Transcript Chinese Society

Chinese Society
Daily Lesson and Discussion Notes: 4-2
Objectives:



Describe farming and trade during the
Tang dynasty
Explain why the Chinese developed
new technology
Discuss art and literature of the Tang
and Song dynasties
Objective: 1

Describe farming and trade during the
Tang dynasty
I. A Growing Economy
(pages 261-262)
A. The
political
stability
under the
Tang
dynasty
helped the
economy
regain
strength.
B. As peace was restored, farmers were
able to make advances and be more
productive. They improved irrigation,
introduced new ways of growing crops, and
developed new kinds of rice.
C. Farmers
began
growing tea,
which
became a
popular
drink.
D. New roads and waterways helped
increase trade with other parts of Asia.
The Silk Road became a busy trade
route again.
E. Silk fabric was one item traded by the
Chinese, as well as tea, steel, paper, and
porcelain, which is fine clay baked at high
temperatures.
Silk, shown here being harvested, remained an important
trade item for the Chinese.
A worker
removes a tray
of silkworms
eating mulberry
leaves.
Eventually the
worms will spin
cocoons.
Workers then
collect and
unravel the
cocoons to make
silk thread.
Objective 1:
Describe farming and
trade during the Tang dynasty

With the countryside at peace, farming
during the Tang dynasty improved. The
farmers were given land, new irrigation
techniques and types of rice were
developed, and new crops grown. The
trading of silk, rice, tea, silk, steel and
paper grew because of the new roads
and waterways that were built.
Objective: 2

Explain why the Chinese developed
new technology
II. New Technology
(pages 262-264)
A. New inventions changed China during
the Tang and Song dynasties.
B. Wood was
becoming scarce
in China. The
Chinese
discovered that
coal could be
used for heat.
C. The Chinese discovered that hot iron
mixed with carbon from coal produced
steel. Steel was used to make weapons,
stoves, farm tools, drills, and sewing
needles, among other things.
D. The printing process
was invented in the AD
600s. Blocks of wood
with characters cut
into them were
covered in ink. Then
paper was laid on the
ink-covered block to
make a print. The
wood blocks could be
used again and again
to make copies. The
Chinese printed paper
currency and books.
E. Pi Sheng was a printer who invented
moveable type. With moveable type, each
character is a separate piece. The pieces
can be moved around to make sentences.
F. The Chinese invented gunpowder and
began using rudders, sails, and
compasses for sea travel.
Objective 2:
Explain why the Chinese
developed new technology

One reason for the development of new
technology was because of necessity –
for example, China was running out of
wood so a new way of heating needed
to be found; books were copied by hand
and it was slow and expensive. A
second reason was a result of
increased trade – newer and more
goods meant increased wealth.
Objective: 3

Discuss art and literature of the Tang
and Song dynasties
III. Art and Literature
(pages 264-266)
A. Chinese rulers supported art
and literature.
B. Artists and writers were invited to live in
Chang’an, the capital city.
C. The Tang dynasty is considered as
the age of poetry. Tang poems
express joy and sadness and celebrate
the beauty of nature.
D. Li Bo was a popular Tang-era poet who
wrote one of China’s best-known poems
titled “Still Night Thoughts.”
“Moonlight in front of my bed –
I took it for frost on the ground!
I lift my eyes to watch the
mountain moon,
Lower them and dream of home”
E. Duo Fu was a poet who survived a civil
war. His poems were about social injustice
and problems of the poor.
“Rivers and mountains survive broken countries.
Spring returns. The city grows lush again.
Blossoms scatter tears thinking of us, and this
Separation in a bird’s cry startles the heart.
Beacon-fires have burned through three months.
By now, letters are worth ten thousand in gold.”
F. Daoist beliefs are reflected in Chinese
landscape paintings. People in the
paintings are portrayed as living in, but not
controlling, nature.
G. Calligraphy is the process of painting
beautiful characters with a brush and ink.
Painters often used calligraphy to write
poems on their works.
H. Porcelain was perfected during the Tang
dynasty. Porcelain is used to make cups,
plates, figurines, and vases.
Objective 3:
Discuss art and literature
of the Tang and Song dynasties

The Tang and Song dynasties were a
golden age for Chinese culture, the
Chinese rulers supported art and
literature. Chinese writers expressed
themselves best in poetry. Daoist
beliefs can be seen in Chinese
landscapes.