Please pass these back at the end of
class. I will return them Tomorrow.
China’s Contact
with the outside
world
z
I. Foreign contacts under the tang dynasty
z
A. During the Tang Dynasty, China welcomed contact with foreigners.
I. They had an open-door policy.
 B. Silk Road
I.
A route used to trade goods.
II. The route started in China and spread across Central Asia.
III. Camel caravans were used to cross the Silk Road.
 C. For a time, travel along the Silk Road became unsafe because of
fighting in Central Asia.
 D. The Tang Dynasty made travel safe again by taking control of much of
Central Asia. This allowed trade to flourish.
z
I. Foreign Contact Under the Tang
Dynasty
E. Merchants, missionaries, and other visitors came to China.
F. Foreign contact brought about a ton of cultural exchange-a result
of open-door policy.
G. Exported:
I. Silk, porcelain, paper, iron, and jade.
H. Imported:
I. Ivory, cotton, perfumes, spices, horses, and new medicine.
I. Tang Chinese, especially the upper class, welcomed new products
and ideas.
I. Sitting in chairs instead of on floor cushions became a status symbol.
z
I. Foreign Contact Under the Tang
Dynasty
J. New Religions:
I. Tang dynasty tolerated new religions including Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
II. Built houses of worships for these religions and could preach and convert
Chinese citizens.
K. Buddhism
I. Originated in India and became a major part of Chinese life under the Tang
dynasty.
II. Buddhist monks and nuns paid no taxes. They ran schools, public baths,
hospitals, and lodgings for travelers.
III. Monasteries became wealthy.
z

Toward the end of the Tang dynasty, foreigners and their beliefs became less
welcomed.

Government placed restrictions on foreigners when the Uighurs began attacking
China.

People claimed that people only became monks to avoid paying taxes. Chinese
government began taking Buddhist property.
z
Foreign Contact Under the Yuan
Dynasty
A. Travel along the Silk Road became safe again because the region
was under the control of one government.
I. Set up stations every 20 miles where traders could find food and sleep.
B. Maritime Trade:
I. Relating to the sea.
II. Travel and trade expanded.
C. Welcomed traders and other foreigners and encouraged cultural
exchange.
D. Respect merchants.
z
II. Foreign Contact Under Yuan Dynasty
E. Persians brought advanced knowledge of astronomy, mathematics,
medicine, and water management.
I. Calendar, observatory
F. Foreigners enjoyed high status under the Yuan rulers, and foreign
merchants were given special privileges.
I. Could travel freely and didn’t have to pay taxes.
G. Kublai Khan appointed many vising foreigners to official positions
in his government.
II. Foreign Contact Under Yuan Rule
z
H. Marco Polo
I. Young Italian merchant and adventurer.
II. Kublai Khan sent Marco Polo to represent him on inspection tours around
China.
III. Wrote a book when he returned home of his experiences. This gave
Europeans firsthand knowledge of China and further stimulated interest in trade.
I. Chinese hated being at the bottom of the social class and disliked
being ruled by foreigners.
I. This helped make the Chinese suspicious of further contact with foreigners.
z
III. Foreign Contact Under the Ming
Dynasty
A. Chinese rebelled against Yuan and established the Ming Dynasty.
B. Foreign contact continued but later Ming rulers would try to isolate
China from foreign influences-closed door policy.
C. Ming dynasty saw China as the oldest, largest, most civilized, and
most important country.
D. Many countries were China’s tributaries
I. Conquered country or territory that pays tribute, money, to the conqueror.
II. When ambassadors came they had to kneel and touch their heads to the floor
three times.
III. Foreign Contact Under Ming Dynasty
z
E. Zheng He
I. Was given the title “Admiral of the Western Seas”
II. Sent out to find tributaries for China
III. Set of with more than 300 shops and 28,000 men.
F. After Zheng He’s death, China became a closed-door policy.
I. Stopped expensive expeditions to fight off Mongols trying to retake over.
G. Ming rulers forbade travel outside China. All contact between
Chinese people and foreigners had to be approved by the government.
H. Ming dynasty desired uniformity. This made it difficult for the
government to change as times and conditions did.