Ethnopoetic in China

HISTORY

The names of China include the many contemporary and historical appellations given in various
languages for the East Asian country known as Zhōngguó (中國/中国) in its official language. China,
the name in English for the country, was derived from Portuguese in the 16th century, and became
popular in the mid 19th century.[1] It is believed to be a borrowing from Middle Persian, and some
have traced it further back to Sanskrit. It is also generally thought that the ultimate source of the
name China is the Chinese word "Qin" (Chinese: 秦), the name of the dynasty that unified China but
also existed as a state for many centuries prior. There are, however, other alternative suggestions
for the origin of the word.

Dynastic Era: A dynasty is a line of hereditary rulers of a country. In the long recorded history of
China the following dynasties have been recorded:
1. Xia Dynasty About 1994 BCE – 1766 BCE
2. Shang Dynasty 1766 BCE – 1027 BCE
3. Zhou Dynasty 1122 BCE -256 BCE plus supplement
4. Qin Dynasty 221 BCE – 206 BCE
5. Early Han Dynasty 206 BCE – 9 AD
6. Xin Dynasty 9 AD – 24 AD
7. Later Han Dynasty 25 AD – 220 AD
8. Six Dynasties Period 220 AD – 589 AD
9. Sui Dynasty 589 AD – 618 AD
10. Tang Dynasty 618 AD – 907 AD
11. Sung Dynasty 969 AD – 1279 AD
12. Yuan Dynasty 1279 AD – 1368 AD
13. Ming Dynasty 1368 AD – 1644 AD
14. Manchu or Qing Dynasty 1644 AD – 1912 AD

The Xia Dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BCE) was the first government to emerge in ancient China and
became the first to adhere to the policy of dynastic succession; thus making it the first dynasty of
China. It was regarded as a mythical construct of later Chinese historians until excavations in the
late 20th century CE uncovered sites which corresponded to descriptions in these earlier
historians' accounts.

China is composed of 56 ethnic groups. Among them Han Chinese account for 91.59% of the overall
Chinese population and the other 55 make up the remaining 8.41% . As the combined population of
these other minorities is far fewer than that of the Han, they form the 55 minorities of China.

• Early poetry The Shi Jing (literally “Classic of Poetry”, also called “Book of Songs”) was
the first major collection of Chinese poems, collecting both aristocratic poems (Odes)
and more rustic poetry, probably derived from folk songs (Songs).A second, more
 lyrical and romantic anthology was the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu), made up primarily of
poems ascribed to the semi-legendary Qu Yuan (ca. 340-278 B.C.) and his follower Song
Yu (fourth century B.C.).

The rich tradition of Chinese poetry began with two influential collections. In northern
China, the Shijing or Classic of Poetry (approx. 10th–7th century BC) comprises over 300
poems in a variety of styles ranging from those with a strong suggestion of folk music to
ceremonial hymns.[5] The word shi has the basic meaning of poem or poetry, as well as its
use in criticism to describe one of China's lyrical poetic genres. Confucius is traditionally
credited with editing the Shijing. Its stately verses are usually composed of couplets with
lines of four characters each (or four syllables, as Chinese characters are monosyllabic), and
a formal structure of end rhymes. Many of these early poems establish the later tradition of
starting with a description of nature that leads into emotionally expressive statements,
known as bi, xing, or sometime bixing. Associated with what was then considered to be
southern China, the Chuci is ascribed to Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BC) and his follower Song Yu
(fl. 3rd century BC) and is distinguished by its more emotionally intense affect, often full of
despair and descriptions of the fantastic.[7] In some of its sections, the Chu Ci uses a six-
character per line meter, dividing these lines into couplets separated in the middle by a
strong caesura , producing a driving and dramatic rhythm. Both the Shijing and
the Chuci have remained influential throughout Chinese history.

In ancient China, people had profuse feelings to express when historical events took place, both
joyful or of grief. Classical literature possesses a profound culture, and is the epitome of the spirit,
morals and wisdom of the Chinese people. It reflects the high level of civilization. The literary forms
vary over this long period and each had its blaze of glory.
Long before the written word appeared, there was an oral tradition of tales of fairies and legends.
However, it is a pity that most of these have been lost as they were not collected and duly recorded
for posterity.

Do and don’t in China

 Do greet others by using a handshake or a nod. Bows are best saved for your visit to
Japan or Korea.
 Don’t go straight for a hug. Especially when meeting someone for the first time. Any body
contact, apart from a simple handshake, may make your new Chinese friends feel
uncomfortable.
 Don’t tap your chopsticks. Tapping your bowl or the table with your chopsticks is
considered rude and impolite.

 Do refuse a gift a number of times before accepting it. Politely refusing a gift before
accepting it is the norm in Chinese culture, so don’t be discouraged when someone initially
refuses your gift.
 Do not overreact when a local asks personal questions. What might be regarded as a
personal question in your country could be a perfectly normal, and valid question in
 China. Don’t act shocked if your new friends start asking you questions regarding your
marital status, family, age, job or income – they’re asking such questions in an attempt
to seek common ground and start or keep the conversation going. If you don’t feel
comfortable answering a question, let the person you’re talking to know. Just as there’s
no need to overreact when asked such questions, there’s no need to answer a question
that makes you feel uncomfortable.
 Never write in red ink. Red ink is a symbol of protest or criticism, and best saved for
teachers correcting students’ homework. Another reason as to why you should never
write in red ink, particularly when writing someone’s name, is that red ink is used to mark
the names of criminals condemned to death in official records, and to write their names
on their tombstones. Need another reason? Red ink is sometimes used to convey bad
news – such as somebody passing away or a breakup letter. The best thing you can do
is to avoid using red ink all together, the last thing you’d want is to upset your new
friends by writing them a thank you letter in red ink!
 Punctuality is considered a virtue in China (despite the fact that Chinese people are, on
average, 10 minutes late for their engagements!). Being on time is a sign of respect
toward others. Chinese people may show up earlier to show their earnestness, but be
wary of the situation. Showing up early to a meal you were invited to can be considered
impolite, as it may give the impression that you’re hungry and eager to eat. Being on
time for your tour or at any other time shows respect for the guide, and for fellow
travelers.
 Avoid public displays of affection. Even though public displays of affection in China
are not as taboo as they used to be, it’s still wise to avoid them. Just like the body
contact we mentioned in the “Greetings” section, the person you’re with might not be
comfortable with PDAs, or the community you’re in might frown upon such acts. Play it
safe and save all affectionate displays