Ancient China A to Z

by Derek Hayduk

A is for ArchaeologistArchaeologist have uncovered over 7,500 terracotta soldiers near the city of Xian.

B is for BuddhaThere is a 56-foot-tall statue of Buddha in northern China.

C is for ConfuciusConfucius was ancient China’s first great thinker and teacher.

D is for DaoismDaoism is a Chinese philosophy that promotes a peaceful society.

E is for Exalted EmperorIn 202 B.C., Liu Bang defeated his rivals and declared himself Han Gaozu which means Exalted Emperor of Han.

F is for Fu HaoFu Hao, the wife of King Wu Ding, was China’s first female general.

G is for the Great Wall of China

The first Great Wall of China was built more than 2,000 years ago to keep out invaders.

H is for Huang HeHuang He is a river that flows across China for more than 2,900 miles.

I is for IdeographIdeographs are two or more pictographs formed together to make an idea.

J is for Chang JiangA huge canal connected the Chang Jiang river in central China to what is today the city of Guangzhou.

K is for KaolinDuring the Tang Dynasty, a white clay called Kaolin was based at high temperatures to make a lustrous material like glass.

L is for Laozi

Daoism, a Chinese philosophy that promotes a peaceful society, is based on the teachings of Laozi.

M is for MandateThe Mandate from Heaven was thought to be a heavenly law which gave the Zhou king the power to rule.

N is for NoblemenBodies of noblemen and princesses have been found wearing entire suits of jade in Chinese tombs from the first century B.C.E.

O is for Oracle BonesScratches on oracle bones are the earliest known examples of Chinese writing.

P is for PictographsEarly Chinese writing used pictographs which are characters that stand for objects.

Q is for QinAt the age of 13 Yhing Zheng became the leader of the Chinese state of Qin.

R is for RebelFour years after the Emperor Qin died in 210 B.C., the people rebelled and overthrew his dynasty.

S is for Shang DynastyThe Shang Dynasty, from 1750-1050 b.c.e., may have built the first Chinese cities.

T is for Tang Dynasty During the Tang Dynasty, which was from 618-906 c.e., the art of making porcelain was perfected.

U is for UniformsThe uniforms of the terracotta figures discovered in Xian are exact copies in clay of what real soldiers of the day wore.

V is for the Huang He Valley

After the Huang He river flooded, it left very rich soil for planting in the Huang He Valley.

W is for Wu WangWu Wang started a rebellion in 1045 b.c. and it was called Zhou.

X is for XianTerracotta soldiers over 2,200 years old were found over acres near the city of Xian.

Y is for the Yangtze RiverOne of China’s great rivers is the Yangtze River which flows for about 3,400 miles.

Z is for ZhouThe Zhou dynasty ruled for more than 800 years.