When you travel China, it would be wise to learn a bit about its
history. Chinese history
started nearly 4,000 years and thereby became a part of the list of
world's most ancient civilizations. China's prolonged history is
usually devided in four periods Ancient Times (from Antiquity to A.D.
1840), Modern Period (1840-1919), New Democratic Revolution Period
(1919- 1949), Contemporary Period(1949- ).
It's obvious that such long history contains lots of interesting
events. Starting from mythology Chinese civilization begins with Pangu,
who is considered to be the creator of the universe. He
taught antique Chinese to socialize, to find food, to protect
themselves and to survive. Xia is the first prehistoric dynasty, which
ruled from the twenty-first to the sixteenth century B.C.
During the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 BC) people learned how to smelt
bronze and use iron tools.
Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) is remarkable by appearance of
steel production technologies. China's industry and economy development
was more dynamic than in many other countries, there were a lot of
their inventions they kept in secret for rather long periods.
One of such secured secrets was the invention of paper in 105 AD.
Europe found out about it only in 8th century. Eunuch Ts'ai
Lun was given an aristocratic title during Han dynasty (3rd
century A.D.), because he showed Emperor Ho Ti first samples
of paper.
Later there happened so called western world's silk boom, when in 550
AD two Chinese monks managed secretly take out silkworms out of China.
One more secret, which was known only to Chinese until 1700, was
manufacturing of porcelain, the real art
in China, so called “china”. Hua
T'o, Chinese physician born somewhere between 140 and 150
A.D., appeared to be be first doctor, who performed surgery under
general anaesthetic.
Such subject in China's history as its dynasties and emperors also has
many interesting facts. Shi Huang-ti, emperor of China and originator
of the Han dynasty, is
considered to be tyrant, because of his cruelty, his severe laws, his
immense draft of labour and finally his burning of books in 213 B.C.
Shi Huang-ti entitled himself as the "First Emperor" and couldn't stand
critics. He gave an order to burn all China's books, except some on
agriculture and medicine, because people used some writings to
criticize their ruthless tyrant. It was a great loss, but thanks to
several courageous scholars and teachers some part of China's
literature remained whole. After 150 years people could use the hidden
books. Shi Huang-ti's terracotta army, which run to six
thousand men and horses was buried together with him.
Despite the facts that Shi Huang-ti was unbearable tyrant, Hung Wu
(1368-98), Emperor of Ming dynasty (1368-98) was called the most
ruthless and imprudent tyrant in China's history, because of great
number of executions.
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