Ancient China About 1800 B.C. The Shang kingdom was founded About 1400 B.C. The Shang began writing oracle bones About 1050 B.C. The Zhou dynasty begins About 500 B.C. The first coins are used in China 475 B.C. The Warring States period begins 371 B.C. Mencius is born 256 B.C. The Zhou dynasty ends

Ancient China The Shang began writing with oracle bones, creating the first written records of China. The Shang did not use an alphabet for their written words—they used pictographs (pictures that represent words or ideas). 475 B.C. to 221 B.C. was an era of CHAOS for China—this became known as the Warring States period. Battles became full-scale warfare

Geography of Ancient China Rivers were important to the development of civilization throughout ancient China. Because of its flooding, the Huang River was known as China's Sorrow. The Silk Road was a trade route between Europe and China. The first known civilization in China was the Shang dynasty.

Politics and Customs of Ancient China People in ancient China felt that Dragons brought good luck. Death was the penalty for revealing the secrets of making silk. The Han Dynasty lasted for 400 years. Shi Huangdi ordered all of the following: using the same weights and measures. building roads for his armies. dividing China into districts. Rulers during the Han Dynasty created the civil service system based on Confucianism. The Chinese believed rulers came to power because of fate.

Religious beliefs of Ancient China A system of beliefs and values is called a Philosophy. All of the following are a religion or philosophy of life practiced in ancient China: Taoism Buddhism Confucianism

Confucianism The teachings of Confucius were based on the forgotten teachings of people who lived before him. Confucius was a Chinese philosopher. Confucius was self-taught. Before his death, Confucius felt as if he had failed.

Daoism “the way” or “the path”—the source of yin and yang Order comes when people keep to a simple life, instead of competing for wealth and power. A good leader took little action, leaving people to live a simple life.

The Chinese Empires 221 B.C.—The Qin dynasty begins 210 B.C.—The First Emperor dies 206 B.C.—The Han dynasty begins 141 B.C.—Emperor Wudi’s reign begins About 138 B.C.—Zhang Qian’s expedition leaves for Central Asia A.D. 105—The use of paper is mentioned for the first time in a written source A.D. 220—The Han dynasty ends

The Chinese Empires *continued* The First Emperor began to work on The Great Wall of China. Under The First Emperor, Legalism was valued. According to Legalism, a strong leader and a strong legal system are needed to create social order. Han achievements include traditional arts, advances in science, and inventions, such as the seismometer, a tool to detect earthquakes. Calligraphy—the art of beautiful writing