EAST ASIA
People,
Religion,
History and
Government
INTRODUCTION
East Asia can trace many of its cultural features to an ancient
civilization that arose in China thousands of years ago. In the
centuries that followed, powerful dynasties ruled China,
creating an enormous empire that influenced the entire region.
Today, migration and trade have paved the way for an exchange
of ideas and practices between East Asia and other parts of the
world. Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have become modern
industrial nations.
ANCIENT CHINESE TIMELINE
Start
A new dynasty
comes to
power
Emperor is
defeated
Rebels united
strong leader,
attack
emperor
Respect lost,
rebels attack
landlords
Emperor
reforms govt,
improves
efficiency
Life improves,
lower taxes,
more farming
Problems
begin (wars,
invasions)
The
Dynastic
Cycle
Droughts,
floods,
famines
Taxes go up,
conscription,
farming
neglected
Increased
spending,
corruption
DYNASTIES IN CHINA
 Xia Dynasty -2205-1575 BC
 Chinese learned how to make Bronze
 Zhou Dynasty -1045-256BC
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Confucius is born
Cast Iron is invented along with Iron Plough
Ruled for about 800 years
Culture and trade spread
Wrote down laws for the first time
Made first coins
Famers began to use a plow pulled by oxen
 Qin Dynasty221-206BC
 First dynasty to Unite China under one Empire
 Greatest ruler Shi Huangdi
 He ordered and built much of the Great Wall of China
 Han Dynasty -206BC-220AD
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Paper is invented
Travel on silk road begins 200BC
Buddhism introduced to China
Arts and science flourished
DYNASTIES IN CHINA
 Tang Dynasty -618-907
 Wood block printing first used in China to print entire book
 Enjoyed unity stability and progress
 Song Dynasty -960-1279
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Moveable printing invented
Gun powder
Magnetic compass
Marco Polo begins travels to China
Enjoyed unity stability and progress
 Ming Dynasty -1368-1644
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Establish trade with India and Africa
Construction of Forbidden City
Beijing new capital
Portuguese arrive
 Qing Dynasty -1644-1912
 Last dynasty of China before being overthrown by the Republic of China
Chinese Dynasties and Their Achievements
Dynasties
Xia Dynasty
2100-1800 B.C.E.
Notable
Rulers
Aryans
Achievements
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Shang Dynasty
1500-1100 B.C.E.
Migrated into the area and conquered the local
peoples
Developed superior weaponry and technology
Thirty
separate
kings
•
•
Ruled from a succession of seven different
capitals.
Invention of writing
Zhou Dynasty
1122-256 B.C.E.
Kings +
Noblemen
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Expansion
Regional rulers
Qin Dynasty
221-206 B.C.E.
Qin
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•
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Centralization of authority
Written laws
Building projects (Great Wall of China)
Han Dynasty
Han
Wudi
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•
•
•
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400 year rule
Exploration (Zhang Qian)
Expansion of trade
Silk Road
Pax Sinica
Food reserves
Merit-based appointments
GREAT WALL OF CHINA
 Built to keep invaders out
 The wall linked many older walls in northern China
 The original Great Wall was started by the Qin Dynasty
following dynasties continued to work on it.
 Later the Ming Dynasty rebuilt the wall. Much of the Great
Wall that we know today was built by the Ming Dynasty.
 The Great Wall of China is a wall that covers much of the
northern border of China.
 If you take the length of the entire wall, plus various
branches, it is around 5,500 miles
long!
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB4nXADdPPY
THE SILK ROAD
 A pathway used to exchange raw materials; trade
and travel west
 The silk road consisted of trails, roads, bridges, and
pathways that stretched across nearly 5000 miles of
land and water.
 The silk road is not one long road, but rather many
smaller roads and pathways that were connected,
and worn by the use of thousands of travelers over a
period of hundreds of years .
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn3e37VWc0k
THE SILK ROAD
CONFUCIUS
“ W H AT YOU DO N OT WA NT DON E TO YOU R S E L F, DO N OT DO TO
OT H E RS” .
Occupation: Philosopher and teacher
Born: 551 BC in China, the state of Lu
Died: 479 BC in China, the state of Lu
Best known for: Creating the philosophy
known as Confucianism
 Basic ideas of Confucianism:
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Treat others kindly
Have good manners and follow daily rituals
A man should have good morals and ethics
Family was important and ancestors were to be respected
A true man had the qualities of integrity, righteousness, altruism,
goodness, and loyalty
 One should practice moderation in all things
 He believed in a strong and organized central government
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FORBIDDEN CITY
 Was the palace of the Chinese emperors during the Ming and
Qing dynasties.
 It is located in the heart of Beijing, the capital city of China,
and is the largest ancient palace in the world.
 built under the orders of the powerful Yongle Emperor of the
Ming Dynasty between the years 1406 to 1420 .
 Twenty -four dif ferent Chinese
emperors lived in the palace over
the course of nearly 500 years.
 About 100,000 artisans and
craftsmen worked on the palace.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QvsCr_xK3c
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
 How do you think the Silk Road contributed to cultural
dif fusion?
 What regions did the Silk Road connect?
 What physical barriers did traders traveling along the Silk
Road have to overcome?
 Why was the Great Wall of China built?
 What are some technological advancements invented by the
Chinese?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbYEwsIjxQo
CHINA-HISTORY
 Much of its history China was ruled by dynasties
 A series of rulers from the same family line
 Rulers of these dynasties were called Emperors
 In early times the lands were ruled by the feudal system
 where lords owned the lands and peasant farmers worked the lands
for them.
 In later years, the empire was run by civil service of ficials who
ran the cities, collected taxes, and enforced the laws. Men
had to pass exams to become of ficials.
 The great enemy of the Chinese was the Mongols who lived to
the north.
 They even built a wall thousands of miles long to try and keep the
Mongols from invading.
 The Mongols did conquer China for a time, however, and established
their own dynasty called the Yuan Dynasty.
FEUDAL SYSTEM
CHINA
CAPITAL: BEIJING
 People
 1.3 billion-World’s largest population
 Language: Majority speak Mandarin-one of the official languages, Although
English is widely spoken
 Only 10% live in western China
 92% ancestry of Hans Chinese
 Population continues to grow around 6 million people a year
 Officials have urged people to delay having Children and even have tried to
limit each couple to one child
 Economy
 China used to have a Command Economy
 Economic system in which the government the government owns all businesses and
makes all the decisions
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In the 1970’s began allowing aspects of market economy
China is currently a MIXED ECONOMY
Today China has world’s second largest economy
Hong Kong is home to some of the world’s tallest buildings
The service industry in Hong Kong is growing
CHINA
 Religion
 Ancient religious values and beliefs shape life for the people.
 Daoism
 stresses living simply in harmony with nature
 Buddhism
 came to China from India
 believe moral behavior, kindness and meditation can lead to peace
 Many Chinese blend elements of Daoism and Buddhism with
Confucianism
 A philosophy based on the ideas and teachings of Confucius
 Stresses the importance of family, moral values, and respect for one’s
elders
 Other major religions
 Christianity and Islam
Chinese Philosophies/Religions
Philosophy/
Religion
Founders
Characteristics
Confucianism
Confucius
(Kongzi)
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•
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Peace and order
Respect for elders
Ethical human relationships
Daoism
Laozi
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Reject material things
Commune with nature
Become one with Dao (force within all things)
Buddhism
Budda
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Four Noble Truths
Eightfold path
Nirvana
Harmony with the universe
 What East Asian cultural belief do you think is being reflected
in the painting?
CHINA
 Government
 More economic freedom has not led to more political freedom
 Communist government tightly controls most aspects of life
 Ex: Controls newspapers, internet access
 Led by Communist party officials
 China harshly punished people who oppose government
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1989 more than 100,000 people gathered in Tiananmen Square in Beijing
Government tried to get protestors to leave
When protestors refused they used tanks and troops to make them leave
Hundreds were killed and many injured and imprisoned
 Chinese believe that their guiding principals ( Four Cardinal Principals)
outweigh certain human rights
 Government regulates society with censorship of free speech
 Environmental Problems
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Pollution
Loss of forestland and farmland
Plans on using more hydroelectric power generated by dams
Built Three Gorges Dam
THREE GORGES DAM
 Largest dam in the world
 Located on Yangtze River
Positives
Generated as much power as 15 coal burning power plants.
Negatives
The water of the dams reservoir now covers hundreds of towns and
huge amounts of farmlands
Millions of people have had to move
Plant and animal habitats have been harmed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gze9QVt6EfQ
JAPAN
CAPITAL: TOKYO
 Geography
 Smaller than California with four times the population
 Economy
 One of the world’s strongest fishing economies
 Most of Japans food is imported
 Trade in Japanese electronics has led to the diffusion of playing
video games
 People
 Densely populated country
 Most people live in crowded cities
 Ex: In Tokyo they have started building underground
 Some people live in rural villages where they work on farms
 However most of the land in Japan is not arable
 Language-nearly everyone speaks Japanese
JAPANESE TIMELINE
JAPAN
History
 Heavily influenced by China
 Buddhism
 First central government based on China’s government
 Has experienced more cultural diffusion from western nations than other
countries in East Asia
 For many centuries Emperors ruled Japan
 At times emperors would become more concerned with art and
when power would fade SHOGUNS would take control
 1898 a group of samurai overthrew shoguns and gave control
back to the emperor
 WWII began 1939
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Allied with Germany and Italy
Bombed Pearl Harbor
In return the United dropped two atomic bombs Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Japan surrendered
JAPAN
Religion
 Most people blend elements of Buddhism and Shinto
 Buddhism brought to Japan from Korea
 Shinto is native to Island
 Nature spirits called Kami live in the world
 Believe everything in nature-the sun, moon, trees, rocks waterfall and
animals has Kami
 Build shrines to Kami and perform ceremonies to ask for their
blessings
JAPAN
Traditions and Customs
 History lives on the traditions and customs
 Kimonos-traditional robes for special occasions
 Art
 Two types of drama
 Noh
 use music and dance to tell a story
 Actors do not move much and wear a mask using gestures to convey tale
 Kabuki Actors are much more active
 Tell stories as well as teach lessons
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67 -bgSFJiKc
JAPAN
Government
 Since the end of WWII has been headed by a constitutional
monarchy headed by an emperor
 Japan has a parliamentary system of government like Britain
and Canada.
 Unlike the Americans or the French, the Japanese do not elect
a president directly.
 Diet members elect a prime minister from among
themselves.
 The prime minister forms and leads the cabinet of ministers
of state.
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
 How do you think the location of Japan af fects the economy?
 Why do you think only 10% of the population lives in western
China?
KOREAS-HISTORY
 Korea was first unified by the Silla kingdom in
A .D. 676.
 The Buddhist temples of Seokguram and Bulguksa were built
in A .D. 751 . These temples illustrate the growth of Buddhism
in Korea after it spread there from India and China in the 4th
century.
 The Mongols invaded Korea in 1231 , beginning more than 120
years of Mongol rule.
 An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea
was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo Japanese War.
 Split into North and South Korea in 1945 after WWII ending
Japans 35 year occupation of Korea
NORTH KOREA
CAPITAL: PYONGYANG
 People
 Language: Korean
 Religion
 traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian
 Government
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Communist state one-man dictatorship
Rule by ONE
Chief of state: KIM Jong Un (since 17 December 2011)
Suffer human rights abuse, poverty and widespread hunger
Government regulates society with censorship of free speech
 Economy
 Command Economy-Government plans the economy and decides what to
produce
 one of the world's most centrally directed and least open economies,
 faces chronic economic problems.
 Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment
and civilian consumption
 Relies more on agricultural economic activity more than the other East
Asian countries
SOUTH KOREA
CAPITAL:
 People
 Language: Korean and English
 Religion
 Christian 31.6% (Protestant 24%, Roman Catholic 7.6%), Buddhist
24.2%, other or unknown 0.9%, none 43.3%
 Government
 Republic
 divided into three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative
 Economy
 Over the past four decades has demonstrated incredible economic
growth and global integration to become a high -tech industrialized
economy
 Twelfth largest economy in the world
 South Korean has an economy that operates similar to Japan
TAIWAN
CAPITAL: TAIPEI
 People
 Language: Mandarin Chinese
 Religion
 mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
 Government
 Multiparty Democracy
 Taiwan's power is distributed among five large branches of
government
 Economy
 dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing government
guidance of investment and foreign trade.
 Industries:
 electronics, communications and information technology products,
petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement,
food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
TAIWAN
 History
 There is evidence of human settlement in Taiwan dating as far back
as 30, 000–40, 000 years ago.
 Chinese began settling Taiwan in 600s
 Has been controlled by both Japan and China
 Taiwanese didn't like the idea of becoming a part of Japan, and on
May 25th 1895 –
 with the help of the Manchu officials -- the Taiwan Republic , the first
independent republic in Asia was established.
 May 29th 1895, a Japanese military force of over 12,000 soldiers
landed in Northern Taiwan, and began to destroy the movement .
 On October 21st 1895, Japanese troops entered Tainan, the southern
capital of the Taiwan Republic, ending the Taiwan Republic.
 The Chinese government claims that Taiwan is a rebel part of China
 http://www.preceden.com/timelines/36327-the-history-of-taiwantimeline
MONGOLIA
 History
 700 years ago one of the greatest powers in the world
 Led by ruler Genghis Khan Mongols conquered much of Asia including
China
 Built the greatest empires during that time
 Reach height in late 1200s
 Empire stretched from Danube river in west to Pacific Ocean in east
 1600’s China conquered Mongolia and ruled it for 200 years
 With Russian help they gained Independence in 1911
 1924 Communist gained control
 1991 Collapse of Soviet Union they have struggled to build a
democratic and free-market economy
MONGOLIA
 People
 Sparsely populated: 3million people
 Language: Khalkha Mongol 90% (official), Turkic, Russian
 Half of the people live as nomads
 Herding livestock across the vast grasslands
 Religion
 Buddhist 53%, Muslim 3%, Christian 2.2%, Shamanist 2.9%, other
0.4%, none 38.6%
 Government
 Parlimentary
 Economy
 extensive mineral deposits have transformed their economy
 Main industries
 Textiles, carpets, copper, coal and oil
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
 Which countries government is most like the Japan?
 What accounts for most of the cultural dif fusion in East Asia?