1. Chinese River Valleys

3. Fertile soil called loess – blown by the winds from deserts
Geography
Natural barriers protect from East
Himalayas and Taklamakan Desert
Isolation = self-sufficient
“Middle Kingdom”
Huang He (Yellow River) and Yangtze River
Fertile soil called loess – blown by the winds from deserts
10% of land is arable
Fertile land support large population

4. The Yellow and Yangtze Rivers Today
Flooding, Fishing, and Toxic runoff

7. …?

9. The control of water is becoming a point of conflict between neighboring countries

10. Early Chinese History
Shang
Zhou

11. The Shang Dynasty – 1700-1027 BCE
First rulers to leave written records
Oracle bones
Used bronze tools and weapons
Overthrown by the Zhou ( BCE) who created the Mandate of Heaven

12. Oracle Bone from the Shanghai Museum

14. Chinese Culture Family Religious Beliefs
People outside China = barbarians
Ethnocentrism
Loyalty to the family/Filial Piety
Women inferior
Arranged marriages 13-16
Mulan - Honor
Family ancestors influenced life (+/-)
Spirits were not gods
Paid respect to spirits
Mulan - Family Spirits

15. Writing System
No connection between China’s spoken and written language
AKA – One can read Chinese without being able to speak a word of it
People all over China could read it even if the spoken language was very different
Written language helped unify a large, diverse land
1,500 characters to be barely literate
10,000 to be a scholar

16. 1) Traditional 2) Simplified 3) Pinyin 4)English

17. These have been translated to pinyin

18. Easy to figure out
Still easy to figure out

19. Look what I found as a result?

20. And…I’m lost

21. Qin and Han Dynasties Qin Warring States Period 221-210 BC
Qin Shi Huangdi defeats warlords and unites China
Creates centralized government and rule
Rule through harsh laws and punishments - Legalism

22. Qin and Han Dynasties 206 BC – 220 AD Overthrow Qin dynasty
Han Territory
Han
206 BC – 220 AD
Overthrow Qin dynasty
Rule based on Qin idea of strong government with Confucian idea of public service and virtue

23. The Growth of Early Chinese Dynasties
Qin Territory
Han Territory