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Ancient China The Landscape Lesson 1

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The Mighty Rivers Rivers helped shape civilization North Huang He River South Chang Jiang River Huang He snow-fed from high plateau flows east 2900 miles as flows across desert, cuts thru yellow silt deposits (loess) Loess colors water so Huang He = Yellow River Empties into Yellow Sea

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The Mighty Rivers Chang Jiang = Long River = Yangtze River flows 3430 miles east to East China Sea from highland of Tibet Both rivers have carved valleys that open to large fertile plains Huang He North China plain first farmers in Huang He Valley Both rivers flood- Huang He = Chinas Sorrow

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Huang He River (Yellow River)

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Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)

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Mountains, Plateaus, Deserts, and Plains China = imagine 3 steps Steps get lower west to east Top step = Himalayas (highest mountains on Earth = Mount Everest) Highest plateau Plateau of Tibet farther north = deserts and steppes (dry, treeless grasslands)

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Mount Everest

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Mountains, Plateaus, Deserts, and Plains Middle step = central China Mountains and plateaus Across far north = Gobi Desert on high plateau surrounded by mountains and steppes

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Gobi Desert

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Mountains, Plateaus, Deserts, and Plains Bottom step = eastern China Wide valleys, fertile plains of rivers Pacific Ocean is most of eastern border Varied climates = bottom step North = winter is cold and dry summer is warm and rainy South = longer growing season Rice in Chang Jiang Valley

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Mountains, Plateaus, Deserts, and Plains Rice grown using terrace farming = terraces dug on hill slopes small wall on edge held in water

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A World Apart Geography isolated ancient China Natural barriers = mountains(Himalayas), deserts (Gobi), rivers, sea Early Chinese believed they were only civilization on earth

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A World Apart Geography also isolated groups within China made governing difficult people developed own cultures separate dialects (ways of speaking) developed Shared heritage (legends passed down) Legends explain origins of land and people

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A World Apart Legend = universe began as egg Pan Gu (creator) slept inside the egg until it cracked Pan Gu climbed out. Top of egg formed sky Bottom of egg formed Earth.

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Legendary Rulers Legend: Shen Nong brought agriculture to China Studied herbs to find out which are poisonous and could be medicine Said to have invented Chinese medicine

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Legendary Rulers Legend: Huang Di Yellow Emperor ordered invention of writing created carts, bows and arrows, houses wife Xilingshi invented silk cloth Legend: Yu the Great Terrible floods covered China Yu dug deep canals to lead water to sea and saved farming son became king = began Xia dynasty some evidence it actually did exist

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Stop and Think What similarities do you see between Chinas development and other civilizations we have studied? Think of geography, agriculture, mythology, etc. What differences do you see?