Transcript China
China Did you know… Chinese Inventions Ice cream was invented in 2000 BC by placing rice milk in the snow. They created the oldest known calendar based on the cycles of the moon (12 Zodiac signs) around 2600 BC They were the first to use natural gas as fuel. Paper, the compass, gunpowder, printing, parachutes, umbrellas, fireworks, kites are all inventions by the Chinese. The oldest silk artifact also comes from China. Chinese Civilization is one of the few ancient civilizations to have its individual writing script. The Chinese language has over 20,000 characters. The average Chinese only learns about 5,000 of these in his lifetime. Acupuncture treats illnesses with inserting sharp thin needles in various pressure spots, it originated over 5000 years ago from China. Compass, crossbow Grenade and fire lance Dynasties Xia 2100-1600 BC Shang 1600-1046 BC A dynasty is a series of rulers descended from one family. Zhou 1045-256 BC Qin 221-206 BC Han206-220 BC Tang 618-907 Song 960-1279 Ming 1368-1644 Qing 1644-1911 China has a long history of dynasties(I didn’t include them all); which ones have you heard of? Terra Cotta Warriors from the Qin Dynasty Great Wall from the Qin, Han, Ming Dynasties From Dynasty to Nationalist Party Chiang Kai-shek (warlord) and his Kuomintang army (the Chinese Nationalist Party) defeated the Qing Dynasty ruler in 1928 and established and the Republic of China. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Nazi Germany (until 1938), the Soviet Union (1937-1940) and the United States (Pearl Harbor 1941). Mao Zedong and Communism In 1948 Chiang Kai-shek tried to eradicate the communists in their country and was defeated by communist leader Mao Zedong who established the People’s Republic of China. The Great Leap Forward 1958-61 agriculturalization, industrialization, and collectivization The Great Chinese Famine 1960’s The Cultural Revolution 1966-76 (Red Guards led by Mao’s wife Jiang Qing and the Gang of Four) Mao died in 1976 and was succeeded by communist Deng Xiaoping (trended toward socialism) Legacy of Communism Mao Zedong Deng Xiaoping Jiang Qing (Mao’s last wife) and the Red Guard of the Cultural Revolution The Little Red Book - Maoism How should we judge whether a youth is a revolutionary? How can we tell? There can only be one criterion, namely, whether or not he is willing to integrate himself with the broad masses of workers and peasants and does so in practice. If he is willing to do so and actually does so, he is a revolutionary; otherwise he is a nonrevolutionary or a counterrevolutionary. If today he integrates himself with the masses of workers and peasants, then today he is a revolutionary; if tomorrow he ceases to do so or turns round to oppress the common people, then he becomes a nonrevolutionary or a counter revolutionary. - Mao Zedong Philosophy in China I Ching – Book of Changes (divination) Confucius 551-479 BC I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. If you enjoy what you do, you'll never work another day in your life. Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. The superior man is firm in the right way, and not merely firm. A fool despises good counsel, but a wise man takes it to heart. Ignorance is the night of mind, a night without moon or star. They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom. Religion in China Pluralism Ancestor Worship and paganism Daoism (Taoism) 30% Tao Te Ching by Laozi Compassion, Moderation, Humility Traditional Chinese Medicine, qidong breathing, martial arts, fengshui, vegan Buddhism 50-80 % Christianity 4% Islam1.5% Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism are one Chinese Facts 4th largest country in the world (land mass) – slightly smaller than the U.S. Population of 1.338 billion Shanghai and Beijing are two of the largest and most populous cities in the world. The Tienanmen Square is the world's largest public gathering place and the Three Gorges Dam is the biggest dam. One fifth of the world’s population lives in China Current President Hu Jintao (since 2003) China has an obligatory Military service of 2 years for all men between 18 and 22. Women of the same age group are also recruited for specific military jobs. The Han Chinese is the largest majority group in China. Mandarin Chinese is the official language . However in total, 55 official minorities and 206 listed languages are mentioned. 298 million web users (surpassed the U.S. in 2008) 73.36 mil members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2007 Hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics in the capital - Bejing China/U.S comparison statistics Statistical Comparison China and US.doc