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5000 BCE
Neolithic Cultures
In 5000 BCE, people who lived near rivers started to settle down. They started to grow crops and make pottery. The pots were used to store food and drinks. -
1600 BCE
The Xia Dynasty
The Xia Dynasty is known as the first dynasty in traditional Chinese history. The Xia Dynasty was led by a king. The first king was Yu the Great, he helped with the Yellow river not flooding with canals. -
1046 BCE
The Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty was the dynasty after the Xia Dynasty. The Shang people invaded the Huang River. People wrote that a Shang leader named Tang asked the Xia people to leave their king and follow him. https://youtu.be/Jl5CTopSETs -
550 BCE
Daosim
Daoism is a philosophical and religious tradition that was mad in China. A man named Laozi apparently founded the religion. Daoism is about nature's forces. -
479 BCE
Confucius
Confucius was a man that traveled around China trying to convince leaders. Confucius tried to convince the leaders to treat their people kindly and their people will be good back. He wanted the people to live life like in the olden days of the Zhou Dynasty. No one was ever convinced by him. -
256 BCE
The Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty is the longest dynasty in China. It was the dynasty after the Shang Dynasty. https://youtu.be/mBsPR5brZ0E -
221 BCE
Legalism
Legalism was the school of Chinese philosophy. They believed in power and harsh laws. They believed that peace could only be obtained through threatening severe punishment to people who disobeyed laws. -
121 BCE
The invention of paper
Before the use of paper people used bones, bamboo strips and even silk. Cai Lun, a Han Court official is considered the inventor of paper. He used fishnets, tree bark and other plants. There is evidence that paper was made up to 100 years earlier. -
200
Buddhism
Buddhism was first introduced to the Chinese from traders from India. The Chinese barely practiced Buddhism and it was only foreigners who practiced. The Chinese soon started to practice and in the 500's most of the Chinese had adapted it as their religion. -
1020
Paper Money
In the 1000's paper money was introduced as currency in a place called Song. They started to use paper money because the coins were heavy. The money was used for about three years and then exchanged for another form of currency. The paper was wearing out so they stopped using it.
