The Differences between Northern China & Southern China
“Nan Chuan Bei Ma”
“In the South the boat, in the North the horse”
China is divided into north & south approximately by the Yangtze River.
Northern China
- Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi,
Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, Anhui,
Hubei, Shaanxi
Southern China
- Hunan, Jinagxi, Zhejiang, Guangdong,
Hainan, Fujian, Hong Kong, Macau,
Shanghai
Historic
- un-restricted movement
- Huang He is shallow (fordable)
- inter-regional migration due to
floods & droughts
- vulnerable to invasions from the
north (Mongols, Manchurians)
- more governing of China from the
north
- few roads
- barriers of water & mountains
- relatively safe from invasions
- early history - inhabited by indigenous
tribes, few Chinese settlements
- 12th century, threat from northern
invaders sends northern Chinese
south
- drive away or kill off
indigenous tribes
- merchant class prospers here
Geography
- steppe grasslands
- flat (some small mountains)
- arid
- desert
- brown & yellow (sand, dust, silt)
Agriculture
- mulberry bushes (for silk worms)
- orchards - apple
- winter wheat
- terraced
- tea
- rice (double cropped)
- water buffalo used
Political
- imperial - most capitals of ancient
China
- Xian, Luoyang, Beijing
- current capital
- focus of political power
- bureaucracy
- little political power
- 13th century Southern Song Dynasty
- capital Hangzhou
- focus of Chinese life shifts south
until early 15th century
- sub tropical to tropical
- mountains
- monsoons
- rain forests
- wet & steamy
- green
- Huang He (Yellow River), considered - coastal lowlands
source of China’s civilization.
- fickle nature of the river greatly
affected people & dynasties
- flooding, drought
Economics
- more scientific
- overall income & educational levels
lower
- resistant to change (no links to
outside like south)
- innovative & entrepreneurial
- economic stability
- dependable harvests
- industrial
- strong overseas connections
- Guangzhou an international port
from 9th century
- international trade monopoly until
1840s
- Hong Kong - investment
- Deng Xiao Ping’s economic
modernization took root here
- income & educational standards
highest in China
Cultural
- spread from north to south
- bronze technology
- Sino-Tibetan languages
- writing, Mandarin Chinese
- state formation (government)
- considered southerners barbarians
- home of Confucius (Kung Fu Tse)
- home of 8 immortals of Daoism
- spread from south to north
- iron smelting
- rice
- more dialects
- many emigrants to other countries from
the south
- makes southern Chinese culture
familiar to the rest of the world
People
- taller
- heavier
- paler
- smaller eyes
- genetically with Japanese, Koreans
- lower population density
- historic homeland of Han Chinese
- smaller
- darker
- rounder face
- genetically with South East Asians
- higher population density
Housing
- traditional courtyard house
- 1 story
- all windows face courtyard
- houses with 2 stories common
- fewer courtyard houses
Food
wheat based
- noodles
- breads (deep fried, griddle fried)
- dumplings
- saltier foods (to preserve)
rice based
“Eat anything with four legs but a table,
everything that flies but a kite or plane”.
- dim sum (hors d’oeuvre style food
served morning to afternoon)
- sweeter foods, more sugar
- more seafood
Martial Arts
- emphasize kicks & leg actions
(Shoalin)
- more open spaces to move in
- use of hands (Wing Chun)
- tight spaces to fight in