Facts about Ancient China

China, as we know it today, cradles remnants of one of the world's oldest prevailing civilizations. It still comprises trails of city-states and cultures that are wombs of the oldest written language system and major inventions, such as that of a compass, paper, gunpowder and printing. Ancient China spanned across a major chunk of landmass in East Asia. It was rife with religions, customs and philosophies that influenced the entire sub-continent. Interestingly, the earliest evidence of human presence, that of the Homo-erectus, was unearthed at the Zhoukoudian cave in China. Referred to as the Peking Man by paleontologists around the world, the specimen is believed to have inhabited the continent more than 550,000 years ago!

Facts about Ancient China

The ancient Chinese civilization thrived along the banks of the Yellow River, in the geological timezone called the Neolithic Era. The development of city-states was characteristic of the rule of various dynasties throughout Chinese history. The earliest recorded dynasty in ancient China was the Shang Dynasty (1550 BCE - 1046 BCE). This era witnessed the development of a distinct culture, philosophy and literature. The traditions were further strengthened by the oracle script, developed during the reign of the Zhou Dynasty (1045 BCE - 256 BCE). However, the feudal Zhou rulers ushered in an era of wars and disrupted public life, a timescale also referred to as the 'Warring States Period' by historians.

The nation benefited a lot by the unification of the provinces by the Qin king, Qin Shi Huang, in 221 BCE. Thereafter, subsequent dynasties developed bureaucratic systems and expanded the heart of the mainland considerably. The history of ancient China is rife with alternating periods of political harmony and disharmony. This caused the land to suffer a lot of foreign interference. This is the main reason for the country being referred to as the 'melting pot of cultures and political influences'. Chinese introspection, between the facts and fiction in world history and ingenious attempts to improve their own way of life, resulted in the development of a culture that is universally accepted, even today. The history of ancient China is characterized by:

• Chinese farming practices that resulted in the Jiahu culture, dating back to 7000 BCE.
• Cliff carvings at Damaidi, Ningxia, dating back to an era between 6,000 and 5,000 BCE.
• Yangshao and Longshan cultures that thrived around 2500 BCE.
• First historical records (Records of the Grand Historian, Bamboo Annals), developed during the reign of the Xia Dynasty of China, dating back to 1600 BCE.

Interesting Fun Facts about Ancient China

• Around 1500 BCE, oracle bones were used by the Chinese to predict future!
• Ancient Chinese people worshiped a natural force, t'ien or heaven, that was believed to be the power behind natural disasters.
• The Zhou Dynasty rule is regarded as the longest in Chinese history. It lasted from 1027 to 221 B.C.
• The Hundred Schools of Thought, a segment of Chinese philosophy gave the world intellectual movements such as Taoism, Confucianism, Legalism and Mohism.
• The Qin ruler achieved harmony by imposing the doctrine of legalism, silencing political opposition and the burning and burying of scholars, who dared intervene.
• Building of the Great Wall of China was initiated during the Qin rule, but completed during the reign of the Ming Dynasty.
• The Han Dynasty was the first to embrace the philosophy of Confucianism, which subsequently became the accepted philosophy, till the end of imperial China.
• Chang'an , or modern Xi'an, was the capital of the Tang Dynasty, and was considered the world's largest city at that time.
• The Tang 'Equal Field System' is practiced in China even today!