PERSUASIVE PARAGRAPH

**Birth Rights in China**

In China, there are birth rights which state that each family can have only one child. If a family has more than one child, then they have to pay extra taxes. To have birth rights is a good idea for many reasons.

First of all, China has a huge population of about 1.3 billion people. If each Chinese family was limited to one child, then the population of China could drastically go down. This is a good thing since it is very hard to get a job in China due to all the people who are looking for one.

Another reason why birth rights need to be enforced in China is because that way parents will be able to provide better for their children. It is talked about so many times how there are many families who can’t afford food or a home. Many of these families have a lot of children which make life hard for the whole family because there isn’t enough food or shelter. It would be so much easier if each family had to care for only one child. This way the parents could make sure that the whole family has enough food and money.

Overall, birth rights are a positive influence on China. They can help the growing population and resolve so many other problems. It is defiantly in China’s best interest to do something about its poor economy and birth rights are something that can help!

MAP

**THE TANG DYNASTY**

NEWS ARTICLE

**ATTACKS UPON BUDDHISM**

In recent years, Buddhism has grown a lot and has become one of the most popular belief systems in China. However, many have been complaining that Buddhism conflicts with the teachings and principles of Confucius. Han Yu, a very high ranking official, began protesting against Buddhism. Claiming that Buddhism was “stirring up trouble” he wrote that the government should outlaw Buddhism. Even though Han Yu was determined to remove Buddhism, no drastic measures were taken to make that happen. We have reports about the latest outburst against Buddhism. It is said that Emperor Wuzong has began a full scale attack upon the Buddhists of China. Reports also state that he has ordered the destruction of thousands of shrines and monasteries. Hopefully this will pass over soon but we have to keep in mind that Emperor Wuzong (who is mentally…unstable) is capable of anything!

LETTER

**AN AVERAGE DAY WITH

MY HOST FAMILY**

This morning I woke up to the sweet smell of green tea being brought to my room. I sat up and thanked the maid who was standing by the door with a tray and a small porcelain teacup on it. I was in the beautiful guestroom in the emperor Xuanzong's palace. After I finished my tea, I got up and took the beautiful silk robes which were neatly laid out on my bed. The robes were red and purple and they were made from the finest silk.
Since I am staying with the emperor's family, our life was less stressful. We didn't have to do any work unlike others. Soon after breakfast, I went to the market with the emperor's daughter. It were taken there by a sedan chair, since her feet were bound and it was very hard for her to walk. We walked around and bought vegetables and fruits for dinner. After, we were taken around the streets of Chang'an (the capital city). We entered a tent where a lady was selling candles and scented oils. She said they were important and they were used for when we prayed. We arrived back at the palace right on time for lunch. We ate fan (grain) and cai (vegetables). The maid served us rice, cabbage and fish.
After lunch I went horseback riding with the other kids. This was their favorite activity to do for fun. The palace had many stables with beautiful horses! Before dinner we read scrolls about Confucius and his teachings. By the time we were finished, the big table in the dining room was set with all kinds of food on beautiful gold plates. We ate duck, dumplings, fish and a big variety of vegetables. There were even more exotic foods like dried oyster, melon and dates. The adults drank lots of rice wine while the kids dank tea. Since gunpowder was invented during the Tang Dynasty, we had the pleasure of watching fireworks after dinner. It was amazing! Finally it was time to go to bed. I was so tired after such a day filled with fun activities. I had to pray to the gods of our ancestors before I got into bed and fell into a deep sleep. Well, this is how an average day with my great host family went!

FOOD

**CHINESE CUISINE**

The wealthy officials and courtiers of the Tang Dynasty often entertained one another at elaborate banquets. Even ordinary people ate quite well.
Food was divided into two categories: grains (fan) and vegetables (cai) Grains consisted of rice, noodles and dumplings made from wheat. The vegetable category included any food that wasn’t a grain, including fish and meat. Meat was rarely consumed, but when it was it was mostly duck or pork. The most commonly eaten vegetable was cabbage. Dishes were seasoned with salt, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and cinnamon.

Because wood and other fuel were scarce, food was cut into tiny pieces and cooked quickly on high heat. Because the food was served in manageable sizes it was eaten with chopsticks. Each person was served their bowl of fan.The cai dishes were served in the center of the table in large bowls for everyone.

Tea (cha) became popular during the Tang Dynasty. It was served after the food was eaten. They believed the tea cleared the mind.
Wine was served in large quantities. It was acceptable to drink large amounts of wine because alcohol relaxed a person and brought him closer to the spirits of the universe.

Many exotic foods were introduced to China via the Silk Road. Among these were dates, dried oysters, melons, sea horses, and persimmons.

FASHION

**CLOTHING**

Clothing during the Tang Dynasty was different for people of different classes.

Men-
Noble men wore flowing silk garments that fell to their feet. They wore elaborate headgear made of lacquered cloth or leather which reflected their status and position. The sleeves of the men’s robes were really wide! They often had to be weighed down so they would hang without flapping.

Women-
Noble women wore long skirts and jackets which were topped by a short sleeved upper shirt. Women’s shoes were made out silk brocade which is a silk cloth with woven patterns on it. Women usually had long hair which was gathered and arranged in a topknot held in place by delicately carved hairpins and combs. They also wore thick makeup- layers of white face powder and rouge. It was considered very fashionable to have a white face with rosy cheeks. Most women wore so much powder that their faces were ghostly white!

Peasants-
Peasants were forbidden to wear bright colors. They wore a long shirt-like garment made of hemp fiber. They also wore loose trousers that ended mid-calf. Their clothing was very loose fit to allow plenty of movement in the fields. A peasant’s sandals were made from straw. Broad-brimmed, cone-shaped hats were worn to protect the worker’s faces from the sun and heavy rain.

Colors-
· Yellow- the imperial color. Only the emperor and his son could wear a yellow silk robe.
· Purple- the color of promise and potential. The emperor’s grandsons wore purple clothing.
· Red- the lucky color. Associated with the sun and happiness. Also symbolized truth and virtue.
· White- the color of mourning. No one could wear a white robe while his parents were alive.
· Black- the color of guilt.

INVENTION

**GUNPOWDER**

Gunpowder was invented in China during the Tang Dynasty. It was one of the most important discoveries ever made, and it has made a great impact on the world! Gunpowder was discovered on accident in the 800’s by a Chinese alchemist who was trying to find a way to convert regular metals into gold. He mixed together sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter. When he ignited the substance, it exploded! For a very long time gunpowder was used in fireworks for festivals.

Later, color was added to the substance to create interesting and colorful effects. Fireworks and firecrackers are so important to China because they are used in China’s most important festival- New Year! Finally the Chinese discovered that they could use gunpowder for weapons.

Travelers brought the knowledge of gunpowder to Europe in the 1300’s. Gunpowder completely changed the way war was battled. From crossbows and arrows people discovered guns and artillery. As you can see gunpowder changed the world forever!