All About China. Allison Branscombe

to England. In 1720, they sold 400,000 pounds of tea; by 1800, this grew to 23 million pounds! Other Chinese-made goods like silk, porcelain, cotton and cloisonné (page 42) were in great demand around the world.

      In 1908, three-year old Pu Yi became China’s last emperor, ending China’s Imperial Period. Under an agreement with the new government, Pu Yi stopped being emperor in 1912, but was allowed to live in the Inner Court. After being the home of 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City was no longer the political center of China.

      In Imperial China, the dragon symbolized yang, the power and majesty of the emperor, and the phoenix symbolized yin, the feminine qualities of the empress. Today, the dragon is still a symbol of power, wealth, and respect. Did you know the dragon of royalty had five claws, while the people’s dragon had only three or four? Traditionally, colors had special meanings:

      • Red was for happiness, worn at weddings and on festive holidays.

      • Yellow was for royalty. In ancient times, only emperors and empresses could wear yellow. Common people could be jailed (or worse!) for wearing yellow.

      • Green symbolized spring and renewal.

      • White was traditionally worn when people mourned a death.

      • Dark blue and black were worn as common people’s working clothes.

      This Marble Boat and the Summer Palace (page 7) were lavishly restored by Empress Dowager Cixi. She took money meant for building a strong navy. Without this, several coastal cities were taken over by other countries. One was Hong Kong, which was not returned to China until 1997.

      But the last half of the 1800s was quite difficult. Millions died in the Taiping Rebellion (a civil war), floods and droughts. A series of humiliating defeats by other countries forced China to give up land: in the Opium War, Hong Kong was ceded to the British. The Anglo-French invasion, also called the Second Opium War, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Boxer Rebellion, which led to the Eight Nation Alliance War, also caused big land losses. Revolutionary forces led by Sun Yat-Sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty and formed the Republic of China in 1911.

      现代 Modern Times (1911—present)

      Because living conditions were so hard in the late 1800s due to floods, drought and war, many thousands moved to California (called “Gold Mountain”) in the United States. They worked in gold mines, on the Transcontinental Railroad, and built levees in the Sacramento Delta, to channel water to grow crops. Many sent back their wages to help pay for Sun Yat-Sen’s revolution to end China’s dynasties. Today, Sun Yat-Sen is known as the Father of New China.

      In 1937, an eight year war started when Japan invaded China—their bombs killed many people and destroyed precious historic buildings and ancient treasures. In 1941, American volunteers formed the Flying Tigers Air Squadron, to support China in its fight against Japan. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States entered World War II, and China and the US supported each other.

      In 1946, fights between Mao Zedong’s Communists and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek’s Nationalist Army, called the Kuomintang, led to a three-year civil war. In the end, Chiang fled to Taiwan, keeping China’s name (the Republic of China, or ROC). Mao Zedong renamed the mainland the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on October 1, 1949.

      In the 1990s, construction of the Three Gorges Dam began. For centuries, the Chang Jiang River overflowed its banks during rainy seasons, causing thousands to die or be made homeless. The dam controls this powerful river and creates electric energy for China’s industries to grow.

      More recently, hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was a great success. Preparing for the Olympics helped China modernize many facilities and spurred rapid growth. Chinese athletes won many medals. Putting on such a successful international event brought national pride and glory to China that will not be forgotten.

      Sun Yat-Sen, Chiang Kai-Shek and Mao Zedong

      Home Sweet Home

      What do you think it is like to live in one of these homes?