Ancient China Geography Essay

565 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The great wall impact on chinese society harvard press

China’s geography both isolated and helped its people. The Yangtze and Huang He Rivers, called the “Great Sorrow” because of flooding, provided fertile soil and clean water. Himalayan Mountains along China’s southern border protected China from many invasions, as they were hard to climb. Two other natural barriers are the Gobi and Taklamakan Desert, which are both boiling hot with very little water. China has many significant aspects, including its geography, Great Wall, Silk Road, art and math advancements, and the Tang Dynasty. Two significant aspects of China encompass the Great Wall of China and the Silk Road. According to Lin Donn on the website Ancient China for Kids it states “Qin wanted a wall 3 feet wide 50 feet high...it took 1,700 years and was 3,700 miles long.” The Great Wall of China is such a significant part of China because every emperor showed dedication by putting people to work to build a wall for protection. Without it, many invasions of China would have succeeded, ending the empire much sooner. Next, the article Ancient China for Kids: The Silk Road by Lin Donn states “Rome traded gold and gems for China’s silk and spices… ideas travelled along the Silk Road as well.” Trading along the Silk Road was important for …show more content…

Lin Donn in the article Ancient China for Kids: Calligraphy “...the ability to write in calligraphy showed control and inner peace. It was a sign of status.” Calligraphy was a symbolic invention because this beautiful way of writing was put on porcelain and in books. This art form is still used today for art, books, and poems. Next, the article Ancient China for Kids: Inventions by Lin Donn states “The ancient Chinese invented...decimals.” Decimals are an important invention because without them them math would be impossible. WIthout math, our technology would be rendered useless, currency around the world would change, and science would be

Show More
Related

  • Changes And Continuities In The Shang Dynasty

    1657 Words  | 4 Pages

    The founder of the Qin dynasty was Qin Shi Huangdi, a title meaning “First Emperor.” He was a brutal ruler, but he brought about many changes. However, in addition to all the new, some old ideas were continued from the Zhou, such as the emphasis on the wheat and rice staple foods, and the philosophies, Confucianism and Daoism. The old continuities tended to have been deeply embraced by China, and, just as the Zhou did, the Qin would create some ideas that lasted, and some that did not. Qin Shi Huangdi enforced a tough autocratic rule and, as a result, opposed formal culture that could make people counter his rule. This meant that he burned many books and attacked Confucian ideas in order to keep the people from generating rebellious ideas. When the Qin dynasty fell, so too did the opposition towards education, because it took away from the civilization culturally. Despite the fact that the Qin dynasty was very short and had little time to fully develop its systems and ideas, it did pump out a vast quantity of new and lasting concepts, such as the Great Wall and a central government. One of the biggest contenders for the most well-known feature of the Qin dynasty is the Great Wall. This architectural masterpiece extends over 3,000 miles, and was mainly a

    Read More

  • Changes And Continuities In China From 100 CE To 600 CE

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    Around 220 CE the Han dynasty that rules China starts many attacks on the northern nomads. The Han have conquered and received new territories. Then repairs and builds about 10,000 kilometers of walls. This is the first time the Chinese are extending far west through the Gobi Desert. The Great Wall then takes on a new role which is protecting the Silk Road trade routes that connect China and the West.

    Read More

  • The Three Empires

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    As in terms of economics, China grew prosperous through trade, military expansion, invention of tools and other means of convenience and through the market economy. From the Han Dynasty China began to build again. The Sui Dynasty constructed the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal was an artificial canal that extended 1,240 miles. It enabled merchants and farmers to travel by water, selling an abundance of rice and other crops. This canal was extremely expensive but throughout the years paid itself off by providing travel routes north and south of China. The Sui Dynasty also built palaces, granarie...

    Read More

  • Essay On The Han Dynasty

    567 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the major lasting effects was the Han Dynasty’s changes to the economy. The Han Dynasty expanded their influence throughout the land and made improvements in many products made in China, including silk, iron, and textiles, as well as inventing paper. As stated in the article, “Great Journeys of China… The Silk Road”, “at the order of Emperor Wudi, courtier General Zhang Qian travelled to the “regions western ...

    Read More

  • Egyptian And Ancient China Compare And Contrast Essay

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ancient Egypt and Ancient China often seem like polar opposites in almost every way. However, in one way, they are more similar than most people think. The beliefs of both of these civilizations were remarkably parallel, yet perplexingly different at the same time. Religion before 600 B.C.E. varied from society to society all around the globe, with just a few major religions taking hold in large areas. In both Egyptian and Chinese religions, they adhered to a polytheistic religion. Boths religions believed there were many gods who individually ruled over the many different parts of life, instead of one god ruling over all. Both Egyptian and Chinese cultures believed in life after death. Each one of these religions believed in some form of

    Read More

  • How Did The Yellow River Affect Early Chinese Civilization

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    The introduction of agriculture enabled individuals to accumulate wealth and pass it down through their families, this is a phenomena which could not happened before due to groups of people not being able to settle in one place. A large part of agriculture in China was the rice crops. Rice is a labor-intensive crop that requires many workers and a complex irrigation system. Large crops of rice depended on the construction and maintenance of an elaborate irrigation system. These irrigation systems would not be possible without the Yellow River. Without the Yellow River there would be no body of water that needed to be controlled nor would there be flooding in that area that gives this region well fertilized soil, therefore the Xia Dynasty would not have been created and China's civilizations would not have developed in the manner that they did. The River also created a pathway for trade which shaped its

    Read More

  • The Great Wall Of China Research Paper

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Great Wall of ancient China aided trade of ideas and protected traders along the Silk Road. The Great Wall was extended further along the Silk Road (Doc D). This extension of the wall made the section of the Silk Road unprotected by natural elements safe from the Xiongnu and other threats. The rest of the Silk Road was within the Taklamakan Desert (Doc A), a miserable place to travel within if you’re not on a commonly taken pathway. Imports from the western world included important ideas such as the religion Buddhism and the idea of a irrigation system (Doc D). Religion is often a rallying point for people, especially if they’re in threat. If China had stood divided, they would have fallen to the Xiongnu, united they were able to save themselves, with the help of the Great Wall. Chin...

    Read More

  • The Han Dynasty

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    During this time in China the Han dynasty was responsible for the greatest expansion of China, to what is now southern China, northern Vietnam, and parts of Korea and had trade with Central Asia, India, Persia. Because of the expansion of the territory they were able to trade with more countries. This was furthered by the discovery of the Silk Road in 2nd century BC. The Silk Road, discovered by a Chinese ambassador Zhang Qian, was a series of trade routes from China to the Mediterranean Sea. The Silk Road got its name from the amount of silk used for trade during the Han dynasty. This route was used to travel from West to East on land they traveled to India, Persia, Arabia, and Europe, while traveling by sea they traveled through Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. These paths were used by merchants, pilgrim, monks, soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers.

    Read More

  • Ancient China Dbq

    416 Words  | 1 Pages

    Daily life was influenced in both Ancient India and China because of religion and philosophies. Their well being, their beliefs, and their caste system were affected by religion and philosophies.

    Read More

  • Great Wall

    1243 Words  | 3 Pages

    (www.discovery.com) By extending the Great Wall they opened China up to great expansion of trade. Trade of ideas, knowledge, and physical goods.

    Read More

  • GWC

    1897 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Great Wall of China, one of the world’s eight wonders, is one of the most famous feats of human architecture in the history of the world. This ancient marvel is not only a great spectacle, but is also significant in the shaping and molding of the China everyone knows today. The Great Wall of China allowed China to possess some of the longest lived governmental structures in the world by providing a means of protection against hostile nomadic groups and other warlike peoples. This allowed the lifespans of the dynasties-- lines of hereditary rulers who rule over a country for a long period of time-- inside the wall to be prolonged. This massive structure is therefore a key part of China’s history, influencing nearly every dynasty that ruled the region, since the rise of the first emperor.

    Read More

  • Positive And Negative Impacts Of The Mongols

    402 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Mongols conquered and then united China. This created peace among the country and led to other great things. One of these great things is the Silk Road. The Silk Road is a long trading route that was created when China was united as they had started

    Read More

  • The Triumph Of The Great Wall Of China

    2603 Words  | 6 Pages

    Despite all the tragedy that surrounds The Great Wall of China, it continues to be considered a triumph for China. The Great Wall supplied protection for the developing empire. It also allowed for the development of Chinese trade with other countries. It has helped China?s economy from the days of the Silk Road through the present as it supplies tourism for China. It revolutionized not only military communication of the time but also wall building techniques. It stands as a symbol of strength and endurance for China. The Great Wall is a tribute to all of the Chinese who worked on it. The Great Wall of China shows the magnitude of what mankind can achieve in the face of tragedy.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Persia And Ancient China

    462 Words  | 1 Pages

    Both China and Persia had major influences to civilizations near them, but couldn’t be more diffrent. China was mostly peaceful, while persia leaned on warware. Persia was the first civilization to build an army, due to the fact of there location. While china’s location made it hard.

    Read More

  • The Great Dynasties Of China

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    The end of the disunity of China came in 589. Finally, China was a single undivided nation again. This was the start of three of the more notable dynasties that made big strides in history. The China wall was fortified and lengthened to the north. They dredged the grand canal which made communication and transportation easier from north to south. Which was extremely important in such a large nation. The printing press was also invented, which literally changed the world. It has been improved countless times over but, is technically still used today. China produced items that are still used and studied in the current world.

    Read More

More about Ancient China Geography Essay

Open Document