CHINA

People's Republic of China

 The People's Republic of China (PRC)

commonly known as China

is the largest country in East Asia

most populous in the world approximately

one-fifth of the world's population

The PRC's capital is Beijing.

 Brief History

For over 4,000 years, China's political system was based on

hereditary monarchies (also known as dynasties).

The first of these dynasties was the Xia but it was later the Qin
Dynasty who first unified China in 221 BC.
Dynasty
- Families who ruled China which was led by an Emperor an Kings

The last dynasty, the Qing, ended in 1911 with the founding of the
Republic of China
Second largest or highest in terms of economy next to US
 Human rights
The Constitution of the People's Republic of China states that the
"fundamental rights" of citizens include:
a. freedom of speech
b. freedom of the press
c. the right to a fair trial
d. freedom of religion
e. property rights
 Geography

Chinas landmass is roughly equivalent to that of the US,

but has at least four times the population living within its
borders.
Geography

The Yellow River is a slow

moving river that starts in
Chinas northwest and flows
east to the Yellow Sea.

Its yellow color comes from a

sediment called loess, a
common soil found along its
banks.
 Geography
The Yangtze River is a
fast flowing river,
running east from
Chinas Tibetan Plateau
and emptying into the
East China Sea.
It is the third longest
river in the world.
Recently, this river was
controversially dammed
at the scenic Three
Gorges.
 Language

Mandarin is the official language of the Peoples Republic of China

Classical Chinese was the written standard in China for thousands

of years, and allowed for written communication between speakers
of various unintelligible languages and dialects in China.
 Language
earliest developed form of writing in China can be
traced back to the Shang Dynasty (c.1600-1100 BC).
engraved on bone or shells and are now
referred to as oracle bones because they
were originally used in divination rituals.
 Language
Development of Chinese characters: horse

Oracle Bone Seal Script Clerical Script Semi-Cursive Cursive Traditional Simplified

simplifying the number of strokes needed to write each

character in order to improve literacy levels among the
population.
 Holidays
Chinese Public Holidays Calendar
Public Holidays How many days 2016 2017 2018
New Year's Day 3 days Jan. 1 to 3 Jan. 1 to 3 Dec. 30 to 1
Spring 7 days Feb. 7 to 13 Jan. 30 to Feb. 2 Feb. 15 to 21
Festival Holiday
Tomb-Sweeping Day 3 days Apr. 2 to 4 Apr. 2 to 4 Apr. 5 to 7
Labor Day 3 days Apr. 30 to May. 2 Apr. 29 to May 1 Apr.29 to May 1
Dragon-Boat Festival 3 days Jun. 9 to Jun.11 May. 28 to May. 30 Jun. 17 to 19
Mid-Autumn Day 3 days Sep. 15 to 17 Oct. 4, during Sep. 23 to 25
National Day
holidays
National Day Holiday 7 days Oct. 1 to 7 Oct. 1 to 7 Oct. 1 to 7
Flag of China

Chinese flag facts

Nickname:
("Five-star Red Flag")
Adopted: September 27, 1949
Designer: Zeng Liansong
Proportion: 2:3
Colors: Red and Gold
The National Emblem

same meaning as those on

the national flag

New Democratic Revolution

The National Anthem

March of the Volunteers

composed by Nie Er and
Tian Han
 Lyrics of China's National Anthem
Chinese: Pinyin: English:

Qli! Byun zu nl de Arise! People who don't

rnmen! want to be slaves!

B wmen de xuru With our very flesh and

zhchng wmen xnde blood, let us build our new
chngchng! Great Wall.
!
Zhnghu mnz dole zi When the people of China
wixinde shhu, migern are in the most dangerous
bi pzhe fch zihude time, everyone will be
hushng. forced to shout a last shout.
Qli! Qli! Qli! Arise! Arise! Arise!
Wmen wnzhng yxn, We're millions with one
mozhe drn de pohu. mind. Let's brave the
Qinjn! enemy's gunfire. March on!

Mozhe drn de pohu. Brave the enemy's gunfire.
Qinjn! Qinjn! Qinjn! March on! March on!
Jn! March, March on!
Communist China's Founder

Chairman of the Communist

Mao Zedong Party and a controversial
Chinese leader
a symbol of unity
"cult of personality"
China's Mythical Symbol
Chinese Dragons

symbol of power (emperor)

"Descendents of the
Dragon
water, typhoons, and rain
power to keep off evil spirits
The National Bird

Red Crowned Crane

elegance and flight
helpful and wise
immortality and the
journey of life
 Unofficial Symbols of China
1. The Great Wall of China
impressive structure
largest man-made in the world

2. Porcelain (china)
delicate but resistant material
 Unofficial Symbols of China
3. Chinese national costume
Men : Hanfu
Women :Qipao

4. Kung fu
intellect over brute strength
 Unofficial Symbols of China
5. The national sport
table tennis
Ping Pang Qiu

6. The national colors

red and yellow
lucky colors in China
 Chinese Festivals
Spring Festival - Chinese New Year
27th of January
 Chinese Festivals
The Lantern Festival
15th day of the first month of the Chinese
lunar year
 Chinese Festivals
Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival)
Longzhou Jie
 Chinese Festivals
Chinese Valentine's Day
seventh day of the seventh lunar month
Qixi Festival
Sports and recreation

football
martial arts, table tennis, badminton, golf.
Basketball
Chinese dragon boat racing.
wrestling and horse racing
archery
 Customs, Beliefs and Practices
Bowing:
deep respect and appreciation
the traditional cupping a clenched fist with the other hand
and bringing the other hands towards the forehead while the
head is gently bowed
kowkow, bowing to the ground.
 Customs, Beliefs and Practices

Clapping Hands
Used to drive out evil and not for appreciation.

Chineses Modesty:
Many responses to any conversation will display modesty
and humility. The standard
Response to thank you (xie xie) in chinese is to respond with
no need to thank (bu xie)
Colors:
play an important part in chinese symbolism.
White is used to funerals and mourning.
Black is the color of darkness and evil.
Yellow is the Imperial color and banned to ordinary people.
Red is the most auspicious color representing fire, power and
good luck.
Blue was used on seals the death of the Emperor.
Family Loyalty in China:
In china, there is no concept of universality of individual
rights, the deeply entrenched attitude is that people are all
different and they must live within the position they are in.
People have responsibilities rather than rights, a responsibility
to look after the elderly relative is the flip side to the right of
the elderly to received care.
Food and Drink:
At a dinner, one person will usually pay for all the dinner rather
than to divide equally. A guest is seated at the table first and
the most honored position is to the left side of the host.

Guest:
People should rise from their seats when a new guest arrive.
Tea cups are held by both hands not just one

The drinking of tea by a guest was traditionally considered a

signal that the visit was at end. An invitation by a host to drink
tea can be interpreted as a subtle suggestion it is time to leave.
Gifts:
A birthday and wedding gifts is usully wrapped in red for luck.
In giving gifts, you should be careful to the hidden meaning.
Example pear fenli mening separete/divorce. Belts is a
symbol of betrothal and should be given to a close friends.
Fans and umbrellas are bad luck meaning scatter or fall apart.
Face:
The Chinese have a long standing tradition of maintaining
their social standing, which has been very loosely translated
as face mian zi. Face represents Honor, Social standing, and
Appearance. They believe that the features of the face
provides clues to personality.
 Religions

Buddhism which is the most important religion in China

Non theistic religion that encompasses variety of traditions,
beliefs and practices
Largely based on teaching
Attributed to SIDDHARTA GAUTAMA (Buddha- awakened
one)
 Religions

Buddha helped the people to end their suffering through the

elimination of ignorance and craving by the way of
understanding
They also believe in Karma which are the actions of the body,
speech in mind that spring from mental intent and bring
about a consequence, fruit or result
 Religions
Taoism (Daoism)
- speaks of a permanent Tao
- the hope is to become immortal
- Philosophical, ethical and religious tradition of China that
emphasizes harmony with Tao

Tao
- "way or a way of thought or life
- considered unnamed and unknowable
- denotes something that is called the source and the driving
force behind everything that exist
 Religions
Confucianism
- respect, honesty, education,
kindness and strong family bonds
- a good government was the
basis for a peaceful and happy society
 The Five Virtues of Confucius
Li for ritual etiquette, manners, gravity
"Men's natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart."

Ren stands for Kindness to the fellow man

Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses."

Xin stands for truthfulness, faithfulness and sincerity

The superior man is modest in his speech, but
exceeds in his actions

Yi for righteousness or honesty, generosity of soul

When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn
inwards and examine ourselves

Xiao for filial piety, for strong family values

The strength of a nation derives from the integrity
of the home
 Food
Roast Duck (Peking Duck)
- Ming Dynasty,
about 600 years ago
- cooked for the Emperor
 Food
Hotpot
- food that instantly
warm bodies and
lift spirits
Traditional Clothing

Pien-fu

ancient two-piece
ceremonial costume
Traditional Clothing

chang-pao
Traditional Clothing

shenyi
 Dress Colors and Symbols
Black - young boys (beginning)
Blue - immortality
Blue and Green - Spring
Gold - Strength and Wealth
Green - Harmony
Pink Marriage/
Purple - Wealth (purple used to be an expensive color to make) and
winter
Red - good luck, happiness, joy, life's energy, and for brides, since it
is of energy as symbolized by fire. This is why you get Red Envelopes
for Chinese New Year filled with money!
White - end (mourning)
Yellow - used for imperial service and the first Emperor is called The
Yellow Emperor. Against evil.
Prolific writers

Lu Xun ()

(1881-1936) is known as Chinas greatest

modern writer of the 20th century
He was also known for his sharp and unique
essays and created more than 600 articles.
He also wrote many famous stories such as
Diary of a Madman (1918) and Kong Yiji
(1919)
Lao She (1899 1966) was a well-known
Chinese novelist and dramatist, he made
significant contributions Chinese literature
of 20th century. The novel Rickshaw Boy
and the play Teahouse are his most well-
known works.
Zhou Zuoren (1885- 1967), the younger
brother of the renowned writer Lu Xun, was
a Chinese writer, mainly known as an
essayist and an outstanding translator. He
was one of the most important Chinese
essayists in the 1920s and 1930s. He
translated lots of important works from
Japanese literature, Classical Greek
literature, and English literature.
 Literary Pieces
(MN NNG)
TOILING FARMERS LI English Translation
SHENG
Farmers weeding at noon,

Sweat down the field soon.

Who knows food on a tray

Thanks to their toiling day?

 Literary Pieces
(QBSH) SEVEN STEPS VERSE-

Lighting the bean stalk to boil the beans,

and of this the beans thus wailed:
Borne are we of the same root;
should you now burn me with such disregard?
 Literary Pieces
"Outlaws of the Marsh" ( in Chinese)
- Shi Nai-an

an ancient epic tale

based on real facts and has inspired many storytellers
an immortal novel because its tale is universal
it tells about 108 heroes who cannot bear injustice or abuse
without fighting, and that is exactly the reason why their
popularity has lasted for centuries.
 Literary Pieces

Romance of The Three Kingdoms ( in Chinese)

- Luo Guanzhong

novel comprises around 70% fact and 20% fiction

a tale of the fall of Later Han Dynasty of China
It describes the lives of those feudal lords and their retainers
who tried to either replace the empire or restore it
The Liu family in the Shu kingdom led by Liu Bei, the Cao
family in Wei led by Cao Cao, and the Sun family in Wu
eventually led by Sun Quan.
 Literary Pieces

Journey to the West ( in Chinese)

- Wu Cheng-en

a supernatural novel about a world of fantastic invention, in

which gods and demons loom large and vie for supremacy
is about all kinds of entertaining trials and tribulations that
the priest has encountered through the entire journey
 Literary Pieces

"The Dream of the Red Chamber" ( in Chinese)

- Cao Xueqin

"The Story of the Stone"

said to be the greatest masterpiece of Chinese fiction
describes the love story, marriage and tragedies between Jia
Baoyu, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai, besides, it is also the
description of the rise and fall of sediments
 Tourist Spots

The Great Wall of China in Beijing

Constructed by Mark Grant Dynasties
keep the Mongols from invading
Tourist Spots

The Forbidden City in Beijing

Tourist Spots

Giant Pandas in Chengdu