Mary Colson - Chinese Culture

Allan, Tony. Ancient China (Cultural Atlas for Young People). New York: Chelsea House, 2007.

Crean, Susan. China (Discover Countries). New York: PowerKids, 2012.

Guillain, Charlotte. Chinese Culture (China Focus). Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2008.

Hibbert, Clare. China (World of Food). Minneapolis: Clara House, 2010.

Noi Sui, Goh, and Bee Ling Lim. China (Welcome to My Country). Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens, 2005.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world
factbook/geos/ch.html
Find up-to-the-minute facts about China on this website.

www.fyco.org/new/orchestra_sections.html
Click on the pictures of each Chinese instrument to hear the
sounds it makes.

kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/china/
Find out more about Chinas history, architecture, people,
and culture.

Great Wall of China (2008)
Lost in China (National Geographic, 2011)
Lost Treasures of the Ancient World: Ancient China (2006)

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
www.metmuseum.org
See bronze and jade ornaments, paintings, prints, and more from China in this amazing museum.

If you ever get the chance to go to China, these are some places you could visit:

Forbidden City, Beijing
See how the emperors lived in the lap of luxury.

The Gardens of the Humble Administrator, Suzhou
See how yin and yang and the ancient Chinese belief in feng shui created this beautiful garden.

The Great Wall
Look out for incoming raiders from this amazing structure.

Terracotta Army, Xian
See the mighty warriors armed and waiting to defend the tomb of the first Qin emperor.

What topic did you like reading about most in this book? Did you find out anything that you thought was particularly interesting? Choose a topic that you liked, such as food, buildings, or religion, and try to find out more about it. You could visit one of the places mentioned above, take a look at one of the websites listed here, or visit your local library to do some research. You could also try making moon cakes, brushing up on your calligraphy, or enjoying a martial arts movie.

INTRODUCING CHINESE CULTURE

What do you picture when you think of Chinese culture? Do you imagine dragons and temples? Or do you think of martial arts and chopsticks?

What is culture?

Culture includes the values, beliefs, and attitudes of a place. It is about how people live and worship, and about the music, art, and literature they produce. Chinese culture has developed over 4,000 years. This book explores different aspects of this ancient, colorful, and fascinating culture.

Powerful rulers

For thousands of years, different parts of China were ruled by powerful emperors from different families called dynasties . Some of the most important dynasties were:

Qin Dynasty	221206 BCE
Han Dynasty	206 BCE 220 CE
Three Kingdoms	220280 CE
Southern and Northern Dynasties	420589 CE
Sui Dynasty	581618 CE
Tang Dynasty	618907 CE
Song Dynasty	9601279 CE
Ming Dynasty	13681644 CE
Qing Dynasty	16441911/12 CE

Since 1912, China has been ruled by an elected government.

Lion dances are performed in China on special occasions such as NewYears Day.

Did you know?

There are over 1 billion people living in China. That is about one-seventh of the worlds total population. Over 90 percent of people are Han Chinese, but there are many other ethnic groups , including Zhuang, Manchu, Yi, Miao, Uighur, Jinuo, and Dong.

ORNAMENT

Art and decoration are central to Chinese culture, from elaborate palaces and gardens to fine silk painting, paper cutting, and beautiful writing. Many of the grandest buildings and monuments in China were designed around ideas of power, superstition , and harmony in nature.

Feng shui is a way of creating harmony between buildings and nature to improve the quality of life. The Imperial Summer Palace (Qing Dynasty) and the Tiantan Temple (Ming Dynasty) were carefully built to follow the rules of feng shui by including ponds, wells, and even rivers.

Forbidden City

Beijings Forbidden City was built during the Ming Dynasty, from 1406 to 1420. For over 500 years, the city was forbidden because ordinary people were not allowed to enter. Today, this huge complex of over 900 buildings and gardens is one of Chinas most important tourist attractions.