China Geography Packet Made by Liesl

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

China Geography Packet Made by Liesl China Geography Packet Made by Liesl ©homeschoolden.com Copyright Notice: Feel free to make as many copies as you need for your kids or the students in your classroom. This file may not be shared with others. This file may not be uploaded to any file sharing website. You may not reproduce, repackage, or redistribute the contents of homeschoolden.com downloads, in whole or in part, for any reason. Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay.com Label the rivers and seas of China: China Color China in red below: ©homeschoolden.com Great Wall of China Yungang Grottoes Forbidden City, Beijing China Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet Terracotta Warriors, Xian Suzhou Huangshan Mountains Shanghai, The Bund Yuanyang Rice Terraces Sichuan Opera Guilin, Li River ©homeschoolden.com China ©homeschoolden.com Name: ________________________ Identify these famous places and monuments in China: Forbidden City, Beijing Great Wall of China Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet Shanghai, The Bund Terracotta Warriors, Xian Yuanyang Rice Terraces Guilin, Li River Suzhou Palace Museum, Beijing Huangshan Mountains Yungang Grottoes ©homeschoolden.com Name: ________________________ Identify these famous places and monuments in China _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _______________________ __ _________________________ ________________________ _ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ ©homeschoolden.com Great Wall Forbidden City, Beijing Terra Cotta Warriors Huangshan Mountains Shanghai, The Bund Guilin, Li River ©homeschoolden.com Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet Yungang Grottoes Yuanyang Rice Terraces Sichuan Opera Palace Museum, Beijing Suzhou ©homeschoolden.com Great Wall Potala Palace Huangshan Forbidden City Mountains Yuanyang Suzhou Sichuan Opera Yuanyang Rice Terraces Shanghai, The Yungang Grottoes Bund Yungang Grottoes Guilin Guilin Potala Palace Beijing Forbidden City Xian Xian ©homeschoolden.com Terra Cotta Suzhou Warriors Sichuan Opera Potala Palace Yungang Grottoes Forbidden City Yuanyang Rice Beijing Terraces Yungang Grottoes Suzhou Guilin Shanghai Potala Palace Huangshan Mountains Palace Museum Xian Suzhou Great Wall ©homeschoolden.com Great Wall Potala Palace Huangshan Forbidden City Mountains Yuanyang Suzhou Sichuan Opera Yuanyang Rice Terraces Shanghai, The Yungang Grottoes Bund Yungang Grottoes Guilin Guilin Potala Palace Beijing Forbidden City Xian Xian ©homeschoolden.com Terra Cotta Suzhou Warriors Sichuan Opera Potala Palace Yungang Grottoes Forbidden City Yuanyang Rice Beijing Terraces Yungang Grottoes Suzhou Guilin Shanghai Potala Palace Huangshan Mountains Palace Museum Xian Suzhou Great Wall ©homeschoolden.com Lapbook/Interactive Notebook Pieces ©homeschoolden.com ©homeschoolden.com ©homeschoolden.com Facts about China ©homeschoolden.com China: Fact Sheet China is officially known as the _______________________________________________. China is the ______________ largest country. The capital of China today is ________________________________. The president of China is ________________________________. The world's largest mountain is _________________________________. The border between China and Nepal runs across the summit. The official language of China is ___________________________. The Chinese form of currency is the _________________________. Right now about ____ yuan equals one US dollar. About ______ yuan equals one Australian dollar. About _____ yuan equals one British pound. And, about ______ yuan equals one Euro. Today the world's population is estimated as over ________ billion. The top three most populous countries are ___________________, ____________________ and _____________________ Chinese civilization began in the eastern valley of the _______________________ River. It gets its name from the high content of silt or _______________________. There have been so many floods along this river and so many millions of people have died that this river is known as ____________________ ______________________. China's longest river is the _____________________________________. Its name means ____________________________. China is located on the continent of ________________________. ©homeschoolden.com China: Fact Sheet Answers China is officially known as the People's Republic of China. China is the 3rd largest country. (Russia, Canada, China, United States *Note: the ranking for the 3rd largest country is disputed due to conflicting information and differing methods on how land/water areas are calculated) The capital of China today is Beijing. The president of China is Xi Jinping. The world's largest mountain is Mount Everest The border between China and Nepal runs across the summit. The official language of China is Mandarin . The Chinese form of currency is the yuan . Right now about 6.08 yuan equals one US dollar. About 5.47 yuan equals one Australian dollar. About 10.14 yuan equals one British pound. About 8.35 yuan equals one Euro. Today the world's population is estimated as over 7 billion. The top three most populous countries are China (1,355,692,000) India (1, 236, 344, 000) USA (318, 892,000) Chinese civilization began in the eastern valley of the Yellow River. It gets its name from the high content of silt or loess . There have been so many floods along this river and so many millions of people have died that this river is known as China's Sorrow China's longest river is the Yangzi. Its name means long river. China is located on the continent of Asia. China Map on the Previous Page is from : http://d-maps.com/carte.php?num_car=166&lang=en http://d- maps.com/carte.php?num_car=166&lang=en ©Made by Liesl at homeschoolden.com China's Currency: yuan Animals of China Giant Panda Red Panda North China Leopard South China Tiger Binturong (bearcat) Sambar ©homeschoolden.com Animals of China ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ©homeschoolden.com Animals of China ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ©homeschoolden.com Sambar Lion Moose Tiger Elk Leopard Weasel Tiger Bearcat Cheetah Mongoose Leopard Red Kangaroo Grizzly Bear Red Panda Koala Raccoon Panda ©homeschoolden.com Sambar Lion Moose Tiger Elk Leopard Weasel Tiger Bearcat Cheetah Mongoose Leopard Red Kangaroo Grizzly Bear Red Panda Koala Raccoon Panda ©homeschoolden.com You might be interested in some of the other posts from our China Unit: China Unit: Books, Books! A Huge List of Children’s Books – This is a comprehensive list of all the children and youth books we could find relating to China. Since my kids range from 6-10, I wanted books that would appeal to my kindergartner as well as novels to read to my older kids. You can download and print our list out. Chinese Brush Painting Lesson Free Confucianism Notebook Pages Buddhism Learning Pack Don't miss our other Ancient Egypt posts: Free Ancient Egypt Notebook Pages Recreate the Flooding of the Nile River Valley Egypt-Themed Multiplication Review Packet (25-pages) And coming soon, I'll be sharing the Ancient Greece/Ancient Rome notebook pages I made for her. Other Ancient History Posts: Ancient Greece (for K, Gr. 1 or 2) Ancient China Notebook Pages Ancient China – Books for Kids Hinduism Worksheets (India History) And you might want to visit the posts from our Middle Ages Unit: Middle Ages Books and Projects Vikings, Norse Myths and a Woodburning Craft Middle Ages: King Arthur, Charlemagne Middle Ages Unit: The Medieval Church and Monasteries Worksheets Feudalism in the Middle Ages Notebook Pages and Simulation Middle Ages – Notebook Pages on England and France (800-1200) The Crusades Middle Ages in the 1300s: Black Plague Simulation, Hundred Years’ War, Crusades Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan Free Notebook Pages Marco Polo – Notebook Pages, Books and Resources .
Recommended publications
  • The Great Wall of China the Great Wall of China Is 5,500Miles, 10,000 Li and Length Is 8,851.8Km
    The Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China is 5,500miles, 10,000 Li and Length is 8,851.8km How they build the great wall is they use slaves,farmers,soldiers and common people. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/facts/ The Great Wall is made between 1368-1644. The Great Wall of China is not the biggest wall,but is the longest. http://community.travelchinaguide.com/photo-album/show.asp?aid=2278 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_the_Great_Wall_of_China_the_biggest_wall_in_the_world?#slide2 The Great Wall It said that there was million is so long that people were building the Great like a River. Wall and many of them lost their lives.There is even childrens had to be part of it. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/construction/labor_force.htm The Great Wall is so long that over Qin Shi Huang 11 provinces and 58 cities. is the one who start the Great Wall who decide to Start the Great Wall. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_cities_does_the_great_wall_of_china_go_through#slide2 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_provinces_does_the_Great_Wall_of_China_go_through#slide2 Over Million people helped to build the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall is pretty old. http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/04/18_great-wall.html There is more than one part of Great Wall There is five on the map of BeiJing When the Great Wall was build lots people don’t know where they need to go.Most of them lost their home and their part of Family. http://www.tour-beijing.com/great_wall/?gclid=CPeMlfXlm7sCFWJo7Aod- 3IAIA#.UqHditlkFxU The Great Wall is so long that is almost over all the states.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation of Ancient Sites on the Silk Road
    PROCEEDINGS International Mogao Grottes Conference at Dunhuang on the Conservation of Conservation October of Grotto Sites 1993Mogao Grottes Ancient Sites at Dunhuang on the Silk Road October 1993 The Getty Conservation Institute Conservation of Ancient Sites on the Silk Road Proceedings of an International Conference on the Conservation of Grotto Sites Conference organized by the Getty Conservation Institute, the Dunhuang Academy, and the Chinese National Institute of Cultural Property Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang The People’s Republic of China 3–8 October 1993 Edited by Neville Agnew THE GETTY CONSERVATION INSTITUTE LOS ANGELES Cover: Four bodhisattvas (late style), Cave 328, Mogao grottoes at Dunhuang. Courtesy of the Dunhuang Academy. Photograph by Lois Conner. Dinah Berland, Managing Editor Po-Ming Lin, Kwo-Ling Chyi, and Charles Ridley, Translators of Chinese Texts Anita Keys, Production Coordinator Jeffrey Cohen, Series Designer Hespenheide Design, Book Designer Arizona Lithographers, Printer Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 © 1997 The J. Paul Getty Trust All rights reserved The Getty Conservation Institute, an operating program of the J. Paul Getty Trust, works internation- ally to further the appreciation and preservation of the world’s cultural heritage for the enrichment and use of present and future generations. The listing of product names and suppliers in this book is provided for information purposes only and is not intended as an endorsement by the Getty Conservation Institute. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Conservation of ancient sites on the Silk Road : proceedings of an international conference on the conservation of grotto sites / edited by Neville Agnew p.
    [Show full text]
  • GREAT WALL of CHINA Deconstructing
    GREAT WALL OF CHINA Deconstructing History: Great Wall of China It took millennia to build, but today the Great Wall of China stands out as one of the world's most famous landmarks. Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of China and its long and vivid history, the Great Wall of China actually consists of numerous walls and fortifications, many running parallel to each other. Originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (c. 259-210 B.C.) in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing incursions from barbarian nomads into the Chinese Empire, the wall is one of the most extensive construction projects ever completed… Though the Great Wall never effectively prevented invaders from entering China, it came to function more as a psychological barrier between Chinese civilization and the world, and remains a powerful symbol of the country’s enduring strength. QIN DYNASTY CONSTRUCTION Though the beginning of the Great Wall of China can be traced to the third century B.C., many of the fortifications included in the wall date from hundreds of years earlier, when China was divided into a number of individual kingdoms during the so-called Warring States Period. Around 220 B.C., Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China, ordered that earlier fortifications between states be removed and a number of existing walls along the northern border be joined into a single system that would extend for more than 10,000 li (a li is about one-third of a mile) and protect China against attacks from the north.
    [Show full text]
  • Research on the Space Transformation of Yungang Grottoes Art Heritage and the Design of Wisdom Museum from the Perspective of Digital Humanity
    E3S Web of Conferences 23 6 , 05023 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202123605023 ICERSD 2020 Research on the Space transformation of Yungang Grottoes Art Heritage and the Design of wisdom Museum from the perspective of digital Humanity LiuXiaoDan1, 2, XiaHuiWen3 1Jinzhong college, Academy of fine arts, Jinzhong ShanXi, 030619 2Nanjing University, School of History, Nanjing JiangSu, 210023 3Taiyuan University of Technology Academy of arts, Jinzhong ShanXi 030606 *Corresponding author: LiuXiaoDan, No. 199 Wenhua Street, Yuci District, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, 030619, China. ABSTRACT: The pace transformation and innovative design of Yungang art heritage should keep pace with times on the setting of “digital humanity” times, make the most of new research approaches which is given by “digital humanity” and explore a new way of pace transformation of art heritage actively. The research object of this topic is lineage master in space and form and the transformation of promotion and Creativity of Yungang Grotto art heritage. The goal is taking advantage of big data basics and the information sample collection and integration in the context of the full media era. Transferring Yungang Grotto art materially and creatively by making use of the world's advanced "art + science and technology" means, building a new type of modern sapiential museum and explore the construction mode of it and the upgraded version of modern educational functions. approaches which is given by “digital humanity” and explore a new way of pace transformation of art heritage 1 Introduction actively. During the long race against the "disappearance" Yungang Grotto represent the highest level of north royal of cultural relics, the design of the wise exhibition grotto art in the 5th century AD.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation in China Issue, Spring 2016
    SPRING 2016 CONSERVATION IN CHINA A Note from the Director For over twenty-five years, it has been the Getty Conservation Institute’s great privilege to work with colleagues in China engaged in the conservation of cultural heritage. During this quarter century and more of professional engagement, China has undergone tremendous changes in its social, economic, and cultural life—changes that have included significant advance- ments in the conservation field. In this period of transformation, many Chinese cultural heritage institutions and organizations have striven to establish clear priorities and to engage in significant projects designed to further conservation and management of their nation’s extraordinary cultural resources. We at the GCI have admiration and respect for both the progress and the vision represented in these efforts and are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage in China. The contents of this edition of Conservation Perspectives are a reflection of our activities in China and of the evolution of policies and methods in the work of Chinese conservation professionals and organizations. The feature article offers Photo: Anna Flavin, GCI a concise view of GCI involvement in several long-term conservation projects in China. Authored by Neville Agnew, Martha Demas, and Lorinda Wong— members of the Institute’s China team—the article describes Institute work at sites across the country, including the Imperial Mountain Resort at Chengde, the Yungang Grottoes, and, most extensively, the Mogao Grottoes. Integrated with much of this work has been our participation in the development of the China Principles, a set of national guide- lines for cultural heritage conservation and management that respect and reflect Chinese traditions and approaches to conservation.
    [Show full text]
  • Portfolio Investment Opportunities in China Democratic Revolution in China, Was Launched There
    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Investment Strategy The Great Wall of China In c. 220 BC, under Qin Shihuangdi (first emperor of the Qin dynasty), sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united system to repel invasions from the north. Construction of the Great Wall continued for more than 16 centuries, up to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), National Emblem of China creating the world's largest defense structure. Source: About.com, travelchinaguide.com. The design of the national emblem of the People's Republic of China shows Tiananmen under the light of five stars, and is framed with ears of grain and a cogwheel. Tiananmen is the symbol of modern China because the May 4th Movement of 1919, which marked the beginning of the new- Portfolio Investment Opportunities in China democratic revolution in China, was launched there. The meaning of the word David M. Darst, CFA Tiananmen is “Gate of Heavenly Succession.” On the emblem, the cogwheel and the ears of grain represent the working June 2011 class and the peasantry, respectively, and the five stars symbolize the solidarity of the various nationalities of China. The Han nationality makes up 92 percent of China’s total population, while the remaining eight percent are represented by over 50 nationalities, including: Mongol, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Bouyei, Korean, Manchu, Kazak, and Dai. Source: About.com, travelchinaguide.com. Please refer to important information, disclosures, and qualifications at the end of this material. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Investment Strategy Table of Contents The Chinese Dynasties Section 1 Background Page 3 Length of Period Dynasty (or period) Extent of Period (Years) Section 2 Issues for Consideration Page 65 Xia c.
    [Show full text]
  • Luoyang Tour
    www.lilysunchinatours.com 3 Days Xian -Luoyang Tour Basics Tour Code: LCT-XL-3D-01 Duration: 3 days Attractions: Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, Traditional Cave Dwelling, City Wall, Hanyangling Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bell Tower, Great Mosque, Muslim Quarter, Longmen Grottoes, Shaolin Temple Overview: Both Xi'an and Luoyang belong to China's seven great ancient capital cities and are noted for places of historical interest such as the Terracotta Warriors Museum, the Shaolin Monastery and the Longmen Caves. As the Shaolin Martial Arts have inspired people worldwide, it’s something you definitely won’t miss during your trip. In addition, we will lead you to explore Xi'an in a different way by tasting the local food in the evening, learning calligraphy in a tranquil place. Highlights See the Terracotta Warriors and Horses which have been buried for thousands of years; Taste authentic local food; Ride a bike on the City Wall; Travel on a Chinese high-speed train; Be amazed by the famous Longmen Grottoes; Learn about the Martial Arts in the Shaolin Temple. Itinerary Date Starting Time Destination Day 1 9:00 a.m Terracotta Warriors Museum, Traditional Cave Tel: +86 18629295068 1 Email: [email protected][email protected] www.lilysunchinatours.com Dwelling, City Wall, Shuyuanmen Street Day 2 6:30 a.m Longmen Grottoes, Shaolin Temple Day 3 9:00 a.m Hanyangling Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bell Tower, Muslim Quarter Day 1: Terracotta Warriors Museum, Traditional Cave Dwelling, City Wall, Shuyuanmen Street 09:00: Your friendly tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby 09:50 - 12:30: Your three day heritage tour begins with the most significant sight - the Terracotta Warriors Museum.
    [Show full text]
  • Financial Institutions Step Forward to Save Businesses
    6 | DISCOVER SHANXI Friday, March 20, 2020 CHINA DAILY Financial institutions step forward to save businesses The loan packages to the compa­ ny totaled 180 million yuan, accord­ ing to Shi. The procedure for applying for lending has been greatly stream­ lined. “It took only two days for the Shanxi branch of Agricultural Bank Increased lending of China to approve a loan of 50 mil­ to help companies lion yuan, after quickly examining The last patient of the novel coronavirus in Shanxi is cured and our financial situation and qualifi­ discharged from hospital on March 13. ZHANG BAOMING / FOR CHINA DAILY facing pressure cation,” Shi said. The Shanxi branches of the Agri­ By YUAN SHENGGAO cultural Development Bank of Chi­ na and Postal Saving Bank of China Province recovers fast Financial institutions in North Chi­ have shifted their focuses to serve na’s Shanxi province are taking steps local small and medium­sized enter­ to support local businesses in resum­ prises. ing operation by offering incentivized Tiantian Restaurant in Xiyang with all patients cured lending and facilitation measures, Employees at Pingyao Beef Group inspect products before they are county is an SME in Shanxi under according to local media reports. delivered to markets. LIU JIAQIONG / FOR CHINA DAILY great pressure. By YUAN SHENGGAO days, according to the Shanxi Since the outbreak of the novel With no business for more than a Health Commission. coronavirus epidemic, businesses in month, the company needed to pay The last patient of the novel The commission said all 117 Shanxi have faced difficulties due to While only half of the workers are interest rate of 3.15 percent.
    [Show full text]
  • 3D Modeling and Animation Design of Flying Apsaras in Dunhuang Frescoes
    3D Modeling and Animation Design of Flying Apsaras in Dunhuang Frescoes Yang Cao ( [email protected] ) Nanjing Normal University - Xianlin Campus https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7202-6697 Yuanzheng Li Nanjing Normal University Qinyou zhou Nanjing Normal University Research Keywords: Dunhuang frescoes, Flying Apsaras, 3D modeling, Animation Posted Date: August 23rd, 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-779096/v1 License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Read Full License A Springer Nature 2021 LTEX template 3D Modeling and Animation Design of Flying Apsaras in Dunhuang Frescoes Yang Cao*, Yuan Zhengli and Qin Youzhou *School of Fine Arts, Nanjing Normal University, 1st Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210023, China. Contributing authors: kent [email protected]; Abstract With rich content and long history, flying Apsaras in Dunhuang frescoes is precious material for studying the artistic style and artistic mod- eling of ancient Chinese murals. This article aims to explore the 3D modeling and video animation design of flying Apsaras in Dunhuang fres- coes, which not only provides Dunhuang Museum with digital cultural heritage content and popular science materials, but also helps develop cultural heritage protection methods and encourages further explo- ration of Chinese historic art. Keywords: Dunhuang frescoes, Flying Apsaras, 3D modeling, Animation 1 Introduction 3D animation image is a special medium used by museums to record and dis- seminate history, which has irreplaceable value and significance for the digital protection of material cultural heritage. This article carries out the research on the artistic image of Dunhuang flying Apsaras, and uses 3D technology to interpret flying Apsaras dance with musical accompaniment.
    [Show full text]
  • October 20, 2010 Beijing – Jinan – Qufu – Zibo – Weifang – Yantai – Qingdao – Suzhou –Shanghai
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sacramento-Jinan Sister-City 25th Anniversary Trip to China October 7, 2010 – October 20, 2010 Beijing – Jinan – Qufu – Zibo – Weifang – Yantai – Qingdao – Suzhou –Shanghai Tour Highlights: ¾ Attend celebration activities in Jinan for the 25th Anniversary of Sacramento-Jinan sister- city relationship as a member of the official delegation and invited guests to Jinan ¾ Climb the Great Wall of China and see giant panda bears with your own eyes ¾ Visit the World Expo in Shanghai ¾ Learn Chinese culture through tours of gardens ¾ Tour major cities in Shandong (山东), one of the most prosperous and populous provinces of China with Jinan as its capital city and Confucius as its most illustrious son: enjoy tour of Confucius’ birthplace, wine tasting, beer museum, folk arts and ceramics, etc. For more information, please contact Grace at [email protected] or Gloria at 916.685.8049. Visit us at the City of Sacramento’s website http://www.cityofsacramento.org/sistercities/jinan.htm or our homepage www.jsscc.org. Itinerary Day 1 10/07/2010 San Francisco – Beijing Fly from San Francisco to Beijing. A full meal and beverage service will be available during this overnight flight. The International Date Line will be crossed during the flight. Day 2 10/08/2010 Beijing (北京) – Capital of China Arrive in Beijing, transfer to 4-star hotel, welcome dinner (D) Day 3 10/09/2010 Beijing Visit the Great Wall, Cloisonné Factory, Summer Palace, Beijing Olympic Park. Enjoy a Peking Duck Dinner. (B-L-D) Day 4 10/10/2010 Beijing – Jinan Tour the Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City (The Palace Museum), Beijing Zoo.
    [Show full text]
  • Chinese Eunuchs, in General Assessments of the Eunuch System, by Both Western and Asian Commentators, Have Been Uniformly Critical
    Nebula7.3, September 2010 Chinese Palace Eunuchs: Shadows of the Emperor. By Christine Doran Palace eunuchs have become one of the popular icons of Old China, along with the Great Wall, the terracotta warriors and the blood-thirsty dowager empress, Cixi. Most people have heard of the eunuch admiral Zheng He (1373-1433), whose achievements in exploration, leading seven naval expeditions of mammoth wooden ships, have recently become well- known because of the notoriety of Gavin Menzies‟ 1421: The Year China Discovered the World and its similarly titled American edition (Menzies 2002; Menzies 2003). Perhaps some also know of Sima Qian (c.145-86 BCE), the so-called father of Chinese historiography, who was castrated by order of the emperor Han Wudi as punishment for disagreeing with him, but who went on to complete his famous and innovative Records of the Grand Historian. In spite of these well-known examples of outstanding achievement by Chinese eunuchs, in general assessments of the eunuch system, by both Western and Asian commentators, have been uniformly critical. Western perceptions of Chinese eunuchs have long been intertwined with the concept of “Oriental Despotism,” the idea that Eastern political systems were characteristically dictatorial, oppressive and corrupt. In this view, palace eunuchs were regarded as a sign of brutality and degeneracy. As Loshitzky and Meyuhas have commented, “eunuchs are perceived by the modern Western audience as grotesque rarities of the past that are associated with the „otherness‟ of exotic cultures” (1992: 31). They are most often regarded as a “barbaric, archaic, and uncivilized phenomenon and therefore as an anachronism” (ibid: 34).
    [Show full text]
  • WEXPLORE CHINA 2011 Invitation Letter
    WEXPLORE CHINA 2011 Invitation Letter Dear students and teachers, We would like to offer you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That is what we expect WEXPLORE China to be – an unrivalled learning experience, providing equal proportions of adventure, fun, an insight into international relations, language studies, history and cultural interaction. Not to mention the personal skills that can be gained from working with students from across the world and challenging yourself in a new and unfamiliar country. ‘New and unfamiliar’ definitely describes China. The World’s fastest growing economy is sometimes so new that a 15 years old picture is unrecognisable nowadays and last month’s road map may already be out of date! Contrastingly, another way to describe China would be ‘traditional’. In one of the oldest civilisations you will catch glimpses of the past as well as experienc- ing current practices that can be traced back thousands of years. This huge and diverse country cannot easily be defined, but one word that every visitor would agree on would be ‘fascinating’. We want you to experience as many aspects of fascinating China as possible, and this was our motivation for carefully selecting the programmes in 2011. • Beijing - 8 days discovering one of the World’s greatest cities • Shanghai and Xi’an - 6 days in the dynamic city of Shanghai, and Xi’an, the ancient capital of China • The Silk Road - a 12 day journey along the legendary trading route • Hainan - 5 days in south China’s tropical island paradise • WEMUNC 2011 - The 4th WE Model United Nations Conference, Beijing The WEMUNC (WE Model United Nations Conference) has matured over the past 4 years to become a truly international conference.
    [Show full text]