CHINA+3

CHINA - CORE #3  Dear Sir,  We are a group of seventh grade students from Nagel Middle School who are reaching Ancient China and think that China should be featured in your Grand re-opening. China was one of the best, most successful and thriving civilizations of all time because of it’s amazing land, leadership, people and its contributions to today’s society. Ancient China was located on the continent of Asia and main physical features included mountains, grassy plains (also called __steppe__ ) and crops. China also had many important rivers and landmarks including __The Yellow River__  and __Mt. Everest.__  China was a very large civilization which easier to move around, farm and trade.

  Ancient China had a very complex way of working with there government and military. China was controlled by a monarchy which a __Emperor__  was the leader of. The Chinese people mainly followed the laws and rules because of the fear of punishment.  The Chinese people also had a war leader called a __warlord__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. The political power of China was based in its armies and their great weapons. The Chinese had gunpowder before the Europeans,this gave them a significant advantage over other countries that they fought with. This shows that the Chinese had a very significant technological advantage over all of their enemies that allowed them to defend and expand their empire. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff9900; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the military the casualty was very high, because at the time it was quite common to have huge warfare where thousands were dying and Ancient China was most of the time caught in battles against the Huns or Invaders. The Chinese people built <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff9900; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">__The Great Wall of China__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff9900; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to keep the Nomads out and prevent war. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The government of ancient China was a monarchy. The laws were very strict and the punishments were harsh. Many crimes resulted in beatings or torture, these were the “mild” punishments. the more extreme punishments were expulsion from the nation and beheading. It was especially dishonorable to be beheaded because the head was the most holy part of the body in ancient Chinese culture.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Ancient China had a very unique way of creating and developing employment, trade, currency and agriculture. China’s employment was very equal to it’s social status but did not include as much harsh punishment in the work force as other civilizations which kept people working and it did not create issues throughout the community. If you were a slave you worked in the fields harder and longer then the middle class people who also owned fields. Also, if you owned your own fields you were the one’s to pay taxes. China’s currency (called <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">__Yuan)__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> was also very different and developed faster then other civilizations and their trade included a very long route which helped trade father and still not get lost, and that resulted in longer roads like we have today. The long trade route was called The Silk Route and China mainly traded their silk. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">__The Silk Route__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> provided many opportunity for the Chinese people so they could afford luxury. Ancient China’s agriculture was very vast and made easier for the whole population to farm and stay healthy unlike other civilizations that had very small farming space

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> China’s social class was very unique and was very organized unlike the other civilizations and they developed faster then any other civilization. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The 5 main social classes were Nobles, Officials, Artisans, peasants, and merchants. If you were at the top you usually wore Silk and nice clothing and if you were at the bottom you wore a cheap fiber called hemp. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> They would also wear long t-shirts called tunics that went down to there knees. Men and women would wear there hair long and if you cut it, it would be very disrespectful.The foods that the Chinese usually ate were soybeans, cucumbers, oranges, lemons, peaches, and apricots. Most of these foods were farmed. There food utensil was the <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">__chopsticks__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> which were originated in the early ages Shang Dynasaty which was 1766-1122 BCE. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">China also celebrated many holidays and had festivals including the lantern festival, dragon boat festival, and the Mid-Autumn festival. The main religion in China was Buddhism and when you “past on” they would bury you at a <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> __Pagoda__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.This is why China was so well-rounded in there social aspect and better then the other civilizations.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> We have benefited greatly from China’s successful, powerful and fully developed civilization and way of life which is why they should be recognized and debuted in the museums grand re-opening. We also, still use many of China’s innovations and inventions including, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">__abacus__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, gunpowder, compass, silk and fireworks and this proves how advanced China's technology was. We think and would appreciate you using China in your grand re-opening exibit.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Kindest Regards, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ff00; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Jackson Johnstone, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Grace Justice, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Morgan Coyne, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Claudia Reynolds, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff9900; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Sam Fleck, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Nick Long <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and Adam Walker  <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nick Long ( <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">BLUE <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">) Jackson Johnston ( <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ff00; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">GREEN <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">) Sam Fleck, ( <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff9900; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ORANGE <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">) Morgan Coyne ( <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">PURPLE <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">) Claudia Reynolds ( <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">RED <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">) Gracie Justice( <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">PINK <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">) Adam Walker ( <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #741b47; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MAROON <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">) <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">