Geography
Why is the Huang He River, despite being an important water source for the ancient Chinese, sometimes called China’s Sorrow?
The river was known for terribly destructive floods that killed many people throughout history.
Why were dragons important in Chinese culture and legends?
Dragons were thought of as powerful and kind creatures that brought life-giving rain to China.
Why did Qin Shi Huangdi order his people to build the Great Wall of China?
The Great Wall would defend China against invasion from the Xiongnu.
Why is Qin Shi Huangdi considered an important figure in world history?
He made standard currency, laws, roads, and writing to promote unity.
What good did Zhang Qian learn about during his journey in Central Asia that motivated Wu of Han to begin trade relations between China and cultures to the west?
Horses
How did the geography of China affect civilization?
Travel and communication were difficult between the regions of China and natural barriers isolated it from other civilizations.
Who was a supreme god in early Chinese history that was believed to control success or failure in war, the harvest, the weather, and the overall well-being of China?
Shangdi
Was the Great Wall actually a single wall that was made at one time in history?
No, the Great Wall is made up of several smaller walls that were built, repaired, and torn down over the centuries.
How was Liu Bang, who started the Han Dynasty, different from the founders of other dynasties in ancient China?
He was an ordinary person who did not grow up in a royal family.
Why is Wu of Han considered an important figure in world history?
He was an emperor who opened the Silk Road and started the civil service exams.
What is the alternate name for the Chang Jiang River?
Yangtze River
Why were oracle bones popular among early rulers in ancient China?
Oracle bones were used for guidance in making political and personal decisions.
What was an advantage of the Great Wall?
The height of the Great Wall prevented soldiers on horseback from crossing it.
How did the Zhou Dynasty explain the transfer of the Mandate of Heaven between dynasties?
A dynasty would lose the Mandate of Heaven after it became corrupt with power and mistreated the people in favor of its own personal gain.
What was exchanged along the Silk Road in addition to material goods?
The Silk Road increased the spread of knowledge, languages, religions, and diseases.
What is the alternate name of the Huang He River?
Yellow River
Why did many thinkers become concerned about the well-being of China and create new philosophies to share with others?
The Chinese states were fighting several civil wars, so the thinkers proposed ideas to improve the attitudes of the people and the effectiveness of the government.
What was a disadvantage of the Great Wall?
Many people were forced to build the Great Wall and died working in dangerous conditions.
How did feudalism work during the Zhou Dynasty in ancient China?
Kings divided up their land among several wealthy individuals called lords, who were given the power to create their own states in exchange for loyalty, taxes, and supplying soldiers to the Zhou Dynasty. The lords would then give small amounts of land to many less wealthy farmers, who in exchange would grow crops on lords’ lands.
According to Confucianism, what relationship was the most important to maintaining social harmony in China?
Parent and child
What landform is just North of the Huang He River?
The Gobi Desert
What world religion was introduced to China from India through trade routes during ancient history?
Buddhism
What is decorative handwriting or handwritten lettering that was standardized as the written language in China?
Calligraphy
List the reigns of the Chinese dynasties in chronological order.
Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
What objects did China trade to other civilizations along the Silk Road?
Ceramics, gunpowder, paper, silk, and tea