Shifan music 东韩村拾幡古乐 from Donghan village, Baoding, Hebei, China
A performance of Donghan village shifan ancient music (东韩村拾幡古乐), a genre of traditional music from Donghan village (东韩村), Lingyunce Hui and Manchu Ethnic Township (凌云册回族满族乡), Yi County (易县), Baoding (保定市), Hebei province, northern China. This music, which was originally called shifanhui (十番会), is performed by large ensembles comprising a wide variety of wind, string, and percussion instruments, and numbering up to 108 musicians. It is most often performed for holiday festivals and temple fairs. It is divided into two main categories: wu shifan (武十番) which is more martial in sound, dominated by wind instruments and percussion, and wen shifan (文十番), which is quieter and uses more string instruments. The music in this video represents the latter category. The repertoire is divided into three categories: zhi qu (只曲, individual pieces), lian qu (联曲, suites made up of two or more individual qupai), and tao qu (套曲, longer suites).
Probably filmed in Donghan village (东韩村), Lingyunce Hui and Manchu Ethnic Township (凌云册回族满族乡), Yi County (易县), Baoding (保定市), Hebei province, northern China, c. 2015.
Donghan village shifan ancient music is a tradition of great significance, in large part because its repertoire was inherited directly from the court music of the Qing Dynasty. Gu Xun (顾勋; style name: Shantang, 善堂), a native of Donghan who served as a palace musician during the Qianlong period, handed down the palace music to the village folk musicians after returning home, organizing them to study and perform the music for the local community. Donghan village shifan ancient music has been handed down over nine generations and has a history of nearly 200 years.
The rise of Donghan village shifan ancient music is related to the building of the Tailing Tomb (泰陵), the largest of the Western Qing tombs (清西陵) in Yi County, this project, undertaken between 1730 and 1736 during the reign of the Yongzheng emperor (r. 1722-1735), attracting many Manchu people and Han Bannermen (汉军旗人) to settle there.
In 2007, the tradition of Yi County Donghan village shifan ancient music (易县东韩村拾幡古乐), centering on Yi County, Baoding, Hebei province, northern China, was included in the second batch of traditions inscribed in Hebei's Provincial List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (河北省第二批省级非物质文化遗产名录).
In 2008, the tradition of Donghan village shifan ancient music (东韩村拾幡古乐), a variety of Jizhong shengguanyue (冀中笙管乐) centering on Yi County, Baoding, Hebei province, northern China, was additionally acknowledged by its addition to the Expansion Project for the First Batch of China's National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (第一批国家级非物质文化遗产扩展项目名录). Jizhong shengguanyue (冀中笙管乐) is a collection of sheng-guan ensemble traditions found across the Central Hebei Plain (which is bounded to the north by Beijing, to the east by Tianjin, and to the south by Cangzhou and Dingzhou, including nearly 30 cities and counties of Hebei province).
东韩村拾幡古乐演出
More information:
Shifan music 东韩村拾幡古乐 from Donghan village, Baoding, Hebei, China
A video about Donghan village shifan ancient music (东韩村拾幡古乐), a genre of traditional music from Donghan village (东韩村), Lingyunce Hui and Manchu Ethnic Township (凌云册回族满族乡), Yi County (易县), Baoding (保定市), Hebei province, northern China. This music, which was originally called shifanhui (十番会), is performed by large ensembles comprising a wide variety of wind, string, and percussion instruments, and numbering up to 108 musicians. It is most often performed for holiday festivals and temple fairs. It is divided into two main categories: wu shifan (武十番) which is more martial in sound, dominated by wind instruments and percussion, and wen shifan (文十番), which is quieter and uses more string instruments. The music in this video represents the latter category. The repertoire is divided into three categories: zhi qu (只曲, individual pieces), lian qu (联曲, suites made up of two or more individual qupai), and tao qu (套曲, longer suites).
Probably filmed in Donghan village (东韩村), Lingyunce Hui and Manchu Ethnic Township (凌云册回族满族乡), Yi County (易县), Baoding (保定市), Hebei province, northern China, c. 2015.
Donghan village shifan ancient music is a tradition of great significance, in large part because its repertoire was inherited directly from the court music of the Qing Dynasty. Gu Xun (顾勋; style name: Shantang, 善堂), a native of Donghan who served as a palace musician during the Qianlong period, handed down the palace music to the village folk musicians after returning home, organizing them to study and perform the music for the local community. Donghan village shifan ancient music has been handed down over nine generations and has a history of nearly 200 years.
The rise of Donghan village shifan ancient music is related to the building of the Tailing Tomb (泰陵), the largest of the Western Qing tombs (清西陵) in Yi County, this project, undertaken between 1730 and 1736 during the reign of the Yongzheng emperor (r. 1722-1735), attracting many Manchu people and Han Bannermen (汉军旗人) to settle there.
In 2007, the tradition of Yi County Donghan village shifan ancient music (易县东韩村拾幡古乐), centering on Yi County, Baoding, Hebei province, northern China, was included in the second batch of traditions inscribed in Hebei's Provincial List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (河北省第二批省级非物质文化遗产名录).
In 2008, the tradition of Donghan village shifan ancient music (东韩村拾幡古乐), a variety of Jizhong shengguanyue (冀中笙管乐) centering on Yi County, Baoding, Hebei province, northern China, was additionally acknowledged by its addition to the Expansion Project for the First Batch of China's National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (第一批国家级非物质文化遗产扩展项目名录). Jizhong shengguanyue (冀中笙管乐) is a collection of sheng-guan ensemble traditions found across the Central Hebei Plain (which is bounded to the north by Beijing, to the east by Tianjin, and to the south by Cangzhou and Dingzhou, including nearly 30 cities and counties of Hebei province).
燕赵寻宝东韩村拾幡古乐
More information:
《国家宝藏》第二季 佟丽娅上演古墓版“芭比娃娃”再现最美大唐风华 92岁“姜子牙”蓝天野演绎传奇英雄 20190113 | CCTV综艺
本期节目主要内容：小仙女佟丽娅一袭白色长裙空降“国宝”舞台，上演古墓版“芭比娃娃”。姜子牙再次挂帅出征，廉颇老矣，尚能战否？知名主持人尼格买提要在“国宝”舞台揭秘人类神秘基因密码。《国家宝藏》第二季新疆维吾尔自治区博物馆将携绢衣彩绘木俑、伏羲女娲图、“五星出东方利中国”锦护膊三件国宝震撼亮相。
05:29 绢衣彩绘木俑 国宝守护人：佟丽娅；
09:03 佟丽娅上演古墓版“芭比娃娃” 再现最美大唐风华；
19:36 唯一一批穿衣俑 孝道文化温暖人心；
21:04 佟丽娅自夸身材好 是个美人！
21:50 楚艳：知来处，明去处；
23:35 惊奇！古代植物染料不仅防虫抗菌还尽显审美意象；
28:37 古代服饰艺术再现 带你穿越大唐；
36:21 伏羲女娲图 国宝守护人：尼格买提；
40:02 小尼化身神秘“守墓人” 揭秘华夏儿女基因密码；
49:20 伏羲女娲图：研究中西文化艺术的神秘钥匙；
50:19 国立老师主持太辛苦 小尼暖心送香馕；
51:34 小尼化身艺术鉴赏专家 奔波半生终找归属；
54:36 于军：天地之大德曰生；
55:59 古人已开始研究基因技术？伏羲女娲图居然暗藏DNA密码；
01:00:21 技术是把双刃剑 遵守“规矩”才能造福人类；
01:04:16 “五星出东方利中国”锦护膊 国宝守护人：蓝天野；
01:08:47 蓝天野92岁高龄再挂帅 传奇英雄誓死守护西汉；
01:22:45 赵丰：生自蚕茧 成于机杼；
01:24:17 五星锦：丝织品“鄙视链”最顶端产品；
01:26:51 了不起！汉代“计算机”操作织造五星锦。
《国家宝藏》第二季，每集以一个博物馆为主题，亮相三件文物，每件文物绑定一位与之气质相符的明星嘉宾，他们或娓娓道来文物传奇的前世，或打扮成古人的形象演绎宝藏诞生的故事，带领观众进入一个神秘的探寻空间。
《国家宝藏》官方高清播放列表：
【订阅CCTV综艺官方频道】:
■□更多CCTV综艺精彩节目官方超清■□
《越战越勇》官方高清播放列表：
《非常6+1》官方高清播放列表：
《天天把歌唱》官方高清播放列表：
《综艺喜乐汇》官方高清播放列表：
《音乐人生》官方高清播放列表：
《开门大吉》官方高清播放列表：
《黄金100秒》官方高清播放列表：
《向幸福出发》
《幸福账单》
■□更多精彩官方视频，请关注我们■□
CCTV春晚:
CCTV中文国际:
CCTV中国中央电视台:
CCTV科教：
CCTV戏曲：
CCTV财经：
CCTV少儿：
CCTV电视剧：
■□关注CCTV中央电视台其他平台官方账号■□
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was a Chinese general, politician and emperor, famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor, his autocratic rule as the first formal President of the Republic of China, and his short-lived attempt to restore monarchy in China, with himself as the Hongxian Emperor.
This video is targeted to blind users.
Attribution:
Article text available under CC-BY-SA
Creative Commons image source in video
Ancient Chinese coinage
Ancient Chinese coinage includes some of the earliest known coins. These coins, used as early as the Spring and Autumn period, took the form of imitations of the cowrie shells that were used in ceremonial exchanges. The Spring and Autumn period also saw the introduction of the first metal coins; however, they were not initially round, instead being either knife shaped or spade shaped. Round metal coins with a round, and then later square hole in the center were first introduced around 350 BC. The beginning of the Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty to unify China, saw the introduction of a standardised coinage for the whole Empire. Subsequent dynasties produced variations on these round coins throughout the imperial period. At first, distribution of the coinage was limited to use around the capital city district but by the beginning of the Han Dynasty, coins were widely used for such as when paying tax, salaries and fines.
Ancient Chinese coins are markedly different from coins produced in the west. Chinese coins were manufactured by being cast in molds, whereas western coins were typically cut and hammered or, in later times, milled. Chinese coins were usually made from mixtures of metals such copper, tin and lead, from bronze, brass or iron: precious metals like gold and silver were uncommonly used. The ratios and purity of the coin metals varied considerably. Most Chinese coins were produced with a square hole in the middle. This was used to allow collections of coins to be threaded on a square rod so that the rough edges could be filed smooth, and then threaded on strings for ease of handling.
This video is targeted to blind users.
Attribution:
Article text available under CC-BY-SA
Creative Commons image source in video
Nanjing
Nanjing ( listen; Chinese: 南京; pinyin: Nánjīng; Wade–Giles: Nan-ching) is the capital of Jiangsu province in Eastern China. It has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China for several periods. Its present name means Southern Capital and was widely romanized as Nankin and Nanking until the pinyin language reform, after which Nanjing was gradually adopted as the standard spelling of the city's name in most languages that use the Roman alphabet.
Located in the lower Yangtze River drainage basin and Yangtze River Delta economic zone, Nanjing has long been one of China's most important cities. Having been the capital city of six different dynasties since 3 A.D., it is recognized as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. It was the capital of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period, and the capital of the Republic of China prior to its flight to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War. Nanjing is also one of the fifteen sub-provincial cities in the People's Republic of China's administrative structure, enjoying jurisdictional and economic autonomy only slightly less than that of a province. Nanjing has long been a national centre of education, research, transport networks and tourism. The city will host the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics.
This video is targeted to blind users.
Attribution:
Article text available under CC-BY-SA
Creative Commons image source in video
Henan
Henan (Chinese: 河南; pinyin: Hénán; Wade–Giles: Ho-nan) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is 豫 (yù), named after Yuzhou (豫州; Yùzhōu), a Han Dynasty state (zhou) that included parts of Henan. Although the name of the province (河南) means south of the river, approximately a quarter of the province lies north of the Yellow River, also known as the Huang He.
Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (中州) which literally means central plains or midland, although the name is also applied to the entirety of China proper. Henan is the birthplace of Chinese civilization with over 5,000 years of history, and remained China's cultural, economical, and political center until approximately 1,000 years ago. Numerous heritages have been left behind including the ruins of Shang Dynasty capital city Yin and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the Eight Great Ancient Capitals of China, Luoyang, Anyang, Kaifeng, and Zhengzhou are located in Henan.
This video is targeted to blind users.
Attribution:
Article text available under CC-BY-SA
Creative Commons image source in video
Nanjing | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:03:37 1 Names
00:04:35 2 History
00:04:43 2.1 Early history and foundation
00:06:15 2.2 Capital of the Six Dynasties
00:08:27 2.3 Destruction and revival
00:09:32 2.4 Southern capital of Ming dynasty
00:15:49 2.5 Qing dynasty and Taiping Rebellion
00:17:41 2.6 Capital of the republic and Nanking Massacre
00:20:37 2.7 Chinese Civil War and People's Republic
00:21:37 3 Geography
00:23:46 3.1 Climate and environment
00:27:06 3.2 Cityscape
00:27:14 3.3 Environmental issues
00:27:23 3.3.1 Air pollution in 2013
00:29:08 4 Government
00:29:34 4.1 Administrative divisions
00:29:47 5 Demographics
00:31:09 6 Economy
00:31:17 6.1 Earlier development
00:33:02 6.2 Modern times
00:34:44 6.3 Today
00:37:12 7 Transportation
00:37:48 7.1 Rail
00:39:15 7.2 Road
00:41:51 7.3 Public transportation
00:42:47 7.4 Air
00:43:57 7.5 Water
00:44:58 7.6 Yangtze River crossings
00:46:09 8 Culture and art
00:46:54 8.1 Art
00:47:47 8.2 Festivals
00:48:37 8.3 Libraries
00:49:15 8.4 Museums
00:50:18 8.5 Theater
00:50:44 8.6 Night life
00:51:51 8.7 Food and symbolism
00:52:45 9 Sports and stadiums
00:55:13 10 Architecture
00:55:31 10.1 Imperial period
00:55:40 10.1.1 Inside the walled city
00:56:36 10.1.2 Outside the walled city
00:57:12 10.2 Republic of China period
00:57:28 10.2.1 Inside the walled city
00:59:38 10.2.2 Outside the walled city
01:00:15 10.3 People's Republic of China period
01:00:46 11 Education
01:02:20 12 Sister cities
01:02:40 13 Notable people
01:02:51 14 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.928468315035929
Voice name: en-AU-Wavenet-D
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Nanjing (listen), alternately romanized as Nanking and Nankin, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China and the second largest city in the East China region, with an administrative area of 6,600 km2 (2,500 sq mi) and a total population of 8,270,500 as of 2016. The inner area of Nanjing enclosed by the city wall is Nanjing City (南京城), with an area of 55 km2 (21 sq mi), while the Nanjing Metropolitan Region includes surrounding cities and areas, covering over 60,000 km2 (23,000 sq mi), with a population of over 30 million.
Situated in the Yangtze River Delta region, Nanjing has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having served as the capital of various Chinese dynasties, kingdoms and republican governments dating from the 3rd century to 1949, and has thus long been a major center of culture, education, research, politics, economy, transport networks and tourism, being the home to one of the world's largest inland ports. The city is also one of the fifteen sub-provincial cities in the People's Republic of China's administrative structure, enjoying jurisdictional and economic autonomy only slightly less than that of a province. Nanjing has been ranked seventh in the evaluation of Cities with Strongest Comprehensive Strength issued by the National Statistics Bureau, and second in the evaluation of cities with most sustainable development potential in the Yangtze River Delta. It has also been awarded the title of 2008 Habitat Scroll of Honor of China, Special UN Habitat Scroll of Honor Award and National Civilized City.Nanjing has many high-quality universities and research institutes, with the number of universities listed in 100 National Key Universities ranking third, including Nanjing University which has a long history and is among the world top 10 universities ranked by Nature Index. The ratio of college students to total population ranks No.1 among large cities nationwide. Nanjing is one of the top three Chinese scientific research centers, according to the Nature Index, especially strong in the chemical sciences.
Nanjing, one of the nation's most important cities for over a thousand years, is recognized as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. It has been one of the w ...
Song dynasty | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Song dynasty
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Song dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝; pinyin: Sòng cháo; 960–1279) was an era of Chinese history that began in 960 and continued until 1279. It was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of Later Zhou, ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song often came into conflict with the contemporary Liao and Western Xia dynasties in the north and was conquered by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Song government was the first in world history to issue banknotes or true paper money nationally and the first Chinese government to establish a permanent standing navy. This dynasty also saw the first known use of gunpowder, as well as the first discernment of true north using a compass.
The Song dynasty is divided into two distinct periods, Northern and Southern. During the Northern Song (Chinese: 北宋; 960–1127), the Song capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now Kaifeng) and the dynasty controlled most of what is now Eastern China. The Southern Song (Chinese: 南宋; 1127–1279) refers to the period after the Song lost control of its northern half to the Jurchen Jin dynasty in the Jin–Song Wars. During this time, the Song court retreated south of the Yangtze and established its capital at Lin'an (now Hangzhou). Although the Song dynasty had lost control of the traditional birthplace of Chinese civilization along the Yellow River, the Song economy was still strong, as the Southern Song Empire contained a large population and productive agricultural land. The Southern Song dynasty considerably bolstered its naval strength to defend its waters and land borders and to conduct maritime missions abroad. To repel the Jin, and later the Mongols, the Song developed revolutionary new military technology augmented by the use of gunpowder. In 1234, the Jin dynasty was conquered by the Mongols, who took control of northern China, maintaining uneasy relations with the Southern Song. Möngke Khan, the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, died in 1259 while besieging the city of Chongqing. His younger brother Kublai Khan was proclaimed the new Great Khan, though his claim was only partially recognized by the Mongols in the west. In 1271, Kublai Khan was proclaimed the Emperor of China. After two decades of sporadic warfare, Kublai Khan's armies conquered the Song dynasty in 1279. The Mongol invasion led to a reunification under the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368).The population of China doubled in size during the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries. This growth was made possible by expanded rice cultivation in central and southern Song, the use of early-ripening rice from south-east and southern Asia, and the production of widespread food surpluses. The Northern Song census recorded 20 million households, double of the Han and Tang dynasties. It is estimated that the Northern Song had a population of some 120 million people, and 200 million by the time of the Ming dynasty. This dramatic increase of population fomented an economic revolution in pre-modern China. The expansion of the population, growth of cities, and the emergence of a national economy led to the gradual withdrawal of the central government from direct involvement in economic affairs. The lower gentry assumed a larger role in grassroots administration and local affairs. Appointed officials in county and provincial centers relied upon the scholarly gentry for their services, sponsorship, and local supervision.
Social life during the Song was vibrant. Citizens gathered to view and trade precious artworks, the populace intermingled at public festivals and private clubs, and cities had lively entertainment quarters. The spread of literature and knowledge was enhanced by the rapid expansion of woodblock printing and the 11th-century invention of movable-type printing. Technology, science, philosophy, mathematics, and engineering flourished over the course of the Song. Philosopher ...
People's Republic of China | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:03:33 1 Names
00:05:45 2 History
00:05:53 2.1 Prehistory
00:07:01 2.2 Early dynastic rule
00:08:25 2.3 Imperial China
00:14:41 2.4 End of dynastic rule
00:17:21 2.5 Republic of China (1912–1949)
00:20:40 2.6 People's Republic of China (1949–present)
00:25:08 3 Geography
00:26:08 3.1 Landscape and climate
00:28:43 3.2 Biodiversity
00:31:29 3.3 Environmental issues
00:35:06 3.4 Political geography
00:36:57 4 Politics
00:38:14 4.1 Communist Party
00:39:25 4.2 Government
00:40:48 4.3 Administrative divisions
00:41:54 4.4 Foreign relations
00:43:54 4.4.1 Trade relations
00:45:52 4.4.2 Territorial disputes
00:47:25 4.4.3 Emerging superpower status
00:48:16 4.5 Sociopolitical issues, human rights and reform
00:55:24 5 Military
00:59:09 6 Economy
01:02:08 6.1 Economic history and growth
01:09:00 6.2 China in the global economy
01:12:15 6.3 Class and income inequality
01:14:18 7 Science and technology
01:14:28 7.1 Historical
01:15:47 7.2 Modern era
01:19:59 8 Infrastructure
01:20:19 8.1 Telecommunications
01:24:19 8.2 Transport
01:29:50 8.3 Water supply and sanitation
01:30:39 9 Demographics
01:34:18 9.1 Ethnic groups
01:35:50 9.2 Languages
01:38:15 9.3 Urbanization
01:39:46 9.4 Education
01:42:33 9.5 Health
01:45:07 9.6 Religion
01:48:22 10 Culture
01:51:12 10.1 Literature
01:53:19 10.2 Cuisine
01:55:00 10.3 Sports
01:58:05 11 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.8804383812189197
Voice name: en-AU-Wavenet-C
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia and the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.404 billion. Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the third- or fourth-largest country by total area. Governed by the Communist Party of China, the state exercises jurisdiction over 22 (de jure 23) provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
China emerged as one of the world's earliest civilizations, in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain. For millennia, China's political system was based on hereditary monarchies, or dynasties, beginning with the semi-legendary Xia dynasty in 21st century BCE. Since then, China has expanded, fractured, and re-unified numerous times. In the 3rd century BCE, the Qin reunited core China and established the first Chinese empire. The succeeding Han dynasty, which ruled from 206 BC until 220 AD, saw some of the most advanced technology at that time, including papermaking and the compass, along with agricultural and medical improvements. The invention of gunpowder and movable type in the Tang dynasty (618–907) and Northern Song (960–1127) completed the Four Great Inventions. Tang culture spread widely in Asia, as the new Silk Route brought traders to as far as Mesopotamia and Horn of Africa. Dynastic rule ended in 1912 with the Xinhai Revolution, when a republic replaced the Qing dynasty. The Chinese Civil War resulted in a division of territory in 1949, when the Communist Party of China established the People's Republic of China, a unitary one-party sovereign state on Mainland China, while the Kuomintang-led government retreated to the island of Taiwan. The political status of Taiwan remains disputed.
Since the introduction of economic reforms in 1978, China's economy has been one of the world's fastest-growing with annual growth rates consistently above 6 percent. According to the World Bank, China's GDP grew from $150 billion in 1978 to $12.24 trillion by 2017. Since 2010, China has been the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP and, since 2014, the largest economy in the world by purchasing power parity (PPP). China is also the world's largest exporter and seco ...
Song dynasty | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Song dynasty
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Song dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝; pinyin: Sòng cháo; 960–1279) was an era of Chinese history that began in 960 and continued until 1279. It was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of Later Zhou, ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song often came into conflict with the contemporary Liao and Western Xia dynasties in the north and was conquered by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Song government was the first in world history to issue banknotes or true paper money nationally and the first Chinese government to establish a permanent standing navy. This dynasty also saw the first known use of gunpowder, as well as the first discernment of true north using a compass.
The Song dynasty is divided into two distinct periods, Northern and Southern. During the Northern Song (Chinese: 北宋; 960–1127), the Song capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now Kaifeng) and the dynasty controlled most of what is now Eastern China. The Southern Song (Chinese: 南宋; 1127–1279) refers to the period after the Song lost control of its northern half to the Jurchen Jin dynasty in the Jin–Song Wars. During this time, the Song court retreated south of the Yangtze and established its capital at Lin'an (now Hangzhou). Although the Song dynasty had lost control of the traditional birthplace of Chinese civilization along the Yellow River, the Song economy was still strong, as the Southern Song Empire contained a large population and productive agricultural land. The Southern Song dynasty considerably bolstered its naval strength to defend its waters and land borders and to conduct maritime missions abroad. To repel the Jin, and later the Mongols, the Song developed revolutionary new military technology augmented by the use of gunpowder. In 1234, the Jin dynasty was conquered by the Mongols, who took control of northern China, maintaining uneasy relations with the Southern Song. Möngke Khan, the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, died in 1259 while besieging the city of Chongqing. His younger brother Kublai Khan was proclaimed the new Great Khan, though his claim was only partially recognized by the Mongols in the west. In 1271, Kublai Khan was proclaimed the Emperor of China. After two decades of sporadic warfare, Kublai Khan's armies conquered the Song dynasty in 1279. The Mongol invasion led to a reunification under the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368).The population of China doubled in size during the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries. This growth was made possible by expanded rice cultivation in central and southern Song, the use of early-ripening rice from south-east and southern Asia, and the production of widespread food surpluses. The Northern Song census recorded 20 million households, double of the Han and Tang dynasties. It is estimated that the Northern Song had a population of some 120 million people, and 200 million by the time of the Ming dynasty. This dramatic increase of population fomented an economic revolution in pre-modern China. The expansion of the population, growth of cities, and the emergence of a national economy led to the gradual withdrawal of the central government from direct involvement in economic affairs. The lower gentry assumed a larger role in grassroots administration and local affairs. Appointed officials in county and provincial centers relied upon the scholarly gentry for their services, sponsorship, and local supervision.
Social life during the Song was vibrant. Citizens gathered to view and trade precious artworks, the populace intermingled at public festivals and private clubs, and cities had lively entertainment quarters. The spread of literature and knowledge was enhanced by the rapid expansion of woodblock printing and the 11th-century invention of movable-type printing. Technology, science, philosophy, mathematics, and engineering flourished over the course of the Song. Philosopher ...
Henan | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Henan
00:02:08 1 History
00:02:52 1.1 Ancient Era
00:05:13 1.2 Imperial Era
00:09:27 1.3 Modern Era
00:12:53 2 Geography
00:15:10 2.1 Climate
00:15:52 3 Administrative divisions
00:16:44 3.1 Urban areas
00:16:53 4 Demographics
00:18:51 4.1 Religions
00:20:13 5 Politics
00:20:49 6 Economy
00:24:24 7 Transportation
00:25:21 8 Culture
00:26:43 9 Tourism
00:28:38 10 Colleges and universities
00:30:44 11 Notable individuals
00:35:18 12 Sports teams
00:35:43 13 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Henan (河南; formerly romanised as Honan) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (中州) which literally means central plain land or midland, although the name is also applied to the entirety of China proper. Henan is the birthplace of Chinese civilization with over 3,000 years of recorded history, and remained China's cultural, economical, and political center until approximately 1,000 years ago.
Henan province is a home to a large number of heritage sites which have been left behind including the ruins of Shang dynasty capital city Yin and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the Eight Great Ancient Capitals of China, Luoyang, Anyang, Kaifeng, and Zhengzhou are located in Henan. The practice of Tai Chi also began in Chen Jia Gou Village (Chen style), as did the later Yang and Wu styles.Although the name of the province (河南) means south of the [Yellow] river, approximately a quarter of the province lies north of the Yellow River, also known as the Huang He. With an area of 167,000 km2 (64,479 sq mi), Henan covers a large part of the fertile and densely populated North China Plain. Its neighbouring provinces are Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Anhui and Hubei. Henan is China's third most populous province with a population of over 94 million. If it were a country by itself, Henan would be the 14th most populous country in the world, ahead of Egypt and Vietnam.
Henan is the 5th largest provincial economy of China and the largest among inland provinces. However, per capita GDP is low compared to other eastern and central provinces.
Henan is considered to be one of the less developed areas in China. The economy continues to grow based on aluminum and coal prices, as well as agriculture, heavy industry, tourism, and retail, and hightech industries and service sector is underdeveloped and is concentrated around Zhengzhou and Luoyang.
Liao dynasty | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Liao dynasty
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: Mos Jælud; traditional Chinese: 遼朝; simplified Chinese: 辽朝; pinyin: Liáo cháo), also known as the Liao Empire, officially the Great Liao (大遼; 大辽; Dà Liáo), or the Khitan (Qidan) State (Khitan: Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur), was an empire in East Asia that ruled from 907 to 1125 over present-day Mongolia and portions of the Russian Far East, Manchuria, northern China, and northeastern Korea. The empire was founded by Yelü Abaoji, Khagan of the Khitans around the time of the collapse of Tang China and was the first state to control all of Manchuria.Almost immediately after its founding, the Khitan Empire began a process of territorial expansion, with Abaoji leading a successful conquest of Balhae. Later emperors would gain the Sixteen Prefectures by fueling a proxy war that led to the collapse of the Later Tang (923–936) and would establish tributary relationships with Goryeo after losing in Goryeo–Khitan Wars (1018) against Goryeo. In 1004, Liao Dynasty launched an imperial expedition against the Northern Song. After heavy fighting and large casualties between two countries, the two sides worked out the Chanyuan Treaty. Through the treaty Liao forced the Northern Song to recognize them as peers.
Tension between traditional Khitan social and political practices and Chinese influence and customs was a defining feature of the dynasty. This tension led to a series of succession crises; Liao emperors favored the Chinese concept of primogeniture, while much of the rest of the Khitan elite supported the traditional method of succession by the strongest candidate. So different were Khitan and Chinese practices that Abaoji set up two parallel governments. The Northern Administration governed Khitan areas following traditional Khitan practices, while the Southern Administration governed areas with large non-Khitan populations, adopting traditional Chinese governmental practices.
Differences between Chinese and Khitan society included gender roles and marital practices: the Khitans took a more egalitarian view towards gender, in sharp contrast to Chinese cultural practices that segregated men's and women's roles. Khitan women were taught to hunt, managed family property, and held military posts. Many marriages were not arranged, women were not required to be virgins at their first marriage, and women had the right to divorce and remarry.
The Liao dynasty was destroyed by the Jurchen people of the Jin dynasty in 1125 with the capture of Emperor Tianzuo of Liao. However, the remnant Khitan, led by Yelü Dashi, established the Qara Khitai (Western Liao dynasty), which ruled over parts of Central Asia for almost a century before being conquered by the Mongols. Although cultural achievements associated with the Liao dynasty are considerable, and a number of various statuary and other artifacts exist in museums and other collections, major questions remain over the exact nature and extent of the influence of the Liao Khitan culture upon subsequent developments, such as the musical and theatrical arts.
Henan | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:02:34 1 History
00:03:25 1.1 Ancient Era
00:06:15 1.2 Imperial Era
00:11:20 1.3 Modern Era
00:15:33 2 Geography
00:18:16 2.1 Climate
00:19:06 3 Administrative divisions
00:20:07 3.1 Urban areas
00:20:17 4 Demographics
00:22:38 4.1 Religion
00:24:14 5 Politics
00:24:55 6 Economy
00:29:31 7 Transportation
00:30:37 8 Culture
00:32:15 9 Tourism
00:34:34 10 Colleges and universities
00:37:09 11 Notable individuals
00:42:46 12 Sports teams
00:43:13 13 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.8651428931119475
Voice name: en-US-Wavenet-F
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Henan (河南; alternatively Honan) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (中州) which literally means central plain or midland, although the name is also applied to the entirety of China proper. Henan is the birthplace of Chinese civilization with over 3,000 years of recorded history, and remained China's cultural, economical, and political center until approximately 1,000 years ago.
Henan province is a home to a large number of heritage sites which have been left behind including the ruins of Shang dynasty capital city Yin and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the Eight Great Ancient Capitals of China, Luoyang, Anyang, Kaifeng, and Zhengzhou are located in Henan. The practice of tai chi also began in Chen Jia Gou Village (Chen style), as did the later Yang and Wu styles.Although the name of the province (河南) means south of the [Yellow] river, approximately a quarter of the province lies north of the Yellow River, also known as the Huang He. With an area of 167,000 km2 (64,479 sq mi), Henan covers a large part of the fertile and densely populated North China Plain. Its neighboring provinces are Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Anhui and Hubei. Henan is China's third most populous province with a population of over 94 million. If it were a country by itself, Henan would be the 14th most populous country in the world, ahead of Egypt and Vietnam.
Henan is the 5th largest provincial economy of China and the largest among inland provinces. However, per capita GDP is low compared to other eastern and central provinces.
Henan is considered to be one of the less developed areas in China. The economy continues to grow based on aluminum and coal prices, as well as agriculture, heavy industry, tourism, and retail. High-tech industries and service sector is underdeveloped and is concentrated around Zhengzhou and Luoyang.