Ming Dynasty

a lot of influence on much of the world today, because of how different the culture and ideas are to our society. Nevertheless, early Chinese dynasties had and continue to have an impact on the world today through culture, technologies, religions and many more. The Tang dynasty created many tools…

Europe to avoid the oncoming Mongolian army and in the end lead to the downfall of the Roman Empire. When the Mongols finally did end up conquering China in 1234 they ended up destroying more than half of China but also brought with them the Yuan Dynasty. During the time China was under the Mongolian rule it soon got the attention of the European travelers and merchants due to China being praised by various ‘reports’ created by other traders and merchants, the most famous of those would be…

Initially, the Ming government often employed coercive means to force indigenes to be sinicized when the state power was robust. This policy often led to over-exploitation, extreme aggression, even genocide over borderland indigenes. Consequently, coercive approach that…

Cultural Studies Final In 1792, Lord George Macartney, under orders of King George III of Great Britain, captained an envoy laden with gifts to the Qing Dynasty capital of Peking intending to negotiate alterations of the heavy trade restrictions applied by China. Their demands never came to fruition; the Qing Emperor Qianlong refused to allow for any reforms in the trade systems and issuing the ultimatum of punctilious adherence to the afore-established trade procedure or else an extinction…

In Chinese, there is a word “chou mei” that is the combination of 2 characters with opposite meanings: “chou” means stinky and “mei” means beautiful. Beauty is a positive word. However, with a character “chou” in the beginning, “mei” is no longer laudatory. People usually used the word to mock girls who care about their appearances. If a teenage girl grooms herself, her parents will probably call her “chou mei”. Most girls I’ve seen have been called “chou mei”, but I have never seen anyone call…

In 629 C.E., a Chinese Buddhist named Xuanzang (shoo-wen-zahng) set out on a long journey to India. His goal was to spread Buddhist learning and form closer ties between India and China. He traveled by land, heading west on the Silk Road across Central Asia before turning south to India. All told, he would cover more than 10,000 miles on his remarkable journey.Xuanzang encountered many dangers along the way. He got lost in the Gobi Desert and nearly died of thirst. Snow and freezing conditions…

This is a Jade GUI Tablet (gui圭) in Late Neolithic to early Shang dynasty (2nd millennium BCE). The GUI is one of the important objects for a ceremony and also a symbol of a person's status. Jade as a stone age heritage, occupies an important position in Chinese culture. The cultural connotation of ancient jade in China not only includes the design of art, grinding technology, written records, but also includes etiquette, religion, economic value and decorative features. The ancient jade's…

The Revival of the Spiritual Tradition: The God of Theatre focuses on rituals involving the theatrical arts in China and the god of theatre. Ritual theatrical performances played an important part in religious practice of China. Various forms of dramatic arts were employed as part of the religious ritual, “such as marionette and exorcistic drama” (317). The rites provided entertainment and a spiritual connection with various deities. For example, in Southern China, the rituals revolve mainly…

The widespread use of silver beginning in the 1570’s resulted in the increase of globalization through greater foreign trade. However, the use of silver as currency had negative as well as positive consequences. On one hand, through the use of silver in world trade, trading countries were connected through a common currency, and many were able to benefit their economies through the use of silver (documents 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8). On the other hand, the widespread use of silver also deepened the…

displayed in art, literature, social rank, and education. To do this I am going to first provide an insight into the Han Chinese culture as a whole during the Ming Dynasty, including a view point from Europe at the time; then I will explain the significance of the civic examinations and the influence of Confucian ideology in art at the Ming court. Next the printing industry’s role in the perpetuation of Confucian ideology, all this will help to convey the importance of Confucianism as…