Discover the Beauty of China: A Travel Guide

1. VISIT CHINA! TRAVEL BROCHURE BY ALEX GRAND PERIOD #2 2/11/11

2. Geography • Himalaya Mountains: • The Himalayas are a range of mountains that stretch along the southwestern border of China, separating it from Pakistan and India. The Himalayas are the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest and K2. The Himalayas are a natural barrier that has separated China from India, and kept their cultures distinct. The mountains also have religious importance, and many of the peaks are considered sacred in Buddhism. • Tibetan Plateau: • The Tibetan Plateau is the worlds largest and highest elevated plain, about four times the size of Texas. It stores a vast amount of ice, contains a huge number of saltwater and freshwater lakes, and is the source of most of Asia’s major rivers. As global warming melts the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau, China’s water supply will be in danger (as well as India’s). For tens of thousands of years, nomads have raised livestock on the Tibetan Plateau, and still do. • Mekong River: • The Mekong River originates in the Tibetan Plateau, runs southward through China and into southeast Asia, and empties into the South China Sea. It is extremely difficult to navigate because it has a great number of rapids and waterfalls, so it has historically divided the people nearby rather than bring them together. Also, the river has been a wonderful water source and provided fertile land for agriculture.

3. Religion • Buddhism • * Buddhism is a religion introduced from India during the Han Dynasty. It is based on the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama who is more commonly known as the Buddah. It teaches to attain nirvana, and devote your own life for someone else to reach enlightenment. • Daoism • * Daoism is a religion based on the teachings of Laozi, who is a philosopher. It teaches that the way for humans to find peace is by living simply, in harmony with nature. You must also embrace the life around you. The goal is to reach oneness with nature by using the idea, that everything is interconnected with nature. Yin and Yang means balancing out opposite forces. Similarities: *Both religions focus on creating harmony and peace. *Both religions believe that violence is never okay. *Both religions teach to respect all forms of life around you. Differences: *Buddhist and Daoist remain separated by language, local customs, and rituals of praise and practice. *Daoist focus more on individual cultivation and harmony within nature. *Buddhist also find harmony within nature, but they focus more on finding it through a community, and sharing recourses among many members.

4. Economy • * The Chinese economy evolved over time according to the way each empire chose to allow it’s citizens to work and trade. To have a stable government, official inspectors, tax collectors, and messengers traveled throughout the empire. The roads also made it possible to move grain, tea, and other goods for trading purposes. At the same time as trade was blossoming, Chinese farming became more productive, and farmers were able to sell extra food to people in other regions. Paper and coins called cash became the most popular items traded for goods, and a money economy developed. Trade thrived within China, but the Chinese empires greatly limited trade with the rest of the world. • The Silk Road was used for trade

5. 5 Achievements 1) Waterways: The waterways of China really affected the way people travel, and trade. The waterways connected different areas of China’s vast lands, and made it so ships could travel back and forth. The Grand Canal was an astonishing achievement for China. It made it so government officials, grain, and silk could be transported easily. 2) Paper Money: Paper money was one of the best inventions in China’s history and the worlds history. People used to carry around hundreds of heavy coins called cash until one day they decided to make a form of money that could be carried and not weigh that much at all, so in the 9th century they started making paper money. Everybody such as high-class wealthy Aristocrats started to use paper money as a trading device, and in return they would get goods. This eventually led to not only China using paper money, but many people around the world also. 3) Spinning Wheel: China’s greatest export was silk, and how did they make the silk? With a spinning wheel of course! The spinning wheel was a circular machine which would be operated by one person. It was used to wind fibers of silk into thread. The spinning wheel migrated to America with early immigrants, and is still used today. 4) Gunpowder: Gunpowder was invented in the third century in China, and was used to develop weapons such as a cannon, catapults, and fire arrows. By the Song Dynasty gunpowder was being used for military purposes. Later, a metal gun barrel was invented. People all over the world use gunpowder today for their militaries and other major things. 5) Abacus: An Abacus was a counting system that was invented in China. An Abacus was a rectangular wooden frame with parallel rods, and seven colored beads. The device was used to easily add, subtract, multiply, and divide. People in the world still use Abacus’s today to solve mathematical equations quickly.

6. TIMELINE Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368 A.D.) Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 A.D.) Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) Sui Dynasty (589-618 A.D.) Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) Facts about each dynasty: Han Dynasty: Throughout this period scholars wrote using artistic characters, and most Chinese people follow the beliefs of Confucianism. Sui Dynasty: The Great Wall of China was rebuilt, and began work on the Grand Canal. Tang/Song Dynasties: Poetry and painting flourished, and people are promoted based on performance also known as Meritocracy. Yuan Dynasty: This time was the first of only two that the entire area of China was ruled by foreigners, or in this time known as Mongols. Ming Dynasty: Established boats that were ten times larger than the European ships during the same time. Qing: The population of China tripled during this period of time to reach 430 million.