Cultural Experience Paper China
I chose the country of China for my out of body cultural experience. China is a very diverse country with 56 recognized ethnic groups (Globeaware 1). The majority group of people is the Han Chinese. Other groups of people include the Mongols, Manchus, and Turik Uighurs. Each group of people has their own unique history and social values. China’s history dates back thousands of years. It is difficult to do a short paper and presentation on Chinese culture because there are so many different sub-cultures within the “Chinese culture” as well as the extensive history of China. It would take many books and hours of presentation time to really examine the full culture of China! Please keep in mind that this paper will only scratch the surface of Chinese history and culture.
I believe a country’s culture has much to do with that country’s history. China is believed to have settlements dating back to around 8000 BC (Thompson 51)! The majority of Chinese history can be divided into dynasties. Many of the dynasties lasted for hundreds of years. Each dynasty had different rulers (emperors) and the country was run a bit differently during each dynasty. Some of the dynasties such as the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) were ruled by foreign nations like Mongolia (Thompson 52). Foreign rule added to the already established customs and cultures of China! The Mongolians brought with them their own foods, ideas, and customs when they ruled over China. Many of the traditional buildings and homes in China are designed keeping defense in mind. The Chinese people wanted to keep invaders out of their country and especially away from the emperor. Two prime examples of this are the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City in Beijing (Harper 93).
The countries food, architecture, art, and religious beliefs all transformed throughout the different dynasties and what we see today reflects thousands of years in the making! Today, China has a Communist government and a
I believe a country’s culture has much to do with that country’s history. China is believed to have settlements dating back to around 8000 BC (Thompson 51)! The majority of Chinese history can be divided into dynasties. Many of the dynasties lasted for hundreds of years. Each dynasty had different rulers (emperors) and the country was run a bit differently during each dynasty. Some of the dynasties such as the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) were ruled by foreign nations like Mongolia (Thompson 52). Foreign rule added to the already established customs and cultures of China! The Mongolians brought with them their own foods, ideas, and customs when they ruled over China. Many of the traditional buildings and homes in China are designed keeping defense in mind. The Chinese people wanted to keep invaders out of their country and especially away from the emperor. Two prime examples of this are the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City in Beijing (Harper 93).
The countries food, architecture, art, and religious beliefs all transformed throughout the different dynasties and what we see today reflects thousands of years in the making! Today, China has a Communist government and a