Physical Features
Gobi Desert
Kunlun Mts.
Himalayan Mts.
Huang He (Yellow) River
Yangtze River
•Mountains & Deserts in the north &
west & Pacific in the east isolated
China from outsiders
•Ethnocentrism-China was the
center of the world
•All foreigners were Barbarians
•Lacked interest in foreign cultures
Founded by Confucius
th
6 Century B.C.
Texts – Analects/ writings of
Confucius
•Filial Piety Respect for elders
•5 relationships Father/son,
Ruler/subject, husband/wife, older
brother/ younger brother, friend/friend
Founded by Lao-tzu
rd
3 century BC
•Tao- “The Way” of the universe
•Live in Harmony with nature
•Balance between Ying & Yang
•Rejected government
•Highly powerful government is the
key to social order
•Punishment for offenses should be
severe
Siddartha Gautama
5th Century BC
•Eightfold Path, ethical behavior
& good deeds (Meditation)
•Ultimate goal is Nirvana
•Rise, decline, and replacement of
dynasties
•Mandate of Heaven- Rule by
divine right.
•210BC-220 AD
•Legalism/confucianism
•Centralized government
•Civil Service Exam
•221BC-210BC
•Legalism/ unified China
•Shi Huangdi
•Burned rival books/regulated
coinage
•Unified Great Wall of China
•618-907 AD
•Revived Confucianism
•Expanded Trade (Silk Road)
connected china to the Middle East
•Ruled China from 1279-1368AD
•Mongols- Invaders from the north
•Led by Genghis Khan
•China first experienced foreign rule
under Kublai Khan
•Opened China to foreign contacts
(Marco Polo)
•Conflict between England & China
over Opium Trade
•Chinese easily defeated & forced to
sign Treaty of Nanking
•Gave Britain Island of Hong Kong
& extraterritoriality
•Right to live under own laws
•Sun Yixian establishes republic of
China 1911
•3 Principles Nationalism,
Democracy, livelihood
•Chiang Kai Shek takes over
leadership of Kuomintang
(Nationalists) 1925
Civil War between Nationalists &
Communists
Mao Zedong & Communist defeat
Nationalists under Chiang Kai
Shek (Taiwan)
Great Leap Forward- Program to
increase industrial & Agricultural
Output (Collectivization)
Cultural Revolution- Renewal of
Loyalty to Communism & purge
China of non revolutionary forces
•Leaders after Mao are more
moderate
•UN membership in 1971
•President Nixon visits China in
1972
•US Recognizes China in 1979
•Leader: Deng Xiaoping promoted
foreign trade and contact with
western World
•4 modernizations:
Industry,Farming,
Science & technology,
Defense.
•Eliminated communes
•Economic Reform: supported
capitalist ideas but remained
strongly Communist
•Tiananmen Square- 1989 student
uprising in May 1989 1000’s killed
or wounded. 10,000 arrested
Human rights violations still a
huge issue
Leader Jiang Zemin (1997-today)
•Economically open/ politically closed
•Transfer of Hong Kong (1997) from
British control
•Agreed not to change Hong Kong’s
political or economic system for 50
years