中国文化概况Chapter0 Overview of China

OverviewofChina

Pro.LiaoHuaying,EastChinaUniversityofTechnology(ECUT)(东华理工大学廖华英教授)KyleCox,EnglishLanguageInstitute（ELIC）（美国英语学会KyleCox）InterviewCanyousaysomethingaboutChineseCulture?DoyouthinkthatthecourseAGlimpseofChineseCultureimportanttoyou?BriefIntroductionChinaisaverylargecountrywithmanydifferentlandforms,differentclimatezones,andagreatnumberofriversandlakes.Chinesepeople—consistingofpeopleoftheHannationalityandotherethnicgroups—havebeenlivingonthisvastland,creatinganddevelopingthecountry'suniqueculture.Knowledgepoints0.1Symbols0.2Geography0.3OutlineHistory0.4PoliticalSystem0.5AdministrativeDivisions0.6Population0.7DistributionoftheEthnicGroups0.8OtherCommonKnowledgeofChina0.1SymbolsoftheStateNationalDay

TheChinesecelebrateOctober1asNationalDayinhonorofthefoundingofthePeople’sRepublicofChina(PRC)thatoccurredonOctober1,1949.NationalFlagTheredcolouroftheflagsymbolisesrevolutionandtheyellowcolourofthestarsthegoldenbrilliantraysradiatingfromthevastland.ThedesignoffoursmallerstarssurroundingabiggeronesignifiestheunityoftheChinesepeopleundertheleadershipoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC).NationalEmblemComposedoftheNationalFlag,theTienanmenGate,acogwheel,andearsofgrain,thenationalemblemsymbolizestheNew-DemocraticRevolutionoftheChinesepeople.NationalAnthemMarchoftheVolunteerswaswrittenin1935withlyricsbythepoetTianHanandmusicbythecomposerNieEr.Arise,wewhorefusetobeslaves;WithourveryfleshandbloodLetusbuildournewGreatWall!ThepeoplesofChinaareattheirmostcriticaltime,Everybodymustroardefiance.Arise!Arise!Arise!Millionsofheartswithonemind,Bravetheenemy’sgunfire,Marchon!Bravetheenemy’sgunfire,Marchon!Marchon!Marchon,on!NationalCapitalBeijingisthecapitalofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaandoneofthemostpopulouscitiesintheworld.ItisnotonlyChina’spoliticalcenter,butitalsoservesasitseconomic,scientific,cultural,andeducationalheart.

0.2GeographyLocationandBoundaryTopographyRiversandLakesClimateLocationandBoundaryChinaislocatedineasternAsia,onthewesternshoreofthePacificOcean.Ithasalandareaofabout9.6millionsquarekilometersandisthethirdlargestcountryintheworld,behindonlyRussiaandCanada.也需要根据地形图指示TopographyChinahasavariedandcomplicatedtopography.Ithaslow,flatandwideplains,gentlyundulatinghillyareas,mountainousregionswithtoweringpeaks,highandvastplateausandbowl-shapedbasins.RiversandLakesChinaisaboundingwithrivers.MostofthelargeriversreceivetheirwaterfromtheQinghai-TibetPlateau,andtheelevationdropssignificantlyasthewatertravelsfromtheplateautothemouthoftherivers.Asaresult,Chinaisrichinwater-powerresources,leadingtheworldinhydro-powerpotential.TheYangtzeRiver:ThelongestriverinChina(6,300kilometres)Itflowsthrough11provinces,autonomousregions,andmunicipalitiesOneofthemainmodesoftransportinggoodsbetweeneasternandwesternChina.TheYellowRiver:China’ssecondlongestriver(5,464kilometres)Raised-bedriver(地上河)ThecradleofChinesecivilisationandthespiritualhomeoftheChinesepeople

TheGrandCanalbetweenBeijingandHangzhou:1,700kilometresinlength.1,000yearsopennavigationinfacilitatingtradebetweenthesouthandthenorthOnceChina’s“transportation”and“informationhighway”.

ClimateDuetofactorssuchasgeographicposition,atmosphericcirculation,altitudeandhumanactivity,Chinacanbedividedintothreeclimatezones,namelytheeastmonsoonzone,thenorthwestdryandsemi-dryzoneandtheTibetanhighandcoldzone.TypicalmonsoonzoneThereisabiggapbetweenthetemperatureofnorthandsouthChinainwinter.InnorthChina,thelandissometimescoveredwithsnowandiceinwinter.Butinsummer,themajorityofthecountryexperienceshightemperaturesandplentifulrain.0.3OutlineHistory

YuanmouManandPekingManThefirstprimitivemanknowntohaveexistedinChinaisYuanmouManwholivedabout1.7millionyearsago.PekingMan,whoexistedmorethan600,000yearsagoatZhoukoudian(周口店),ClosetomodernBeijing.Theycouldwalkupright,makeandusesimpletools,andmakeuseoffire.So,theypossessedbasichumancharacteristics.

TheAncientPeriod(ancienttimes—1840)DescendantsofYanandHuang

(炎黄子孙)Chinesehistorybeganwithtwolegendaryfigures—EmperorHuang(黄帝)andEmperorYan(炎帝),who,togetherwiththeirtribes,inhabitedthedrainageareaalongthemiddlereachesoftheYellowRiver.BythetimeoftheXiadynasty(2070—1600BC),aftercenturiesoflivingsidebyside,thesetwotribeshadgraduallymergedintoone.Consequently,theChinesepeopleusuallycallthemselvesthe“descendantsofYanandHuang”.FollowingtheXiadynastyarosetheShangdynasty(商朝：1600—1046BC),theWesternZhoudynasty(西周：1046—771BC),theSpringandAutumnandWarringStatesperiods(春秋战国：770—221BC).In221BC,YingZheng,thehighlygifted,ambitiouskingoftheQinKingdomendedtheturmoilandchaosamongdukesandkingsintheWarringStatesperiod.Heestablishedthefirstunited,centralised,multi-ethnicfeudalmonarchy—theQindynasty(221—206BC),stylinghimself“ShiHuangdi(meaningtheFirstEmperor)”.TheHandynasty(206BC—AD220)wasestablishedbyLiuBang,withitscapitalatChang’an(nowXi’an).Itisdividedintotwoperiods:theWesternHandynasty(206BC—AD25)andtheEasternHandynasty(AD25—220).Bytheyear220,ChinaevolvedintotheThreeKingdomsperiod,inatripartitebalanceoftheWeiKingdom(AD220—265),theShuKingdom(AD221—263)andtheWuKingdom(AD222—280).FollowingtheThreeKingdomsperiodwereconsecutivelytheJindynasty(AD265—420),theSouthernandNortherndynasties(AD420—589)andtheSuidynasty(AD581—618).Bytheyear618,theTangdynasty(AD618—907),thecommonlyregardedgloriousperiodinChinesehistory,wasfoundedbyLiYuan.FollowingtheTangdynastycametheperiodoftheFivedynastiesandtheTenKingdoms(AD907—979).In960,ZhaoKuangyinlaunchedarebellion.Hislieutenantsclothedhimintheyellowimperialgownandaskedhimtoascendthethrone(黄袍加身)Thus,heestablishedtheSongdynasty(960—1279).In1206,GenghisKhanfoundedtheMongolEmpireuponhisunificationofthescatteredMongoltribes.Kubla,agrandsonofGenghisKhan,sweptsouthwardsacrosscentralChinain1271andfoundedtheYuandynasty(1271—1368)withDadu(nowBeijing)asthecapital.In1368,theMingdynasty(1368—1644)wasfoundedbyZhuYuanzhang.DuringthelaterperiodoftheMingdynasty,anewmilitarypowerinthenortheastofChinaarose.Ledbytheirchieftains,theManchutribesmenonhorsebackfoughtwiththeMingforcesforyearsattheGreatWall,andfinallyestablishedtheQingdynasty(1644—1911)ModernPeriodTheQingdynastywasoverthrownbytheRevolutionof1911ledbySunYat-Sen(1866—1925).Oneyearlater,theRepublicofChina(中华民国)wasfoundedunderhisleadership.TheMay4thMovementbrokeoutin1919In1921theCommunistPartyofChinawasfoundedAfterthesecondSino-JapaneseWarandtheLiberationWar,thePeople’sRepublicofChinawasfoundedin1949.0.4PoliticalSystem

TheConstitutionofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaisthefundamentallawofthestate.TheNPCisthesupremeorganofstatepower.Localpeople’scongressesarethelocalorgansofstatepower.TheStandingCommitteeoftheNPCisthepermanentorganoftheNPC.ThetermofofficeoftheNPCanditsStandingCommitteeisfiveyears.TheNPCanditsStandingCommitteeareempoweredwiththerightsoflegislation,decision,supervision,electionandremoval.TheCPCisthesolepartyinpowerinChina.Apartfromit,thereareeightdemocraticpartiesinChina.Multi-partycooperationandpoliticalconsultationundertheleadershipoftheCPCisthebasicpoliticalsysteminChina.TheStateCouncilofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaisthehighestexecutiveorganofstatepowerandthehighestorganofstateadministration.TheCPPCCisapoliticaladvisorybodyundertheleadershipoftheCPCandanorganforotherpoliticalparties,massorganisationsandpersonagesofvarioussocialcirclestotakepartintherunningoftheState0.5AdministrativeDivisionsThree-tiersystem:(1)Thecountryisdividedintoprovinces,autonomousregions,andmunicipalitiesdirectlyundertheCentralGovernment;(2)provincesandautonomousregionsaredividedintoautonomousprefectures,counties,autonomouscounties,andcities;(3)

countiesandautonomouscountiesaredividedintotownships,ethnicminoritytownships,andtowns.AtpresentChinahas23provinces,5autonomousregions,4municipalitiesdirectlyundertheCentralGovernment,and2specialadministrativeregions(SAR).0.6PopulationChinaaccountsforthelargestpopulationintheworldwithatotalnumberofabout1.370billionattheendof2010.China’spopulationisnotevenlydistributedacrossthecountry.TheeastofChinahaslargepopulation,whilethewestissparselypopulated.Peopleaboundintheplainarea,butaresparseinthemountainousandplateauregions.Thepopulationincitiesandtownscontrastssharplywiththatinthecountryside—theformerhassmallpercentageinnationalpopulation,whilethelatterconstitutesalargepopulation.0.7DistributionoftheEthnicGroups(少数民族分布图)

Chinaservesashometo56ethnicgroups.TheHannationalitymakesupabout91.51%ofChina’svastpopulation,andtheworldusestheterm“Hanculture”torefertoChineseculture.ComparedwiththeHannationality,the55ethnicminoritygroupsarerelativelysmallanddiffermarkedlyincultureandotheraspects.0.8OtherCommonKnowledgeChineseLanguage1.2billionusersRegardedastheonespokenbythegreatestnumberofpersons.SomepeopleinSingaporeandMalaysiaalsouseChinese.ThemillionsofoverseasChineseandforeigncitizensofChineseorigindistributedaroundtheworldusevariousdialectsasnativelanguage.Putonghua(Mandarin)MandarinhastheBeijingpronunciationasitsstandardpronunciation,thenortherndialectasitsbasicdialect,andthetypicalmodernlocallanguageasitsgrammaticalstandard.全国方言分布图ThedialectsoftheChineselanguageareverycomplicated.Differinthreeaspects:pronunciation,vocabularyandgrammar.MandarinoffersconvenienceforcommunicationbetweenpeopleindifferentareasorofdifferentethnicgroupsinChina.NowChinesegovernmentattachesgreatimportancetopopularizingmandarinandencouragespeopletolearnit.The24SeasonalDivisionPoints

AccordingtoChinesecalendar,therearetwoseasonaldivisionpointsineachmonth,making24inayear.Thereisaseasonaldivisionalpointaboutevery15days.The24seasonaldivisionpointshavegreatinfluenceonthefarmingofChina.NamesofChinesepeopleSurnameAppearedduringthematriarchalsociety,whenclanswereconstitutedwithmothersatthecenter.Thesurnamecomesfirst,andisfollowedbythegivenname,andthelatterhasitsowntraditionsandfeatures.Itcanhaveoneortwocharacters.Inthesameclan,thegivennameisarrangedintheorderofseniorityinthefamilyhierarchy.givennamesChinesenamesusuallyhaveacertainmeaning,expressingsomekindofwish.1)thelocation,timeornaturalphenomenonwhenthepersonwasborn;2)theexpectationofprocessingsomevirtues;3)health,longevityandhappiness.Malenames:powerandvigor;Femalesnames:gentlenessandbeauty.Today,Chinesepeopledonotpayasmuchattentiontonaming,asancientfolk.However,it’sstilltheChinsespeople’swishtogivetheirchildrenanamewhichsoundsgoodandmeaningful.SummarySonowthatweha