Chapter 4: Ancient Chinese Civilization

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Chapter 4 Ancient Chinese Civilization

• Section 5 Chinese Life and Culture
• The Story Continues As Yin and Yang are
• not of the same nature, so man and woman
• have different characteristics, wrote a
• first-century Chinese woman named Ban
• Zhao. Man is honored for strength a
• woman is beautiful on account of her
• gentleness. . . . The correct relationship is
• based upon harmony and . . . Love is
• grounded in proper union. This idea
• greatly influenced the Chinese approach to
• family life.

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I. Family and Social Life

• Three key values were reverence for family,
  respect for age and ancestors, and acceptance of
  decisions made by superiors

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I. Family and Social Life

• The family was more important than the individual
  and families kept detailed genealogies

A man's life begins with his ancestors and is
continued in his descendants
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I. Family and Social Life

• The father ruled the family, arranged marriages,
  and decided his sons careers

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I. Family and Social Life

• Women had few rights but mothers and
  mothers-in-law were respected and held great
  power in the household

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II. The Economy

• Chinese towns grew in size but most people were
  village farmers

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II. The Economy

• Peasants had to pay taxes and perform labor on
  canals, roads, and government projects

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II. The Economy

• Trade and commerce grew during the Qin and Han
  dynasties

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II. The Economy

• The Qin brought reforms to the economy by
  standardizing currency and weights and measures

Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Chinese Emperor,
standardized Chinese writing, bureaucracy,
scholarship, law, currency, the length of the
axles of carts (so every cart could run smoothly
in the ruts of the new roads), weights and
measures. He expanded the Chinese empire, built a
capital in Xian, a system of roads, and massive
fortifications and palaces.
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III. Arts and Science
Early Ming underglaze copper-red vase sold for a
world record of 10,122,558 May 30, 2006
South Facing Chinese Compass
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A. The Five Classics

• Educations was based on The Five Classics and the
  Analects

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B. Science and Technology

• Astronomers first observed sunspots and built
  instruments to track the planets motion

This was the first self-standing observational
instrument based on ecliptic coordinates.
Solar quadrant compass Qing, China
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B. Science and Technology

• The Chinese invented a seismograph, the first
  paper, the sundial, the water clock, and the
  process of printing

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B. Science and Technology

• In chemistry they discovered cloth dyes and
  pottery glazes

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B. Science and Technology

• The Chinese developed medicines from herbs and
  minerals, as well as acupuncture