Tang Dynasty

During the Tang Dynasty, China created many of its greatest poetic works. Li-Po, a man in exile who traveled along the trading routes where he created his works, along with Du Fu made wonderful poems in the 700s AD. The Silk Road was very important during this period of China. This age is definitely China's Golden Age of Poetry.

Mike Wood

Mongols Take China

The mongols are a vicious tribe of nomads to the North of our empire. They are mainly herders, riding horses; a very harsh life that many others would despise. The leader of these nomadic clans, Ghengis Khan, literally "the greatest prince between the two oceans" set out in conquest to rule the continent. He started with Peking in the early 1200s. China was the first empire to fall to the Mongols. They invented the stirrup, a technology used so the rider could stand up while on a horse and use both hands at once, mainly to shoot a bow. The Mongols lived under a strict rule while in battle, if you surrender immediately, your life is spared and you become their slave. If you do not surrender, you will die.

Mr Carleton's Ancient Video Tape

The Han Dynasty

During the reign of the Han Dynasty, succeeding the Qin, the wall was rebuilt and ideas like Legalism, Taoism and Confucianism were accepted. Cooking was considered a work of art and expression for the Chinese people and scholars exceled in mathematics, physics, astronomy, and philosophy. This period is a time of economic prosperity.

wikipedia.org

Buddhism Comes to China

During the high point of the Silk Road, Buddhism came to our empire during the Han Dynasty. Merchants brought this religion to us and it became a part of the three main streams of thought for the Chinese culture. This states that we can only find balance through Taoism: the road, focusing on nature and the will to change, Confucianism: the idea of goodness and leading an empire by example, and Buddhism: the art of reaching Enlightenment through medidation, awakening from all of this world, seeking beyond this universe. Without all three we lose the Mandate of Heaven.

Mike Wood:The Legacy

The Great Wall

The first emperor of United China of the Qin Dynasty (210-207 BC) created a wall to protect his empire from nomad tribes attacking from the North. Under my reign during the Han Dynasty it has expanded the Great Wall of China. I have doubled the size, number of outposts, and length of the wall to keep my empire safe from the Mongols. The walls are now much stronger due to the material and method used to build it. My people have given their lives to protect us. There is tension between my people and me. I sense a rebellion.

Engineering an Empire

Sung Dynasty

China's Golden Age was at its highest peak during the Sung Dynasty around the year 960 AD. We have many precious goods that other parts of the world desire greatly; silk, tea, and a large surplus of food, mainly a fast growing type of rice we obtained through trade from Vietnam. We have many scholars in science and math, our technology is above many other societies in the world, and our arts flourish in poetry and literature. 

Mr. Carleton

Zheng He

I am now on my Seventh journey of the Treasure Fleet. My journeys started after I gained the emperor's trust, I became in charge of over three hundred ships in the year 1405. He told me to trade, explore, and conquer the seas. Over my first six journeys, I controled the trade routes over the Western sea, and visited over 37 countries. I may have even discovered a new land on the other side of the ocean.

Engineering an Empire

Lao Zi and Daoism

I have made a revolutionary concept in Chinese culture in the 5th Century BC. It focuses on nature, the universe, and and balance. I discovered the concept of Yin Yang; there cannot be a dark without a light and a light without a dark. No words can fully describe this philosophy but we must attain that balance. We must go with the force of nature, not against it. We must accept the changes that happen in the world. I, Lao Zi, have made my imprint on Chinese culture.

The Legacy: Mike Wood

Confucuius

There is a man that was at one time one of us in the 6th century BC. He was in our government until he proposed one idea for the empire. We fired him after he suggested that we be good and the people would follow, keeping society together. He said strange, terrible things like 'We should encourage our people to tell us that we're doing things wrong. We listen to them and also be their role models.' and so on. In the end Confucius was fired. Although he was gone, we still heard rumors of the walking teacher and his ideas. I can almost guarantee you his teachings will never become a way of government nor do I want them to.

  Mike Wood/Mr. Carlton (World History Bros)

The Unification of China

During the period of the warring states in China around the 2nd century BC we, the Qin Dynasty, rose above the other states and conquered them. We used of our advanced warfare technology and spread our borders over all of the states and beyond. Not only did we have horses, but also large quantities of metals used for armor, weapons, and other inventions the other states did not have. Under our rule we have unified China for many generations to come.

Mr Carleton's Slide Show