Download Chapter 4: Ancient China Lesson 1: The Geography of China The

Chapter 4: Ancient China
Lesson 1: The Geography of China
 The North China Plain is very populated
o It is the center of agriculture and industry
o A lot of China’s food comes from this area
o A lot of people live here because of the food and jobs
 In China summers are hot and the land is enriched with loess, a
yellowish-brown soil.
 Huang River—flows through the North China Plain
o The river picks up a large amount of yellow silt, which is
why it has a yellow color and why it is often called the
Huang or “yellow” river
o Levees or dikes keep the river within its banks
o The river has been called China’s sorrow because flooding
has ruined crops and homes
 Tibetan Plateau—very rocky and lots of mountains
Lesson 2: China’s Past
 According to legend Pangu was the creator of the universe.
 Shang Dynasty was the first dynasty
 Zhou was the longest dynasty
o Silk was important product during this dynasty
 Qin Dynasty was ruled by Shi Huangdi – first emperor
o He built the Great Wall to protect them from northern
invaders
o Nobody liked him and after he died the empire fell apart
 Han Dynasty
o Han Gaozu “High Ancestor” took the throne after Shi
Haungdi
o Wu Di was the next emperor and he made many
improvements including new roads to improve
transportation – he also started the civil service where
people needed to be qualified or skilled in their job to work
for the government
o Sima Qian wrote the first complete history book on China
o The Chinese found new ways of transporting and trading
goods
o New inventions of this time were porcelain, paper, and ink
Lesson 3: Legacy of Thought
 Confucius or Master Kung was a teacher of morals
o The Analects – a collection of his sayings written down by
his students
o His main lesson was respect for all people
o Started the religion of Confucianism which had three virtues
 A sense of humanity
 Respect for family
 Humility or modesty
 Mandate of Heaven—the right to govern or rule for the good of all
people
 Daoism—another religion that believed that people should live in
harmony with nature, not a part from it