The Han were one of the 7 warring states and rebelled against the Qin to gain control in China. Chinese culture and civilization flourished under the Han who ruled for 400 years. Today, 92% of China’s population is of Han descent. 206 B. C.

50 A. D. Buddhism spreads to China. This is one of more than 51, 000 statues of Buddha carved into the base of the Wuzhou Shan mountains. These carvings are known as the “Yungang Grottoes” and were made in the 5 th and 6 th Centuries. 50 A. D.

220 A. D. The Han Empire is divided and the Three Kingdoms Period begins. The three Kingdoms are: • Wei (魏) • Shu (蜀) • Wu (吳) 220 A. D.

Looking Ahead in Chinese History. • The Dynastic Cycle Continued in China until 1911 when the Xinhai Revolution led to the establishment of the Republic of China. • In 1949, Mao Zedong and his communist party proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China which still rules over China today.

581618 A. D. The Sui Dynasty

618907 A. D. The Tang Dynasty

9601271 A. D. The Song Dynasty

12711368 A. D. The Yuan Dynasty

13681644 A. D. The Ming Dynasty

16441911 A. D. The Qing Dynasty