...global life. These inventions were major blocks in the building of the world that we know today. The four main innovations that I consider essential in our lives are printing, gunpowder, compass, and paper. The method of printing and woodblock, or movable, printing are considered ancient Chinese inventions. This ancient Chinese invention was seen before the first dated book in 868 (Lad). Printing books was time-consuming, as the blackline method used required a new block to be carved for each page. Movable type in printing was invented during the Song Dynasty. Movable Chinese characters were carved from wood, which could be arranged as needed and even reused. Later versions used clay, but these broke easily. During the Ming Dynasty, the wooden movable type was refined and books were printed using the two-color printing process. After the development of paper, printing was one of the most important inventions as it led to expansion in spreading stories, news, and knowledge. Another innovation that changed the world was gunpowder. Gunpowder is believed to be development as a by-product of trying to make an immortality elixir. Taoist alchemists experimenting with sulphur and potassium nitrate discovered it could be used as an igniter or explosive (Temple, 1986). Later in...
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...A Comparison; The Ming and Tokugawa Period The Ming dynasty achievement in rebuilding the empire and restoring Chinese pride ushered in a period of unprecedented economic and cultural growth on Song foundations but going far beyond where the Song had left off. There was rapid commercialization of the economy as a whole, an accompanying rise in the number and size of cities, and perhaps a doubling of total trade. Tokugawa Ieyasu’s victory at Sekigahara in 1600 brought Japan the longest period of peace and stability in its history: it lasted until nearly the end of the shogunate I n1868. Rhodes Murphey discussed developments during the Tokugawa period saying, “A major result was economic and commercial growth. Such developments brought the country closer to the modern world.” (East Asia, A New History, pg. 264) Before the end of the Ming’s first century there was a growing turn to conservatism. This partially reflected the determination to reestablish the traditional Chinese way in all things after the Mongol humiliation, but it also stemmed from enhanced prosperity. An Italian missionary Matteo Ricci reported in the early seventeenth century on their conservatism saying, “Everything which the people need for their well-being and sustenance is abundantly produced within the borders of the kingdom.” (Rhodes Murphey, East Asia, A New Histoy, pg. 129) There was less incentive to seek change or be innovative at least in terms of official policy. Policy and administration was...
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...Using Ownership Incentives in China Case Overview PeriRaden is a California-based company, launched by Roy Weber - CEO, that specializes in mobile technology. They are focused on expanding their business into foreign countries, specifically China, and are faced with the challenge of introducing the employee ownership culture of the Silicon Valley to their target workforce in China. Although, ownership incentives have proven to be very Successful in the US, there are several reasons why it may not be as effective in China. The core objective of this study is to address all discussion questions and to intelligently propose an effective solution that will meet the demands of the Chinese workforce and fit within the scope of PeriRaden's business culture and overall compensation philosophy. The Chinese Workforce Besides being the world's oldest continuous civilization, with records dating back to 3500 BC, China has experienced substantial economic success since initiating its economic reform in the late 1970s. It is now the world's fastest growing economy and has the second largest GDP in the world. It is also home to the world's largest population, which equates to the world's largest labor pool. Naturally, this is appealing to many corporations looking to expand. China represents a seemingly limitless source of labor. What's more is that their individual buying power and levels of consumption are also increasing along side their growing economy. Although, it may seem...
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...Running head: ENTERTIANMENT ELEMENTS SHOULD BE ADDED IN CHINESE SPORTS Entertainment elements should be added in Chinese sports Yin Wu University of San Francisco Author Note This paper was prepared for Wrtg/Speaking Pract and Graduate Writing/Speaking Practicum(Fall_2012), taught by Professor Schultes ABSTUCT The basis of this article was to address the idea that adding entertainment elements in Chinese sports industry can change the current status of Chinese sports industry. The methods to support the article include: personal interview, analyzing the current situation of Chinese sports industry, the sharp contrast between the present condition of Chinese sports industry and U.S sports industry, the analysis of Chinese sports market, proposing an example of entertainment project on a basketball team. Upon the approaches, Chinese sports industry has the huge potential and should have a try to put entertainment elements in sports. The anticipated effect of this article is to make Chinese sports industry moves forward and have a splendid future. Entertainment elements should be added in Chinese sports China is a huge sporting nation as it can be proved from the achievements of recent Olympics Games: in 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, China got 59 medals including 28 golden medals; in 2004 Athens Olympic Games, China acquired 63 medals including 32 golden medals;...
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...We discuss a lot about international trade in my business classes, and how modern technology and government intervention stimulates trade. It was surprising to read that worldwide trade existed as early as in the Ming Dynasty. Up until reading this chapter, I had always thought trading amongst countries started closer towards 1800s. In reality China imported luxury goods from Japan, and even turkeys and tobacco from America. Even more interesting was that Ming China restricted overseas trade and regulated imports, although it was relaxed by the 1560s. Through international trade both parties usually benefit economically, culturally, and technologically. The chapter brings up how Europe introduced the telescope and world map to china through trade back in early 1600s. Again it is fascinating to read how cultures were able to share inventions and innovation through trade so early on in history. Even fashion had an influence in China when books on connoisseurship and etiquette guides were imported. Like current day, there was even a market of imitations and fake clothing being sold. Like Holcombe mentions, late Ming China did indeed seem surprisingly modern, and much of this can be attributed to trade. I also learned that tea, which is a huge part of British culture, originated from China as a medicinal drink when leaves were imported into Britain. It surprises me that something that is so integrated into British culture originated from early trading with China during the Qing...
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...How Does China’s Reemergence Impact the Current World’s Dynamics? * Background China’s reemergence In retrospect, there were three glorious dynasties of Han, Tang and Ming in China. During that time China took the leading position in economics, politics, culture, military and diplomacy. But after Ming dynasty China lost its leading position for a long time. Since the reform and opening-up in 1978, China’s reemergence of economics impresses the world substantially. In 2010, China witnessed GDP of 5,878.3 billion US dollars, which is at the second place just following United States 1. During the last decade, China moved from the being the ninth-largest exporter to the largest in the world. According to the Global Competitiveness Index 2011-2012 report, China’s global competitiveness index scored 4.90 and ranked 26 out of 142. The group performance of the developing world is boosted by the strong dynamics of some of the largest economies including China. At the meantime, China’s military power is also strengthened. From 1989 to 2010 China's official military budget increased by double digits every year 2. Based on above positive and negative facts, China’s reemergence really impacts the world’s dynamics in various dimensions. In general these impacts can be divided into areas including goods, technology, people, capital and culture. * China’s reemergence impacts world’s dynamics in different aspects Goods According the percentage distribution of Merchandise...
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.... If you were in charge of the Asian operations for McCain, how would you recommend the company overcome the challenges in the Chinese market? If I were in charge of Asian operations for McCain, I would take an advertising approach to overcome challenges in the Chinese market. The most effective way is to have famous figures/celebrities as the face of McCain. This method has been proven successful in other advertising campaigns, such as Yao Ming in the anti-shark fin consumption campaign and Jay Chou/Kobe Bryant in Sprite commercials. In both cases, the awareness of both campaigns was widespread and well known. In the shark fin case, the appearance of NBA legend Yao Ming has led to more awareness of the dwindling shark population. Likewise, when Sprite faced the likes of singer sensation Jay Chou and NBA star Kobe Bryant, the popularity of Sprite increased. It can thus be concluded that the use of celebrities or famous figures will lead to popularity in a product. As well, the price of McCain products will have to initially be very low, as a conservative society will not want to spend a lot of money on an unknown item. 2. Drawing from Hofstede’s work on global cultures, what challenges might Canadian managers at McCain face when interacting with their Chinese business colleagues? Hofstede’s works on global cultures are masculinity-femininity, uncertainty avoidance, individualism-collectivism, and power distance. The Canadian managers at McCain might end up with different...
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...Professor Koung of biochemistry in the Chinese University in Hong-Kong, the trade of swiftlets' nests began in China during the T'ang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) Some time during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), an admiral named Cheng He introduced foreign nests to the Imperial court of China. He traveled throughout Southeast Asia one year and brought back samples of many different kinds of nests and presented them to the Imperial Court. Dr. Kong believes that the supply in China had been exhausted before foreign nests were imported. In the late 17th century, four million nests (125,000 pounds) passed through the port of Batavia, now Jakarta. Nest-harvesting isn't an easy job for anyone. It takes skills and experience. During the peak season between February and May each year, gatherers clamber up trellises of bamboo and vines at sunrise, only descending at sundown. To keep their hands firmly on the trellises or bamboo scaffoldings, some times as high as 200-300 feet from the cave floor, they balance torchlight between their teeth to look for what they call “White Gold.” Their only tool is the three-pronged instrument called rada, which they believe that gods of the cave approved of and anointed. No harvesters would attempt to touch nests without rada. One harvester can collect as many as 50 or 60 nests a day. Sometimes, like mountain climbers, the harvesters hammer metal poles into rocks and boulders to attach themselves to the cave walls. Many have died when a rotted bamboo pole...
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...Beijing Opera (Youtube Project) This project is centered on Beijing Opera also referred to as Peking Opera or as the Chinese call it Jingju. It’s a form of the traditional Chinese theater that combines dance, mime, acrobatics, music, and vocal performance. Beijing Opera developed in the late eighteenth century and became fully recognized throughout China by the mid-19th century. The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has become one of the cultural treasures of China. Major performances are based in Beijing, Southern Shanghai, Northern Tianjin, and Taiwan. It has also spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan. Political influences have long played a part in the arts of China (World Music, 187). The Taiwanese took on the Opera and made it into their own. Naming it Guoju, which means national, or the in other words the National Opera. This reflects disputes over the true seat of Chinese government. After the Chinese Civil War ended, Beijing opera became the focal point of ethnic identity for the Mainland and Communist party. When the Communist Party of China came to power in the Mainland, the newly formed government moved to bring art into line with Communist ideology. Their goal was to make art and literature a component of the revolution. Dramatic works without Communist themes were considered subversive, and were ultimately banned during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Before Beijing opera evolved it was considered a religious...
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...design of walls and the floor. The ground floor even though it may seem basic to some this is where you will see all of the beauty and richness the museum has to offer. Then you proceed to the first floor where the art pieces are marvelous and you know that they have been designed by some of the greatest artist in the world. The museum contains not only the America art pieces but the pieces were from different parts of the world and thus making Metropolitan museum of art a world tourist destination. The three art pieces that fascinated me the most was the Chinese garden court, arms and armor collections and Marble Patio which is from a Spanish Renaissance Castle. The Chinese garden court found in the museum is a complete replica of the Ming dynasty garden in Suzhou in China, is stunning! It is believed that it took six months for 26 Chinese craftsmen to assemble this replica. Arms and armor art collection is another art pieces also peaked my interest. These collections contains over 14, 000 objects that were made for kings and noblemen in Europe. The objects are designed in different and unique shapes that are rich in aesthetic and artistic value. The renaissance flags and...
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...The goal was to promote trade and collect tribute from lesser powers in western seas. In 1433 he died. Stopped oversea exploration. 2) Since once Mongols conquests a land they still allowed some freedom and trade. This encouraged trade between the captured cities, Mongol and Europe. 3) Moved his capital from Mongolia to N. China (modern Beijing) "Adopted China's administrative system, adapted to urban life, and spared China from devastation if they accepted his rule." Encouraged commerce, promoted paper money, expanded highways, and fostered merchant corporations. Extended Grand Canal from Yellow River north to his capital. (transport of grain and goods) 4) The Ming Emperors tried to restore Chinese culture by restoring the Civil Service System, which was ultimately the key to success. After that, Ming China saw a revival of arts and literature. 5) The purpose of the overseas expeditions was to promote trade and collect tributes from the lesser powers in the western seas. 6) The differences were that in Europe the richer cities were generally smaller than the richer cities in China. The palace was more decorated with riches and pictures in China than in Europe. As well the efficient royal mail system which Europe did not have. All of this was in Marco Polo’s writing on his trip to...
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...CHINA China is the world’s most populated country with the population of 1.3 billion people. Since there were so many people in China they had to think about a way to control population so this is where the one-child policy was made. It officially restricts married, urban couples to having only one child, while allowing exemptions for several cases, including twins. This policy was introduced in 1978 and initially applied to first-born children from 1979. a spooky, nocturnal Halloween favourite, the Chinese consider bats as symbol of good luck and can often be found in pottery, designs and other arts and crafts, creating good luck for those who decorate with bats. Another differing perception between East and West to go along in this category is the dragon. Westerners usually see the dragon in an evil role, yet in China the dragon holds a place as one of the four greatest creatures from mythological sense. The dragon is also often seen together with the emperor, so surely it is indicative of power and prestige. NOODLES Chinese noodles are generally made from either wheat flour, rice flour, or mung bean starch, with wheat noodles being more commonly produced and consumed in northern China and rice noodles being more typical of southern China. Egg, lye, and cereal may also be added to noodles made from wheat flour in order to give the noodles a different colour or flavor. Egg whites, Arrowroot or tapioca starch are sometimes added to the flour mixture in low quantities to change...
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...Fill in the blanks to complete the following sentences. Ming-Dynasty China a. The population of China approximately doubled between the start of the Ming dynasty in 1368 and its collapse and replacement by the Manchus in 1415 in North China . This population increase, along with a reduction in government regulation, led to China’s Commercial Revolution, which lasted from 1500 and 1800. Economic advances during this time, which extended into the Qing era, included the so-called putting out system for textile manufacture, trade with the Qing empire through the port of Manila, expansion of private banks from Shaanxi into other provinces, flourishing intermediate market towns, and trade in staples like grain and cotton. b. The late imperial system of political control relied on a large, well-funded, and powerful central government staffed by dedicated officials who competed for positions by passing examinations ; the central authority of the government ; and the support of the new wealthy, literate working class. c. Early Ming-dynasty foreign policy was aggressively expansionist, as emperors extended their control into historical Chinese territories and northern song , which became a Chinese province. Despite the early Ming success in wresting China from the Yuan dynasty, the Tang ...
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...I did not know it would take me going half way around the world and nearly killing myself to overcome my fears. My sixth grade year had reached the end and so had my years at Homer Pittard Campus School. I had been there for seven years and had grown to know everyone in my grade. Before the graduation we had a brunch. At the end of it the teachers passed out fortune cookies that were made specifically for everyone. I remember the crackling of the cookie and the sound of the paper being pulled out. The fortune inside stated, “You will walk the Great Wall of China.” I did not think much about it at that time. Eventually, everyone got their fortunes and had to go on stage and present. Most of them were comical. For example, one of the fortunes read, “You will work at Starbucks,” but when it was time for me to present, no one laughed. They just nodded their heads like they agreed with the fortune cookie. Three years later I saw a glimmer of hope for the prophecy to become true. It was a normal day of my ninth grade year. I survived another grueling day of high school and walked out of school with friends. We waited for our parents to pick us up, wishing we were old enough to drive ourselves. Our routine trips my dad and me made to get home, he always stopped at the mailbox and told me to get the mail. We had an old mailbox that would screech at you when you tried to open it. When I finally managed to open it, there was only one envelope reading People to People on...
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...AP World History Survival Guide Name ________________________________ Teacher __________________________ Block _________________ Table of Contents | Pages | AP World History Overview | 3 – 7 | The AP Exam | 3 | World Regions | 4 – 5 | Five Course Themes | 6 | Four Historical Thinking Skills | 7 | Essays Overview | 8 - 15 | Document-based Question (DBQ) | 8 – 12 | Change and Continuity over Time (CCOT) | 13 – 15 | Comparative Essay | 16 – 18 | Released Free Response Questions | 19 – 20 | AP Curriculum Framework | 21 – 38 | Period 1 (Up to 600 B.C.E.)—5% | 21 – 22 | Period 2 (600 B.C.E. to 600 C.E.)—15% | 23 – 25 | Period 3 (600 to 1450)—20% | 26 – 28 | Period 4 (1450 to 1750)—20% | 29 – 31 | Period 5 (1750 to 1900)—20% | 32 – 35 | Period 6 (1900 to the present)—20% | 36 – 38 | Help with Some Confusing Subjects | 39 – 43 | Chinese Dynasties | 39 | Political, Economic, and Social Systems | 40 | Religions | 41 | Primary Sources | 42 | “Must Know” Years | 43 | * Many of the guidelines in this study packet are adapted from the AP World History Course Description, developed by College Board. The AP Exam Purchasing and taking the AP World History exam are requirements of the course. This year, the AP World History exam will be administered on: ___________________________________________ Format I. Multiple...
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