Chinese Culture

1. Chinese Culture & History

2. Why was this culture Chosen? I have always found the history of China interesting. In school we are taught things more from Canada’s perspective. It is nice to hear a different worldview and history from a culture that has being around so long.

3. Demographics China has a current population of almost 1.5 billion. The majority of the population of China are Han Chinese. China has a low immigrant population

4. Traditions, Customs, Dress. China is one of the world’s oldest cultures. Important aspects of Chinese culture are ceramics, architecture, music, literature, martial arts, cuisine, visual arts, philosophy and religion. There are 56 ethnic groups In china and each have different cultures and traditions. Many Chinese philosophies and traditions come from Confucianism and Taoism. Festivals and traditions are very important to the Chinese culture as is respect for elders and knowing what your role in life is.

5. Chinese Language There are many different languages spoken in China. Around 1.5 Billion people speak some form of a Chinese language. The Most commonly spoken is Mandarin and 2 nd most is Cantonese.

6. Communication Barriers There are many other dialects and languages besides for Mandarin or Cantonese as well, though they are less widely spoken. Since there are so many dialects and languages and cultures in china, it can make communication different between people from different cultures or areas in China.

7. Chinese Food There is a wide range of different types of food in China Chinese food varies by area and culture, as well as by the period of time you are studying. The staple foods of Chinese cooking include rice, noodles, vegetables, and sauces and seasonings. Chinese food in the states and Canada can greatly differ from cultural food made in China.

8. Chinese Food The "Eight Culinary Cuisines" of China are Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan, and Zhejiang cuisine, these are all different variations of Chinese food which can change based on the culture and location in China. Dog and Cat are popular dishes in different areas of China as well. Food and Herbal remedies in China are considered a High art. Chinese food Changes flavor and style based on which culture prepares it around the world.

9. Flag of China

10. History of China 1800-2016 A.D The history of China spans thousands of years, and there is a wide variety of information on Ancient Chinese history but for now I will focus on the years 1800- current history as this is the Era in China I find the most interesting as well as being able to focus more on this specific era instead of only giving brief info on the many thousands of years that china has had a history.

11. History of China 1800-2016 A.D In the year 1800 the Qing Dynasty was still ruling China. When the Qing took over China a estimated 25 million people died. During this Period China had over 1/3 rd of the worlds population as well as being the most powerful economy in the world and one of the largest empires in the world.

12. Opium Wars The first Opium war was fought between China and Britain in 1839-1842 and the second was in 1857. The demand in Europe for Chinese good started to grow in this period. Britain began to import Opium from its empire to China, as this grew the Chinese government started to become unsettled at the trade imbalance as well as a growing number of Drug/Opium addicts. Britain won the Wars and took Hong Kong, After defeat for china was a national embarrassment and soon China began to focus more on Strengthening it’s Economy and Military.

13. The Taiping Civil War The Taiping Civil War was a massive rebellion from 1850-1864. There were other massive rebellions happening during this time period, China was in a state of Total Civil War. It was a war between a large and mostly Christian cult like group of people against the Qing Dynasty and army. The Leader of the Taiping Rebellion believed he was the younger brother of Jesus and wanted to create Heaven on earth in China. The Taiping Civil war Is one of the Largest and deadliest w ars in History. It is estimated that between 20-70 million people died from this war alone including Civilians.

14. Dungan Revolt During the period of the Taiping Civil War there was also the Punti–Hakka Clan Wars, Nian Rebellion, Dungan Revolt, and Panthay Rebellion. These Civil wars and rebellions were mostly religious and Ethnic groups (mostly Muslim) fighting against the Qing and Taiping Empire in China. It is estimated that these Civil wars took over 30 million lives Including Civilians.

15. Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion was a violent anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising which took place in China towards the end of the Qing dynasty between 1899 and 1901. The rebellion was started partially by boxers and people trained in martial arts who also used swords, bows, and guns. They believed themselves to be invincible to foreign weapons. They killed many foreigners, missionaries and government officials as the boxers blamed these people for their poverty and felt the foreign powers were corrupt.

16. Fall of the Chinese Dynasties A revolution in 1911 started by Sun Yat-Sen ended the Chinese dynasties and brought about a new government. Many felt that the previous Qing Dynasty was corrupt and didn’t care about the common people lives. After this revolution there were constant changes in government until the communists took over the country

17. War with Japan -Between 1800-2016 Famine, Natural disasters and Civil wars took the lives of Hundred of millions of people. For example many floods, earthquakes and diseases during this time took over 1 million people each, and these were common. - The war between China and Japan was one of the most Brutal and Deadly wars in History, It was part of the Pacific front of World war 2. Japan also invaded and killed in many other countries on Pacific. -World war 1 and 2 era in Asia is commonly not taught as much in Canada and the states, even though the loss of lives in Asia was greater than in Europe.

18. Chinese Civil War The Chinese civil war was one of the many civil wars in China, it lasted from 1927-1950, like the other wars in China the loss of life was massive and millions of people died. It stretched before and after world war 2 and during cold war as well, it was between the Communist party and the Government forces.

19. Mao Mao Zedong was the communist Dictator of China who led the communist revolution in China and took power after winning the war. He held power of the Chinese National party until 1976. Mao still holds the Record for the most people killed during his stay in Power, Upwards of 80 million people died during his reign from his decisions which range from mass starvation to murder of those he viewed as a threat. It is estimated that Stalin was responsible for 23 million deaths and Hitler was responsible for 13 million to put things in perspective.

20. China Post Mao China Post Mao has being comparably a Era of Peace but partially through Strong government control and lack of freedoms, though this has improved since Mao left power. The Chinese government still currently arrests and kills many individuals who they feel are a threat to its power including protesters, and members of certain religious groups. The Chinese Economy is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world and hold’s the record with the worlds largest population.