The document provides information on various topics related to ancient Chinese history, philosophy, and culture. It discusses Confucianism and Daoism as influential philosophies that shaped Chinese society. It describes China's first emperor who unified the government and ordered the construction of the Great Wall. The document also outlines China's foreign contacts and trade networks, important inventions and technologies developed in China, and influential dynasties and rulers like the Zhou Dynasty.

1. A Classroom Field Trip

2. 1. Confucianism

If asked about Confucianism, an advisor would
say, “Lead by example.”
The goal of Confucianism was a fair and peaceful society.
Values such as respect for elders, proper behavior, and
love of
 scholarship (learning) became deeply woven into
Chinese society.

3. 2. Daoism

If asked about Daoism, an advisor would say, “If you must
rule, rule as little as possible.”
The Dao De Jing preached a return to a simple & natural way of
living.
To the Daoists, nature is full of opposites. Examples are:
o Life and death
o Light and darkness
True harmony comes from balancing the opposite forces of
nature, called yin & yang.

4. 3. China’s First Emperor

China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, was both a
strong and a cruel ruler.
He unified Chinese government and culture.
To protect his empire from invaders, the Emperor of
Qin ordered a long wall to be built along China’s
northern border.
Later it became known as the Great Wall.

5. 4. China’s Foreign
Contacts- Ming Dynasty

Under the Ming dynasty, many other countries were China’s
tributaries
o This means they had to acknowledge the supreme power &
authority of China and pay tribute to (honor) its leader.
Once a country paid tribute, the Chinese emperors did the
following:
o Acknowledged (accepted) these countries’ rulers
o Provided military help
o Allowed them to trade with China

6. 5. China’s Foreign
Contacts- Mongol Dynasty

Travel along the Silk Road became very safe.
Kublai Khan appointed many visiting foreigners to official
positions in his government.
o Marco Polo was hired to go on inspection tours. His travels
gave Europeans firsthand knowledge of China and further encouraged
interest in trade.
Life was more pleasant for foreigners (like Marco Polo) than it was
for the native Chinese.
The resentment that built up under Mongol rule made the Chinese
suspicious of foreigners.

7. 6. China’s Foreign Contacts- Tang
Dynasty

China both welcomed and rejected contact with
foreigners.
The religion of Buddhism became very popular.
Three items the Chinese traded were:
silk, porcelain, paper, iron, & jade (choose 2)
In return, three things they received were
ivory, cotton, perfumes, spices, & horses (choose 3).

8. 7. Government

Officials were sometimes selected for a job because of
their family or wealth.
Meritocracy: Rule by officials chosen for their quality
(rather than their wealth/economic status).
The Mongol leader, Kublai Khan, took the title of
Emperor of China.
He did not trust the Chinese people to run his
government.

9. 8. Chinese Discoveries and
Inventions – Everyday Objects

Playing cards were invented in China
Paper money was invented by the Chinese in the late 8th
or early 9th century.
The Chinese developed the first mechanical clock in about
the 8th century.
Modern-day mechanical clocks are based on the same
fundamental principles as early Chinese clocks.

10. 9. Chinese Discoveries and
Inventions – Exploration and Travel

Chinese inventions made exploration and travel safer
and faster.
The First Compass:
o Compasses made long sea voyages possible because sailors
could figure out directions even without a landmark or
a point in the sky to steer by.
The Chinese discovered how to build ships with
watertight compartments.

11. 10. Chinese Discoveries and
Inventions-Industries

For more than 500 years, only the Chinese knew the secret of
making paper.
Woodblock Printing: First type of printing
Movable Type: Printers carved characters out of clay and baked
them. To print, they selected the characters they needed and placed
them in an iron frame in the order they would appear on the page.
When the printing job was done, the type could be removed from
the frame and used again.
The Chinese first made steel, a very useful metal, before 200 B.C.E.

12. 11. Chinese Discoveries and
Inventions – Military

The Chinese who first made gunpowder were alchemists.
An alchemist is a person who practiced a blend of science
& magic
o While experimenting with saltpeter, Chinese Alchemists
accidentally discovered an explosive powder.
Rocket technology was developed in China during the
Song dynasty.

13. 12. Legalism

If asked about Legalism, an advisor would say, “Set clear
laws and harshly punish those who disobey them.”
Legalism was based on the idea that most people are
naturally selfish.
It was not enough for rulers to set a good example.
Instead, they should establish strict laws and enforce
them with rewards for good behavior and harsh
punishments for bad behavior.

14. 13. Silk Road

The Silk Road was network of smaller trade routes that stretched
more than 4,000 miles across Asia to the Middle East and Europe.
Several dangers faced traders while traveling the Silk Road.
For traders to make a profit, goods had to be valuable and easy to
carry.
o Silk was the perfect trading good, because it was both light and
valuable.
The Silk Road also helped to spread the religion of
Buddhism.


15. 14. Zhou Dynasty

To justify their conquest, the Zhou Dynasty claimed they had been given
the Mandate of Heaven, the right to rule China granted by a god.
As long as the king governed his people well, Heaven gave him the right
to rule.
The Feudalism system started breaking down & causing conflict. There
were 250 years of disorder in China. This time is often called the Warring
States period.
So much instability led the Chinese to ask important questions about
human nature and the best way for rulers to govern.
o The three most influential ideas about how to govern were
Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism.

16. Study Guide

 How is it organized? Different than Museum Tour
 Philosophy/Religion
 Dynasties
 People
 Inventions
 Trade, travel, conflict
 Vocab
 Document Analysis – Map and timeline

17. Study Guide

 You will need to move around the Museum Tour to
find answers for the different questions
 Complete 1-15 tonight. If you choose to answer
more, please bring flash cards on Wednesday.
Practice, practice, practice!
 You’ll have more time on Wed. to complete the
study guide

18. China Essay

 Final version due Thursday, March 21.
 You may type or write your final draft.
 If you type and for whatever reason do not print, 20
points will be deducted.
 The best thing I can recommend for typing is to write
your essay as a Google doc-access anywhere.