The Qin empire (221–206 BCE) of China lasted only fifteen years, but the rise of the state of Qin began several decades earlier, and Qin’s defeat of all the other rival states brought a definative conclusion to the Warring States period (475–221 BCE).
Excavation photo: Underground Army of the First Emperor.
The Qin empire (221–206 BCE) of China lasted only fifteen years, but the rise of the state of Qin began several decades earlier, and Qin’s defeat of all the other rival states brought a definative conclusion to the Warring States period (475–221 BCE). Ying Zheng, the future First Emperor, ascended the throne of Qin in the year 247 BCE at age thirteen, and only a few years later launched a series of military campaigns against the neighboring states of Han, Zhou, Wei, Chu, Yan and Qi, defeating the last in 221 BCE, ‘as a silkworm devours a mulberry leaf ’ according to the Han historian Sima Qian.
Ying Zheng proclaimed himself Qin Shihuang–the First Emperor of Qin–a signal that this was the start of an imperial empire meant to rule over all the kingdoms. Qin built a new capital at Xianyang, on the opposite side of the Wei river from present-day Xi’an. Here, the First Emperor applied strict rules of law, centralizing control and gathering a huge bureaucracy around his court to administer the new empire. The country was divided into thirty-six areas, each with its own governor. He standardized weights, measures, writing scripts, money, roads and axle widths of chariots.
His most famous building projects was the expansion of the Great Wall of China, meant to keep out foreign invaders, and his own burial complex, in which as many as 700,000 people toiled to prepare a model army for his defence and a model palace for his afterlife. The First Emperor is also remembered for his fear of subversion, leading to the burning of books and harsh treatment of scholars, with the notable exception of items and people pertaining to medicine and immortality. The First Emperor unified China and instituted many procedures that would ensure its continuity. However, his brutal regime and harsh laws meant that the empire was toppled only three years into the reign of his successor, his youngest son.
Activity
If you were to design a bronze vessel for a friend who has done something important for you, what shape would you make it? How would you decorate it? Would you use designs like the ones on the bronze vessels in the museum? What would you inscribe on it?
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In the spring of 2020, a herd of wild Asian elephants started migrating north from Southwest China. As of June 2021, the elephants have traveled 500 kilometers, navigating through rural areas and cityscapes toward an unknown destination. Scientists believe this unusual migration was spurred by deforestation, urbanization, and habitat loss.
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Create your own paper lantern and retell “The Girl Who Used Her Wits.”
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Make your own seal script stamp and use it to “sign” a decorated postcard.
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The Chinese Zodiac is based on a twelve-year cycle and each year is linked to an animal. Find your birth year and color in your zodiac animal.
Background Information
Islam has been an important cultural force in much of Asia for more than five hundred years, and in some parts for more than a thousand. Today, far more Muslims live in other parts of Asia than in the Arab areas of Asia such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Background Information
As with art, literature, and philosophy, the Tang dynasty (618-906) nurtured a Golden Age of development and innovation in science and technology that culminated in the Song dynasty (960-1279). The expansive exchange of foreign goods and information during the Tang, together with the high value placed upon close observation and analysis that characterized the Song, set the stage for vigorous scientific innovations. Important advances were made in astronomy, agriculture, industry, medicine, and military technologies.
Lesson
Lesson: Students will 1) understand how Wong was viewed by her community as a rebel in her choice of career and in her artistic style; 2) practice using compare/contrast skills to identify the hallmarks of art from the Qing and Song dynasties, to understand how Wong’s work was initially judged; and 3) hone discussion skills through the use of Project Zero’s Artful Thinking Routines.
