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Ancient China

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Fine windblown yellow soil
in farming, a flat, narrow ledge of land, usually constructed in hilly areas to increase the amount of arable land
earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding
Harvesting twice a year from the same field.
a picture or drawing representing words or ideas
animal bones or turtle shells on which Shang priest wrote questions addressing the gods or the spirit of an ancestor.
a unit of an empire
relative who lived in the past; person from whom one is descended
practice of government employment based on competitive examinations and merit
trader who buys from the producers and sells to the consumers
earliest ruling dynasty known in China
nickname for the Shang dynasty because of the large amount of bronze that was used at the time for tools and weapons
established in 221 BCE at the end of the Waring States Period; founded by Qin Shi Huangdi; reorganized China into large provinces; Great Wall was begun
A great and long-lasting rule, it discarded the harsh policies of the Qin dynasty and adopted Confucian principles. Han rulers chose officials on merit rather than birth. It was a time of prosperity
Chinese defensive fortification built to keep out northern nomadic invaders; began during the reign of Shi Huangdi.
A major dynasty that ruled China from the mid-fourteenth to the mid-seventeenth century. It was marked by a great expansion of Chinese commerce into East Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia
an ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean
The Han dynasty reached its peak under the Han emperor Wu Di, Liu Bang's great-grandson.
refers to China because the people believed that their land stood between heaven and earth.
The belief that an emperor has an allowance from heaven to rule; this is revoked during times of disaster
helped make trade easier within China, linked Yangtze & Yellow Rivers; World's oldest & longest canal
huge royal palace complex in Bejing that common people were not allowed to enter
An insect that played a major role in clothing the Chinese.
an irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown
a series of rulers from the same family
"The Way" In Chinese philosophy. It is the single unified source where all life in the universe originated
In the Zhou Dynasty, a Chinese philosopher and teacher who taught respect for family and elders and proper behavior in society.
Confucius's greatest disciple; he has been called the second sage; wrote the Analects.
Huang He River or 'Yellow River'
Collection of the ideas and teachings of Confucius.
world's highest and largest plateau, known as the "Roof of the World"
one of the worlds largest deserts, covers part of China and present-day Mongolia
Most important family holiday in China; occurs on the first day of the lunar calendar, which is based on the phases of the moon
a frying pan used in Chinese cooking
Italian merchant who traveled the Silk Road and served as a valued official in China.
wheel barrow; invented 1,300 years before the Europeans copied it!
A Chinese philosophy of government emphasizing strong authority (because people were naturally 'bad'.
system of beliefs introduced by the Chinese thinker Confucius; taught that people needed to have a sense of duty to their family and community in order to bring peace to society
A Chinese philosophy in which people live a simple life in harmony with nature.

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