Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which legendary creature is traditionally associated with control over water and rainfall in Chinese mythology?
Which legendary creature is traditionally associated with control over water and rainfall in Chinese mythology?
Who was the first president of the Republic of China?
Who was the first president of the Republic of China?
What is the official language of China?
What is the official language of China?
What is the highest point in China?
What is the highest point in China?
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Which of the following is NOT a natural hazard in China?
Which of the following is NOT a natural hazard in China?
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Which emperor is known as the builder of the Great Wall of China?
Which emperor is known as the builder of the Great Wall of China?
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What was the first fully excavated artifact from a site in Anyang, near Yinxu in present day Henan Province?
What was the first fully excavated artifact from a site in Anyang, near Yinxu in present day Henan Province?
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Which Chinese dynasty was the first to embrace the philosophy of Confucianism?
Which Chinese dynasty was the first to embrace the philosophy of Confucianism?
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What were two commonly used structural techniques during the Han Dynasty?
What were two commonly used structural techniques during the Han Dynasty?
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What architectural structures became prevalent in China due to the influence of Buddhism during the Northern and Southern Dynasty?
What architectural structures became prevalent in China due to the influence of Buddhism during the Northern and Southern Dynasty?
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Which Tang and Song Dynasty pagoda was built in 640?
Which Tang and Song Dynasty pagoda was built in 640?
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What became more exquisite in Song dynasty architecture?
What became more exquisite in Song dynasty architecture?
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What percentage of China's population is estimated to be Buddhist?
What percentage of China's population is estimated to be Buddhist?
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What type of trees are commonly used in traditional Chinese architecture?
What type of trees are commonly used in traditional Chinese architecture?
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When was Christianity first introduced to China?
When was Christianity first introduced to China?
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What is the estimated number of Taoists in China?
What is the estimated number of Taoists in China?
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Who is credited with founding Taoism?
Who is credited with founding Taoism?
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What is the main material used in traditional Chinese architecture, aside from wood?
What is the main material used in traditional Chinese architecture, aside from wood?
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What is the purpose of curved roofs in Chinese Architecture?
What is the purpose of curved roofs in Chinese Architecture?
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What is the name of the oldest palace in China?
What is the name of the oldest palace in China?
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What is the name of the type of Chinese building that is also known as a traditional Oriental building?
What is the name of the type of Chinese building that is also known as a traditional Oriental building?
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What is the primary function of Imperial Buildings in Chinese Architecture?
What is the primary function of Imperial Buildings in Chinese Architecture?
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What is the name of the type of Chinese house that is generally one storey and constructed with timber supports?
What is the name of the type of Chinese house that is generally one storey and constructed with timber supports?
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What is the name of the largest palace complex in the world?
What is the name of the largest palace complex in the world?
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The Great Wall of China stretches across approximately what percentage of the Earth's circumference?
The Great Wall of China stretches across approximately what percentage of the Earth's circumference?
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What material was used to construct the Great Wall of China?
What material was used to construct the Great Wall of China?
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What is the approximate height of the parapets surrounding the Great Wall of China?
What is the approximate height of the parapets surrounding the Great Wall of China?
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What is unique about the Xian tomb near Xian?
What is unique about the Xian tomb near Xian?
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What is the approximate depth of the underground chamber in the Xian tomb?
What is the approximate depth of the underground chamber in the Xian tomb?
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Approximately how many terra cotta armed soldiers stand in the Xian tomb chamber?
Approximately how many terra cotta armed soldiers stand in the Xian tomb chamber?
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Study Notes
China Overview
- Located in East Asia, spanning over 9,596,961 sq km of land
- Terrain: mountains, high plateaus, deserts, plains, deltas, and hills
- Elevation extremes: highest point Mount Everest (8,850 m), lowest point Turpan Pendi (154 m)
National Symbols and Language
- National symbol: Dragon, symbolizing potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricanes, and floods
- Official language: Mandarin (Putonghua based on the Beijing dialect) with many local dialects and minority languages
Ethnic Groups and Currency
- Ethnic groups: Han Chinese (91.5%), Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uighur, Tujia, Yi, Mongol, Tibetan, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Korean, and other nationalities (8.5%)
- Currency: Yuan or Renminbi (RMB)
Natural Hazards and Geography
- Frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts)
- Damaging floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, droughts, and land subsidence
- Map of Asia and China shows geographical territory with a large variety of landscapes
Historical Figures and Dynasties
- Shih Huang di: China's first emperor, known as the builder of the Great Wall
- Sun Yat-Sen: founder and first president of the Republic of China
- Han Dynasty (206 BC): first dynasty to embrace Confucianism, made great advances in arts and sciences
- Northern and Southern Dynasty: China's architecture developed noticeably due to Buddhism
- Tang and Song Dynasty: building methods matured rapidly, architectural use of color and decoration became more exquisite
Architecture and Building Materials
- Timber: principal material in China
- Bamboo, pine, and Persia nanmu: commonly used trees
- Bricks, limestone, sandstone, glazed tiles, and majolica: also used building materials
- Clay tiles, colored and glazed with symbolic colors: black, red, azure, white, and yellow
Traditional Religions and Faiths
- Buddhism: accounts for 50% to 80% of the population
- Taoism: founded by Lao Tzu, doctrine of universal love
- Confucianism: new code of social conduct and philosophy of life, not a religion
- Islam: introduced 18 years after Muhammad's death, Muslims dominated the import/export industry during the Song Dynasty
Chinese Architecture
- Pagodas: also known as common oriental traditional buildings
- Three main purposes: palatial, religious, and funerary
- Curved roofs: to ward off evil spirits
- Three building types: Imperial Buildings, traditional residences/cave dwellings, and Religious Buildings
Temples, Tombs, and Palaces
- Temples: normal type consists of three lofty pavilions of one storey, with parallel open timber roofs
- Tombs: not of great architectural value, but created for ancestral worship
- Palaces: imperial palaces and official residents were erected isolated, one-storeyed pavilions resembling temples
- Houses: Chinese houses called Siheyuan, generally of one storey, constructed with timber supports, filled in with brickwork
The Great Wall of China
- Stretches over one-twentieth of the earth's circumference, from the Pacific Ocean to the Gobi Desert
- A barrier eight feet high (2.4m) and three feet thick (0.90m), constructed of gray granite blocks
- The wall snakes, loops, and doubles back on itself, meandering across plains and valleys, scaling mountains, plunging into deep gorges, and leaping raging rivers, for 3,700 miles
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Description
Test your knowledge on Chinese history and mythology with questions about China's first emperor, the Great Wall, Sun Yat-Sen, and the significance of the dragon in Chinese culture.
