China

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China
The Ming Group Group Members Lin Lincu Bharat
Kapadia Elsya Kusumo Alejandro Di-Tolla Septembe
r 5, 2002
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Religions in China

• There are four main religions in China and some
  minor ones
• Buddhism
• Daoism or Taoism
• Islam
• Christianity

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Buddhism

• Buddhism is said to be founded in India in the
  6th century BC by Siddhatha Gautama, the son of a
  nobleman and member of the Kshatriya caste near
  the present borders of India and Nepal.
• There are Four Noble Truths preached by Gautama
  Buddha and Noble Eight-Fold Path includes the
  eight tenets of Buddhism.

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Daoism (Taoism)

• Daoism is the only major religion that is
  exclusively from Chinese roots and grew to
  maturity in Chinese soil.
• It originated at the end of Eastern Han Dynasty
  during the reign of Emperor Shun Di (125-144 AD)
  and is based on ancient witchcraft and formulas
  of immorality.
• Taoists, however, regard Lao Zi (Lao Tzu) as the
  founder and supreme god of Daoism, and Dao de
  Jing, a profound book of only five thousand
  Chinese characters by Laozi as the believer's
  canon.

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Islam in China

• Islam was officially introduced into China in 651
  AD by Arabian envoys to Emperor Gao Zong of the
  Tang Dynasty. Throughout the Tang (818-907)
  Dynasties, many Arab and Persian merchants of
  Islamic faith came over land to northern China by
  way of the "Silk Road" and by sea to Quanzhou and
  other ports in cultural exchanges between China
  and Arabic countries. Some mosques were built in
  China by these merchants.

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Christianity in China

• Christianity comprises three principal divisions
  The Roman Catholic Church, the various protestant
  churches organized as a result of the
  Reformation, and the Holy Orthodox Apostolic
  Eastern Church, which includes the various
  organizations adhering to the Byzantine rites.

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Confucianism in China

• Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu), born in he state of Lu
  (northern China), lived from 551 to 479 B.C.
• He was a brilliant teacher, viewing education not
  merely as the accumulation of knowledge but as a
  means of self- transformation.

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Culture ??

• Living Values
• Design Arts
• Performing Arts
• Visual Arts
• Music
• Learning Literature

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Living Values

• Daily Life ??
• Modern homes, apartment towering high-rise
  buildings westernize lifestyle (clothes, food,
  sports, language)
• Traditional values still alive live smaller
  family units (parents, child, grandparents)
  equal gender (work together inside outside
  home) relationships become democratic (parents
  more lenient and reasonable, still strict
  expect good deal of respect)
• Festival ??
• 206 AD beginning 4 season festivals (Chinese New
  Year, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn, Winter Solstice)
  elements (desire for happiness, bring good luck,
  connect to heaven, family reunion national
  holidays (rest relaxation)

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Design Arts

• Architecture ???
• Great Wall (7th 8th centuries BC-1644 AD)
  stretch East-West (5,000 km) keep nomadic tribes
  out
• Jade ?
• 12,000 years ago, beautiful stone, warm color
  rich luster, carved found in mountains
  riverbeds gift for couples child bring good
  luck

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Performing Arts

• Opera ??
• Beijing Opera 200 years ago comprehensive
  performing art educational and entertaining 4
  types of characters with different facial makeup
• Dance ??
• 4th millennium BC reflect lifestyles customs
  of people 1,000 folk dance Dragon Dance (Han
  people), Peacock Dance (Dai people)

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Visual Arts

• Painting ??
• Traditional (618 AD) Free Sketch?bold rough
  lines, outlines of landscapes figures
  Realism?details of objects
• Western oil painting, engraving, watercolors
• Calligraphy ??
• 206 BC graphically?express emotion art?displays
  rhythmic harmonious flow of music
  practical?written language brush ink
  featured temples, walls of caves, paintings

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Music

• Instrument ??
• Bowed strings (Erhu) plucked strings (Pipa)
  winds (Sheng) percussion (Drum)
• Traditional Music ??
• Traditional Chinese orchestras combination of
  all instruments served to create harmonious
  beautiful auditory atmosphere

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Learning Literature

• Poetry ?
• 1st collection of poems?The Book of Songs (6th
  century BC) 1st poet?Qu Yuan (339 BC) Classical
  (Confucian), Vernacular (Ming Qing dynasties
  Journey to the West)
• Culture movement (1920s)?Lu Xun used literature
  as weapon 1949?contemporary stage, describe
  people emotion
• Feng Shui ??
• Wind water practice of creating harmony with
  environment basic principles Yin Yan, 5
  elements (fire, earth, metal, water, wood), East
  West, solar system, environment

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Political Structure in China

• Conventional long form Peoples Republic of
  China
• Conventional short form China
• Local long form Zhonghua Remin Gongheguo
• Local short form Zhong Guo
• Abbreviation PRC
• Government type Communist State

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General Geopolitical Data

• Capital Beijing
• Administrative Regions 23 provinces, 5
  autonomous regions and 4 municipalities (Beijing
  Tianjin Municipalities)
• Note China considers Taiwan its 23rd province
• Independence unification under the Qin Dynasty
  221BC replaced by the Republic on 12 Feb 1912
  Peoples Republic established 1 Oct 1949

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Legal System

• Complex amalgam of custom statute
• Largely criminal law
• Rudimentary civil code since 1 Jan 1987
• New legal codes since 1 Jan 1980
• Efforts made to improve civil, administrative,
  criminal and commercial law

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Executive Branch

• Chief of state President Jiang Zemin VP Hu
  Jintao
• Head of Govt Premier Zhu Rongji VPr Qian
  Qichen, Li Lanqing, Wu Bangguo
• Cabinet State council appointed by National
  Peoples Congress (NPC)
• Elections President and VP elected by NPC for 5
  yr tems Premier nominated by President,
  confirmed by NPC

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Legal Organization

• Legislative Branch
• unicameral NPC 2,979 seats members elected by
  municipal, regional and provincial peoples
  congresses to serve 5-year terms
• Judicial Branch
• Supreme Peoples Court (judges appointed by
  NPC) Local Peoples Court (comprise higher,
  intermediate and local courts) Special Peoples
  Courts (primarily military, maritime and railway
  transport courts)
• Currently no substantial political opposition
  grps govt has identified the Falungong sect and
  the China Democracy Party as potential rivals

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Todays Political Environment in China

• Leadership Changes in China16th CPC political
  power of the three represents
• China Gaining Economic Power in Asia
• China and the WTO
• Opening Chinas Banking industry to the West
• Distribution and Transportation systems
• Chinas Energy Demands
• Internal Unrest floods, pits of death, legality
  of clandestine recordings, etc.
• External Unrest Taiwanresent developments

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Questions Answers September 5, 2002