Geo and History Capital Cities in Ancient China
3
Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies. NAME DATE CLASS Imperial China Geography and History Activity Lesson 1 China Reunites Understanding Location: Changan and Hangzhou Changan The city of Changan had been inhabited for thousands of years—since around 6000 B.C. The rulers of the Tang dynasty made it their capital city. It had several geographic advantages. First, it was situated at the point where the Huang River and the He River meet. These rivers provided both natural resources and a key transportation route to the East China Sea and beyond. In addition, the city was located on a low plain that was protected to the south by the Qin (CHIHN) Mountains. With these resources and natural protections, the city was able to prosper. The city had an economic advantage as well. Trade prospered in Changan because it was the eastern-most stop on the Silk Road. Changan was a cultural center, too. It is the place where Buddhism was introduced to the Chinese. In A.D. 652, the Big Wild Goose pagoda, or temple, was built there for worship. By the A.D. 900s, Changan was the world’s largest city. It was home to more than a million people. Today the city is called Xi’an (SHEE ANH), and more than three million people live there. Hangzhou When invaders from Mongolia in the north made life in Changan unsafe, the Song dynasty rulers moved the capital city about 750 miles south to Hangzhou. Hangzhou was not just a place to escape invaders, however. It was a beautiful location situated near Hangzhou Bay and Xi (SHEE) Lake and surrounded by gently rolling green hills. Around A.D. 1126, Song emperors built lavish palaces and gardens around the lake for their enjoyment. Poets throughout the ages have celebrated Hangzhou’s beauty in their poems. The waters and land around Hangzhou made it an agricultural center. It was known as the “Land of Fish and Rice.” Farmers were able to collect many species of fish and grow many varieties of rice and tea. In addition, the city was a major producer of high quality silks. Because Hangzhou was located netw rks
description
Chinese Capitals
Transcript of Geo and History Capital Cities in Ancient China
-
Copyrigh
t by Th
e McG
raw-H
ill Com
panies.
NAME DATE CLASS
Imperial China
Geography and History Activity
Lesson 1 China Reunites
Understanding Location: ChanganandHangzhou
Changan ThecityofChanganhadbeeninhabitedforthousandsofyearssincearound6000B.C.TherulersoftheTangdynastymadeittheircapitalcity.Ithadseveralgeographicadvantages.First,itwassituatedatthepointwheretheHuangRiverandtheHeRivermeet.TheseriversprovidedbothnaturalresourcesandakeytransportationroutetotheEastChinaSeaandbeyond.Inaddition,thecitywaslocatedonalowplainthatwasprotectedtothesouthbytheQin(CHIHN)Mountains.Withtheseresourcesandnaturalprotections,thecitywasabletoprosper.
Thecityhadaneconomicadvantageaswell.TradeprosperedinChanganbecauseitwastheeastern-moststopontheSilkRoad.Changanwasaculturalcenter,too.ItistheplacewhereBuddhismwasintroducedtotheChinese.InA.D.652,theBigWildGoosepagoda,ortemple,wasbuiltthereforworship.BytheA.D.900s,Changanwastheworldslargestcity.Itwashometomorethanamillionpeople.TodaythecityiscalledXian(SHEEANH),andmorethanthreemillionpeoplelivethere.
HangzhouWheninvadersfromMongoliainthenorthmadelifeinChanganunsafe,theSongdynastyrulersmovedthecapitalcityabout750milessouthtoHangzhou.Hangzhouwasnotjustaplacetoescapeinvaders,however.ItwasabeautifullocationsituatednearHangzhouBayandXi(SHEE)Lakeandsurroundedbygentlyrollinggreenhills.AroundA.D.1126,Songemperorsbuiltlavishpalacesandgardensaroundthelakefortheirenjoyment.PoetsthroughouttheageshavecelebratedHangzhousbeautyintheirpoems.
ThewatersandlandaroundHangzhoumadeitanagriculturalcenter.ItwasknownastheLandofFishandRice.Farmerswereabletocollectmanyspeciesoffishandgrowmanyvarietiesofriceandtea.Inaddition,thecitywasamajorproducerofhighqualitysilks.BecauseHangzhouwaslocated
netw rks
-
Copyrigh
t by Th
e McG
raw-H
ill Com
panies.
NAME DATE CLASS
Imperial China
Geography and History Activity Cont.
ontheGrandCanalandneartheChangJiang,traderswereabletotransporttheproductsofHangzhoutootherpartsofChinaandaroundtheworld.
Capital Cities of the Tang and Song Dynasties
HangzhouChangan
CHINA
MONGOLIA
TIBET
INDIA
JAPANKOREANPENINSULA
Huang He
Ch
ang J
iang
Mekong R.
EastChina
Sea
ArabianSea
Bay ofBengal
SouthChina Sea
PAC I FI CO C E A N
N
SE
W
0 1000 km
1000 miles0
Two-Point Equidistant projection
DOPW (Discovering our Past - World)
RESGChapter 17Map Title: Capital Cities of the Tang and Song DynastiesFile Name: C12-04A-NGS-824133_A-RESG.aiMap Size: 39p6 x 20p0
Date/Proof: Mar 1, 2011 - First Proof
Directions Answerthefollowingquestions.
Understanding the Concept1. Identifying WhatgeographicaladvantagesdidChangan
have?
2. Describing ForwhatgeographicalfeatureswasHangzhouknown?
netw rks
-
Copyrigh
t by Th
e McG
raw-H
ill Com
panies.
NAME DATE CLASS
Imperial China
Geography and History Activity Cont.
3. Explaining WhydidSongdynastyrulersmovethecapitalcityfromChangantoHangzhou?
Applying the Concept4. Analyzing Howdidgeographyinfluencetheeconomiesof
thetwocapitalcities?
5. Evaluating Whichcapitalcityprovidedmoreadvantagesfortraders?Forfarmers?Forrulers?Why?
netw rks
