# data[].attributes.body
Type of government: It was a hierarchy.

Social classes: The bottom was slaves, then farmers, artisans, warriors and leaders, nobles, and the king.

Religion and Culture: The Chinese people believed in supernatural forces when the rulers could get help in worldly affairs. They believed it was important to treat the spirits of their ancestors so that it would bring good fortune to the living family member, and hopefully not bad.

The Fall: The ruler of the state called Zhou rebeled against the Shang.

# data[].attributes.body
The Rise: The Rise was that the Zhou defeated the Shang Dynasty and started the longest known Chinese Dynasty.

Mandate of Heaven: The king ruled by the authority to command from the Heavens.

The Dynastic Cycle: It talks about the Old Dynasty, Aging Dynasty, and the New Dynasty. The New Dynasty- Protects people from people who try to invade and rebuild everything, and restores the orders. Aging Dynasty- loses control of official, over taxes the people, treats people unfairly, and allows everything they just rebuilt to fall apart. Old Dynasty- Displeases Heaven which results in floods and hunger crisis's, unable to defend against people trying to invade, and allows corruption.

Inventions / Innovations: Paper- made in the year 105, one of the most defining inventions of all time, and the oldest surviving piece of paper was found in a Tomb near Xian in the year 1957. It is as old as 140-87 BC. Gunpowder- Originally known as "black powder", invented around 1000 BC, Wei Boyang described it in 142 AD as something that could 'fly and dance'.

The Fall: After around 800 years, the dynasty collapsed. In 403 BC, a civil war broke out which started the age known in the Chinese history as the Period of the Warring States. The Warring States Period was an intellectual golden age that led to the development of new philosophies that were known as the Hundred Schools of Thought. The Qin gained control of China 221 BC and created a new dynasty.

# data[].attributes.body
The Rise: After many centuries of war the Qin overcame everyone in 25 years. Under their rules, China saw reforms and big public works projects.

Significant Leaders: The first emporer of the Qin Dynasty was known as Qin Shihuangdi who was literally the first emperor who ruled 259-210 BCE. Shihuangdi had harsh rules to make sure to maintain his control. He also had his chief advisor burn all the books that were not written on subjects that Shihuangdi thought was useful. The subjects were agriculture and medicine.

Great Architectural Works:

Great Wall- The wall was first began by Emperor Qin Shi Huang around the year 220 BC, who was the first emperor of unified China. With Qin Shihuangdi as the emperor, the walls that were between states were removed and some were reused to form a border between China and something called the "barbarians" to the north. Around 300,000 soldiers that were captured were forced to make the wall. The wall was mostly made of rammed earth.

Terracotta Army- There was more than 2,000 warriors and horses that was evacuated from three seperate burial pits and there was an estimated 6,000 that are still buried underground. There was also no historical evidence that the Terracotta Army was even a thing. The discovery was a complete surprise to everyone. The Army sat untouched for around 2,200 years. The Army was discovered on the 29th of March in 1974 when a farmer was digging up a well and found pottery pieces. There was also no two figures that were identical (or exactly alike).

The Fall: The Qin Dynasty only lasted around 15 years.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.historyhit.com/made-in-china-pioneering-chinese-inventions/#:~:text=Cast%20iron&text=Archaeological%20research%20has%20confirmed%20that,available%20in%20Europe%20before%201380.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Made in China: 10 Pioneering Chinese Inventions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From weapons of war such as gunpowder to pioneering instruments like the compass, inventions from China have altered the course of history.
Chess,…

# data[].attributes.body
https://asia-archive.si.edu/learn/for-educators/teaching-china-with-the-smithsonian/explore-by-dynasty/qin-dynasty/#:~:text=The%20first%20emperor%20of%20Qin,also%20ordered%20many%20construction%20projects.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE) - Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At the end of the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), the state of Qin conquered all other states and established the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE). It was China’s first unified state whose power was centralized instead of spread among different kingdoms in the north and south. Although it lasted only about fifteen years, the Qin…

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/sticky-rice-mortar-view-space-and-more-fun-facts-about-chinas-great-wall-180962197/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ancient work of monumental architecture, Wonder of the World, and protection against-giant lizards? The Great Wall of China is perhaps more powerful as a symbol than a physical structure, but in a new Hollywood blockbuster starring Matt Damon (who weathered some controversy related to whitewashing) the wall is all about fighting off formidable enemies. To celebrate the release of " The Great Wall," read more about the mammoth structure that inspired the movie.
The wall was built over the course of centuries
Construction of the wall was first initiated by Emperor Qin Shi Huang around 220 BC, who was the first emperor of unified China. For centuries, China had been divided into numerous geopolitical factions. This Warring States Period saw plenty of walls constructed to form boundaries between the different groups. With Qin as emperor, the walls between states were removed and some were repurposed to form a border between China and the "barbarians" to the north. Approximately 300,000 captured soldiers and conscripts were forced to complete Qin's section of the wall, which were mostly made of rammed earth.

While Qin was remarkable for starting the wall, the most enduring sections were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when Beijing was made the new Chinese capital. This chunk of the wall stretched from the Yalu River (on the border with modern-day North Korea) to Gansu Province hundreds of miles to the west. The Ming wall remains the most famous portion of the structure, with its iconic stone towers and gates around Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
It isn't actually one long wall
Built by a series of governments over 2,000 years, the wall isn't one long, unbroken stretch of fearsome architecture. It is actually a chain of different structures, including fortresses, gates, watchtowers and shelters, and there are large gaps between different sections. The wall's official length was released in 2012 by China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage after a five-year study, putting it at 13,170 miles, but experts point out that this includes sections of the wall that no longer exist. Arthur Waldron, a historian and expert on the Great Wall, says the solid wall is more like 1,700 miles long.
The Great Wall wasn't a great barrier
Although giant lizards were never a concern, like they are for Matt Damon and his cohorts in The Great Wall, Chinese governments were very concerned about Mongol raiders-and with good reason, considering how often they invaded. But it turns out the wall wasn't very effective way of keeping the invaders out. "While a towering monument to Chinese civilization, it was hardly impregnable," writes Ishaan Tharoor for the Washington Post. "The Mongols, Manchus and others all breached this great defense and went on to establish their dominion behind its ramparts." Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan easily broke through the wall in the 13th century, and in September 1550, Mongol raider Altan Khan led tens of thousands of raiders on an attack past the wall, killing thousands of Chinese civilians and plundering the countryside for several weeks before retreating.

Depending on which dynasty was in power, the wall wasn't even all that necessary. "The Tang, who ruled from 618 to 907AD built virtually no walls, because the imperial family was part Turkic and skilled in Central Asian warfare and diplomacy," writes Peter Hessler for the New Yorker. During the Ming Dynasty, the wall was one of three strategies for dealing with the Mongols. The other two included taking the offensive and buying off important leaders with gifts or access to trade.
It's a myth that you can see the Great Wall from the Moon (and it's only barely visible from space)
In 1923, National Geographic started one of the most enduring myths about the wall: that it's "the only work of man's hands which would be visible to the human eye from the moon." Neil Armstrong, following his return from the moon in 1969, was asked on a number of occasions whether the wall was visible. But due to the wall's construction materials, which blend into the terrain around it, the Great Wall has only ever been visible from low orbit (100 miles up) - and even then, the sun has to be in the perfect position to illuminate it and cast shadows. Even China's own astronaut, Yang Liwei, admitted he couldn't identify the structure with the naked eye.
There's a secret ingredient that holds the wall together
Scientists at Zhejiang University in China were researching the makeup of mortar used for building the Great Wall when they realized something unusual was added to the standard mixture of lime (limestone that has been heated to a high temperature) and water: sticky rice. The mixture made it the world's first example of composite mortar, including organic and inorganic material. In their tests, the scientists compared the quality of mortar made with and without sticky rice, and found that "sticky rice-lime mortar has more stable physical properties, has greater mechanical storage, and is more compatible, which make it a suitable restoration mortar for ancient masonry." Using sticky rice as a construction ingredient was one of the greatest innovations of the Ming dynasty, helping their structures (including tombs and pagodas as well) survive earthquakes and the elements, researchers said.
People have been pillaging chunks of the Great Wall for decades
While it might be a source of national pride today, the Great Wall hasn't always received so much love. Approximately one-third of the structure is crumbling, 20 percent is in "reasonable" condition, and the last half has disappeared after centuries of neglect. During the deadly Cultural Revolution (a 10-year movement initiated by Mao Zedong that resulted in the killing of 1.5 million Chinese and millions more imprisoned and tortured), Chairman Mao and other officials encouraged the dismantling of the wall for use as bricks to build homes. And while it may be state-protected today, farmers living in rural areas continue to use the bricks to build homes and animal pens.
Smugglers snuck valuable contraband through border checkpoints along the wall
In addition to keeping invaders out, the wall was an ideal checkpoint for letting people in. Nomadic people of the steppe came to the wall to trade horses and leather for manufactured Chinese goods like pottery and clothing. Much like modern TSA agents, Chinese border guards kept records of travelers passing through gates along the wall, checked for contraband, and compared travelers to lists of criminals and smugglers. Among the most famous smugglers were the two legendary monks who hid silkworm eggs in their bamboo staffs, managing to trick the border guards and bring the source of silk to Byzantine emperor Justinian I.
The wall is the longest cemetery on Earth
Construction workers were a disposable commodity when it came to building the wall. It's estimated that as many as 400,000 people died building the wall, earning it the sobriquet "longest cemetery on Earth." Many of the workers who died during the wall's construction were buried in its foundation. Peasants and soldiers forced into labor suffered under terrible conditions, with insufficient food, steep hillsides and brutal weather. The wall had such a reputation for suffering that it was an indispensible reference in Chinese literature, like in the "Soldier's Ballad" (200 A.D.) and popular novels of the Ming dynasty.
It was one pricey wall
Even without factoring in the loss of life, the wall was a massive undertaking. Between the cost of labor, the food and dwellings needed to house workers, and the raw materials, the Great Wall was extraordinarily expensive. Often the Chinese people bore the brunt of these expenses, since the government levied higher taxes to pay for the wall and its repairs. During the Ming dynasty, repairs on the west end of the wall cost 470 ounces of silver per kilometer, for a total of 487,500 ounces. Repairs to the east also required further financing. Building extensions to the walls themselves were even more costly: in 1576 these fortifications were projected to cost over 3.3 million ounces of silver, which accounted for more than three-quarters of the government's annual revenue, writes historian Julia Lovell in The Great Wall: China Against the World, 1000 BC - AD 2000.
A graffiti zone for the Great Wall
Decorations etched into the Great Wall go back for centuries, including carvings of clouds and lotus blossoms supposedly created by the wives of soldiers constructing the wall under the direction of General Qi Jiguang of the Ming dynasty. But in modern times, graffiti has become a nuisance rather than an expression of art. In 2016, NBA player Bobby Brown of the Houston Rockets came under fire for carving his name into the Great Wall, but plenty of more anonymous tourists have left their marks as well. The problem has become so widespread, Chinese officials have considered setting up a special graffiti section at one of the fighting towers at the Mutianyu section of the wall (about 40 miles north of Beijing), where visitors will be allowed to carve their immortal words.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sticky Rice Mortar, the View From Space, and More Fun Facts About China's Great Wall

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ancient work of monumental architecture, Wonder of the World, and protection against-giant lizards? The Great Wall of China is perhaps more powerful as a symbol than a physical structure, but in a new Hollywood blockbuster starring Matt Damon (who weathered some controversy related to whitewashing) the wall is all about fighting off formidable enemies.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/top-10-facts-about-terracotta-warriors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1: They were discovered completely by accident

The Terracotta Army was discovered on 29 March 1974 when farmer Yang Zhifa uncovered fragments of pottery when digging a well. This pottery led to the discovery of the first warrior of the famous Terracotta Army. Quite the find!

2: There were no historical records of them existing

The discovery of the Terracotta Warriors was a complete surprise to everyone because there are no historical records of them, or of an underground army. They had sat untouched underground for more than 2,200 years. This only adds to the mystery, as it is now the largest and most important tomb site in China.

3: The scale of the discovery is immense

Since the discovery of the Terracotta Army, more than 2,000 warriors and horses have been excavated from three different burial pits with an estimated 6,000 still buried underground. It is perhaps the enormous scale of the discovery that has added to the mystery and captivated the world, leading people to start describing the warriors as the 8th wonder of the world.

Qin Shi Huang, China's First Emperor

4: Amazingly, no two figures are exactly alike

Incredibly, despite the vast number of warriors, each warrior has unique facial features and styles. The warriors of different ranks were buried in battle formation to represent a real army and are split into infantrymen, archers, generals, cavalrymen, charioteers, officers, and guards of honour - all different in their expressions, clothing, and hairstyles.

5: They were part of the First Emperor's search for immortality

China's First Emperor Qin Shi Huang wanted to live forever. He spent a huge amount of resources building a magnificent underground empire, equipped with everything he would need for the afterlife. He had palaces, an army to protect him, chariots for travelling in, stables full of horses, entertainers and even his concubines. Covering an area of 56 square kilometers, it is the biggest burial site on earth. In 1987 the site was given UNESCO World Heritage status and is a major tourist attraction in Xi'an.

6: It's not just soldiers

More recent discoveries include terracotta acrobats and strongmen. Another pit contained 15 terracotta musicians and 13 bronze water birds to entertain the Emperor in the afterlife. There was also a pit full of stone armour and several pits full of horse skeletons. You can see some of these amazing objects in the exhibition.

7: The figures were an early feat of mass-production

Government labourers and local craftsmen created the warriors in workshops. The warriors have the stamps or names of their makers, including administrators, craftsmen and foremen. Each warrior was built from the ground upwards using different body parts made from thick coils of clay and the head was made and fired separately. Sculptural details such as hair, facial features and costume were added by hand before the figure was dried and eventually fired in a huge kiln.

8: The warriors were actually painted

Example of paint on a terracotta warrior © Mr. Ziyu Qiu

Originally the warriors were not the terracotta colour that we see today but would have been painted in bright colours. After firing, each terracotta warrior was covered with lacquer before various bright pigments were applied with colours indicating different ranks. You can see traces of paint on two of the warriors in our exhibition.

9: The warriors carried real weapons

After the warriors were painted, they were then placed in military formation in the pits and were equipped with real bronze weapons. More than 40,000 weapons have been found in the partially excavated warrior pits including swords, lances, spears and arrows. Recent studies have revealed they were never used in battle but were produced specifically for burial with the terracotta army.

10: The greatest mystery is still to be revealed: the First Emperor's tomb has never been opened

Emperor Qin Shi Huang's actual tomb remains a mystery to archaeologists and historians as it is still sealed up. There have been geophysical surveys of the tomb mound, but the mausoleum itself has not been excavated. The tomb was written about by Han dynasty historian Sima Qian, who describes 'palaces and scenic towers for a hundred officials', as well as many rare artifacts and treasures. In addition, the two major rivers of China, the Yangtze and the Yellow River, were simulated in the tomb using mercury and the tomb ceiling was decorated with the heavenly constellations. From here, Qin Shi Huang could continue to rule over his empire even in the afterlife.
This article was created alongside our 2018 landmark exhibition 'China's First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors'.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top 10 facts about the Terracotta Warriors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How were the terracotta warriors discovered? What did they originally look like? Discover more about these fascinating figures.

# data[].attributes.body
The last/first source that we used was the Google Slides classroom Unit 1 slides.