Chinese Culture (Geography and History)

Civil Service

A group of educated men that worked for the government after passing a difficult test.

Silk Road

A trade route that traded silk, porcelain and more. It went from China to the west.

Great Wall of China

A 5,500-mile-long wall built around China meant to keep invaders out, specifically Mongols.

Terracotta Warriors

Around 8,000 life size warriors made out of terracotta in the tomb of Emperor Qin. 

Mongols

The Mongols were people from the north of China who eventually invaded China. They were led by Genghis and Kublai Khan.

The Forbidden City

 A large palace created by the emperor of the Ming Dynasty located in Beijing, which is the capital of China.

Calligraphy

A special type or style of writing using brushes to write the characters, and it is also considered a form of art.

Nian

A fictional creature that can be scared off with fireworks, the color red and loud noise. To honor the victory over Nian, there is a celebration on held on the Chinese New Year.

The Two Important Factors That Limited China’s Contact with Outsiders were?

-Long Distances and

-Natural Barriers

A plateau is ___?

a mostly level expanse of land at high elevation.

Natural barriers create a ___?

natural wall.

Geography helped China by ___?

keeping invaders out.

Geography hurt China by ___?

limiting trading.

Other names for the Huang He River?

-Yellow River

-Mother River

-River of Sorrows

Other name for the Yangtze River?

-Chang Jiang

What is the longest river in China?

The Yangtze River (Chang Jiang)

The Xia and Shang Dynasties were located where?

The Yellow River Valley

How does the Huang He (Yellow River) get its name/color?

The yellow loess that is deposited in it.

What is loess?

Clay Dust

What are the five early dynasties?

-Xia

-Shang

-Zhou

-Qin

-Han

Which of the five early dynasties controlled the most territory?

Han Dynasty

Which dynasty first built walls along the norther border of China?

Qin Dynasty

During which dynasty was the Silk Road established?

Han dynasty

What were the inventions or creations during the Han Dynasty?

-Paper

-Silk Road

-Civil Service

-Porcelain

What does “Chi fan le ma?” mean?

Have you eaten rice yet today?

How large is China?

Around 3.7 million square miles.

When did China take control of Tibet?

In September of 1951.

Who was China’s first emperor?

Qin Shi Huang

Which Chinese Dynasty did Kublai Khan start?

The Yuan Dynasty

What were inventions of The Shang Dynasty?

-Bronze Makings
-Knives

-Spears

-Ax Heads

-Sacrificial Vessels

What were inventions of The Qin Dynasty

-A standard script for the empire

-A currency for the empire

What was the Yuan Dynasty? (Who established it?)

The Yuan Dynasty was established by Kublai Kahn, a war leader of the Mongols, and his empire stretched from Asia to Europe.

What were inventions of The Ming Dynasty?

Arts and Crafts

specifically “Ming” vases, which were usually colored white and blue.

What were inventions of the Qing Dynasty?

Opium (was widely smoked)

an addictive drug derived from poppies.

What was the first Dynasty to start The Great Wall of China? Why?

The Qin Dynasty and emperors started work on The Great Wall of China because they feared goods would be smuggled out of China without their knowing.

What was the second Dynasty to continue work on The Great Wall of China? Why?

The Ming Dynasty and emperors continued work on The Great Wall of China because they feared invasions from the north by nomadic tribes, specifically the Mongols.

What are the 5 autonomous regions of China, and where are they located?

-Xinjiang (North-West)

-Tibet (South-West)

-Guangxi (South-East)

-Ningxia (Center, more north, under Inner Mongolia)

-Inner Mongolia (North + North-East)

What is an autonomous region in China?

An autonomous region is a region of China that is independent, and can have its own leaders and government, but still abides by the rules of the surrounding country (China).