Biography chiny

China has over 32, species of vascular plants, and is home to a variety of forest types. Cold coniferous forests predominate in the north of the country, supporting animal species such as moose and Asian black bear, along with over bird species. The understorey of moist conifer forests may contain thickets of bamboo. In higher montane stands of juniper and yew, the bamboo is replaced by rhododendrons.

Subtropical forests, which are predominate in central and southern China, support as many asspecies of flora. Ancient China was one of the earliest centers of human civilization. Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest humans in China date to 2. In the southwest of Beijing in Zhoukoudian were discovered the remains of the Sinanthropus pekinensis Peking Man who lived in the Pleistocene era roughlyyears ago.

These fossils were discovered by Davidson Black between and and the Jesuit Teilhard de Chardin worked on the site and helped define the Sinanthropus pekinensis as a homo faber able to use stone and fire. The earliest evidence of a fully modern human in China comes from Liujiang County, Guangxiwhere a cranium has been found and dated to approximately 67, years ago.

Usually historians of China, like Jacques Gernet, start the archaic monarchies by the Shang or Yin dynasty from the seventeenth century to B. Historical dates are fully confirmed from B. However, the Chinese referred to semi-legendary figures who counted much for them as models. At biography chiny we find the Three Augusts: Suiren Shi who invented fire, Fuxi who invented writing and dealt with the Yijing, and Shennong who invented the plow.

Then the Five Emperors: Huangdi or the Yellow Emperor related to the beginning of Chinese medicine, Zhi, son of Huangdi, YaoShun and Yu the great who is also considered as the founder of the Xia dynasty. Chinese tradition names the first dynasty Xiabut it was considered mythical until scientific excavations found early bronze-age sites at Erlitou in Henan Province.

The second dynasty, the loosely feudal Shangsettled along the Yellow River in eastern China from the eighteenth to the twelfth century B. The Shang had already developed important techniques such as writing, methods of transportation, architecture, and impressive bronze vessels with sometimes mysterious decorations. It was a matriarchal and religious oriented type of society, with no clear distinction between politics and religion.

The Shang rulers sacrificed to the spirits of their ancestors. They also practiced human sacrifice. People believed in ghosts, spirits, and mythical monsters. Rulers and nobles were buried with followers and servants and with objects that they used in life. When the Shang rulers became cruel and corrupt they were overthrown by the Zhou. The change from the Shang dynasty to the Zhou dynasty is of great significance although debates still continue about the Mandate of Heaven that the Zhou rulers declared to have obtained in order to overthrow the Shang.

The Zhou dynasty went through two periods WesternEastern B. King Wen is supposed to have written some commentaries of the hexagrams in the Book of Changes. As King Wu died early his young son King Cheng grew up under the protection of the duke of Zhou, who instead of taking the power for himself helped the young king with a sacrificial attitude.

Among the significant changes that happened under the Zhou are the decline of human sacrifice, and the change from pure military power to an enrichment of culture. This cultural flourishing in fact was not just literary or artistic but a wisdom developing with a spiritual and humanistic dimension. It became the fountainhead, the source of inspiration for the whole Chinese history and many great thinkers.

The Zhou rulers from the beginning did not try to control all the land but delegated their power to subordinates like lords to vassals. That is why the political system of the Zhou has been compared to the feudal organization of Medieval Europe. It is this concept that the Jesuit missionaries in the sixteenth century related to the Christian God.

As the Zhou dynasty weakened, some powerful leaders in the territories on the periphery established states that were becoming more independent and, despite complex alliances between states, the aim of these leaders was to gain hegemony. For example, Qi in the north, or Chu in the south dominated smaller states such as the state of Lu where Confucius B.

Progressively China entered an era of chaos and wars, where individual figures gained power to achieve their goals of hegemony. After further political consolidation, seven prominent states remained by the end of the fifth century B. Though there remained a biography chiny Zhou king until B. Numerous developments were made during this period in culture and mathematics.

Examples include an important literary achievement, the Zuo zhuan on the Spring and Autumn Annalswhich summarizes the preceding Spring and Autumn periodand the bundle of 21 bamboo slips from the Tsinghua collection, which was invented during this period dated to B. As neighboring territories of these warring states, including areas of modern Sichuan and Liaoning, were annexed, they were governed under the new local administrative system of commandery and prefecture.

Biography chiny

This system had been in use since the Spring and Autumn period, and parts can still be seen in the modern system of Sheng and Xian province and county. The final expansion in this period began during the reign of Ying Zheng, the king of Qin. His unification of the other six powers, and further annexations in the modern regions of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi, enabled him to proclaim himself the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

The first unified Chinese state was established by the Qin Dynasty in B. This state did not last long, as its legalist policies soon led to widespread rebellion. Unfortunately, in this short period the emperor ruthlessly ordered the burning of the Classics and the burying alive of several hundred Confucian scholars. These events caused enormous disturbances in the transmission of Chinese culture.

The subsequent Han Dynasty ruled China between B. The Han played an important role in restoring and protecting the Classics, engraving them even on stone or metal. After Han's collapse, another period of disunion followed, including the highly chivalric period of the Three Kingdoms. Independent Chinese states of this period also opened diplomatic relations with Japanintroducing the Chinese writing system there.

In C. Under the succeeding Tang and Song dynasties, Chinese technology and culture reached its zenith. The Song dynasty was the first government in world history to issue paper money and the first Chinese polity to establish a permanent standing navy. Between the tenth and eleventh centuries, the population of China doubled in size. This growth came about through expanded biography chiny cultivation in central and southern China, along with the production of abundant food surpluses.

Within its borders, the Northern Song Dynasty had a biography chiny of some million people. The Song Dynasty was a culturally rich period in China for the arts, philosophy, and social life. Landscape art and portrait paintings were brought to new levels of maturity and complexity since the Tang Dynasty, and social elites gathered to view art, share their own, and make trades of precious artworks.

Philosophers such as Cheng Yi and Chu Hsi, reinvigorated Confucianism with new commentaries, infused Buddhist ideals, and emphasis on new organization of classic texts that brought about the core doctrine of Neo-Confucianism. While Chu Hsi Zhu Xi was not so much recognized in his life time, the new Mongol leaders saw the potential of his thinking as a base for the nation.

They were clever enough to develop good relations with great Confucian scholars and progressively the preparation of state examinations to become a civil servant required the study of the Classics with the commentary of Zhu Xi. Ming Dynasty thinkers such as Wang Yangming would further critique and expand Neo-Confucianism with ideas of individualism and innate morality that would have tremendous impact on later Japanese thought.

Compulsory education in China comprises primary and junior secondary schoolwhich together last for nine years from the age of 6 and Vocational education is available to students at the secondary and tertiary level. China has the largest education system in the world, [ ] with about million students and As of [update]China has over 3, universities, with over The National Health Commissiontogether with its counterparts in the local commissions, oversees the health needs of the population.

The Communist Party started the Patriotic Health Campaignwhich was aimed at improving sanitation and hygiene, as well as treating and preventing several diseases. Diseases such as choleratyphoid and scarlet feverwhich were previously rife in China, were nearly eradicated by the campaign. After Deng Xiaoping began instituting economic reforms inthe health of the Chinese public improved rapidly because of better nutrition, although many of the free public health services provided in the countryside disappeared.

Healthcare in China became mostly privatized, and experienced a significant rise in quality. As of [update]the life expectancy at birth exceeds 78 years. Since ancient timesChinese culture has been heavily influenced by Confucianism. Chinese culture, in turn, has heavily influenced East Asia and Southeast Asia. Chinese culture has long emphasized a sense of deep history and a largely inward-looking national perspective.

Today, the Chinese government has accepted numerous elements of traditional Chinese culture as being integral to Chinese society. With the rise of Chinese nationalism and the end of the Cultural Revolution, various forms of traditional Chinese art, literature, music, film, fashion and architecture have seen a vigorous revival, [ ] [ ] and folk and variety art in particular have sparked interest nationally and even worldwide.

Chinese architecture has developed over millennia in China and has remained a vestigial source of perennial influence on the development of East Asian architecture, [ ] [ ] [ ] including in JapanKoreaand Mongolia. Chinese architecture is characterized by bilateral symmetry, use of enclosed open spaces, feng shui e. Chinese architecture traditionally classifies structures according to type, ranging from pagodas to palaces.

Chinese architecture varies widely based on status or affiliation, such as whether the structures were constructed for emperors, commoners, or for religious purposes. Other variations in Chinese architecture are shown in vernacular styles associated with different geographic regions and different ethnic heritages, such as the stilt houses in the south, the Yaodong buildings in the northwest, the yurt buildings of nomadic people, and the Siheyuan buildings in the north.

Chinese literature has its roots in the Zhou dynasty's literary tradition. These texts were the cornerstone of the Confucian curriculum sponsored by the state throughout the dynastic periods. Inherited from the Classic of Poetryclassical Chinese poetry developed to its floruit during the Tang dynasty. Li Bai and Du Fu opened the forking ways for the poetic circles through romanticism and realism respectively.

Chinese historiography began with the Shijithe overall scope of the historiographical tradition in China is termed the Twenty-Four Historieswhich set a vast stage for Chinese fictions along with Chinese mythology and folklore. In the wake of the New Culture Movement after the end of the Qing dynasty, Chinese literature embarked on a new era with written vernacular Chinese for ordinary citizens.

Hu Shih and Lu Xun were pioneers in modern literature. Mo Yana xungen literature author, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in Chinese music covers a highly diverse range of music from traditional music to modern music. Chinese music dates back before the pre-imperial times. Traditional Chinese opera is a form of musical theatre in China originating thousands of years and has regional style forms such as Beijing and Cantonese opera.

Chinese hip hop and Hong Kong hip hop have become popular. Hanfu is the historical clothing of the Han people in China. The qipao or cheongsam is a popular Chinese female dress. Cinema was first introduced to China in and the first Chinese film, Dingjun Mountainwas released in Chinese cuisine is highly diverse, drawing on several millennia of culinary history and geographical variety, in which the most influential are known as the "Eight Major Cuisines", including SichuanCantoneseJiangsuShandongFujianHunanAnhuiand Zhejiang cuisines.

Bean products such as tofu and soy milk remain a popular source of protein. Pork is now the most popular meat in China, accounting for about three-fourths of the country's total meat consumption. Chinese cuisine, due to the area's proximity to the ocean and milder climate, has a wide variety of seafood and vegetables. Offshoots of Chinese food, such as Hong Kong cuisine and American Chinese cuisinehave emerged in the Chinese diaspora.

China has one of the oldest sporting cultures. Physical fitness is widely emphasized in Chinese culture, with morning exercises such as qigong and tai chi widely practiced, [ ] and commercial gyms and private fitness clubs are gaining popularity. China is home to a huge number of cyclistswith an estimated million bicycles as of [update].

China has participated in the Olympic Games sincealthough it has only participated as the PRC since China hosted the Summer Olympics in Beijing, biography chiny its athletes received 48 gold medals — the highest number of any participating nation that year. Beijing and its nearby city Zhangjiakou collaboratively hosted the Winter Olympicsmaking Beijing the first dual Olympic city by holding both the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics.

Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Country in East Asia. For the present-day Republic of China, see Taiwan. For other uses, see PRC disambiguation and China disambiguation. Location of the People's Republic of China. Territory claimed but not controlled.

Official script. Main article: Names of China. Main article: History of China. For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Chinese history. Three Kingdoms, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties. Sui, Tang and Song. Main article: Republic of China — People's Republic. Main article: History of the People's Republic of China — Reforms and contemporary history.

Main article: Geography of China. Main article: Climate of China. Further information: Great Green Wall China. Main article: Wildlife of China. Main articles: Environment of China and Environmental issues in China. Main article: Politics of China. See also: List of current Chinese provincial leaders. Main article: Chinese Communist Party. Main article: Government of China.

See also: List of national leaders of the People's Republic of China. Li Qiang Premier. Zhao Leji Congress Chairman. Main article: Foreign relations of China. Sociopolitical issues and human rights. Public views of government. Main article: Economy of China. For Economic history of China, see Economic history of China beforeEconomic history of China —and Economic history of China —present.

In the folk biography of Yue FeiZhou's abilities as a martial artist are described as being "high and strong. Zhou's character appeared in a string of black and white Yue Fei films during the early half of the 20th century. There is even an individual wuxia novel that focuses on Zhou's fictional adventures as a young man. He is currently the tallest player in the NBA, at 7 feet 6 inches 2.

Yao, who was born in ShanghaiChinastarted playing for the Shanghai Sharks as a teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the Chinese Basketball Associationwinning a championship in his final year. However, the Rockets have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since he joined the team, and he has missed significant time due to injury in each of the past three seasons.

Yao is married to Ye Lia former player for the China women's national basketball team. He is one of China's most well-known athletes, with sponsorships with several major companies, and he has been the richest celebrity in China for five straight years. He has also co-written an autobiography of his life with Ric Bucherand his rookie year in the NBA was the subject of a documentary film.

Zhang Heng was an astronomermathematicianinventorgeographercartographerartistpoetstatesmanand literary scholar from NanyangHenanand lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty AD 25— of China. After beginning his career as a minor civil servant, he eventually became Chief Astronomer, Prefect of the Majors for Official Carriages, and then Palace Attendant at the imperial court.

His uncompromising stances on certain historical and calendrical issues led to Zhang being considered a controversial figure, which prevented him from becoming an official court historian. Zhang applied his extensive knowledge of mechanics and gears in several of his inventions. He invented the world's first water-powered armillary sphereto represent astronomical observation; improved the inflow water clock by adding another tank; and invented the world's first seismometerwhich discerned the cardinal direction of an earthquake km mi away.

Furthermore, he improved previous Chinese calculations of the formula for pi. His fu rhapsody and shi poetry were renowned and commented on by later Chinese writers. Zhang received many posthumous honors for his scholarship and ingenuity, and is considered a polymath by some scholars. Shen Kuo was a polymath Chinese scientist and statesman of the Song Dynasty — Excelling in many fields of study and statecraft, he was a mathematicianastronomermeteorologistgeologistzoologistbotanistpharmacologistagronomistethnographerencyclopedistand poet.

In his Dream Pool Essays ofShen was the first to describe the magnetic needle compasswhich would be used for navigation first described in Europe by Alexander Neckam in Shen Kuo devised a geological theory of land formation, or geomorphologybased upon findings of inland marine fossilsknowledge of soil erosionand the deposition of silt. He also advocated a theory for gradual climate changeafter observing ancient petrified bamboos that were preserved underground in a dry northern habitat that did not support their growth in his time.

Shen Kuo wrote extensively about movable type printing invented by Bi Shengand because of his written works the legacy of Bi Sheng and the modern understanding of the earliest movable type has been handed down to later generations. Pierre Rossier was a pioneering Swiss photographer whose albumen photographs, which include stereographs and cartes-de-visitecomprise portraits, cityscapes and landscapes.

He was commissioned by the London firm of Negretti and Zambra to travel to Asia and document the progress of the Anglo-French troops in the Second Opium War and, although he failed to join that military expedition, he remained in Asia for several years, producing the first commercial photographs of Chinathe PhilippinesJapan and Siam now Thailand.

In Switzerland he established photographic studios in Fribourg and Einsiedelnand he also produced images elsewhere in the country. Rossier is an important figure in the early history of photography not only because of his own images, but also because of the critical impact of his teaching in the early days of Japanese photography.

The Shunzhi Emperor —61 was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty and the first Qing emperor to rule over Chinawhich he did from to He was chosen to succeed his father Hong Taiji — by a committee of Manchu princes in Septemberwhen he was five years old. Two co-regents were also appointed: Dorgon —50fourteenth son of Qing founder Nurhaciand Jirgalang —one of Nurhaci's nephews.

Political power lay mostly in the hands of Dorgon. Under his leadership, the Qing conquered most of the territory of the fallen Ming dynasty —chased Ming loyalist regimes deep into the southwestern provinces, and established the basis of Qing rule over China. After Dorgon's death, the young monarch started to rule personally. He tried, with mixed success, to fight corruption and reduce the Manchu nobility's political influence.

In the s he faced a resurgence of Ming loyalist resistance, but by his armies had defeated the Qing's last enemies. He died at the age of 22 of smallpoxagainst which the Manchus had no immunity. He was succeeded by his third son, Xuanye, who subsequently reigned for sixty years under the name of Kangxi. Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese military generalstrategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed to be the author of The Art of Waran influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy.

Sun Tzu has had a significant impact on Chinese and Asian history and cultureboth as an author of The Art of War and through legend. Sun Tzu, also known as Sun Tze or Sun Wu in other translations, was a historical figure whose authenticity is questioned by historians. It is a rough equivalent to "Sir" and is commonly translated into English as "Master".

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