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Ancient China Culture & Society "Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river." Lao Tse 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 1 Overview • • • • • • Family Politics War & Martial Arts Trade Art & Literature Religions 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 2 Confucian Values • Ideas 1. Hierarchy is basic order of universe 2. Human society should harmonize with nature • Principles – – – – – Social order Ceremonial behaviour Education, role models Government exists to serve people Ruler respected for fairness, integrity 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 3 Family • Ancestor worship • Family hierarchy – Male centred – Confucian values • filial piety • humaneness • ritual • Marriages – Arranged by parents – Tension between wives & inlaws 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 4 Government • Values of Confucianist bureaucracy – Benevolence, nonviolence, justice, rationalism, loyalty, decorum • Examination system – Han to Qing Dynasties – Civil service recruitment, education • Provincial exams on classic Confucian texts – Meritocracy: rule by men of virtue and ability 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 5 The Art of War • Sun Tzu – “Art of War”: oldest military text – Army’s vital importance to the State • Imperial Armies – Support by taxation, road/canal networks – Walled towns meant long sieges – Use of archers, cavalry, gunpowder 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 6 Chinese Martial Arts • Role of Philosophy – Training in Buddhist temples, monasteries • e.g. Shaolin Temple, Henan Province – Physical related to mental discipline Shaolin monastery • Weapons fighting – Bo stick, kwan do, staff solid or sectional. • Empty Hand fighting – Kung Fu – Tai Chi • Related to Daoism 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 7 • Silk Road – Westbound: silk, jade, tea, technology – Eastbound: wool, gold, silver, Buddhism Trade • Grand Canal – Connected Yellow and Yangtze drainages • Ports and Shipping The Silk Road – Tianjin, Shanghai, Hong Kong Tianjin 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires Grand Canal at Suzhou 8 Classic Porcelain Tang Dynasty Song Dynasty Ming Dynasty 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires Yuan Dynasty Qing Dynasty 9 Painting • Song period to present • Styles – Landscape painting Mu Qi - Six Persimmons • Trees, mountains express ideas, feelings – Bird-and-flower painting • Painters – Mu Qi (Chan Buddhist) – Xia Gui Xia Gui 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires Snowy Hall and Talking Guests 10 Literature • Five Confucian Classics – Book of Changes (I Ching: divination) – Book of Documents (history, Shang & Zhou periods) – Book of Songs (poems) – Spring & Autumn Annals – Book of Rites (Liji: rituals) I Ching hexagram 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 11 Belief • Nature worship – Shrines to gods of wind, rain, rivers, mountains – Animal sacrifice • Balance of forces – Yin (female) & yang (male) – Geomancy: earth divination • Location & orientation of buildings, graves 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 12 Confucius • Life – Born 551 BC d. 479 BC – Teacher, administrator – Exiled, taught disciples • Analects – Collected memoirs of teachings • Moral influence – – – – Ai Ren: Love Others Yi: Right Conduct Lï: Manners, Ceremony Lì: Profit (bad) • Political influence – Han Dynasty: rules of governing – Still felt today 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 13 Daoism • Founded by Lao Zi – 6th cent BC – Wrote “Tao Te Ching” • The Dao: the path or way – Perceived only by experience – Power flowing through all life – Dynamic balance of universe • Harmony of opposites – Goal is to become one with the Dao • State religion in China – 5th cent BC to 20th cent AD Yin-Yang 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 14 Buddhism • History – along Silk Road from India • Han Dynasty 206 BC – Mahayana (“Greater Vehicle”) tradition • Buddhist scriptures (sutras) – Tripitika – Lotus & Diamond Sutras (oldest known paper books) • Chinese Buddhist Schools – Pure Land (White Lotus sect) • Oldest, from India – Huayan (Flower Garden) – Chan (Zen) • Emphasized meditation – Tientai (Celestial Terrace) Diamond sutra 23-May-17 GNED2 - Ancient Empires 15