Oracle Bones

Ancient China The history of China dates back some 4,000 years, one of the oldest surviving civilizations Throughout its history, the Chinese people viewed the outside world with curiosity & contempt They thought of outsiders as uncivilized “barbarians” Zhong Guo (Middle Kingdom)

They were cut off from the rest of the world by natural barriers Two major rivers: Yellow River in the north and the Yangtze River in the south Powerful families passed down control of their kingdoms from generation to generation China’s history is divided into periods named for these ruling families, or dynasties

Timeline of Ancient China According to legend, Xia family founded China’s 1 st dynasty in 2205 B.C. Shang (ca – 1027 B.C.) The Zhou Dynasty (1027 – 256 B.C.) The Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 B.C.) The Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.) The Medieval Period in China

Chinese Religion There is no commandment to “have no other God before me” and there is no exclusive sense of one truth driving out other truths The ancient Chinese people had several faiths Buddhism, Confucianism, & Taoism (Daoism) “The three ways flow into one”

Buddhism It teaches freedom from life’s misery through purity of mind and soul Buddhism spread to China via the Silk Road – a trader’s route Mahayana Buddhism prevailed in China Fourfold Noble Path Eightfold Path – “way of life” Nirvana – endless bliss

Confucianism Kong Fuzi = Confucius (551 – 479 B.C.) This philosophy influenced Chinese govt. and society His message = people’s well being depended on order and morality The Analects Human character, not birth, determined the worth & status of an individual Confucianism & Legalism

Mencius excerpt: Mencius ( B.C.), China’s most significant voice after Confucius. Expanded Confucian concepts of government as a civilizing force and the ruler as the moral model

Han Fei Zi excerpt: Legalist believed that the best state was one in which rulers held absolute authority with strict laws and punish violators to the law

Taoism (Daoism) Embraces a universal and natural principle – the Dao (“way”) The father of Taoism was Lao-tzu Preached passivity & resignation The answer to society’s problems could be found only in nature Tao Te Ching (The Way of Virtue)

Funeral Customs The ancient Chinese believed that there was life after death The Qing Ming Festival Believed that spirits existed in every place The spirits of the deceased ancestors continued to exist in Heaven Burial Customs

Jade was believed to prevent fatigue and delay the decomposition of the body Jade disks were placed at the center of the body in the tomb The deceased were encased with shrouds made up of thousands of carved plaques sewn with gold wire Shroud from the tomb of Liu Sheng, Han Dynasty

Architecture Structures were horizontal – built to hug the earth Buildings were laid accordingly to cosmic axis that ran from north to south Ancient Chinese constructions were built of wood Buddhist Architecture in China The Great Wall of China

The earliest Buddhist building in China dating 523 A.D. It’s a twelve-sided brick pagoda The pagoda has a hollow interior They recreate the image of the spreading pine tree, a beneficent sign in Chinese culture

The Great Wall of China

Because the Chinese built primarily with wood, there are no remains left of their structures It is through glazed earthenware models found in Chines tombs that gives scholars a glimpse of their architecture