Geography of China

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Geography of China
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China was isolated. Why?
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Would you want to cross these to get into China?
Cliffs along Huang He in Gansu
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1. Natural Barriers

• a. Mountains south- Himalayas
• west- Kunlun and Tien Shan

b. Large deserts north- Gobi west-
Takla Makan
c. Pacific Ocean- east
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Impact of Isolation

• Ethnocentric society developed

Ethnocentrism- the belief that your race or
culture is better than all others.
Called China Zhongguo or Middle Kingdom because
they believed they were between Heaven and Earth.
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3. Population Distribution
How people distribute themselves in an area

• 96 of pop. live along coast and river valleys
  because 2/3 of China is mountains and deserts

• Theres farmable land along the coast and river
  valleys.

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• b. Modern Chinas population 1.6 Billion people
  
• 1 Child Law- To control the population, Chinese
  families are only allowed to have one child.
  There are many exceptions.

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4. Agriculture

• Only 11 of the land is arable.
• Arable farmable

Farmers practice 1. subsistence farming-
producing just enough to meet your basic needs
(little or no surplus) 2. terrace farming-
carving steps into the sides of mountains for
farming
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5. Rivers in China

• a. Huang He (Yellow River)- where the earliest
  Chinese civilization developed.
• -loess- fine, windblown soil, very fertile,
  settles in river causing flooding
• - known as Chinas Sorrow because of flood
  damage

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Xi River
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• b. Chang (Yangtze)
• 1. Longest river
• 2. commercial
• c. Xi (Si)
• 1. southern-
• most river
• 2. commercial

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6. Coastline

• Long and irregular (jagged) with excellent
  harbors
• Used for trade and transportation

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Ancient Chinese DYNASTIES
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The 4 Ancient River Valley Civilizations
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Shang Dynasty 1766-1027 BCE
1.
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• a. supervised flood control projects
• (Yellow R.)
• b. developed an accurate calendar

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c. developed a form of writing ideographs-
symbols that represent ideas Oracle Bones-
pictograms on bone used to predict the future
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The Evolution of ChineseWriting during the Shang
Pictographs
Ideographs
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Zhou Dynasty 1027 - 256 BCE
(Joe)
2.
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Ancient Chinese DYNASTIES
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The 4 Ancient River Valley Civilizations
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Shang Dynasty 1766-1027 BCE
1.
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• a. supervised flood control projects
• (Yellow R.)
• b. developed an accurate calendar

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c. developed a form of writing ideographs-
symbols that represent ideas Oracle Bones-
pictograms on bone used to predict the future
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The Evolution of ChineseWriting during the Shang
Pictographs
Ideographs
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Zhou Dynasty 1027 - 256 BCE
(Joe)
2.
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a. Philosophies of Confucianism, Legalism and
Daoism developed b. Economy grew (because of
iron) population grew c. Broke into warring
states
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• d. Developed the
• Mandate of Heaven- a dynastys divine right to
  rule
• Dynastic Cycle- cycle of how dynasties rise and
  fall

Ritual Food Vessel, bronze 11c BCE (Western
Zhou)
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A new dynasty comes to power.
The emperorreforms the govt. makes it
moreefficient.
Start here?
Lives of common people improvedtaxes
reducedfarming encouraged.
Emperor isdefeated !!
TheDynasticCycle
Problems begin(extensive wars,invasions, etc.)
Rebel bands findstrong leader whounites
them.Attack the emperor.
Poor loserespect for govt.They join rebels
attack landlords.
Taxes increasemen forced towork for
army.Farming neglected.
Droughts,floods,famines occur.
Govt. increasesspending corruption.
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Imperial Dynasties
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3. Qin Dynasty (Cheeng) 221 BCE
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• a. believed in Legalist principles
• b. united China started Great Wall

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c. Emperor Shi Huangdis Tomb with his Terra
Cotta Army
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Shi Huangdis Terra Cotta Army
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4. Han Dynasty 206 BCE 220 CE
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• Used Civil Service Exam based on Confucian ideas
• - Emperor Wudi- improved life
• b. Made achievements in medicine (acupuncture),
  science and agriculture
• c. overthrown by foreign invasions

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• c. invented paper 105 B.C.E.
• d. Est. Silk Road trade route

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5. Tang Dynasty

• (618 -907 CE)
• spread Chinese culture in Asia
• b. The printing press, gunpowder,
• small pox vaccine,
• and

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the earthquake detectorwas invented.
Each of the eight dragons had a bronze ball in
its mouth. Whenever there was even a slight earth
tremor, a mechanism inside the seismograph would
open the mouth of one dragon. The bronze ball
would fall into the open mouth of one of the
toads, making enough noise to alert someone that
an earthquake had just happened. Imperial
watchman could tell which direction the
earthquake came from by seeing which dragon's
mouth was empty.
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6. Song Dynasty (Sung) 960- 1279 CE

• China experienced a Golden Age with a stable
  government
• Culture flourished- grew succeeded
• c. Silk Road grew
• - trade between China and the Fertile Crescent
  increased. It was 4,000 miles of harsh terrain.

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7. Yuan Dynasty (Mongol) 1279 -1368 CE
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• a. Kublai Khan (non-Chinese) ruled China
• b. Marco Polo visited China. Europeans became
  interested in China from his book.

Kublai Khan Genghiz Khan Marco Polo
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8. Ming Dynasty 1369 1644 CE

• a. Revived arts and literature but isolated China
  when Europeans began developing advancing.

Ming Painting and Calligraphy, early 16c
Ming Vases, 18c
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Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho)
Chinas Columbus?
Zheng Hes treasure ship was 400 ft. long in
comparison to Columbus Santa Maria, which was 85
ft. long. Thats a BIG difference!
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9. Ching Dynasty (Manchu) 1644 1911 CE

• a. The last of Chinas dynastic families came
  from Manchuria
• b. Could not prevent Europeans from gaining power
  in China.

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Foot-Binding in Ancient China

• Broken toes by 3 years of age.

Size 5 ½ shoe on the right
Mothers bound their daughters feet.
For upper-class girls, it became a new custom.
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The Results of Foot-Binding