History quiz about China 4

Yu the Great's reign (c. 2123 - 2025 BCE), which marked the start of the Xia dynasty, began the recorded history of China. Yu's first task was to repair the kingdom after a great flood, which some have connected this with the Biblical flood of Noah.

Emperor Wudi used this desperate measure to try to bring an end to the production of counterfeit metal coins. He forced the members of the elite to swap huge numbers of coins for small portions of stag skin. The measure proved ineffective.

Kang Youwei sought to modernize the Imperial system without overthrowing it. He was a major force behind the failed Hundred Days' Reform of 1898.

The 'Nanjing massacre' of 13th December 1937 was when many people were raped and slaughtered; it is still a sore point in Sino-Japanese relations.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) in Beijing 72% of the cataloged relics were smashed to dust and 37% historic sites flattened. At this time it was dangerous to possess or like anything ‘foreign’ or ‘old’.

Wang Mang founded the Xin dynasty in 9CE but it only lasted up to his death in 23CE and the Eastern Han resumed Han dynasty rule afterwards.

The Golden Orchid Society was a group of women who refused to get married. With the universal practise of forced marriages at an early age, running away to join other women in similar straits was the only option to avoid it. At times the society were attacked and members killed.

By 1982 China's population had grown to 1,008 million - doubling in just 30 years - and the profile showed that many young women born after the foundation of the PRC were now at child-bearing age (46% of people were under 20 years old). The One Child Policy was introduced in 1980 to cut back the alarming growth of population that seemed likely to cause mass starvation.

The main trade with Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries was through Spanish ruled Philippines. A lucrative trade in silk and porcelain grew across the Pacific to Mexico. Manilla became a very rich trading port in the galleon trade with Acapulco, from there goods were transshipped and made their way overland to Mexico City and then by ship to Europe over the Atlantic.

Stilwell (‘Vineger Joe’) came to China to help support Chiang Kaishek's Republican government in their resistance against the Japanese occupation of China (1937-45). The Republican capital was at Chongqing where frequent fogs protected it from Japanese air raids.

An alternative capital to escape the summer heat was built at Shangdu (named ‘Xanadu’ in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous poem) on the Mongolian plain and the whole Mongol Imperial court moved from Beijing (then called Dadu) to Shangdu every summer.

The first accurate population statistic comes from as long as go as 2CE in the Han dynasty. It gives the population as 57.7 millions in 12.4 million households.

It was the nationalization of railways that fueled the revolution of 1911, particularly in Sichuan. Later in 1931 Japan needed an excuse to send in troops to further extend her control over this territory. On September 18th 1931, at Shenyang (Mukden), Japanese troops put a small bomb under the railway track and blamed the explosion on Chinese ‘terrorists’. With widespread international sympathy Japan was able to invade Manchuria and install Puyi as puppet Emperor of Manchuria within six months.

Although the Mongols declared themselves Emperors of China in 1271 it took until 1279 to take over southern China. They ruled until 1368 so that is 89 years.

Portugal established a presence in 1557 at Macau. At the time Portugal was a leading sea power (with Spain) and set up trading posts throughout much of the Far East.

Tamerlane (aka Timur) died of a fever in 1405 as he prepared to conquer China. He believed he was descended from Genghiz Khan and had similar ambitions.

The trigger point of the Panthay rebellion (1856-1873) was in distant Yunnan but revolts also occurred in Muslim dominated north-western China. At least a million Muslims died in the revolt which was savagely suppressed. It overlapped the better known and even more bloody Taiping Rebellion.

Port Arthur now named Lushun, is located at the tip of the Liaoning peninsula.

The Great Leap was intended to catapult China into a modern industrial era in just five years. Unfortunately it failed and led to mass starvation.

The Wuchang Uprising of 1911 led by Sun Yatsen marked the start of the revolution that created the Republic of China and it is commemorated at Wuchang - now part of Wuhan .