FUN FACTS

 Gun powder, paper, printing and the compass are sometimes called the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China
 Kites were first used as a way for the army to signal warnings
 Umbrellas were invented for protection from the sun as well as the rain
 Chinese doctors knew about certain herbs to help sick people. They also knew that eating good foods was important
to being healthy
 Compasses were often used to make sure that homes were built facing the correct direction so they would be in
harmony with nature.
 The Grand Canal in China is the longest man made canal or river in the world. .It is over 1,100 miles long and
stretches from Beijing to Hangzhou.
 They invented the abacus in the 2nd century B.C. This was a calculator that used sliding beads to help compute math
problems quickly.
 A clear coating called lacquer was made to protect and enhances certain works of art and furniture.
 Paper money was first developed ad was used in China during the tang dynasty (7 th century).
 ……………………INVENTIONS AND TECHNOLOGY………………….
 Silk----The Chinese learned how to make silk from the cocoons of silk worms
 Paper----The first paper was invented in the 2 nd Century B.C and the manufacturer later perfected around 105 A.D
 Printing----- Wood blocks printing was invented in 868 AD and then movable type around 200 years later.
 The Compass----The Chinese invented the magnetic compass to help determine the correct direction. They used this
in city planning at first ,but it became very important to map makers and for the navigation of shios.
 Gunpowder---- invented in the 9th Century. They also invented fireworks.
 Boat Rudder-----The rudder was invented as a way to steer large ships. This enable the Chinese to build huge ships as
early as 200 AD,well before they were ever built in Europe.
 Other….Other inventions include the umbrella, porcelain ,the wheelbarrow iron casting ,hot air balloons,
seismographs- to measure earthquakes ,kites matches ,stirrups for riding horses and acupuncture.
 Terracotta---A type of baked clay ceramics.it was used in building the 8,000 life size terracotta soldiers that were
buried with Emperor Qin.
 Three Perfections--- The Three Perfections were the three most important art forms of Ancient China:
painting ,poetry ,and calligraphy.
 Three Ways--- Refers to the three major philosophies of ancient china: Confucius, Taoism ,and Buddhism.
 Yin and Yang--- A part of the philosophy of Taoism ,the yin and yang are opposites the balance each throughout
nature such as “light and dart”, “hot and cold”, and male and female”
 Zheng He--- A Chinese explorer during the Ming Dynasty. He established trade with India and Africa.

Glossary and Terms

 Acupuncture- An ancient Chinese treatment for healing that uses needles placed in various areas of the skin.
 Bamboo- A fast growing grass that grows very tall and with hallow stems like tube.The Chinese found numerous
uses for bamboo including paper,building,furniture and musical instruments.
 Buddhism- One of the three major religions of China,Buddhism originated in India.
 Calligraphy- A style of writing that was considered an art from using brushes to paint the characters.
 Civil Service- the group of people who worked for the government .People had to pass a difficult examination to
earn a job in the civil service.
 Cocoon- A protective covering made by silkworms before they transform into moths.The fibers from silkworm
cocoons are used to make silk.
 Confucianism-A religion or philosophy based on the teaching of Confucius.
 Dragon-A revered mythical creature that has the long body of a serpent, sharp teeth, four legs with sharp
tails,and can fly.
 Dynasty-When the rule of a country is passed down to the family members over a long period of time.
 Five elements- the five elements of ancient Chinese philosophy are wood ,fire ,earth, water, and metal. They are
also called Wu Ying.
 Forbidden City- A giant palace built in the center of Beijing City by the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
 Great Wall- A 5,500 mile long built along the Northern border of China, It was built to keep out the Mongol
invaders.
 Gunpowder- An important invention that was used for fireworks and weapons such as bombs and guns.
  Junk- A type of Chinese sailboat that is typically flat bottomed and uses fully battened sails.
 Lacquer- A type of varnish used to protect items and make them more beautiful.
 Minister- A government official of high rank in the civil service.
 Mongols- The nomadic people of the north who often raided China , Under Genghis and Kublai Khan they
captured much of China for a period of time.
 Nian- A legendary monster that terrorized a Chinese village until until they used fireworks and noise to scare it
off. Their victory over Nian is celebrated on the Chinese New Year.
 Pagoda- A religious temple that is built as a tower with many tiers and roofs.
 Porcelain- A type of ceramic invented by the Chinese. It is thin ,strong, and beautiful. It is often called “China” in
the west.
 Qin Shi Huang- The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huan united China under one rule and began the Qin Dynasty.
 Sampan- A small narrow boat yh a flat bottom that is usually 10 to 15 feet long.
 Silk Road- A trade route that ran from northern China to Europe.
 Silk- A luxurious material made from cocoons of silk worms. Silk was highly prized in ancient china and was only
worn by wealthy nobles.
 Taoism- one of the three major religion of philosophies of ancient china, Taoism follows the teaching of Lao Tzu.

ANCIENT CHINA

800-2205 BC--- Early Chinese settlers build small villages and farms along the major rivers including the Yellow River
and the Yangtze River.

2696 BC--- Ruled of the Legendary Yellow Emperor. His wife Leizu invented the process of making silk cloth.

2205 BC—Chinese learn how to make bronze

551 BC—Philosopher and thinker Confucius is born.

544 BC—Sun Tzu The author of the Art of War is born.

500 BC—iron plough was likely invented.

342 BC—The crossbow is first used in China.

221 BC—Qin Shi Huangdi becomes the first Emperor of China. He built the Great Wall of China to protect the people
from the Mongols.

220 BC—Writing system becomes standardized by the government.

210 BC—The Terracotta Army buried with Emperor Qin

210 BC—The umbrella is invented

206 BC-220 AD--- Han Dynasty

207 BC—The first Han Emperor, Gaozu, establishes the Chinese Civil service to help run the government.

105 AD—Paper is invented by imperial court official Cai Lun.

250—Buddhism is introduced to China.

609—The Grand Canal is completed.

868—Woodblock printing is first used in China to print an entire book called the Diamond Sutra.

1041—Moveable type for printing is invented

1044—This is the earliest date that a formula for gunpowder is recorded.

China History

1. Who was the last emperor of China? Pu Yi

2. Which of the following was a general of the Southern Sung dynasty and was considered as a loyal subject?
Yue Fei
3. Which treaty did the Qing government sign that gave Hong Kong Island to the British? Nanjing Treaty
 4. Which is not one of the four great inventions of the Chinese? Clock
5. The tang Dynasty appeared during the early Middle Ages (Dark Ages) of Europe? True
6. How many female monarchs were there in Chinese history? Wu Ze-Tian-the only empress in Chinese History
7. Genghis Khan’s son attacked Europe during its Middle Ages. From where did his army return because of the
sudden death of their “Khan” (King)? Present day Czech Republic
8. Which was the first dynasty of china w/ written records supporting it? Shang
9. China has a longer recorded history than the U.K? True
10. Before the reign of Qin Shi Huang wre several divided states in China, Qin shi Huang unified them, How many
major feuding parties were there at that time? 7
11. Who was the first Chinese Emperor? Shi Huangdi
12. Was Confucius (551-479 B.C) an emperor? NO
13. What was the Jian? A sword
14. Why were ancient Chinese mummies covered w/ jade Stone? To keep the body from decaying
15. What was the significance of the ancient Chinese custom of bowing? A sign of respect
16. What kind of wine was often used in the ceremonies and rituals of ancient China? Rice wine
17. What was the dragon-backbone machine? A pump
18. What were known as the three “perfections in ancient China? Poetry, calligraphy, and painting
19. Why is the Qianxun Pagoda unique? It has sixteen tiers
20. Approximately how many years of recorded history does China have? 5,000 years
21. What notable construction did Emperor Quin Shi Huangdi build? The Great Wall, and Terracotta Army
22. Quin Shi Huangdi “Shihuangdi” is comprised of his name “Shi” and “Huang’ and his title of emperor “di”? False
23. Present day Yi”an was once the capital of many dynasties. What was its name then? Chang’an
24. What was the name of the dynasty that lasted for four centuries and is considered China’s Golden Age? Han
Dynasty

Ancient China ----Forbidden City-----

1. What was the Forbidden City? A place for the emperor

2. What modern day Chinese city is the Forbidden City located at the center of? Beijing
3. What two Chinese dynasties used the forbidden city as the palace foe their emperor? Ming and Qing
4. What was the main function of the inner court? It was where the emperor and his family lived
5. What sort of fortifications did the palace have? A 26 feet high wall all the way around it, Tall towers at each
corner, A moat of water surrounding it
6. What direction did all of the building face? South
7. What was the main function of the outer court? It was where the emperor held official ceremonies
8. What color where the roofs of the most of the buildings in the Forbidden City? Yellow
9. How many emperors ruled China from this palace? 24
10. The Forbidden City was completely destroyed in a fire during World War II. There is nothing Left? False

China’s Civil War

1. Who created the Chinese Nationalist Party in the early twentieth century? Sun Yat-Sen
2. There are two accepted English forms of the three-letter abbreviation for the Chinese Nationalist
Party.What is the three-letter abbreviation in either of the two forms? KMT-Koumintang and GMD-
Guomintang
3. Where did the Nationalists flee when they lost the civil war? Taiwan
4. Who undertook the famed “Long March” to escape persecution in the 1930’s? The Communists
5. During the Chinese Civil War, US foreign policy was especially volatile, and the US insisted on supporting the
Nationalists long after the cause was obviously hopeless. What major world occurrence after world war II
was causing the tension in US foreign policy? The Cold War
6. Sun Yat-Sen dreamt of uniting the highly divided China,w/c cause specially contentious in the north, where
different areas were ruled by “warlords” and their own ambitions to unite China. When The Nationalist
Party came into power in the south, Sun Yat-Sen dreamed up what campaign to unified warlords w/the
National government? Northern Expedition
 7. This student of Sun Yat-Sen became the head of the National Party upon Sun Yat-Sen’s death. Who was he?
Chiang Kai-Shek
8. This man became the most powerful of te communist party due largely to his activities during the Long
March of the late 1930’s. By the time the march ended, he was well on his way to a life of great political
power. Who was he? Mao Zedong
9. During World War II, a large group of Chinese were hiding due to persecution, but actually because experts
in guerilla warfare and were most responsible for holding back the Japanese. Who were they? The
Communists
10. The CCP was supported by what major world power during the Chinese Civil War? The USSR
11. Mao Zedong attempted to imitate the Soviet Five-Year Plan to bring China rapidly into the industrial market.
This movement failed, despite his grandiose title for it. What did Mao call this movement? The Great Leap
Forward
12. Sun Yat-Sen’s basic and early underlying ideology for the Nationalist Party was based on what? The Three
Peoples Principle
13. What was the name of the Communist Army during the late years of the Civil War in China? The People’s
Liberation Army
14. Mao Zedong formally announced the founding of the new govt of China (and therefore the end of the civil
war) in front of the Forbidden City in what year? 1949
15. What event sparked fighting between the Nationalist China government troops and the occupying troops of
the Japanese in July 1937? The Marco Polo Bridge Incident

Red Guards: China’s Teenage Revolution

1. One of the reasons for the start of the Cultural Revolution was Mao’s distaste for the moderate policies of Liu
Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping. What did label did Mao brand Liu and Deng with? Capitalist Roaders
2. One of Mao’s closest supporters was his wife. Jiang Qing. Why had he previously been kept out of politics?
She was considered too bourgeois
3. Another of Mao’s supporters was Keng Sheng, head of the secret police. What rather surprising hobby did he
have? He collected antiques
4. Mao’s most important ally was the Lin Biao who commanded the Chinese Army? What did Lin Biao have a
virulent phobia of? Water
5. Mao announced his return to politics by swimming in w/c Chinese river? The Yangtze River
6. Many Red Guards were inspired by the published diary of a devout communist know as Comrade Lei Feng. What
job did Lei Feng do? He was a lorry driver
7. The enthusiastic teenage communist could also draw inspiration from w/c art form? Opera
8. Many communists used the Cultural Revolution aa an excuse for settling personal vendettas. Why did Jiang Qing
have theatre director Sun Weishi arrested? She had been a better actress than Jian
9. Many moderate Communist were persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, what happened to Deng Xiaoping’s
son? He was thrown through a window
10. Eventually, the Cultural Revolution ended after the Red Guards went too far, what causes the Chinese Army to
finally step in and end the chaos? Civil war between different Red Guard factions
11. Mao Zedong’s fourth wife rose to a degree of power unmatched by any other female communist leader, even a
degree that only a few Chinese women before her had attained. She led the infamous “Gang of Four”. What was
her name? Jing Qing
12. This dynasty (1723BC – 1046BC) was the first historical dynasty, marked by literacy (including a 2,000-character
writing system), bronze working and elaborate religious services. Shang
13. A few women ruled China in practice, but only one named herself emperor, without the pretext of a male on the
throne. Who was this extraordinary woman? Wu Zetian (Tang Dynasty)
14. This Chinese philosopher who believe in a moral hierarchy is credited with writng the “Lun Yu”, a treatise on
submission to proper authority and gentlemanly benevolence to inferiors. We know it today as the “Analects”.
Confucius
15. What practice that was thought to beautify the feet was common among women of noble birth in ancient China
(through the custom lingered on until relatively modern times? Footbinding or lotus feet
16. What profession was Ding Ling? Writer
 17. What dynasty preceded the Qing? Ming
18. The Yuan Dynasty ( 1279-1368) was a foreign- run dynasty. What warrior group ruled China at the time?
Mongols
19. This port city and former capital,occupied by the Japanese from 1937 to 1945,was the site of massacre in 1937.
Nanjing
20. In 1860, the emperor’s Summer Palace, an expanse buildings of exquisite craftsmanship and beauty, was burned
by an Anglo-French expedition in revenge for Chinese attacks on emperors. Who headed the expedition? Lord
Elgin

Chinese Democracy

1. In the 1989, “June Fourth Incident” shocked the international media around the world. Which event happened
on that day, that is better known by another name? Tiananmen Square Massacre
2. In 2010, writer and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo came to international prominence. When he was awarded
w/c honour? Nobel Peace Prize
3. One of the features commonly associated w/ democracy is freedom of speech. In 1956-57, The Chinese
Communist Party actively encouraged people to speak their minds, as well as promoting art and science. What
was this movement known as? Hundred Flowers Movement
4. In 1997, Hongkong was returned by the British to Chinese administration. It became a Special Administrative
region, w/c meant that it could retain a certain degree of autonomy. In 1999, w/c ex Portuguese colony became
the second Special Administrative Region? Macau
5. The People’s Republic of China was established in 1949 by Mao Zedong’s Communist Party, at the expense of
w/c political party, who moved their activities offshore islands? Koumintang
6. The Republic of China was established in 1912 following the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty. Which legendary
figure became the provisional President? Sun Yat-Sen
7. With extensive international media coverage, in w/c year did the first democratic President elections take place
in Taiwan? 1996 won by Lee Teng-hui
8. Between 1898 and 1901, “The Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists” showed what people power can do,
as they caused lasting damage to imperialism and Qing dynasty. By what other name was this uprising known?
Boxer Rebellion
9. Rebiya Kadeer was held as a political prisoner from 1999 until 2005, When she was released to the US followed
huge pressure from various groups. She has been a champion for human rights, religious freedom and
democracy for w/c people, mainly residing in the north-west Yin jiang region? Uyghur
10. The “May Fourth Movement” was a major turning point in Chinese intellectual thought. It occurred in 1919
following the Treaty of Versailles, when w/c province was given to Japan rather than the Chinese? Shandong