Zheng He

Zheng He, the commander of China's Great Armada

His Ship

His Voyages 

Buddhism 101

Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world.  The word comes form 'budhi", 'to awaken".  It has its origins about 2,500 years age when Siddhartha Gotama, knows as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35.
Siddhartha...
Siddhartha Gotama was born into a royal family in Lumbini, now located in Nepal, in 563 B.C.E.  At 29, he realized that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness, so he explored the different teachings religions and philosophies of the day, to find the key to human happiness.  After six years of study and meditation he finally found 'the middle path' and was enlightened.  After enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism -- called Dhamma, or Truth -- until his death at the age of 80.

Basic Concepts...
To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more of a philosophy or 'way of life'.  It is because philosophy 'means love of wisdom' and the Buddhist path can be summed up as:
     1. to lead a moral life,
     2. to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and
     3. to develop wisdom and understanding.


The buddha taught these concepts in the in the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.  (To learn more check out the Basics of Buddhism website link at the bottom of this page.)

The Spread of Buddhism form India to China...
Buddhism originated in ancient India during the second half of the first millennium B.C.E.  It was brought to China and the surrounding area via merchants along the Silk Road.  (For more information on this topic revisit the PowerPoint Spread of Buddhism under the PowerPoint tab.)

Reincarnation...
Buddhists believe in a concept known as reincarnation.  Reincarnation can best be described as the rebirth of the soul or the spirit after the death of the physical body.  According to Buddhists, the soul is reborn as a human, animal, plant , or insect depending upon their karma (their actions and deeds).  The idea is that the soul continues this cycle of birth, death, and rebirth until it has perfected itself.  This state of perfection is called nirvana.  Even the Buddha is reincarnated repeatedly in human form to lead the Buddhist community, this person is referred to as the Dali Lama.

Websites...
     The Basics of Buddhism
     Buddhism for Kids
     More Buddhism for Kids
     Buddhist History for Kids
     The Spread of Buddhism Along the Silk Road
     The dali Lama's Homepage
 

Ancient Chinese Inventions: Documentary Movie

Things Europe Never Intended: Ancient Chinese Inventions, a documentary made by the Discovery Channel.

Chinese Foot Binding

a pair of shoes for bound feet

Foot binding was the custom of binding the feet of young girls painfully tight to prevent further growth. The practice probably originated among court dancers in the early Song dynasty but spread to upper class families and eventually became common among all classes. The tiny narrow feet were considered beautiful and to make a woman's movements more feminine and dainty. Although reformers challenged the practice, it was not until the early twentieth century that foot binding generally died out, partly from changing social conditions and partly as a result of anti-foot binding campaigns.  Foot binding resulted in lifelong disabilities for most of its subjects. In the 1990s and early 2000s, some elderly (born until the mid-1940s) Chinese women still suffered from disabilities related to bound feet.  Some of the earliest versions of the story of Cinderella come from Song dynasty China. In these versions, the point of the story is that the Prince loves Cinderella because she has the smallest feet of any girl in the kingdom, so the slipper will only fit her.

an X-ray of bound feet

a women displaying the results of years of binding her feet

bound feet and healthy feet side by side

It was very painful to walk on bound feet and many women ended up disabled. 

Foot binding was a tradition passed on from mother to daughter.

Along the River During the Qingming Festival

Along the River During the Qingming Festival, is a panoramic painting by Song Dynasty artist Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145).  It captures the daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today’s Kaifeng.  The theme celebrates the festive spirit and worldly commotion at the Qingming Festival, rather than the holiday’s ceremonial aspects, such as tomb sweeping and prayers.  The entire piece was painted in the hand scroll format and the content reveals the lifestyle of all levels of the society from rich to poor as well as different economic activities in rural areas and the city.  It offers glimpses of period clothing and architecture.  

If you like the painting and would like to see it init's entirety click HERE!!!

This is AWESOME....

In 2010, an electronic version of this painting was created for exhibit in the China Pavilion at the Shanghai EXPO.

The Growth of Trade & Commerce in Imperial China

Barge

 Chinese barge

modern day Chinese barge

A barge is a long boat with a flat bottom and an excellent means to transport goods.

Canal

modern day Chinese canal

A long passage dug out of the ground and filled with water, either for boats to travel on, or to take water to a place.

Junk

ancient Chinese junk

modern day Chinese Junk

An ancient Chinese sailing vessel that is still used today.

Currency

ancient Chinese currency

A system or type of money that country uses.

Agricultural Tools of Imperial China

Chain Pump

A chain pump is a type of water pump in which several circular discs are positioned on endless chain.  One part of the chain dips into the water, and the chain runs through a tube, slightly bigger than the discs.  as the chain is dran up the tube, water becomes trapped between the discs and is lifted to the top.

Harrow

A farming tool with sharp metal blades, used to break up the earth before planting crops.

Ox

A very large bull that is used to work on farms.

Rice Paddies

A field flooded with water in which rice is grown.

Terrace Farming

A series of flat areas cut out of a hill like steps, and used to grow crops.