The Great Encounter Of China And The West Summary

Before the arrival of western powers, China was very stable, agricultural, and ethnocentric. They had many factories that produced silk, cotton, and porcelain with their natural resources: salt, tin, silver, and iron mines. They had no interest of trade or interaction with foreigners. From the early eighteenth century, European and American Imperialism spread throughout China with a goal to extend their nation’s power. China was one of many territories that undertook the changes of New Imperialism. By 1912, the country was governed by outside nations: Great Britain (mostly), Russia, Germany, France, and Japan. Their influence on China resulted malignantly on the country’s economy, political ties, and lifestyle; in spite of the few

While westerners in China pushed to claim rights and generally oppose Chinese reformers who worked to better China, the Chinese government and society continued to face internal problems.

“It is often said that, aside from the impact of Marxism on twentieth-century China, the only other time when the Chinese looked beyond their own borders for intellectual sustenance was during the period when Buddhism was absorbed from India” (LaFleur 23). Why did this religion appeal to the Chinese when they disregarded so many other external influences? After all, being tied to the rest of the world by the Silk Road meant they were constantly inundated with novel concepts from far and wide. The answer must lie in how Buddhism interacted with the other faiths already established in the country, namely Confucianism and Daoism (sometimes spelled Taoism). While at first glance it may appear that Confucian China would be the last place

There are many things in history that can mark the milestone differences between China and Western Europe. No one really knows when Chinese culture really began, however Chinese civilization began near the Yellow River (Huang He) becoming North China, and Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) indicating South China. The first Dynasty, the Xia (Hsia) Dynasty began in about 2070 or 2205 BCE. Historians have found proof of the wheel first being used in China during this time showing urban culture did exist. The Shang Dynasty followed introducing the first Chinese Government. A lot of the “basic” Chinese culture was introduced during the Zhou (Chou) Dynasty such as the “Mandate of Heaven.” China contains a lot of history throughout the years. There were battles between the states, many new emperors and leaders, as well as new technologies. All of which brought three great Chinese philosophies; Daoism, Confucianism, and Legalism. It wasn’t until about 581 CE that China was reunifies under the leader, Sui Wendi. Wendi linked North and South China together by the Grand Canal. It was during the Song Dynasty, in 960 CE, that China promoted better tools. The

In the sixth century B.C.E., the religion of Buddhism was founded in India. Seven centuries later, the religion would find itself arriving in China in the midst of the Han Dynasty. In China, there were many different views of the religion as it arrived and spread throughout the country. There were two main responses to the religion. One response was that Buddhism could stand alongside other Chinese religions and philosophies such as Confucianism, as it could do a lot of good for China; while another view was that Buddhism had no place in China, as it came from foreign people and was barbaric, stealing from the Chinese.

1. Why are the centuries of the Tang and song dynasties in China sometimes referred to as a “golden age”?

In the historical reading When America First Met China by Eric Jay Dolin, one could say that the context of this historical reading goes into great depth when explaining the trade networks between China and the rest of the continent, particularly in the Americas right after the American Revolution ended in 1783, in comparison to many other sources that did not go into great depth.

In this early time of the missionary work, late Ming China was in a state of being more culturally open. During this period the Jesuits had successes converting prominent scholar-officials. The Jesuits learned they couldn’t convert people to Christianity if it was presented as an independent concept, so they came to blend Confucianism (the religion most popular to the literati) with Christianity. Culturally during this time the Ming dynasty possessed a lesser sense Confucian orthodoxy. They were willing to synthesize various teachings of the different religions into a harmonious unity. The Jesuits used the open spirit of the Ming to blend Christianity with Confucianism. Combining religions gave an advantage to the Jesuits because they could present Christianity as something already familiar in some concepts as the religion already practiced by the literati. Even while blending Confucianism with Christianity, they also criticized Buddhism and Daoism religions that were seen as lower class. By appealing to the upper class in this was they gained a few prominent converts in the 17th century and even Xu, one of highest official member of the Ming dynasty. As a testament to the effect this

China experiences the pressure of the imperialist’s military which China did not have the knowledge or the experience to match. China went from a superior leader, self-sufficient country, that thought that everyone else were barbarians to a torn country. China accepted foreign trade, but they wanted to control and limit how much and with who the trade was used for, they felt that they European trade was unnecessary. They did not allow the western merchants to have any power or privileges and restricted them to Canton, plus they refused to open their trade system beyond Co-Hong which caused china to not become as prosperous as Japan. (Valentini 2013) Because China the believed that they were the center of civilization and that the Western culture was inferior the Chinese government refused to go along with any of the European’s request and the two nations became hostile towards

Chinese state and that was the major sticking point for the religion in China. For

At the core of any nation’s culture are its religious beliefs. In China there are the “Three Jewels” Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, as described in Lopez (1996). There are small numbers of people practicing other religions such as Christianity and Islam, but these are the three dominant beliefs of the region. While they are separate in content, they have coexisted for several thousand years. Lopez (1996) goes on to say, “Historical precedent and popular parlance attest to the importance of this threefold division for understanding Chinese culture…Buddhism is the sun, Daoism the moon, and Confucianism the five planets…suggesting that although they remain separate, they also coexist as equally indispensable phenomena of the natural world.” Each belief system stands alone, and at the same time needs the other(s).

Many scholars today think that Protestantism and Chinese go well together. In a way both of these cultures intertwine nicely. Protestant Christianity in China now has some distinctly Chinese elements within it. The Bible is a great example of this. In the Gospel of John the first verse talks about the word of God. The Chinese translation for word is “Dao”, Dao being the same Dao of Daosim. This word is distinctly Chinese. Chinese Society and Christian Society are also similar. Confucianism also plays a large role in Chinese Protestantism. Confucianism was a school of thought in ancient China. It helped people live their lives in China by instructing individuals on what to do. In Chinese Protestantism, the Chinese like to use the Bible as a means to differentiate right from wrong. Instead of putting their emphasis on believing that Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose from the dead they focus mainly on his teachings. All religions in China have been more a way to live life rather than solely dedicating everything to a higher being. Hymns in China are very specific as well. In the past China just translated English songs into Chinese. Today however many Chinese are writing their own hymns. Some of these hymns are becoming very popular and are sung throughout China. Lu Xiaomin is a particular woman that is writing Chinese Hymns today. This native to Taiwan is using the Chinese pentatonic scale to write her songs. This along with the distinct Chinese

At first, the Ming government thought of little of the arrival of the Portuguese. From the perspective of the emperor, the Europeans were only an unusual form of barbarian. To the Chinese ruler, the rulers of all other countries were simply “younger brothers” of the Chinese emperor, who was seen as the son of heaven. The Portuguese had little impact on Chinese society at first. The exchange of ideas between the Chinese and Europeans impressed both parties. Christian missionaries from Europe brought instruments, such as clocks, that impressed Chinese officials and made them more receptive to Western ideas. Both sides benefited from this cultural exchange. Chinese scholars marveled at their ability to read better with European eyeglasses. The

For many years Western nations in Europe and North America had wanted to expand their trade with Japan and China; however, the people of the two Asian countries believed that the Westerners were barbarians with useless goods and religious beliefs that would challenge their traditions. Up until the 1800s, Japan and China had successfully restricted the influence of Western nations within their countries. Their ability to remain isolated from Westerners, however, quickly faded throughout the 1800s when the modernized Western nations grew more powerful and demanding. Due to trying to stay isolated from Western ideas and religious beliefs, Japan and China fell

The ongoing economic rise in China effects the US in many ways, including things that some people wouldn’t even consider. It can be seen that the Chinese are beginning to need more jobs, but can that be because some of theirs are being given to us? And, that’s not the only thing they’re giving us. China has the proven to be worst pollution in the world, and it has gotten to the point where the polluted air has travelled overseas to the US, and has begun to take a toll on us. But, they’re not only giving to us. Because of it becoming harder to find jobs, the students push themselves to the limit to become perfect, which could create competition with graduates here in America.