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Facts about Ancient China

Ancient China is a very old civilization. There are written records of the history of China which date from 1500 BC in the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). China is one of the world's oldest continuous (still alive) civilizations.

Jiaguwen (甲骨文), or Oracle Bone Script. This is the earliest form of Chinese writing, used from the Middle to Late Shang dynasty (approximately 1500 BCE to 1000 BCE). This script was etched onto turtle shells and animals bones, which were then used for divination in the royal Shang court, hence the name "oracle bones".

Gunpowder, paper, printing, and the compass are sometimes called the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China. Kites were first used as a way for the army to signal warnings. ... They invented the abacus in the 2nd century BC.

Located on the eastern part of the continent of Asia, today China is the most populous country in the world. Throughout most of China's history it was ruled by powerful families called dynasties. The first dynasty was the Shang and the last was the Qing. Ancient China also boasts the longest lasting empire in history.

Religion. Three major religions or philosophies shaped many of the ideas and history of Ancient China. They are called the three ways and include Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Taoism was founded during the Zhou Dynasty in the 6th century by Lao-Tzu.

Ancient China - Staff Room. The notion of a single Chinese language is misleading. China has several major dialects (or regional languages) which may be related but are all highly distinctive. Mandarin is the official spoken language and is known as putonghua (common speech) within China.

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