Overview of Ancient China

1. Ancient China
Elements of Civilization

2. Background
Rivers were important to the development of
China
Landforms and climate also influenced the
culture
There were many differences in climate
throughout China
Monsoons bring rains from the South China
Sea towards the southern half of China
The rain does not reach the northern, cooler part of
China
The climate there is very dry, people depended on
Rivers

3. Background
What is the ―Middle Kingdom?‖
Geographic barriers like mountains and
seas cut China off from other lands
They had no knowledge of other cultures
like Greece, Rome, India, or Egypt
They thought that they were at the
center of the world and called
themselves the ―Middle Kingdom‖

4. China‘s Geography
The development of civilization in early China was aided by features
like long rivers, fertile soils, temperate climates, and isolated valleys.
Rivers, Soils, Climates Loess
• China‘s first civilizations • Annual floods deposited rich
developed in river valleys soil, loess, on flood plains
• Two major rivers supplied • Valley of Huang He particularly
water for earliest civilizations fertile due to loess
– Chang Jiang, also called – Fine dusty soil
Yangzi
– Carried into China by desert
– Huang He, or Yellow River winds
– Both flow east from Plateau of
Tibet to Yellow Sea

5. China‘s Geography
Beginnings of Civilization Xia
• Archaeological • Legend says earliest
discoveries suggest Chinese ruled by Xia
Chinese civilization began dynasty
in Huang He valley
• No written, archaeological
evidence Xia dynasty
• People started growing
existed
crops there 9,000 years
ago • Most historians date
beginning of Chinese
civilization to rise of Shang
dynasty

6. Crops
Most of eastern China covered with fertile soils; some regions better
suited than others for growing certain crops
Southern China—warm, receives plenty of rainfall, excellent region
for growing rice
Further north—climate cooler, drier; suitable for grains, wheat, millet
Isolation
Combination of rivers for irrigation, fertile soil for planting allowed
Chinese to thrive, as did China‘s relative isolation
Mountains, hills, desert protected China from invasion
Himalaya Mountains separate southern China from India, rest of
southern Asia; vast Gobi Desert prevented reaching China from west

7. Background
Early civilizations developed near rivers
China had a few rivers that provided
resources to be successful
Chang Jiang River (longest river)
Huang He River
Yangzi River
China‘s rivers overflowed just like others
we have studied
Provides fertile soil for farming
The Huang He River is also known as the
Yellow River because of the Loess
Loess is yellow-brown soil that the Yellow River
carries along

8. Background
What is ―China‘s Sorrow?‖
The river was unpredictable and
dangerous and often killed
The river also brought life through fertile
soil
Destructive floods would come without
warning
To control the flooding the people built
dikes or walls that hold back water

9. Summarize
What geographic features influenced life in
early China?
Answer(s): Rivers deposited rich soil for farming;
mountains, hills, and desert isolated the area.

10. New Philosophies
The conflicts of the late Zhou period led many Chinese thinkers to
question the nature of society and people‘s roles in it.
Effort to make sense of chaos Of many philosophies created
led to creation of many new during late Zhou period, two
Chinese philosophies, or ways became influential in later
of looking at the world Chinese history:
• Confucianism
• Daoism

11. Confucianism
Confucius
Confucianism based on teachings of scholar named Kongfuzi, better known
as Confucius, who thought people should treat one another humanely
Should express love, respect for others, honor one‘s ancestors
Love and Respect
Believed that love, respect had disappeared and was responsible for
violence in society; restoring respect for tradition would make society stable
Thoughts on how to improve society collected in book, Analects
Analects
Ruler should treat subjects fairly; subjects reward ruler with respect, loyalty
People should respect members of family, devote selves to public service
Confucian ideas spread elsewhere in Asia, including Korea, Japan, Vietnam

12. Confucianism
K‘ung Fu Tze
Born in 551 BC
Lived during Zhou/Chou dynasty
Time of lax morality
Wandered through many states, advising rulers
Writing
Dealt with individual morality
Political power of rulers
Social ethics
Afterlife
Similar to Buddhist or Taoist

13. Confucianism
The Five Relationships
ruler and people
parent and child
older brother and younger brother
husband and wife
between friend and friend

14. Confucianism
Parts of teaching
Li: includes ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc
Hsiao: love within the family
love of parents for their children
Love of children for their parents
Yi: righteousness
Xin: honesty and trustworthiness
Jen: benevolence, humaneness towards others; the
highest Confucian virtue
Chung: loyalty to the state
Important texts – the Si Shu
Lun Yu: the analects of Confucius
Chung Yung: doctrine of the mean
Ta Hsuech: the greatest learning
Meng Tzu: analects of philosopher Meng Tzu

15. Daoism
Definition Yin and Yang
• Unlike Confucianism, which • Daoism embraced Chinese
focuses on improving concept of yin and
society, Daoism encourages people yang, representing balancing
to retreat from laws of society, yield aspect of nature—male, female;
to law of nature dark, light; hot, cold
• Heart of Daoism is concept of the • Neither can exist without other
dao, or the way • Important for two to remain
• Dao is the limitless force that is part balanced for perfect harmony
of all creation • Origins of Daoist teachings
• Through the dao, all things in attributed to philosopher named
nature connected Laozi
• Finding one‘s place in nature • Wrote book called Dao De Jing
allows person to achieve harmony • Laozi worshipped by some as a
with universe god

17. Taoism
Loa Tsu (Lao Tzu, Laozi, Loatze)
Lived approx. 604-531 BC
Lived in a feudal society with lots of
warfare
Wrote book: Tao-te-Chine (the way of
virtue)
Tao (Dao)
The path or the way (undefinable)
Way to avoid conflict (esp feudal conflict)
Power which surrounds and flows
through all things

18. Taoism
Balance – between 2 extremes
no love with out hate
no peace without war
no male without female
no light without dark
Believers goal: be one with the Tao
Gods are manifestations of the Tao
Time is cyclical, not linear
Yin & Yang
Yin formed breath of earth
Yang formed the breath of heaven
Pair of opposites seen through out the universe
Intervention of human civilization has upset
balance

19. Taoism
Chi (air, breath)
Life force that has been entrusted to each person
Developing one‘s virtues nurtures the Chi
Being nice to another means they will reciprocate
the kindness
Believe people are compassionate by nature
Feng Shui (wind & water)
Consult Chinese calendar for birth sign
Use I-Ching (book of changes)
Creates balance between ying/yang, 5 elements
and environment
Seeks to maximize balance of Chi
Simple balance – no clutter
Sharp angles bad – cut the Chi

20. Some Lasting Effects
Daoism eventually proved less influential than
Confucianism in Chinese history
Still played major role in later dynasties
Idea of balance key concept in China for centuries as
result of Daoist teaching
Daoist philosophy led many followers to work for
preservation, protection of natural environment

21. Buddhism
Gautama Siddhartha (63-483 BC)
Born a prince, raised in luxury
Took 3 trips outside the palace
Saw old, sick, and dead
Becomes an ascetic (abandons worldly
pleasures)
Search for enlightenment
Medidates under Bodhi tree
God Mara (death and desire) tries to prevent
Finds the ‗middle way‘ – between deprivation
and gratification
4 noble truths and 8 fold path

22. Buddhism
4 noble truths
1 – all life is characterized by suffering
2 – suffering is caused by
desire/craving
3 – suffering can be stopped if you
stop desire/craving
4 – stop desire/craving w/8–fold path
8 fold path
Right: views intentions Speech
livelihood Effort Conduct
concentration mindfulness

23. Buddhism
Important concepts
Karma: for every action there is a moral
reaction
Dharma: fulfilling your social role – avoids bad
karma
Samsara: cycle of death and rebirth
Nirvana: enlightenment – breaking out of
samsara
Bodhisattvas: people who have achieved
enlightenment, stay on earth to help others
Buddha
Not a god, a man (role model)
Koans – illogical riddles used to gain insight

24. Legalism
Han Feizi, Shangzi
Founders, lived 340-230BC
Han Feizi – student who taught Confucianism
Wrote main text of legalism
Shangzi traced the cause of chaos to growing
population
Strong government is a solution
Philosophy
The law is the supreme authority
Humans are inherently evil – education cannot
make them better
Only punishment and reward will get people to
act correctly

25. Legalism
Elements of legalism
Fa: the law; should be made public and rule the
state (not the whims of rulers)
Shi: legitimacy of rule; the power comes from
the position, not the person
Shu: methods; laws should be strict, there is no
place for benevolence, people need a strong
hand to rule them
Conflicts with other philosophies
Dislikes Confucianism way of praising the past
Believes that people should be working rather
than philosophizing
Persecuted all followers of Confucianism –
even the prince
Banned and burned Confucian texts

26. Legalism
Parts of legalism
Everyone has the same laws – regardless of
origin
Land was privatized and feudalism was done
away with
If you refuse to denounce a criminal, you would
be cut in half at the waist; if you identified a
criminal you got a reward
Families would share the reward or punishment
of an individual
Only the farmers and food producers would be
free – everyone should be slaves

27. Contrast
What is one difference between
Confucianism and Daoism?
Answer(s): Daoism—retreat from society and
commune with nature; Confucianism—improve
society

28. Comparing Philosophies
1. A student knows that they are failing a class. Students from
each of these doctrines know they will be in trouble when
their parents find out. How do they handle this situation?)
2. A student's friends smoke and are trying to get them to start.
How do they handle this situation?
3. A student has just found $20 in the hall. What should they
do?
4. A student's parents have just spent a lot of money on a new
outfit. The student has been playing around and has gotten
ink all over it. What should they tell their parents, or should
they?
5. A student really likes a new student in school, but all the
other students are making fun of the new student's clothes.
How should the first student act?
6. A student knows that an older brother or sister is cheating on
tests. How should the student act?
7. A student sees an opportunity to take something they have
really wanted, without being caught. How should that student
act?

29. The Shang Dynasty
According to ancient Chinese records, the Shang dynasty formed
around 1766 BC, although many archaeologists believe it actually
began somewhat later than that.
Government and Order Agricultural Society
Society
• China ruled by • King‘s governors • Shang China
strong monarchy ruled distant parts largely agricultural
• At capital of kingdom
• Most tended crops
city, Anyang, kings • King also had large in fields
surrounded by army at disposal
• Farmers called on
court • Prevented to fight in
• Rituals performed rebellions, fought army, work on
to strengthen outside opponents building projects—
kingdom, keep safe tombs, palaces, wal
ls

30. Shang Elite
Leisure Artifacts
• Ruling elite had free time to • Much of what is known comes
pursue leisure activities, hunting from studying royal tombs
for sport
• Contained valuable items made
• Wealthy enjoyed collecting of bronze, jade
expensive bronze, jade objects
Afterlife Ancestor Worship
• Tombs held remains of • Shang offered gifts to deceased
sacrificed prisoners of war ancestors to keep them happy
in afterlife
• Believed in afterlife where ruler
would need riches, servants • Steam from ritual meals
nourished ancestors‘ spirits

31. Oracle Bones
As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for
advice
Sought advice through use of oracle bones
Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell
Living person asked question of ancestor
Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone resulting in cracks on
bone‘s surface
Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn
answer

32. Shang Achievements and Decline
Writing
Development of Chinese writing closely tied to use of oracle bones
Earliest examples of Chinese writing, questions written on bones themselves
Early Shang texts used picture symbols to represent objects, ideas
Bronze
Shang religion led to great advances in working with bronze
Highly decorative bronze vessels, objects created for religious rituals
Also built huge structures like tombs; created calendar, first money systems
End of Dynasty
Shang ruled for more than 600 years, until about 1100 BC
Ruling China‘s growing population proved too much for Shang
Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty

33. Summarize
How did religion influence other aspects of
Shang culture?
Answer(s): ritual meals for ancestors; oracle
bones connected to early writing; bronze work for
rituals; built stable tombs

34. The Zhou Dynasty
Beginning around 1100 BC, the Zhou rules China for several centuries.
The Zhou dynasty is divided into two periods. During the Western
Zhou, kings ruled from Xian in a peaceful period. Later conflict arose,
kings moved east to Luoyang, beginning the Eastern Zhou period.
Government Dynastic Cycle
• When Zhou conquered • Zhou said Shang overthrown
Shang, leaders worried Chinese because they lost gods‘ favor
people would not accept them • Later rulers used Mandate of
• Introduced idea they ruled by Heaven to explain dynastic
Mandate of Heaven cycle, rise and fall of dynasties in
• Gods would support just ruler, not China
allow anyone corrupt to hold power • If dynasty lost power, it obviously
had become corrupt
In that case, they said, it was the will of the gods that that dynasty be
overthrown and a new one take power.

35. Zhou Achievements
• Before Zhou, Chinese metalwork done almost exclusively in bronze
• Zhou learned to use iron, became backbone of economy
• Iron was strong, could be cast more cheaply, quickly than bronze
• Iron weapons strengthened Zhou army, as did new weapons like
catapult and creation of China‘s first cavalry
Growth Decline of the Zhou
• Population grew under Zhou • Conflict arose during latter part of
• Farmers learned new Zhou dynasty
techniques, increased size of • Clan leaders within China rose up
harvest, created food surpluses; against king
cities also grew • As time passed, more and more
• Roads, canals allowed better local leaders turned against Zhou,
transportation, communication further weakening rule
• Introduced coins, use of chopsticks

36. Small States Fight
Result of rebellions was Warring States Period
403 BC to 221 BC, number of small states
fought each other for land, power
Zhou still nominally in charge, but power almost
nonexistent by mid-200s BC
Qin, new dynasty, arose to bring end to Warring
States Period, Zhou dynasty

38. Analyze
How did China change under the Zhou?
Answer(s): iron technology, population grew, new
farm techniques, more food, cities grew, roads
and canals built, coins and chopsticks introduced

39. Silk Culture
Legendary Beginnings
Lady His-Ling-Shih (wife of Yellow
Emperor) began raising silk worms and
invented the loom (believed to have
reigned approx. 3000 BC)
Excavated silkworm cocoon dated
between 2600 to 2300BC
Other evidence suggests silk cultivation
began much earlier

40. Silk Culture
The worm
Many varieties throughout the world
Chinese species is blind, flightless
Lays 500 eggs in 4-6 days
100 eggs weigh less than 1 gram
Silk worm has a smoother, finer filament
than other species

41. Silk Culture
Secrets of Cultivation (sericulture)
Need to be carefully changed from 65 to 77
degrees to hatch
Baby worms are feed night and day until they
are plump
Roomful of worms have to be kept at a constant
temperature – sounds like heavy rain falling in
the roof
Have to be kept warm when cocooning and
isolated from noises and smells
Produce white fluffy looking cocoons
After 8 days in a warm place, worms are
steamed/baked to kill the worms

42. Silk Culture
Cultivation
Entire process of feeding to weaving takes 6
months
Dip puff balls in water to loosen filaments
Unwind filaments onto a spool
One cocoon is between 600-700 meters long
5-8 filaments are twisted together to make
thread
Considered part of household duties for women

43. Silk Culture
Product
Clothes are light weight
Warm in winter
Cool in summer
Silk Privilege
First – reserved only for emperor and family
Wore robe of white inside palace, yellow
outside (color of the earth)
Other classes began wearing silk
Silk developed as an industrial product
Instruments, fishing lines, bowstrings, paper

44. Silk Culture
Tribute paid in rice and silk
Currency – items were priced in lengths of silk
Lost monopoly in 200 AD when Chinese
immigrants began to move to Korea
West gained sericulture in 550AD when two
monks appeared in Justinian‘s court with eggs
in hollowed staffs
Silk Road
Precious commodity to foreigners
Traders traveled the silk road overland – for
months at a time – to get silk
Important artifacts found along the Silk Road

45. Rice Culture
History
Chinese have been cultivating rice for
thousands of years
Strong dependence and work put into rice
added to strong rural essence
Chinese culture can be called ‗rice culture‘
Hunters and gathers left seeds in low-laying
areas and developed system of rice farming
Originated in Yellow (Huang He) and Hanshui
basins
Large areas of land viable for rice planting

46. Rice Culture
Evidence of rice farming as long as 3 to 4
thousand years
Widely accepted by Zhou dynasty (1100-
771BC)
By Han dynasty, rice was a staple (260BC-
220AD)
Developments
Complicated irrigation techniques were
required for farming
Year round – ploughing spring, weeding in
summer, harvesting in autumn, hoarding in
spring
Used to brew wine and offer as sacrifices to
gods and ancestors

47. Rice Culture
Central part of Spring Festival – lunar new year
Gao – specialty rice used for celebrations
Rice dumplings made on 15th night of the 1st lunar month
– for luck
Throw rice in river 5th day of 5th month to prevent
fish from eating the body of legendary leader Qu
Yuan (Chu official)
9th day of 9th month eat double 9 festival cakes
8th day of 12th month people eat porridge with
rice, beans, nuts, and dried fruit
Believed that Sakyamuni achieved Buddha-hood on this
day

48. The Yangtze River, called Chang Jiang in Chinese, is the
longest river in China and becomes well-known by its
Three Gorges scenery.

49. Papermaking
Chinese legend tells that the new invention of paper was
presented to the Emperor in the year 105 AD by Cai Lun.
Archeological evidence, however, shows that paper was in use
two hundred years before then. Either way, the Chinese
were significantly ahead of the rest of the world. The craft
of papermaking relied upon an abundance of bamboo fiber to
produce a fine quality paper. In China the papermaker uses
only the traditional materials and methods to produce fine
art paper.

50. Gunpowder
Imagine their enemy's surprise when the Chinese first
demonstrated their newest invention in the eighth century
AD. Chinese scientists discovered that an explosive mixture
could be produced by combining sulfur, charcoal, and
saltpeter (potassium nitrate). The military applications were
clear. New weapons were rapidly developed, including rockets
and others that were launched from a bamboo tube. Once
again, the raw materials at hand, like bamboo, contributed
ideas for new technologies.

51. Abacus
The abacus is a calculator for adding, subtracting,
dividing and multiplying. Tests have shown that, for
operations of addition and subtraction, the abacus is
still faster than the electronic calculator.

52. Silk
China is the first country in the world that
discovered the use of silk. Silkworms were
domesticated as early as 5000 years ago. The
production of silk thread and fabrics gave rise to
the art of embroidery. Historical documents
record the use of embroidery in China as early as
2255 B.C. Archaeological finds, however, place the
beginnings of embroidery at some point during the
Shang dynasty(1766B.C.-1122 B.C.)

53. Wheelbarrow
The wheelbarrow was invented by the Chinese.
The Chinese wheelbarrow had a single wheel in the
middle of the wheelbarrow. Farmers used the
wheelbarrow to take a load of produce to the
market place. Builders used the wheelbarrow to
carry heavy building supplies. Soldiers used the
wheelbarrow to remove injured or dead people
from the battlefield.

54. The Terra Cotta Army
More than 35 years ago, in 1974, Chinese farmers were
digging a well in central China when they discovered an
important archaeological site. They discovered fragments
from the burial grounds of a Chinese emperor, Shi
Huangdi (Shee-hwang-dee). His name is also spelled
Shihuangdi.

55. Qin was the name of the part of China
he ruled. He had his army of more
than one million soldiers conquer the
entire country in 221 B.C. He united
all the little kingdoms he conquered
and became an emperor. An emperor is
the supreme ruler of an empire.
Like most Chinese, he believed in taking the real world
with him when he died. He wanted his tomb to be
spectacular, and he certainly would need an army to
protect him when he died. Therefore, he ordered a terra
cotta (clay) army be built. He ordered that the terra
cotta soldiers be set up in formation with their backs to
him. The terra cotta soldiers and horses would stand
guard in order to protect him from attack.

56. As many as 700,000 people worked for
more than thirty years to make the 7,000
- 8,000 soldiers, horses and chariots.
When they were first made more than
2,000 years ago, the soldiers were brightly
painted and held real weapons. While molds
were used to make the bodies, no two
soldiers were alike. They had different
hair styles, shoes, expressions and
uniforms.
Over the years, the paint has faded, and vandals have
taken the weapons. Most of the bodies are smashed
because the wooden ceiling that was above them fell, and
terra cotta breaks easily. Therefore, most of the
soldiers are in bits and pieces. Archaeologists carefully
sift through the dirt inch by inch to find the tiniest
parts.

57. Farming,Life
Most of the people of ancient China were peasant
farmers who grew crops on small plots of land. Every
member of the family helped grow and harvest the
crops.
Farmers supplied food to the army and to people in the
city.
Farmers in the north grew wheat, millet, and barley to
eat. Farmers in the south grew rice to eat.
Farmers may have kept pigs and chickens, but dairy
cows were not kept due to a lack of pasture land.
Oxen and water buffalo were used to pull carts and
plows.

58. Farming, Life
Villagers dug ditches and canals to water the fields.
Many farmers used simple wooden or stone tools even after bronze
and iron weapons were invented.
The lives of peasant farmers consisted of many long, back-
breaking hours tending to crops.
Peasant farmers also had to serve in the army and help with
government projects such as building walls and canals.
Poor people spent most of their time growing and preparing food,
or doing heavy work such as digging and carrying large loads.
Farmers use a method known as terracing which is cutting flat
plains into hillsides. They would farm on the flat plains. The flat
plains looked like shelves coming out of the side of a hill. Cutting
flat plains into the hillside would also slow erosion in a hilly area.

59. Food
Poor people ate simple meals. Their main foods were rice, grains,
millet, vegetables, and beans. If they ate meat, it was usually
chicken or wild bird. Once in a while, they ate fish.
Wealthy people ate pork, lamb, venison, duck, goose, pigeon. For
special occasions they might eat snakes, dogs, snails, sparrows, or
bear claws.
Both rich and poor people used spices, salt, sugar, honey, and soy
sauce to add flavor to the food.
Vegetables and fruits were always included in a wealthy person's
diet.
To save fuel, food was chopped into small pieces and cooked quickly
in an iron frying pan, or wok, for a few minutes only.
Steaming was also a common cooking method with the rich and poor.
People usually drank tea.
Water was usually boiled before drinking it.

60. Clothing
Clothing was a mark of class in ancient China. The type of fabric,
the color and decorations on the fabric, jewelry, headgear and
footwear all told something about the wearer's position in society.
High-ranking people dressed in the finest silk in public.
Peasants wore a long, shirt-like garment, made of undyed hemp
fiber. Hemp is a rough fabric woven from plant fibers.
The type of jewelry worn showed the position of that person in
society.
A man almost always wore a hat in public. The hat showed the
wearer's occupation and status in society.

61. Clothing
Women's long hair was arranged in topknots and held in place by
hairpins and other ornaments.
Wealthy women wore elaborate make-up.
People wore thick padded clothing in winter.
From the Sui dynasty onward, only the emperor was allowed to
wear yellow. Ordinary people had to dress in blue and black.
White was for mourning, and children could not wear white while
their parents were alive.

62. Homes
Farmers usually made their homes from mud bricks with reed or tile
roofs. The bottom floor was often built below ground to help keep
the family warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Some Chinese built their house with timber or bamboo poles. A
timber frame held up the roof. The outer walls were sometimes
made of brick. The Chinese preferred wood to stone for building
because it looked more natural and it was less likely to injure people
if the house collapsed during an earthquake.
Poor people often cooked outside in the open air. Wealth people had
a kitchen indoors on the bottom floor. Servants would also live on
the bottom floor.
Charcoal or coal was burned in the fireplace to keep the house
warm.
A traditional home was divided into different sections by
courtyards.

63. Beliefs and Customs
Families in China usually included many generations living together
- often under the same roof. The oldest male was usually in charge
of everyone in the house.
There was little individualism in Chinese families. Decisions were
made that benefited the entire family and family honor and family
achievements were more important than individual needs or
achievements.
Age demanded respect. The old were considered wise and were
treated with honor.
Children were taught to respect and obey their elders.
Children were taught that they must care for their mothers and
fathers in sickness and old age.
Boys learned their family's trade, and girls learned to manage a
household.

64. Social Class
The emperor was at the top of the social system.
Ancient China was divided into four main classes.
Scholars were respected above everyone else because they
could read and write.
Peasants were the next most important because the country
depended on them to produce food.
Artisans (people who worked with their hands) were next
because they used their skills to make things that everyone
needed, such as weapons, tools, and cooking utensils.
The lowest class were merchants because they made
nothing. All they did was trade goods.
Soldiers who made a career of being in the army were not
highly regarded and did not belong to a class of their own.

65. Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese Zodiac is a twelve-year cycle. It started from
Buddhism. According to the story, Buddha called all the
animals of China to his bedside, but only twelve animals came.
Because he wanted to honor the animals for their devotion,
he created a year for each animal. The twelve animals that
appeared were the rat, ox, tiger, hare (rabbit), dragon,
snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and the pig.
Each animal has its own special characteristics. Many people
believe that these characteristics affect events that happen
during the year. In addition, some people believe that people
born in a certain year will have qualities of that year's
animal.

66. Animal Dates Characteristics
1948, 1960, 1972,
Rat charming, bright, creative, thrifty
1984, 1996, 2008
1949, 1961, 1973
steadfast, dependable, methodical
Ox
1985, 1997, 2009
1950, 1962, 1974,
Tiger dynamic, warm, sincere, a leader
1986, 1998, 2010
1951, 1963, 1975, humble, artistic, clear-sighted
Hare/Rabbit
1987, 1999, 2011
Dragon 1952, 1964, 1976,
flamboyant, lucky, imaginative
1988, 2000, 2012
Snake 1953, 1965, 1977,
discreet, refined, intelligent
1989, 2001, 2013
1954, 1966, 1978,
Horse social, competitive, stubborn
1990, 2002, 2014

67. Animal Dates Characteristics
1955, 1967, 1979,
Sheep artistic, fastidious, indecisive
1991, 2003, 2015
1956, 1968, 1980,
Monkey witty, popular, good-humored, versatile
1992, 2004, 2016
1957, 1969, 1981,
Rooster aggressive, alert, perfectionist
1993, 2005, 2017
1958, 1970, 1982,
honest, conservative, sympathetic, loyal
Dog
1994, 2006, 2018
Boar/Pig 1959, 1971, 1983,
caring, industrious, home-loving
1995, 2007, 2019

68. Compass
By the third century AD, Chinese scientists had studied
and learned much about magnetism in nature. For
example, they knew that iron ore, called magnetite,
tended to align itself in a North/South position.
Scientists learned to "make magnets" by heating pieces
of ore to red hot temperatures and then cooling the
pieces in a North/South position. The magnet was then
placed on a piece of reed and floated in a bowl of water
marked with directional bearings. These first
navigational compasses were widely used on Chinese
ships by the eleventh century AD.