Chinese Dynasties
This gave Chinese dynasties, and their rulers, the right to be emperor and form the central government of China. Though, a ruler could lose it if it seemed that they were no longer blessed by the Gods.
The Mandate of Heaven
Humans
Providing a nearly impassable border for Ancient China, these mountains isolated China from many other civilizations. They were also important to Chinese religion and were considered sacred.
Himalaya Mountains (Himalayas)
The Great Wall of China
Public works
The Chinese learned how to make this valuable textile export from the cocoons of worms! They managed to keep the manufacturing process a secret for hundreds of years to maintain their trade monopoly.
Silk
Emperors during this dynasty established the civil service to create a strong and organized government. Paper and porcelain were also invented during this time. They embraced Confucianism as their organised religion and encouraged arts and culture such as poetry, and literature.
Han Dynasty
Not everything that was traded along the Silk Road was good. It is thought that the bubonic plague, or "Black Death", arrived in the Mediterranean world through the Silk Road.
Contact/Conflict leads to significant changes
two important geographical features of Ancient China were these two major rivers that flowed through central China. These major rivers were a great source of fresh water, food, fertile soil, and transportation. They also were the subjects of Chinese poetry, art, literature, and folklore.
The Yellow River (Huang He) and the Yangtze River
Besides silk, the Chinese also exported (sold) teas, sugar, porcelain, and spices. They imported (bought) things they weren't able to produce themselves like cotton, ivory, wool, gold, and silver.
Organized Commerce
This common, but ingenious, hand-held device was invented for protection from the sun as well as the rain.
Umbrella
During the rule of this dynasty, China becomes a world leader in science and technology including inventions such as gunpowder and the compass.
Song Dynasty
The North China Plain, the region where Chinese Civilization was founded by the semi-mythical Xia dynasty, was created by regularly flooding rivers depositing silt that encouraged fertile agricultural conditions.
Environmental factors impact human cultures and quality of life
Home to landmarks such as The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, this city is the capital of China today.
Beijing
Depending on who was emperor, Chinese citizens would be asked to practice new ideas designed to build harmony within a society such as Daoism, Confucianism, and Legalism
Organized religion
Chinese inventors used this for city planning at first, but it later became important to map makers and for the navigation of ships. As you know, the Polynesians had a very different way of wayfinding.
Compass
After conquering much of the Chinese empire, this dynasty was established by victorious Mongols ruler such Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan's nephew. This was the China that was explored by Marco Polo in the 13th century.
Yuan Dynasty
After a long war, the Song Dynasty was eventually conquered by the aggressive growth of the Mongol Empire who established the Yuan dynasty in China's heartland: the North China Plain.
Expansion is good for some, but bad for others.
This Silk Road environmental factor was nicknamed the "Sea of Death" because of its temperature extremes and poisonous snakes.
Taklamakan Desert
In the earlier Chinese dynasties, merchants were considered the lowest class of workers. They were not allowed to wear silk or ride in carriages.
Social Structure
This was invented in the 9th century by Chinese chemists trying to find the Elixir of Immortality. Not long after, engineers figured out how to use it for military purposes.
Gunpowder
We only know about this early Chinese dynasty because of engraved oracle bones, some of the oldest pieces of archeological evidence we have from the region.
Shang dynasty
A big part of Chinese family life was the respect of their elders. Children of all ages, even grown ups, were required to respect their parents. This respect continued even after people were dead. The Chinese would often would pray to their ancestors and offer sacrifices to them. Respect of the elders was also part of the religion Confucianism.
New ideas lead to agreements and/or disagreements
Today, this small island to the East of China has its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders. However, modern Chinese Central Government disagrees with this idea, and insists it is a breakaway province, belonging to China, that will one day be returned.
Taiwan
Great poets were famous throughout the empire, but all educated people were expected to write poetry. During the Tang Dynasty poetry became so important that composing it was part of the examinations to work for the central government.
Art and Culture
Primarily used to ship grain and messages to the capital at Beijing, construction of this snake-like Public Work was completed during the Ming Dynasty (14th century CE). At 1100 miles long, it remains today as the longest human-made waterbody in the world.
The Grand Canal