Early China

The Huang He valley was the place where this early civilization started.Important dynasties ruled China:

• 1. Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 B.C.)

• 2. Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.)

• 3. Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 B.C.)

Qin dynasty (unified China, first emperor)

221 B.C.

Part of the Erlitou site in Yanshi, central China’sHenan province.

GOVERNMENT

The Qin dynasty was the first of 17 dynasties that ruled China during the Imperial period.During the first ancient dynasties, there was a king who was the religious leader as well.There were some priest who helped the king predict the future through scratching animal bones or tortoise shells.The Chinese believed in a principle called “Mandate of Heaven”.

ECONOMY

Its varied geography: mountains, the Gobi desert, the Pacific ocean, and 3 main rivers has affected its economical development.In the North China Plain they became farmers.There was also a lot of trade with India and The Persian Empire.Mining was another important activity, specially salt. They used cowrie shells for money (1800 B.C.) and later they used paper money, by 1100 B.C.

In China people have spent most of their timefarming, in northern China they mostly farm wheat,while in southern they farm rice.

Han Dynasty coin of the Empress Kuo

ReligionIt is known from written records that the Shang people believed in weather gods and sky gods and kings also performed religious duties:

• Communicate with nature deities

• Prayed, made offerings and performed sacrifices

• Call upon their ancestors to predict the future

Apotheosis of the Buda, Northern Wei Dynasty504 B.C.

Writing and clothing

People wore tunics. Rich people wore silk and during the Sui dynasty, the emperor decided that poor people couldn’t wear colors (only blue or black), only rich ones could.Writing started about 1500 B.C. using oracle bones to predict the future, this kind of writing is very similar to the one they still use now.

Clothing during MingDynasty, 1400 B.C.

Chinese oracle boneShang dynasty, about 1500 B.C.

ArchitectureMost people used to live in mudbrick houses.Rich people built temples and palaces following some design ideas:

• Symmetry• The roof was held up

by columns not by walls

• Bridges showed the idea of symmetry and balance

The forbidden City, imperial palacesOf the Ming and Qin dynasties, Beijing.

Sung pagoda in Hong Kong

Chinese art

They use to make many jars and plaques out of bronzeDuring the Chin dynasty, art changed and started to represent people instead of animals.During Han dynasty Chinese artists started to paint in paper Chinese artists were influenced by Buddhism from India and they represented Buda in different materials.

Shang bronze pitcher, about 1300 B.C.

Terracotta Warriors

Other important Achievements

Almost all science was oriented to engineering but Chinese invented:Paper (100 A.D.)Magnetic compass (200 A.D.)Gunpowder (142 A.D.)Mathematics was taught at schools (200 A.D.)Block printing (850 A.D.)

Early Chinese paper

Wong Jei’s block-printed scroll, 868 A.D.