The Geography of Ancient China

Desert Mountains OCEAN Ancient China covered a large area. The climate, soil, landforms, and waterways varied greatly depending on the region. Desert The Chinese were VERY ISOLATED from other civilizations. Natural barriers: Huang He River Yangtze River Gobi Desert Pacific Ocean Himalayan Mts. Jungles Mountains OCEAN

They called their land the Middle Kingdom because of the belief that they lived at the center of the world. Because of their isolation, the early Chinese believed they were the only civilization in the entire world. Ethnocentrism: the belief that your culture is superior to all others.

Huang & Yangtze Rivers were used for transportation and irrigation. Irrigation was very important to produce rice and wheat. Rivers deposited a layer of rich soil, called loess.

The Haung (Yellow River) is the longest river in China. It is also called China’s Sorrow because although it brought life to the land, it also took life away. Destructive floods could come without warning, sometimes as often as every two years. To help control the flooding, early Chinese people built dikes along the banks of the Huang.

Only 10-12% of the land was usable for farming. Chinese farmers used terrace farming techniques to produce rice during the Ming Dynasty.

Early Civilizations Shang Dynasty Built China’s first cities Produced some of the finest bronze works Created the first Chinese writing system 2. Zhou Dynasty Lived to the west of the Shang people Usually lived in peace but sometimes fought Eventually conquered the Shang people Ruled for 1,000 years, then China broke into many small Warring States

Family Life Many generations lived together (sometimes as many as five or six) Large, extended families Age and gender played a major role in family authority Older men had the most respect and power, young women the least Women were bound by three obediences: Honor their fathers in their youth Honor their husbands in their marriage Honor their sons in their widowhood Four virtues guided female behavior: morality, modesty, proper speech, and domestic speech Chinese names place the family name (last name) before the personal name. Instead of George Washington, the Chinese would say Washington George.