CHAPTER 2

History
 Ⅰ Ancient Chinese History

Contents Ⅱ Modern Chinese History

Ⅲ Contemporary Chinese History

 Ⅰ

Ancient Chinese History

1 The Yellow Emperor and the Formation of the Chinese Nation

2 Qin Shihuang and China’s Unification

3 Han Wudi and the Silk Road

4 Tang Xuanzong and the Kaiyuan Age of Prosperity

5 Song Taizu and the Economic Prosperity

6 Yuan Shizu and the Territorial Expansion

7 Ming Chengzu and Zheng He’s Voyages to the “Western Oceans”

8 Qing Gaozong and the Prosperity of the Kangxi and Qianlong Periods
1. The Yellow Emperor and the Formation of the Chinese Nation

Chinese people always call themselves “Descendants of Yan and Huang”, a

title related to the legendary Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) and Yandi.
Huangdi, Yandi and Chiyou were three tribal leaders in ancient China.
• Early on, the Huangdi tribe and the Yandi tribe both

lived in the northwestern part of China.

• The war first took place between the Yandi tribe and

the Jiuli tribe.

Yandi
tribe

huangdi Jiuli
tribe tribe
“Zhuolu Battle”
In order to gain control over other tribes,
the Huangdi tribe and the Yandi tribe fought
three more wars.

Finally, Huangdi defeated Yandi and

became the leader of the tribal alliance in
the Central Plains region.

After a long period of integration and

development, they formed the main part of
the Huaxia (Chinese) nationality. Hence, it
can be said that Huangdi and Yandi are
truly the ancestors of the Chinese people.
 H
u
a
x
i
The Huangdi tribe and the Yandi tribe became further integrated. a
They influenced each other economically and culturally, and
became more and more closely related. After a long period of
integration and development, they formed the main part of the
Huaxia (Chinese) nationality.
Z
h
o
n
g
h
u
a
“Descendants of Yan and Huang”
“Zhonghua” represent the whole of China
Yandi Mausoleum Huangdi Mausoleum
Cultural Notes

• Xia, Shang and Zhou

Three ancient Chinese dynasties, ending in the 3rd
century BC. After Huangdi, three famous leaders of tribal
alliances, Yao, Shun and Yu, appeared successively. Yu
established the Xia Dynasty, the earliest dynasty in ancient
China. After the Xia Dynasty, it was the Shang Dynasty and
then the Zhou Dynasty.
2. Qin Shihuang and China’s Unification

“Seven Powers of the Warring

States Period”
 the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty

In the central government, there was the

Prime Minister, the Imperial Censor and the
Grand Commandant.

Qin Shihuang
The unification of the Qin Dynasty

• unified legal system

the whole country abided by the

laws of the State of Qin.
The unification of the Qin Dynasty

• unified measurement

units of length, volume

The unification of the Qin Dynasty

• unified currency

only gold or circular square-hole

copper money of the State of Qin
could be used.
The unification of the Qin Dynasty

• unification of scripts

the small seal scripts were used

throughout the country. Later,
simpler official scripts appeared,
and the unification of these
scripts promoted cultural exchanges.
 Protecting and expanding the
country

• In the north, from the Warring States

Period, the Huns often went to the land
north of the Qin, Zhao and Yan states to
kill and rob people.
• In the south, Qin Shihuang’s army
defeated the Baiyue tribes, and more land
entered the territory of the Qin Dynasty.
• The territory of the Qin Dynasty went east
to the sea, west to Longxi, north to the
Great Wall and south to the South China
Sea.
• In ancient Indian Sanskrit, China was called
“Cina”.
• In The Geography Book of Ptolemy, written by the
Greek geographer, China was referred to as the
kingdom of “Qinni”.
• The present name of “China”, as some people
believe, may be a variation of “Qin”
Cultural Notes

• Qin Shihuang
After the reunification of China, Ying Zheng, the King
of Qin, became the first emperor of the country. He hoped
that the rule of the Qin Dynasty would continue forever; he
was the first emperor and his descendants were the second
and third generations, and so on throughout history.
Therefore, he is known in history as “Qin Shihuang”
(literally “First Emperor of Qin”)
 3. Han Wudi and the Silk Road

The Han Dynasty included the Western Han Dynasty (206

BC—25 AD) and the Eastern Han Dynasty (25—220).

The most famous emperor was Liu Che (156—87 BC), or

Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty.
 In 139 BC, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty
sent the diplomat and explorer Zhang Qian
(164—114 BC) to the Western Regions. This
trip line is the “Silk Road”.
 Developed the military

The army of the Han Dynasty defeated the

Huns many times and opened the passageway
between the Han Dynasty and the Western
Regions.
When Zhang Qian returned to Chang’an in
115 BC, he was accompanied by envoys from
dozens of the Western Regions countries.
 the Silk Road

From Chang’an westwards, through the Hexi

Corridor, Chinese silk was transported to
Parthia, and then from Parthia to West Asia and
the Roman Empire.
the Belt and Road
Cultural Notes

• Hexi (River West) Corridor

It is about 1,000 kilometers long, located in Gansu
Province. To get to the Western Regions, one must go
through the Hexi Corridor, through which the Silk Road
leads to Central and West Asia. The Hexi Corridor was
controlled by the Huns in the early Western Han Dynasty.
4. Tang Xuanzong and the Kaiyuan Age of Prosperity

After the Eastern Han Dynasty,

Chinese history entered a long period
of division: Wei, Jin, and the Southern
and Northern Dynasties.
“The Rule
“Theof Zhenguan” and “The Kaiyuan
Rule of Zhenguan”
Age of Age
“The Kaiyuan Prosperity”.
of Prosperity”.
 Zhenguan (627—650)

Tang Dynasty (Tang Taizong)

• took many good measures to consolidate the

country
• enlightened national policy
• married his daughter, Princess Wencheng, to the
leader of Tubo
 Kaiyuan (713—742)

Li Longji (Tang Xuanzong)

• Wu Zetian’s grandson, Li Longji (Tang

Xuanzong), became the Tang emperor with the
reign title Kaiyuan (713—742). Under his
administration, the country became better and
better.
 Du Fu (712—770)

“There were tens of thousands of families in small

cities, and public and private warehouses were full of
grain”
An open dynasty

Chang’an (now Xi’an), the capital

• more than 200 countries and regions had

contact with the Tang Dynasty
• foreign businessmen and students stayed in
Chang’an for decades.
• Chang’an, Luoyang, Yangzhou, Guangzhou,
Lanzhou, Liangzhou, and Dunhuang were all
important cities in the Tang Dynasty’s foreign
trade.
 An open dynastya tremendous and far-reaching influence

“Tang People’s
Street”

Tang suit
Cultural Notes

• Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern

Dynasties
Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties are
the collective names of several Chinese dynasties. “Wei”
refers to the Wei (founded in 220) in the Three Kingdoms,
and “Jin” refers to the Western Jin Dynasty (265—317)
established by the Sima family and the Eastern Jin Dynasty
(317—420) reconstructed by the Sima clan in the south.
5. Song Taizu and the Economic Prosperity

After the demise of the Tang Dynasty, Chinese history entered a

period of division — the Five Dynasties and Ten Countries.
Emperor Taizu of the Song
Dynasty
While strengthening the power of the central
government, Song Taizu tried to unify the north
and south on the one hand, promote economic
development on the other, and quickly push the
Northern Song Dynasty into prosperity.

Song Shenzong said, “Before political affairs,

financial management is the most urgent”.
In the Northern Song Dynasty,
streets were full of shops, business
hours were more flexible, and night
markets appeared .
 the ten richest
people in human history

Song Shenzong is the third

 world’s earliest “Central Bank”

“official
Jiaozi banknotes”.
 According to historical records, the
porcelain of the Song Dynasty was
the sea trade road shipped to more than 50 countries
around the world, the farthest including
Tanzania in Africa.
Cultural Notes

• The Five Dynasties and Ten Countries

Five short dynasties appeared successively in the Central
Plains after the demise of the Tang Dynasty (907). They were
Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later
Zhou. Almost at the same time as the Five Dynasties, there
were “Ten Countries”, which included Qianshu, Houshu, Wu,
Nantang, Wuyue, Min, Chu, Nanhan, Nanping (Jingnan) and
Beihan.
6. Yuan Shizu and the Territorial Expansion

Genghis Khan Kublai

Temüjin (1162—1227) unified

the Mongolian region and was

elected the leader of the

entire grasslands.
After the establishment of the Great
Mongolia, Genghis Khan continued
to fight with his army.
I n 1 2 6 0 , K u b l a i ( G e n g h i s K h a n ’s
grandson, 1215—1294) became the Great
Khan. In 1271, he officially became the
emperor and named his reign of the
country “Yuan”.
 one of the largest
dynasties in Chinese history
According to The Historical Atlas
of China, the lands inhabited by
the Han Chinese, the vast regions
north and south of the Gobi Desert,
Northeast China, Eastern Xinjiang,
the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the
Penghu Islands, the Jizhou Island
and the South China Sea were all
under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty.
 Kublai Khan

not only an outstanding military

strategist, but also an excellent
statesman
• retained the political system of
the Song Dynasty
• promoted Sinicization
• attached importance to Han culture
• put Han people in important
positions.
a history of less than 100 years

• Sinicization was not very thorough

• many old Mongolian systems hindered
social progress and development
• Frequent wars
• the ethnic relations of the Yuan
• Dynasty were more complicated
7. Ming Chengzu and Zheng He’s Voyages to the “Western Oceans”

Zhu Di (Ming Chengzu)

Zheng He
 the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty
(1402—1424)

sent the explorer and diplomat Zheng He

(circa 1371—1433) to the “Western
Oceans” during the third year of his reign
(1405).

Zhu Di (Ming Chengzu)

• At that time, the “Western Ocean” referred to
Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean west of
Brunei.
• Zheng He’s fleet went to more than 30 countries
and regions
• reached as far as the eastern coast of Africa, the
Red Sea, Mecca, and possibly Australia

Zheng He sailed to the

“Western Oceans” seven
times
 Why did Ming Chengzu send
Zheng He to the West so frequently?

Diplomacy & Trade

• more than 100 ships in each trip

• 40 to 60 large-scale treasure ships in

more
addition• to than
grain 100 ships
carriers, water carriers,
• inand
horse carriers, each trip
warships

• gold, silver, jewelry, silk, porcelain,

and other Chinese specialty products
Every time they came to a country or region, these were
given to the local people as gifts from the Ming emperor to
express his desire for friendly exchanges.
 • set out in June 1405 and returned to in the autumn
of 1407

• taken about two years

Take Zheng He’s first trip

to the “Western Ocean” as an example
 Zheng He’s voyage to the Pacific Ocean was 87 years earlier than Columbus’s discovery of
the Americas, 93 years earlier than Vasco da Gama’s opening of the New Oriental route, and
116 years earlier than Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines.
Cultural Notes

• Zheng He’s Treasure Ships

The Treasure Ships were built by Chinese shipbuilders
in the Ming Dynasty by drawing on the shipbuilding
experience of previous dynasties. They are the largest
wooden sailboats in China’s navigation history as well as in
the world’s navigation history.
8. Qing Gaozong and the Prosperity of the Kangxi and Qianlong Periods

the Prosperous Age of Kang-

Yong-Qian

Yongzheng

Kangxi Qianlong
 lasted 296 years
(1616—1912)

• vast territories
• a stable society
• a developed economy
• rapid population growth
 Kangxi

• Emperor for 61 ye a rs, the longe st

serving emperor in Chinese history.

• quelled the Three Vassals’ Rebellion,

defeated Junggar (the Mongolians),
recovered Taiwan, and reunited China.
 Yongzheng

• reform measures played a key role in the

continuity of the prosperous period of
Kangxi and Qianlong.

• during his 13 years as Emperor, he had

handled more than 192,000 government
affairs

• rectify government officials and state

finance
How much money did Emperor Kangxi leave when
he handed over the throne to Emperor Yongzheng?

The answer is less than 8 million taels of silver.

Emperor Yongzheng left Qianlong 60 million.
 Qianlong
(or Qing Gaozong)

• Politically, maintained national unity and expanded

the territory of the Qing Dynasty.

• carried out political and religious reforms in Tibet,

and strengthened the rule of Tibet.

• In terms of economy, agriculture, handicraft industry

and commerce developed greatly

• In terms of culture, The Complete Library in the

Four Branches of Literature, which was compiled
under the auspices of Emperor Qianlong in a period
of 13 years, basically includes all ancient Chinese
books.
Cultural Notes

• The Three Vassals’ Rebellion

The Three Vassals refer to three Han vassal kings, Wu
Sangui of Yunnan, Shang Kexi of Guangdong and Geng
Jingzhong of Fujian. Because Emperor Kangxi withdrew,
these three vassal kings launched a rebellion in 1673. The
pacification of the three vassals took eight years and marked
the establishment of a stable rule of the Qing Dynasty.
 II

Modern Chinese History

1 The Opium Wars

2 The Revolution of 1911

3 The Birth of the Communist Party of China

4 The War of Resistance Against Japan

5 The War of Liberation

1. The Opium Wars

• Opium is an addictive drug.

• In the 1770s, Britain began

to sell opium to China.

• In order to maintain the

integrity of its sovereign
rule, the Qing government
decided to ban opium.
 In 1839, Emperor Daoguang sent
a minister Lin Zexu to
Guangzhou to ban opium smoking.

Emperor Daoguang Lin Zexu

With the support of the people, LinZexu’s anti-
smoking work was victorious, destroying all the
existing opium in a period of 20 days.
 the First Opium War

• In June 1840, a British fleet came to

Guangdong and started the First
Opium War against China.
the Treaty of Nanjing

• T h e F i r s t O p i u m Wa r w a s t h e
beginning of modern Chinese
history, and the Treaty of Nanjing
was the first of many une qu a l
treaties in modern China.
• cede Hong Kong Island
• open Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou,
Ningbo and Shanghai as trading
ports
• compensate Britain 21 million silver
dollars.
the Second Opium War

• From 1856 to 1860, Britain and

France jointly launched the Second
Opium War against China.

• In 1857, the Anglo-French allied

forces occupied Guangzhou and
soon hit Tianjin.
 the Treaty of Tianjin

• China’s indemnity to Britain and

France
• British and French envoys to be
stationed in Beijing
• the opening of more trading ports,
• foreigners such as the British and
French being able to freely conduct
business
• freely do missionary work in China.
The British and French allied forces burned and killed
on the outskirts of Beijing for nearly 50 days and
burned down the Yuanmingyuan Garden, then further
threatened to burn the Forbidden City.
Cultural Notes

• The Yuanmingyuan Garden

The Yuanmingyuan Garden is a famous imperial garden
in the northwest suburbs of Beijing. During the Second
Opium War, the British and French allied forces stole
treasures and cultural relics from the Yuanmingyuan Garden
and set fire to it. The fire lasted for three days and the
Yuanmingyuan Garden and nearby Imperial Gardens were
burnt to ruins
2. The Revolution of 1911

“The Banner of the

Chinese Revolutionary Democrats”

Sun Yat-sen
 the Xingzhong Society

the Xingzhong Society,

meaning the revitalization
of the people of China
Chinese Revolutionary Alliance

In 1905, Sun Yat-sen,

Huang Xing, Chen Tianhua
and others gathered in
Tokyo, Japan.
 Three Principles of the People

• nationality
• civil rights
• people’s livelihood
 Xinhai Revolution

By 1911, the revolution happened.

• the Huanghuagang Uprising

• the Road Protection Movement
• Wuchang Uprising
• 14 of the 24 provinces in the
country had declared independence.

Wuchang Uprising
On New Year's Day, 1912, Sun Yat-sen was sworn in
in Nanjing and the Provisional Government of the
Republic of China was established
However, shortly after the establishment of the
Provisional Government, Yuan Shikai came to seize
the post of Provisional President.
3. The Birth of the Communist Party of China

The victory of the October Revolution

brought Marxism-Leninism to China.
 Paris Peace
Conference

In 1919, the First World War was over.China

proposed to recover Shandong’s privileges from
the defeated Germany, but it was rejected.
May 4th Movement
 • In 1920, Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao
and others established
Communist groups in Shanghai,
Beijing, Hunan, Hubei, Shandong,
and Guangdong.

Chen Duxiu Li Dazhao

the Communist Party

In June 1921, representatives from the

Communist International arrived in
Shanghai. They suggested that the
National Congress of the Party be
convened to formally establish the
Communist Party of China.
 • the Party’s basic tasks
• the Party’s organizational
principles
• organizational structure
• elected the “central bureau”

The first National Congress of the

Communist Party of China was held
secretly in Shanghai on July 23.
 “First Program of the
Communist Party of China”

The first National Congress declared

the founding of the Communist Party of
China, and since then a new force has
been active in the political arena of
China.
After 28 years of hard struggle, the
Communist Party of China put an end to
the frequent wars and the state of
division over the past 100 years,
achieved national independence and
people’s liberation, and established
the People’s Republic of China in 1949,
in which the people were the masters of
the country.
Cultural Notes

• Communist International
In March 1919, Vladimir Lenin led the establishment of
an international joint organization of Communist parties and
Communist groups from all over the world, headquartered in
Moscow.
4. The War of Resistance Against Japan

September 18th Incident

In order to occupy the three northeastern

provinces of China, Japan staged the
September 18th Incident.
c

Chiang Kai-shek Zhang Xueliang

President of the National the leader of the Northeast Army
Government
the Japanese army occupied the three
northeastern provinces in just over
four months, and 30 million
northeastern Chinese became slaves.
 In order to consolidate the rule
of the three northeastern
provinces, Japan established the
pro-Japanese regime of Manchuria.

Puyi
the Kuomintang and the Communist Party
issued a declaration of cooperation, and the
National Anti-Japanese United Front was
officially formed.
Pingxingguan Battle Taierzhuang Battle
 The Chinese National Government officially
declared war on Germany, Italy, and Japan.

On August 15th, 1945, Japan announced an

unconditional surrender.

After 8 years of hard work, the Chinese people finally won the great victory of the
War of Resistance Against Japan
5. The War of Liberation

Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and other

Communist Party leaders went to
Chongqing on August 28th, 1945 to
conduct peace negotiations with
the Kuomintang government.
 On January 10th, 1946
The War of Liberation officially began
 At the outbreak of
c the war, the Kuomintang
governmentt had obvious advantages.
the Kuomintang government failed in its key
offensive against the two Liberated Areas: one of
Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia, and one of Shandong.

At this time, the power contrast between the

Kuomintang and the Communist Party had changed
significantly
Starting from July 1947, three columns
of the People’s Liberation Army crossed
c
the Yellow River and attacked towards
the south one battle after another.
 Pingjin Battle

the People’s Liberation

Army won three major
battles successively

Liaoshen Battle Huaihai Battle

peace talks in Beiping
 The People’s Liberation Army
occupied Nanjing and the rule
c of the Kuomintang government
came to an end.
 III

Contemporary Chinese History

1 The Founding of the People’s Republic of China

2 The Diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China

3 The Reform and Opening-up

4 Entering a New Era

1. The Founding of the People’s Republic of China

From June 15th to 19th, 1949, the

meeting of the preparatory council
for the new political consultation
conference was held in Beiping.
The second meeting of the
preparatory council was held on
September 17.

Chinese People’s Political Consultative

Conference
The first plenary session of the Chinese People’s
Political Consultative Conference was held in
Beiping from September 21st to 30th.

• the name of the “New China” would be the

People’s Republic of China
• The AD year format was adopted
• the capital was changed to Beiping
• The “March of Volunteers” was chosen as the
national anthem
• The five star red flag was used as the national
flag
The council elected Mao Zedong as the chairman of
the Central People’s Government of the People’s
Republic of China

Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi as well as four others as the

vice-chairmen, and also elected the Central People’s
Government Committee and the CPPCC National
Committee.
“The Central People’sGovernment
of the People’s Republic of China
wasestablished today!”
 The Chinese people have become
the masters of a new society and
a new country and have risen up
since then.
2. The Diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China

By October 1950, China had officially

established diplomatic relations with 17
countries.
2.1 The Five Principles of Peaceful
Coexistence

• In December 1953, when Premier Zhou Enlai

met with an Indian delegation, he first proposed
the Five Principles of mutual respect for
sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-
aggression, non-interference in each other’s
internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and
peaceful coexistence.
• Fr om A p r i l t o Ju l y 19 54 , t he d i p l o m a t i c
conferences of the foreign ministers from the
Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, France,
China, and other relevant countries were held in
Geneva, Switzerland.

• the first time that China had participated in

important international conferences as one of the
five major countries.
During the meeting, Britain showed a more friendly
attitude toward China, and frequent contacts between
China and Britain promoted the development of
bilateral relations.
• China and the United States depended
on Britain to mediate talks many times
 In the 1970s, China ushered in a wave of
diplomatic relations with countries around the
c
world, and more than 50 countries established
diplomatic relations with China.
restored the legitimate rights of
the People’s Republic of China in
the United Nations and restored
its permanent seat on the Security
Council.
 In February 1972, US
President Nixon visited China.
China and Japan formally established
diplomatic relations in September 1972
3. The Reform and Opening-up

• Deng Xiaoping was the chief designer of

China’s reform and opening-up.
• Transformed the traditional planned economic
system into a socialist market economic system.

• The reform of the political system and the

reform of the economic system were basically
carried out simultaneously.

• By the mid-1980s, reforms in various fields such

as science and technology, education, and culture
began taking place
 • 14 coastal port
cities
• economic open zones

By 1993, open cities had spread all over

the country, and China had entered a new
era of reform and opening-up
As the chief designer, Deng Xiaoping
always paid attention to the reform and
opening-up.
“One Country, Two Systems”
After 40 years of reform and
opening-up, China has made great
achievements.
Cultural Notes

• One Country, Two Systems

Under the premise of one China, the main body of the
country implements thesocialist system, while Hong Kong,
Macao, and Taiwan maintain the capitalist system that has
been around for a long time.
4. Entering a New Era

“My country is great!”

Over the past five years (2013—

2017), China’s GDP growing from
54 trillion RMB to 82 trillion RMB,
ranking second in the world.
China’s contribution to the global economy
accounted for about one third of the total in
2017
China’s achievements in science
and technology are innumerable.
From Shenzhou 2 to Shenzhou 11, 10
spacecrafts have successfully flown
into space over the last 16 years.
From space to the deep sea, Jiaolong
(Swimming Dragon) manned submersible
successfully dove to 7,062 meters in 2012,
setting the world’s deepest dive record of
its kind.
“Heavenly Road” “Fuxing” high-speed rail

Technology has made

Chinese life better and better.
 China’s new
“Four Great Inventions”
China’s international
status and influence have
been continuously improving,
and more and more important
international conferences
have been held in China
Large-scale international events
and international competitions
also favor China.
Socialism with Chinese
characteristics has entered a new
era in which to realize the“Chinese
Dream” is the goal that all Chinese
people are striving for.
Cultural Notes

• China’s New “Four Great Inventions”

In May 2017, young people from 20 “Belt and Road”
countries selected China’s new “Four Great Inventions”:
high-speed rail, Alipay, shared bicycles, and online shopping.
Questions:

1. Why do Chinese people say they are “Descendants of Yan and Huang”?

2. What was the purpose of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty sending
Zhang Qian to the Western Regions for the first time?

3. Was the Tang Dynasty a “World Empire”?

Questions:

4. Why was the First Opium War the beginning of modern Chinese
history?

5. What do you think the impact of the reform and opening-up has had
on the development of China?
THANKS