History of China

This article is about history of China prior to the establishment of the People’
s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. For the history of modern political state
using "China" in its formal name name comprising Mainland China, Hong Kong and
Macau, see History of the People's Republic of China. For History of the modern
political state using "China" in its formal name comprising Taiwan, see History
of the Republic of China.Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River
(Chinese: 黃河; pinyin: Huáng Hé) valley in the Neolithic era. The written
history of China begins with the Shang Dynasty (ca. 1600 BC - ca. 1100 BC).
Turtle shells with ancient Chinese writing from the Shang Dynasty have been
carbon dated to as early as 1500 BC.[2] The origins of Chinese culture,
literature and philosophy, developed during the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC to 256 BC)
that followed the Shang. It was the longest lasting dynasty and spans the period
in which the written script evolved from ancient oracle script to the beginnings
of modern Chinese writing.
The feudal Zhou Dynasty eventually broke apart into individual city states,
creating the Warring States period. In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huangdi united the various
warring kingdoms and created the first Chinese empire. Successive dynasties in
Chinese history developed bureaucratic systems that enabled the Emperor of China
to directly control the vast territories.
The conventional view of Chinese history is that of a country alternating between
periods of political unity and disunity and occasionally becoming dominated by
foreign peoples, most of whom were assimilated into the Han Chinese population.
Cultural and political influences from many parts of Asia, carried by successive
waves of immigration, expansion, and assimilation, merged to create modern
Chinese culture.

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_China

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/

Economy of China

China has the third largest economy in the world after the United States and Japan with a nominal GDP of US$3.7 trillion (2008) when measured in exchange-rae terms. It has the world's second largest economy with a GDP of over $7.1 trillion (2007) when measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. China is the fastest growing major economy in the world contributing the most to global growth in 2007. Since free market reforms in 1978 China's GDP has grown an average 9.9 percent a year. China's per capita income has grown at an average annual rate of more than 8% over the last three decades, drastically reducing poverty, but this rapid growth has been accompanied by rising income inequalities. The country's per capita income is classified as in the lower middle category by world standards, at about $2,000 (nominal, 107th of 179 countries/economies), and $7,800 (PPP, 82nd of 179 countries/economies) in 2006, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Since the late 1970s and early 1980s, the economic reforms initially began with the shift of farming work to a system of household responsibility to start the phase out of collectivized agriculture, and later expanded to include the gradual liberalization in of prices; fiscal decentralization; increased autonomy for state enterprises that increased the authority of local government officials and plant managers in industry thereby permitting a wide variety of private enterprie in services and light manufacturing; the foundation of a diversified banking system; the development of stock markets; the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening of the economy to increased foreign trade and foreign investment. China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist fashion, including the sale of equity in China's largest state banks to foreign investors and refinements in foreign exchange and bond markets in mid-2000s. As its role in world trade has steadily grown, its importance to the international economy has also increased apace. China's foreign trade has grown faster than its GDP for the past 25 years.As of 2007, most of China's growth came from the private sector instead of exports. Particularly the smaller public sectr, which was dominated by about 200 large state enterprises concentrated mostly in utilities, heavy industries, and energy resources.
China has emphasized raising personal income and consumption and introducing new management systems to help increase productivity. The government has also focused on foreign trade as a major vehicle for economic growth. China's GDP has increased tenfold since 1978, largely due to economic reforms including liberalization of their economy. Some economists believe that Chinese economic growth has been in fact understated during much of the 1990s and early 2000s, failing to fully factor in the growth driven by the private sector and that the extent at which China is dependent on exports is exaggerated. Nevertheless, key bottlenecks continue to constrain growth. Available energy is insufficient to run at fully-installed industrial capacity, the transport system is inadequate to move sufficient quantities of such critical items as coal, and the communications system cannot yet fully meet the needs of an economy of China's size and complexity.
The two most important sectors of the economy have traditionally been agriculture and industry, which together employ more than 70 percent of the labor force and produce more than 60 percent of GDP. The two sectors have differed in many respects. Technology, labor productivity, and incomes have advanced much more rapidly in industry than in agriculture. Agricultural output has been vulnerable to the effects of weather, while industry has been more directly influenced by the government. The disparities between the two sectors have combined to form an economic-cultural-social gap between the rural and urban areas, which is a major division in Chinese society. China is the world's largest producer of rice and is among the principal sources of wheat, corn (maize), tobacco, soybeans, peanuts (groundnuts), and cotton. The country is one of the world's largest producers of a number of industrial and mineral products, including cotton cloth, tungsten, and antimony, and is an important producer of cotton yarn, coal, crude oil, and a number of other products. Its mineral resources are probably among the richest in the world but are only partially developed. China has acquired some highly sophisticated production facilities through trade and also has built a number of advanced engineering plants capable of manufacturing an increasing range of sophisticated equipment, including nuclear weapons and satellites.


From the data give us China is very rich country but in my opinion China still very poor becasue as we know china have largest population,if we give the average for the China economic we can see China still poor still need to develop.





References
http://www.essortment.com/all/economicschina_rjns.htm
http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/china/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China

Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China (simplified Chinese: 长城; traditional Chinese: 長城; pinyin: Chángchéng; literally "Long City/fortress") or (simplified Chinese: 万里长城; traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng; literally "The long wall of 10,000 Li (里)" is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during the rule of successive dynasties. Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of hina, were built since the 5th century BC. The most famous is the wall built between 220–200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang; little of it remains; it was much farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty.The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles)[3] from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men.[5] It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.

The history of GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The Chinese were already familiar with the techniques of wall-building by the time of the Spring and Autumn Period, which began around the 7th century BC. During the Warring States Period from the 5th century BC to 221 BC, the states of Oi, Yan and Zhao all constructed extensive fortifications to defend their own borders. Built to withstand the attack of small arms such as swords and spears, these walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel between board frames. Qin Shi Huang conquered all opposing states and unified China in 221 BC, establishing the Qin Dynasty. Intending to impose centralized rule and prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he ordered the destruction of the wall sections that divided his empire along the former state borders. To protect the empire against intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the north, he ordered the building of a new wall to connect the remaining fortifications along the empire's new northern frontier. Transporting the large quantity of materials required for construction was difficult, so builders always tried to use local resources. Stones from the mountains were used over mountain ranges, while rammed earth was used for construction in the plains. There are no surviving historical records indicating the exact length and course of the Qin Dynasty walls. Most of the ancient walls have eroded away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today. Later, the Han, Sui, Northern and Jin dynasties all repaired, rebuilt, or expanded sections of the Great Wall at great cost to defend themselves against northern invaders.The Great Wall concept was revived again during the Ming Dynasty following the Ming army's defeat by the Oirats in the Battle of Tumu in 1449. The Ming had failed to gain a clear upper-hand over the Manchurian and Mongolian tribes after successive battles, and the long-drawn conflict was taking a toll on the empire. The Ming adopted a new strategy to keep the nomadEc tribes out by constructing walls along the northern border of China. Acknowledging the Mongol control established in the Ordos Desert, the wall followed the desert's southern edge instead of incorporating the bend of the Huang He.Photograph of the Great Wall in 1907Unlike the earlier Qin fortifications, the Ming construction was stronger and more elaborate due to the use of bricks and stone instead of rammed earth. As Mongol raids continued periodically over the years, the Ming devoted considerable resources to repair and reinforce the walls. Sections near the Ming capital of Beijing were especially strong.Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall helped defend the empire against the Manchu invasions that began around 1600. Under the military command of Yuan Chonghuan, the Ming army held off the Manchus at the heavily fortified Shanhaiguan pass, preventing the Manchus from entering the Chinese heartland. The Manchus were finally able to cross the Great Wall in 1644, when the gates at Shanhaiguan were opened by Wu Sangui, a Ming border general who disliked the activities of rulers of the Shun Dynasty. The Manchus quickly seized Beijing, and defeated the newly founded Shun Dynasty and remaining Ming resistance, to establish the Qing Dynasty.Under Qing rule, China's borders extended beyond the walls and Mongolia was annexed into the empire, so construction and repairs on the Great Wall were discontinued.

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_wall

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festivl. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúxī (除夕, abbr. for 年除夕 Niánchúxī, Chúxì in Taiwan). It literally means "Year-pass Eve". Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction.[citation needed] These include Taiwanese, Koreans, Mongolians, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before 1873. In Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, largely by overseas Chinese, and has, to varying degrees, become part of the traditional culture of these countries. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year's themed stamps in domestic and international rates. Although the Chinese calendar traditionally did not use continuously numbered years, its years are now often numbered from the reign of Huangdi outside China. But at least three different years numbered 1 are now used by various writers, causing the year beginning in 2008 to be 4706, 4705, or 4645.

when i was young i heop everyday is Chinese new year,because during the Chinese new year all my unclel and auntie support to give me a lot money, and i can use the money to buy a lot of toys and food.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_newyear

http://www.chinatoday.com/

http://www.china.org.cn/travel/node_1000033.htm

2008 Beijing Olympic Games

I would like to talk about the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
As we know the Olympic Games already Finnish but we discuss how much for the china government spend for the Olympic Games, and it’s really can bring good effect for the china economic and the Chinese people,
A total of an estimated US$42 billion were spent on the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, making it the most expensive games ever; the British Olympic Association has announced that no more than US$19 billion will be spent on the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, while the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics cost US$7 billion and US$15 billion respectively.
From the data we can see how much the china government spend for the Olympic games, British only want to spend US$19 billion for the Olympic and the 2000sydeny onympic,2004 Athens Olympics cost are US$7 billion and US$15 .
Why the Chinese government spend huge number of money for the 2008 Olympic Games. Where the money came from, I think everybody know where the money come from its came from the china’s people.
In my opinion china government want to show the whole world, and its want to prove china is very big country and also very strong.
Yes actually the Olympic boring to a lot of opportunity for the china but compare with the US$42 billion I think its not enough for prove why china government spend more than US$42 billion for the Olympic.
Economic in china during the Olympic time the entire price are going up and the Chinese need to spend a lot of money buy the same product.
Bibliography
http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=zh-CN&lr=&q=%E9%B8%9F%E5%B7%A2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Summer_Olympics
http://english.china.com/zh_cn/Olympic/