Chapter 5

ANCIENT CHINA

Art

The three Perfections

 Calligraphy- This art of handwriting. The Ancient Chinese considered writing an

important form of art. Each of the over 40,000 characters needed to be drawn
precisely. In addition, each stroke in a character had to be drawn in specific order.
 Poetry- Poetry was an important form of arts as well. During the Tang Dynasty poetry
became so important that writing poetry was part of the examinations to become a
civil servant and work for the government.
 Painting- Painting was often inspired by the poetry and combined with calligraphy.
 Porcelain- Fine Chinese porcelain was not only an important art, but also became an
important export. During the Ming Dynasty blue and white vases became highly
prized and were sold to the wealthy throughout Europe and Asia.
 Silk- the Ancient Chinese mastered the art of making silk from the spun cocoons of
silkworms. Silk was desired by the other nations and enabled China to become rich.
They also dyed silk into intricate and decorative patterns.
 Lacquer- Sumac trees. It was used to add beauty and shine too many pieces of art. It
also helped to protect art from getting damaged, especially from bugs.

Religion in Ancient China

The Buddha came to China, the people worshipped person personifications of nature and then
of concepts like “wealth” or “fortune” which developed into a religion.

Early Evidence of Religious Practice

The Yang Shao Culture of the Yellow River Valley, which prospered between 5000-3000
BCE. There is also a ritualistic pattern to how the dead were buried with tombs oriented west
to east to symbolize death and rebirth.

Ghost and Religion

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By the time of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE) these religious beliefs had developed so
that now there was a definite “king of the gods” named Shangti and many lesser of other
names. Ghost (known as guei or kuie) were the spirits of deceased persons who had not been
buried correctly with due honors or were still attached to the earth for other reasons. They
were called by a number of names but in one form, Jiangshi (stiff body), they appear as
zombies. Ghost played a very important role in Chinese religion and culture and still do. The
ritual still practiced in China today known as Tomb Sweeping Day (usually around 4 April) is
observed to honor the dead and make sure they are happy in the afterlife. The Chinese
believed that, if the person had lived a good life, they went to live with gods after death.

The Gods

There were over 20 gods in the Chinese pantheon whose names were recorded during and
after the Shang Dynasty. The early gods, before Shangti, were spirit of a place known as Tudi
Gong (Lord of the Place” or “Earth God”).

 The Tudi Gong were sometimes thought to be an important member of the

community who had died but remained in the spirit as guardian but, more often, they
were ancient spirits who inhabited a certain area of land.
 Dragon- The dragon is one of the oldest gods of China. The Dragon King Known as
Yinglong was god of rain, both gentle rain of the crops and terrible storms, also as
Lord of the Sea and protector of heroes, kings, and those who fought for right.
 Nuwa- Nuwa goddess of human kind, existed as early as the Shang Dynasty. Nuwa
was a goddess part woman and part dragon who molded human beings from the mud
of the Yellow River and blew her breath into them to bring then to life. She saw that
people did not know how to do anything, though, so she asked her friend Fuxi for
help.
 Fuxi- is the god of fire and the teacher of human beings. Fuxi also wove the first
fishing nets for the people and taught them how to get food from the sea. Nuwa and
Fuxi were considered the mother and father of human beings and always were called
on for protection.
 Sun Wukong was the monkey god of mischief who caused so much troubled he was
killed by the other gods and sent to the underworld.
 Lei Shen was the god of thunder who was very unpleasant and beat on a large drum
with a hammer whenever he became irritated. The gods determined that he had acted

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 too quickly and so the woman, Dian Mu, was raised from death and became the
goddess of lightning. She would flash her light to show Lei Shen.
 Shangti, the god of law, order, justice, and life known as “The Lord on High” He was
especially mindful of those who ruled over others and decided who should rule, how
long, and who should succeed them.

Worship & Clergy

Chinese temples and shrines were cared for by priest and monks who were always male.
Women were allowed to enter monasteries to devote themselves to the work of the gods but
could not hold spiritual authority over men. The monastic prayers were said three times a
day, at morning, noon, and night, to the sound of a small bell. Incense the place of evil spirits
and negative energies.

Taoism, Confucianism, or Buddhism, was known as “hygiene school” which instructed

people on how to take care of themselves to live longer lives or even achieve immortality.

Further Religious Development

In the Zhou Dynasty (c.1046-226 BCE) the concept of the Mandate of Heaven was
developed. People continued a practice, which began toward the end of the Shang Dynasty,
of wearing charms and amulets of their god of choice or their ancestors for protection or in
the hope of blessings, and the emperor did this as well.

Confucius (c.551-479 BCE) encouraged ancestor worship as a way of remembering and

honoring one’s past but emphasized people’s individual responsibility in making choices and
criticized an over-reliance on supernatural powers.

Confucius, Buddha and Lao-Tzu

Confucianism was the most popular belief during this time, but there was another which was
growing stronger.

Religion Banned and Revived

During the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), Shi Huangti banned religion and burned
philosophical and religious works.

Confucian scholars hid books as best as they could and people would worship their gods on
secret but were no longer allowed to carry amulets or wear religious charms.

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During the Han Dynasty, the emperor became distinctly identified as the mediator between
the gods and the people.

Mount Tai became an important sacred site during this time and ancient rituals and festivals
were revised.

During the Han period, the hope for deathlessness or immorality found expression in the cult
of a goddesses called the Queen Mother of the West.

The Arrival of Buddhism

In the 1st century CE, Buddhism arrived in China via trade through the Silk Road.

Ming sent emissaries to bring Buddhist teachings to China. Buddhism quickly combined with
the earlier folk religion and incorporated ancestor worship and veneration of Buddha as a
god.

Ancient Chinese Culture

Ancient Chinese culture has a unique place among the different cultures of the world.
Historical evidences have shown the spread of Chinese culture and traditions to neighboring
countries such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

Arts

 The Chinese traditional arts represent the country’s rich heritage. Since the Neolithic
period, arts have been prevalent in the country.
 In ancient times, artifacts made of jade, and pottery formed the crux of Chinese arts.
 Bronze was introduced only during the Shang dynasty.
 Chinese porcelain (a form of ceramic ware which is famous world wild) was used
during the Imperial era.

Architecture

 Ancient Chinese architecture is a magnificent and a splendid aspect of Chinese

culture.
 The Grand Canal, which was formed by connecting different rivers system during the
Sui Dynasty, is a man-made wonder.
 The ancient Chinese architecture was influenced by Taoism, which stressed on
balance or symmetry.

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  Dragon and Phoenix were very important mythical beings in Chinese mythology.

Food and Beverages

 In China, millet and rice were harvested around the fourth and fifth millennium B.C.
 The Northern people prepared foods with flavor of garlic vinegar along with oil,
whereas the southern Chinese dishes were more spicy, and cooked with chili and
peppers.
 The Chinese also ate fish, chicken, pork, and meat.
 The Chinese also believed in the medicinal importance of food.
 One of the most popular beverages in ancient China was tea.
 The Chinese people had certain rules for eating

Festivals

 The traditional Chinese Festivals like the Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat
Festival have been celebrated since the ancient times.
 People prayed to the god of wealth with the hope that He will bring good fortune to
the family.
 The Dragon Boat Festival was celebrated with zeal, even during the ancient times.
 Some sources mention that the festival was celebrated in order to honor the death of
Qu Yuan (340 B.C to 278 B.C.), the royal poet of the ancient state of Chu.
 Traditional Chinese festivals were celebrated with the aim of spreading good news
and happiness.
 Offerings of food were made and ghost money was burned, in order to please the
visiting ghosts, ancestors, and spirits.

Funeral Beliefs and Customs

 Ancient Chinese people believed in the concept of reincarnation.

 Many royalties were buried with an entire robe made of small jade tiles, attached
together with threads of gold and silver.
 A great example of this funerary art form is the terracotta army, buried with Emperor
Qun Shi Huang for protecting him in his afterlife.
 A dangerous looking beast or a human sculpture was placed outside a tomb as a ‘tomb
guardian.’

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  The practice of sacrificing humans during burial came to an end during the Qin
dynasty.

Livelihood

 Men from affluent families often took up places in the court, as warriors.
 Many people worked as peasants, and had to toil very hard on farmlands to scrape a
living.
 Many artisans worked as painters, calligraphers, musicians, poets, etc.
 The merchants acted as traders, bankers, shopkeepers, moneylenders, etc., and
indulged in the exchange of goods and services.

Attire and Hairstyles

 The apparels of the ancient Chinese people differed according to their social ranks.
 The Mongol emperor Kublai Khan gave impetus to cotton clothing.
 The three traditional Chinese clothing were pienfu ( a two piece ceremonial costume),
changshan (a long dress), and shen-I (a long robe with loose sleeves)
 Both men and women wore long pants throughout winter.
 From the Sui dynasty onwards, only the emperor was allowed to wear yellow color.
 The color code for clothes during mourning was white, and during celebration or
happiness, a red attire was preferred.
 Embroidered designs were a unique feature of traditional Chinese clothing.
 Both men and women sported long hair as they believed that their hair was gift from
their parents.
 Men wore various head gears to cover their heads, a tradition which was
enthusiastically followed under the rule of different dynasties.
 Women braided their hair and pinned them up

Jewelry

 People wore jewelry made of jade, turquoise, coral, gold, silver and even blue
kingfisher feathers.
 Intricate designs of dragons and phoenixes were incorporated in the jewelry
 Both men and women wore jewelry
 Men sported ornate knobs on their hats, representing their civil or military positions.

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  Small earrings were worn.

Shoes and For Binding

 Men chose to wear black leather shoes in formal occasions and beautiful silk and
leather ones on special occasions.
 Many Chinese men who couldn’t afford silk and leather, wore cotton shoes.
 Women in ancient China were subjected to an in human practice of binding their feet
to make them look smaller.
 Tiny feet known as Lotus feet were a symbol of sensuality and beauty. Having tiny
feet was a must for girls of elite classes, in order to find wealthy husbands.
 Later on, even the working class families started following this tradition in pursuit of
a wealthy match.
 Bones of the toes were broken, bend, and bound for years.
 Silk wrapping were used to cover the feet. The feet were then placed in beautifully
embroidered Lotus shoes.
 However, this practice disfigured the feet of the women, and often resulted in
bacterial infections.

Chinese Martial Arts

 It was believed that the Yellow Emperor had invented martial arts for the first time, in
about 2600 B.C. (much before the Shang dynasty).
 By around 550 B.C., Sun Tzu wrote ‘Art of War’, describing the techniques of martial
arts.
 During the time of the Han dynasty (around 50 A.D.), Pan Ku wrote a book about
Kung Fu.
 There were two categories under Kung Fu- internal and external. The former involved
training the spirit (shen) and mind (xin), whereas in external Kun Fu, one needed to
exercise muscles, tendons, and bones.
 It was practiced as a unique combination of art, exercise, self-defense, and self-
discipline.

Role of Women

 Many men followed the Confucian principles and teaching which asserted that
Women were subservient to men.
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  The birth of a girl was not treated with happiness as fathers had to give away heavy
dowry during their marriages.
 Women had no voice or right in choosing their husbands.
 If their husbands died, women were not allowed to remarry, even if they were of a
tender age.
 The primary duty of a woman was to bear male heirs, and look after the domestic
household.
 She had no right to stop her husband from taking other wives and concubines (as it
was legal then) unless she belonged to a rich family with a considerable social
standing.
 Women even developed the secret Nushu language of communication, which was
privy to women
 Women were not sent to schools for education.

Language, Script and Literature

 The Chinese language is one of the longest written languages in the world.
 The languages of communication for many years during the pre-modern period was
the classical Chinese language.
 One of the earliest references of written script can be traced to the Oracle bones
belonging to the Shang dynasty).
 During the Zhou dynasty, cinnabar ink and brush began to be used, which led to
writing, calligraphy, and drawing on silk.
 Confucius encouraged private teaching for all ages and hierarchies by starting his own
schools.
 Both the private and government schools trained students for taking the imperial
exams for gaining various jobs in the royal court.
 As compared to men, very few women were educated.

The Mongols were a nomadic tribe to the North of China. When Ghengis Khan united them
as a powerful nation with a mighty army of mounted archers they were irresistible for all but
might walled cities.

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