China

Terms

Champa rice

Fast-growing rice from Southeast Asia that helped China produce more food.

Du Fu

Famous Tang dynasty poet who wrote about war and society.

Equal-field system

Tang-era land system that distributed land to households under government rules.

Foot Binding

Practice of tightly binding girls’ feet, especially among elite families, to make them smaller.

Heian Era

Period in Japanese history known for aristocratic culture and literature.

Kowtow

Formal act of kneeling and bowing deeply to show respect or submission.

Li Bo (Li Bai)

Famous Tang dynasty poet known for his imaginative poetry.

Mencius

Confucian philosopher who argued that people have an essentially good nature.

Middle Kingdom

Traditional Chinese name for China, reflecting its view of itself as the center of civilization.

Ming Dynasty

Chinese dynasty that ruled from 1368 to 1644 after the Yuan dynasty.

Neo-Confucianism

Revival and development of Confucian ideas, especially influential during the Song dynasty.

Sui Dynasty

Dynasty that reunified China in 589 and helped prepare the way for the Tang.

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty known for economic growth, new technologies, and agricultural advances.

Tang Dynasty

Chinese dynasty known for strong government, cultural achievements, and international trade.

Wu Zhao

Only woman in Chinese history to rule as emperor in her own right; ruled during the Tang period.