Chinese Culture

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Social Organization – Traditional

►Social Classes: Gentry – wealthy landowners Peasants Artisans / Merchants Soldiers

►Social Mobility was possible (use any wealth to educate sons for civil service exams)

►Joint Family = Extended Family

Social Organization – Traditional

►Women = inferior

►Girls were only good for work and bearing children (preferably sons)

►“An ignorant woman is virtuous”

Social Organization - Communist

►The government was more important than the individual.

►The government was more important than the family.

►Breakdown of filial piety►One Child Law►Women are considered equals

Customs / Traditions - Traditional

►Filial Piety – duty and respect that children owe their parents

►Respect for ancestors – offerings for their ancestors (food / clothing)

►Arranged Marriages►Foot binding for women – small feet

were considered beautiful

Customs / Traditions - Communist

►Cultural Revolution Red Guard – student groups in support of

Mao Attacked anyone who said negative things

about communism or Chairman Mao

►End of arranged marriages

►Ancestor offerings = illegal

Religion - Traditional

►Ancient Chinese believed in a ‘Higher Being’ Mandate of Heaven

►More concerned with Schools of Thought Confucianism Legalism Daoism

►Buddhism came to China from South Asia 100 A.D.

Religion - Communist

►No religions or schools of thought were permitted

►Communist people should not worship anything but Chairman Mao and the CCP

►Secret religious traditions survive in rural areas

Government - Traditional

►Hereditary Ruling Families

►Dynastic Cycle – rise and fall of ruling families

►Mandate of Heaven

►Short-lived Republic – 1911-1949

Government - Communist

►Communist Chinese Party (CCP)►Took control in 1949►Mao Zedong = Chairman Mao►Despite “constitution”

Very strict rule No personal freedoms or rights

►Totalitarian State

Language - Traditional

►Many different dialects and forms of Chinese

►Very complicated and difficult to become literate

Language - Communist

►Mandarin = China’s official language

►Simplified the Chinese written language

►Literacy was a major goal Educated workers = productive workers

Economic System - Traditional

►Subsistence Farming

►Silk Road – trade route linking East Asia and the Mediterranean

►International Interference (late 1700s) Spheres of Influence Open Door Policy

Economic System - Communist

►Complete state ownership►Collective Farms – government forced

peasants to pool their land, tools, and labor to farm

►Great Leap Forward (Communes)►Later communist leaders expanded

international trade

Arts / Literature - Traditional

►Bronze Sculptures

►Porcelain

►Daoism influenced art and poetry

Arts / Literature - Communist

►Propaganda – spread of ideas to promote a cause or damage an opposing cause

►Lei Feng – teaches children how to be good communists

►Quotations from Chairman Mao (Little Red Book)