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4-2 Notes: Chinese Society

Explore the society and innovations of the Tang Dynasty as they reconstructed China's economy, implemented reforms, and advanced in areas such as agriculture, trade, coal and steel production, paper and printing, inventions, art, literature, and porcelain craftsmanship.

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4-2 Notes: Chinese Society

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  1. 4-2 Notes: Chinese Society

  2. Tang rebuild China • Collapse of Han dynasty was disastrous for Chinese economy • 618 A.C.E. – Tang reforms – Tang give more land to farmers • Farmers improved irrigation, new farming methods, and began to grow rice that grew well in poor soil • Increase in food production supported large population growth • Tang rulers also rebuilt roads and waterways to make travel easier • Silk Road was under Tang control and trade flourished • China began to grow famous for trading porcelain, a fine clay baked at high temperatures and formed into pots, vases etc.

  3. Coal & Steel • At first, people burned wood to heat homes and cook food, however, forests depleted • Chinese discovered that coal could be used to heat things, coal mining industry booms • Chinese used coal to heat furnaces – discovered that by mixing iron with carbon from coal, a new, stronger metal was formed – steel • Chinese used steel to make armor, swords, helmets, as well as stoves, farm tools, drills, steel chains, nails, and even sewing needles

  4. Paper & Printing • Paper invented during Han dynasty – Tang dynasty boosts paper production (500,000 sheets a year just to assess taxes!) • Everything copied by hand • 600 A.C.E. – Chinese begin printing using carved blocks of wood, ink sheets, and a press to imprint images onto paper • Chinese also invented paper currency (paper money) • As the Chinese economy grew, demand for money grew as well • 1024 A.C.E. - Chinese officials began to print paper money instead of creating copper coins

  5. Other Chinese inventions • 1000s A.C.E. – Pi Sheng invented movable type for printing (each character was separate piece which could be combined to create new sentences • Gunpowder – A mixture of sulfur, coal, and potassium nitrate – Was developed first to propel fireworks, then as a weapon (fire lance) • 1150 A.C.E. – Chinese sailors begin using the compass, a device used to measure directions in a frame of reference – Chinese sailors used the compass to find their way and sail to faraway places

  6. Chinese Art, Literature, & Porcelain • Poetry popular in China – Li Bo (nature) and Du Fu (serious poetry about intense suffering) were among the Tang dynasty’s most popular poets • Painting of landscapes popular in Song dynasty China, but painters did not realistically portray the landscapes – tried to capture “the idea” of the countryside • Chinese calligraphy also popular – calligraphy is the art of writing beautiful letters • Porcelain was perfected during this time – Westerners often called porcelain “China” because of its origin • Technology to make porcelain finally spread Europe in 1700s A.C.E.

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