Chinese Civilization

The Chinese Civilization

Contents 1) Origin and Location 2) Famous Emperors 3) Architecture and Artefacts 4) Culture and Religion 5) Occupation 6) Scientific Progress 7) Mask Culture 8) Numeration and Number System 9) Language and Script 10) Literature

Origins of Chinese Civilization-(c.1600–221 BC) Chinese civilization began along the Yellow River in the Shang era, and spread from there when Bronze Age culture reached its peak. Then, traditional Chinese philosophies, such as Confucianism and Daoism, developed in the feudal Zhou era as China expanded in territory and population. Ancient China finally fractured into warring kingdoms for 200 years, and its reunification marked the start of the imperial China age.

Who started the Chinese civilization?  Much of traditional Chinese culture, literature and philosophy first developed during those troubled times. In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered the various warring states and created for himself the title of Huangdi or \"emperor\" of the Qin, marking the beginning of imperial China.  What is the oldest Chinese civilization? The Shang Dynasty lasted over 600 years and was led by 30 different emperors. The Shang were the oldest Chinese civilization to leave behind written records, called oracle bones—turtle shells, cattle shoulders or other bones on which were written important clues to Chinese history.

The Location of Ancient Chinese civilization  China is a vast country with a huge range of terrains and climates within it: mountains, deserts and coastlands and above all, the great river systems of China, the Yellow River to the north and the Yangtze to the south. All these have helped shape Chinese civilization.  The Yellow River region  The civilization of ancient China first developed in the Yellow River region of northern China, in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. This is a very fertile region; however the land needs irrigation to make the crops grow, and well-built river embankments to prevent catastrophic flooding.  This region is regarded as the Cradle of China’s Civilization. It was here that the earliest Chinese dynasties were based. Throughout the ancient period of China’s history it formed the heart of the Chinese world, and it was from here that Chinese civilization spread out across the rest of China

Map of Chinese Civilization

Famous Emperors of Chinese Civilization • Qin Shi Huang • Han Wudi • Emperor Taizong of Tang • Kangxi Emperor • Yongle Emperor • Nurhaci • Guangxu Emperor • Emperor Wu of Jin

Qin Shi Han Wudi Huang

3) ARCHITECTURE AND ARTIFACTS  The achievement of Chinese in the field of art and architecture are laudable.  The Great Wall of China, the world’s longest wall, is the example of the brilliance of Chinese architecture. The Great Wall is about 2400 km long and varies in height from 4.5 m to 9 m. To protect China from the attack of the Hunas and Tartars, emperor Si-Whang-Ti had built the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China is regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

PAGODAS  Another important feature of Chinese architecture was the construction of stupa-style temples known as pagodas.  The pagodas of china is unique in the world.  The interior of the pagodas were decorated with beautiful sculptures.

POTTERY  The Chinese developed the art of making porcelain pottery.  They were the first to make vases, jars, cups, saucers and bowls.  Some of these had superfine glossy surfaces, richly decorated with colourful designs.

WOODWORK  Large quantities of timber were found in China. Hence, wood was used on a large scale, especially for the construction of the building.  They made excellent cabinets. They created beautiful woodwork inlaid with ivory. The walls of the palaces were made of polished wood.

BUDDHISM IN ANCIENT CHINA : - Buddhism is the most important religion in China. It is generally believed that it was spread to China in 67 AD during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) from Hotan in Xinjiang to Central China. During its development in China, it has a profound influence on traditional Chinese culture and thoughts, and has become one of the most important religions in China at that time. Three different forms of this religion evolved as it reached the centers of population at varying times and by different routes. The social and ethnic background in each location also affected the way in which each of these forms developed and eventually they became known as Han, Tibetan and Southern Buddhism. Over its long history, Buddhism has left an indelible impact on Chinese civilization. Many words and phrases have root in a Buddhist origin. Take a colloquial phrase as an example, 'to hold the foot of Buddha at the moment\" means \"to make a last minute effort\". This reveals in a sense the true attitude of the Chinese toward the utilitarian aspects of belief. Many people kowtow to whatever gods they encounter and will burn incense in any temple.

In literature traces of Buddhism and Zen are obvious. Quite a few famous poets in Tang Dynasty like Bai Juyi were lay Buddhists but this did not prevent them from indulging in a little from time to time. Just as today's white collar classes go to bars, the Tang scholars went to restaurants to drink and flirt with the almahs. In today's China, Buddhist temples, Buddhist caves and grottoes and Buddhist Holy Mountains, especially the ones listed in the national or provincial historical and cultural relics, have become the hot spots for tourism. It is not uncommon for the income of a temple to cover the expenses of a whole county or district.

Taoism in Ancient In the Chinese language the word tao China:- means \"way,\" indicating a way of thought or life. There have been several such ways in China's long history, including Confucianism and Buddhism. In about the 6th century BC, under the influence of ideas credited to a man named Lao-tzu, Taoism became \"the way\". like Confucianism, it has influenced every aspect of Chinese culture. Taoism began as a complex system of philosophical thought that could be indulged in by only a few individuals. In later centuries it emerged, perhaps under the influence of Buddhism, as a communal religion. It later evolved as a popular folk religion.

Confucianism in Ancient China:- Confucius was China’s most famous Philosopher. He lived in Ancient China during the Zhou Dynasty. Confucius was a government official, and during his lifetime (he lived from 551 to 479 B.C. ) he saw growing disorder and chaos in the system. Perhaps due to the turmoil and injustices he saw, he set himself to develop a new moral code based on respect, honesty, education, kindness and strong family bonds. His teachings later became the basis for religious and moral life throughout China.

The Five Virtues of Confucius:- Confucius believed that a good government was the basis for a peaceful and happy society. And the basis for a good government was good officials. In order to become a “good official” a person had to master the following Five Virtues: Li for ritual etiquette, manners, gravity \"Men's natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.\" Ren stands for Kindness to the fellow man “Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.\"

Xin stands for truthfulness, faithfulness and sincerity “The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions” Yi for righteousness or honesty, generosity of soul “When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves” Xiao for filial piety, for strong family values “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home”

RELIGION OF ANCIENT CHINA:- The Chinese civilization had three religions namely Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism Religious practices in ancient China go back over 7,000 years. Long before the philosophical and spiritual teachings of Confucius and Lao-Tzu developed or before the teachings of the Buddha came to China, the people worshipped personifications of nature and then of concepts like \"wealth\" or \"fortune\" which developed into a religion. These beliefs still influence religious practices today. For example, the Tao te Ching of Taoism maintains that there is a universal force known as the Tao which flows through all things and binds all things but makes no mention of specific gods to be worshipped; still, modern Taoists in China (and elsewhere) worship many gods at private altars and in public ceremonies which originated in the country's ancient past.

In China, religious beliefs are evident in the Yangshao Culture of the Yellow River Valley, which prospered between 5000-3000 BCE. At the Neolithic site of Banpo Village in modern Shaanxi Province (dated to between c. 4500-3750 BCE) 250 tombs were found containing grave goods, which point to a belief in life after death. There is also a ritualistic pattern to how the dead were buried with tombs oriented west to east to symbolize death and rebirth. Grave goods provide evidence of specific people in the village who acted as priests and presided over some kind of divination and religious observance.

THERE WERE OVER 200 GODS IN THE CHINESE PANTHEON WHOSE NAMES WERE RECORDED DURING AND AFTER THE SHANG DYNASTY. ABOVE ALL WAS SHANGTI, THE GOD OF LAW, ORDER, JUSTICE, AND LIFE, KNOWN AS \"THE LORD ON HIGH\".

The early gods, before Shangti, were spirits of a place known as Tudi Gong ( \"Lord of the Place\" or \"Earth God\"). These were earth spirits who inhabited a specific place and only had power in that locale. The Tudi Gong were sometimes thought to be an important member of the community who had died but remained in spirit as a guardian but,

more often, they were ancient spirits who inhabited a certain area of land. These spirits were helpful if people acknowledged and honored them, and vengeful if they were ignored or neglected. The Chinese concept of Feng Shui comes from the belief in the Tudi Gong. These local earth spirits continued to be venerated even after gods developed who were more universal. One of the first deities acknowledged who probably began as a local spirit was the dragon. The dragon is one of the oldest gods of China. Dragon images have been found on the Neolithic pottery at Banpo Village and other sites. The Dragon King known as Yinglong was god of rain, both gentle rain for the crops and terrible storms, also as Lord of the Sea and protector of heroes, kings, and those who fought for right. Dragon statuary and imagery is routinely used in Chinese art and architecture to symbolize protection and success. Some form of Nuwa, goddess of humankind, existed as early as the Shang Dynasty. Nuwa was a goddess part woman and part dragon who molded human beings from the mud of the Yellow River and blew her breath into them to bring them to life. She continued making people and bringing them to life over and over again but grew tired of it finally and invented marriage so people could reproduce without her. She saw that people did not know how to do anything, though, so she asked her friend Fuxi for help.

Occupation IN ANCIENT CHINA:- There were four major professions in ancient China. Those professions were scholars (which included doctors and warriors), farmers, artistians (artists and craftsmen), and merchants. Unlike most ancient cultures, farmers were not on the lowest level of the social scale. Scholars were at the top of the social scale for professions. They were envied because they had a right to ride in chariots and carry swords. Next came the farmers. Farmers were important. They grew the food. They were honored for their effort. Artists and craftsmen were admired for their skill. Merchants were at the bottom of the social scale in ancient China. Many merchants became rich. This angered some scholars and nobles. They wanted merchants to act and behave and live in a lowly fashion. For a while, there was a law that did not allow merchants to ride in chariots, even if they could afford to. But this softened with time. Merchants were never treated with respect, but under most dynasties in ancient times, they were allowed to live as they could afford.

Within these four categories, there were lots of jobs. You could be sworn to secrecy and become a silk maker. You could make yardstick length noodles. You could paint watercolors. You could become an architect, a doctor, a warrior, a musician, a dancer, a hat maker, a jeweler, an animal trainer, a fortune teller, a trader, or a Buddhist monk, to name a few. Most people were farmers. All people were paid for their work, in money, food, or goods. During Tang times, government officials became almost a new social class. In Tang times, anyone could take the exam to become a government official. No longer were these jobs reserved for members of the royal family or the sons of nobles. Many young men came to the city on examination day, hoping to better themselves by passing this exam.



Scientific Progress Gun powder Compass Mathematics Crossbow Seismoscope Fireworks Papermaking









7. Mask culture  Origin of Chinese masks is in shamanic rituals of the old. They were used for exorcisms and during the funeral rituals. Masks developed during the time and entered other parts of life and culture and today they have many uses from births to funerals. They are used in dance performances, during celebrations, there are masks for newborns, masks made for protection against evil and theatrical masks. During ceremonies that are held as welcome celebrations of gods and spirits, groups of people wear “Sorcerer’s masks”. These masks are also used in rituals that are held as prayers for better tomorrow and during funerary rites to help a soul rest peacefully. These masks originate from totemic worshiping of Yunnan and Guizhou. “Shamanic” masks are used in exorcisms and in funeral rituals of northern parts of China.  Festive masks are used during celebrations, especially during Chinese New Year. Theatrical masks are worn or even painted on faces in Chinese opera and other theatrical presentations. With masks, audience is able to read character of a role at one glance. That is possible because of strict symbolism of colors that are used for painting the masks. Red symbolizes positive values of the character such as loyalty, heroism and courage. Purple can be used instead of red but can also symbolize sophistication and justice. Black is color for characters that have integrity, that are impartial and neutral. Blue can also be a color of neutral character but can also mean wisdom, stubbornness and fierceness. Green is reserved for characters that lack self-control, that are violent and impulsive. Yellow and white paint cruel characters and characters that are hypocrites and evil.

7. Mask culture continuation  Supernatural beings wear masks that are gold or silver be they gods, demons or spirits because these colors symbolize mystery. “Xiangdong Nuo” mask is very important part of Nuo culture and is used for religious rituals, dance and theatre. It is often made as a high quality artwork, in bright colors that show the characteristics of a god that it represents and can have more or less stylized features. These masks are still used today for its intended purposes, from ritual to celebratory.  One of the greatest celebrations in culture of China is a Chinese New Year. During Chinese New Year many masks are worn but the most famous and important of them is mask of the dragon. Dragon mask is a symbol of fortune and prosperity in Chinese culture and it is usually made to be very complex, colored red, gold and blue and decorated with feathers and fur. Some dragon masks are so big that more people must carry them



8. Numeration system  Chinese numerals are words and characters used to denote numbers in Chinese.  Today, speakers of Chinese use three written numeral systems: the system of Arabic numerals used worldwide, and two indigenous systems. The more familiar indigenous system is based on Chinese characters that correspond to numerals in the spoken language. These are shared with other languages of the Chinese cultural sphere such as Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. Most people and institutions in China and Taiwan primarily use the Arabic or mixed Arabic-Chinese systems for convenience, with traditional Chinese numerals used in finance, mainly for writing amounts on checks, banknotes, some ceremonial occasions, some boxes, and on commercials.[citation needed]  The other indigenous system is the Suzhou numerals, or huama, a positional system, the only surviving form of the rod numerals. These were once used by Chinese mathematicians, and later in Chinese markets, such as those in Hong Kong before the 1990s, but have been gradually supplanted by Arabic (and also Roman) numerals.

8. Numeration system continuation Characters used to represent numbers The Chinese character numeral system consists of the Chinese characters used by the Chinese written language to write spoken numerals. Similar to spelling-out numbers in English (e.g., \"one thousand nine hundred forty-five\"), it is not an independent system per se. Since it reflects spoken language, it does not use the positional system as in Arabic numerals, in the same way that spelling out numbers in English does not.

8. Numeration system continuation  Standard numbers  There are characters representing the numbers zero through nine, and other characters representing larger numbers such as tens, hundreds, thousands and so on. There are two sets of characters for Chinese numerals: one for everyday writing, known as xiǎoxiě (traditional Chinese: 小寫; simplified Chinese: 小写; lit.: 'small writing'), and one for use in commercial or financial contexts, known as dàxiě (traditional Chinese: 大寫; simplified Chinese: 大 写; lit.: 'big writing'). The latter arose because the characters used for writing numerals are geometrically simple, so simply using those numerals cannot prevent forgeries in the same way spelling numbers out in English would.[1] A forger could easily change the everyday characters 三十 (30) to 五千 (5000) just by adding a few strokes. That would not be possible when writing using the financial characters 參拾 (30) and 伍仟 (5000). They are also referred to as \"banker's numerals\", \"anti-fraud numerals\", or \"banker's anti-fraud numerals\". For the same reason, rod numerals were never used in commercial records.

9) LANGUAGE AND SCRIPT  The Chinese script is a form of picture writing. They wrote on silk or bamboo slips. Each picture stood for a different word thing or idea. They didn’t use a pen, but a fine brush for writing.  The Chinese use a pictographic script which contained around 40000 word picture.





China has a wealth of classical literature, dating from the Eastern Zhou dynasty (256- 770 BCE), with a variety of literacy forms, including the Classical poetry and proses. - Shi Jing (Book of Songs): the first anthology of Chinese poetry in Zhou Dynasty.







Water Margin Published in the 14th century, Water Margin was the first of the four classical novels to be released and introduced the vernacular form and style which the others would adhere to. The title has been translated in a number of ways, including as Outlaws of the Marsh, Tale of the Marshes etc.

Journey to the West Perhaps the most influential of the four classic novels of Chinese literature and certainly the most widely known beyond China’s borders. Journey to the West was written in the 16th century by Wu Cheng’en. It depicts the pilgrimage of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang to India and his resultant travels through the Western provinces of China accompanied by his three disciples. Whilst the framework of the story is based on Buddhism, the novel.



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