Introduction to Chinese History
China, often referred to historically as the Middle Kingdom, represents approximately 1/5 of the world's population today. This massive civilization began along the fertile valleys of two major river systems: the Huang He (Yellow River) and the Yangtze River.
Family has always been the cornerstone of Chinese society. Every Chinese person's primary responsibility was to bring honor to their family, which contributed to the development of ancestor worship as a leading religious practice in ancient China.
The Chinese language stands out for its tonal quality in speech, while its written form consists of an impressive 65,000 characters. For ancient Chinese men, education was pursued with the goal of securing government service positions.
Did you know? The name "China" itself wasn't original to the country - it was created during the Ch'in dynasty, named after the ruling family!
