Informational

Empress Lu

DECEMBER 13, 188 BC, CHANG’AN- Empress Lu is the widow of the great and powerful Emperor Gaodi, who died seven years ago. Many people alive during Empress Lu’s reign believed her to be “A power hungry empress.” After Emperor Lu’s husband died, she took over as the ruler of China alongside her son Hui, who was Emperor of China. She sat in Chang’an, the capital city of her empire and thought about what it was she intended to do as ruler of China.

Empress Lu craved power. She also wanted to make sure her family stayed in power after her husband died. Her first nemesis she wanted to defeat was Concubine Qi, and her two sons Consort Qi and Ruyi. Concubine wanted to replace Hui with her son Ruyi as Emperor. Empress Lu wanted to make sure no one got in the way of her plans to rule. When Empress Lu heard of Concubine’s plans, she had Consort Qi imprisoned and planned on killing Ruyi. Emperor Hui wasn’t fond of this idea and tried to protect Ruyi for as long as he could. Empress Lu finally had Ruyi killed by getting an assassin to poison him.
Empress Lu’s final act of destroying this family was to kill Concubine. Before killing Concubine, Empress Lu tortured her as much as she could. Empress Lu cut off all of Concubine’s limbs. She also defended her, and blinded her. This finally lead to the death of Concubine Qi. When Emperor Hui found out about this terrible act by his mother, he ended his role as Emperor. This was the start of Empress Lu becoming the new Empress Dowager, the immensely all-powerful ruler of China.

Religion

Confucianism

During the Han Dynasty, China was announced to be a Confucian State. Confucianism is a religion/philosophy that defines proper conduct for people and government. Confucius believed that if everybody did their job and worked together as a society, they would gain peace. This was important for China because the Han Dynasty was able to establish a system based on morals and ethics. Confucius believed that you should lead by example. This meant that there were five key relationships to building a strong society: ruler and subject, parent and child, husband and wife, elder sibling and younger sibling (brother/sister), and friend and friend. Once these relationships we established, the bigger of the more superior of the two was taught to set good examples for the less superior, and be kind to them. The only one that is equal is the last relationship; friend and friend.

A different religion that the Han Dynasty followed until announced a Confucian state was Legalism. Legalism teaches you that if you want to achieve a strong society the emperor must create laws with clear punishments and rewards. This religion wouldn’t make a strong impact for the society because with everyone focused on acting the way they're told to, relationships won’t be built. Without relationships being built no one knows if the emperor is trustworthy, and they wouldn’t be able to tell if they’re being treated fairly. Also, with no one building relationships, no one is working together. To build a country, there must be a strong society supporting it and working together to come up with ways to improve the country.Confucianism is a better religion for China to follow because not only is it a religion that will help build relationships, but it is a religion that will help strengthen the country and will make a difference in growing the country.

Invention

Invention of Paper

Though there were many great inventions during the Han Dynasty, paper was one of the greatest. Paper was a very important invention because it allowed people to communicate from far distances. This meant that people from different sides of the country, or even outside of the country could share new ideas, teachings, and philosophies. With the invention of paper, more people were able to be educated. This is because, with paper, people started to write books, and books lead to people learning in schools, and school lead to education that went towards strengthening the country. Paper was like the building blocks of life. When it was invented things could run more smoothly because people could communicate, and it was the begining of people easily being able to learn.
Paper was invented by a man named Cai Lun. He invented paper in 104 AD, and presented it to China and the emperor in 105 AD. Cai Lun made paper by using light materials such as bamboo fibers, the inner bark of a mulberry tree, and water. When finished, these materials made a light surface that was perfect to write on. This paper was first used for people to communicate. Another way people first used paper was with education. Paper was a big help when it came to teaching people. The main reason for the invention was because it was light, and easy to use. Before paper was invented, there was another type of paper. Although this “paper” was very heavy and thick. It also had an uneven texture. This paper was usually made out of different materials like bones, and wooden boards. It very hard to be a help to anyone because many people couldn’t even carry it around because it weighed too much.
Paper has changed the lives of many people since it was invented. For example, paper made it possible for someone in America to send a note to someone in China. This lead to people communicating and building off each other, and every country growing bigger and stronger. In a way, paper helped grow friendships between countries. This is because with the invention of paper, instead of countries fighting each other to be the bigger group, countries were communicating and working together to find new ways to live. Paper lead to many inventions later on. For example, the encyclopedia. With paper, this book was able to be invented. Also, paper was the beginning of all these new ideas which finally added up to people inventing a new era of technology with computers and the internet. Paper was one of the first inventions that helps make our world what it is today.

Interview with Emperor Gaozu

Reporter: Hello Emperor, how are you?
Emperor Gaozu: I’m doing great! Let’s get this interview started!

Reporter: What came from your rise of power?
Emperor Gaozu: Well, the most obvious answer to this question is the Han Dynasty. Everybody knows I am the founder of the Han. When I first founded the Han, people everywhere were distressed with the fall of the Qin. I had to show everybody that this was a good step for China, and things would be ok. To do this, I lowered taxes, and developed agriculture. The development of agriculture came out of the Han following the philosophy of giving people peace and security. Another step I took in the beginning of my reign was that I released slaves, and restricted the addition of peasantry by the merchant classes. I believe that these steps were essential to getting the people on my side, and to go forth and expand China.  
Reporter: What are your thoughts on Confucianism? Do you believe it was the best philosophy for China to follow?
Emperor Gaozu: In my opinion, Confucianism was what kept the Han Dynasty standing for so long. I would say it was most definitely the best philosophy China could follow. There are a couple different reasons that make me believe Confucianism was a strong and supportive philosophy for China. One was that Confucianism helped strengthen the country because it taught us not to hand people jobs because of who they are, or where they came from, but to challenge their knowledge. This is why we started giving people written exams. When we made this change, we could see that people who we would never think to give a governing position because of their poverty were the ones who were stepping up. Not only would they pass the exams with flying colors, but were also giving marvelous suggestions. Another reason I thought Confucianism helped wasn’t as much as our country growing in size, but in respect for eachother. Confucianism teaches us five key relationships we should work to build: ruler and subject, parent and child, husband and wife, elder sibling and younger sibling, and lastly, friend and friend. If Confucianism helped the country learn anything, it was to respect those above you and below you. Confucianism was a wonderful philosophy because not only did it help us strengthen our economy, but it also taught us how to respect one another, and that is a very important life lesson that everybody should know.
Reporter: What are your thoughts on the invention of paper? Do you believe it helped China in anyway?
Emperor Gaozu: My thoughts about the invention of the new lighter weight paper is that it is much easier to handle. I believe it helped China in numerous ways. First of all, when the new type of paper was invented, many people were overwhelmed with joy that the paper was a much lighter weight. It’s now easier for people to carry it around with them, which made it much more useful. Before it was invented, people would dread needing to carry paper around with them because it was so big and bulky, but now, people will use it whatever chance they get. Paper also helped pass around ideas, teachings, and philosophies. One other reason paper was a great invention was because educating people became much easier. Since education became easier, more people were getting educated. This led to more people applying for jobs. Before you know it, just about everybody in the country is putting their best foot forward to help strengthen China. It’s like a domino effect. These are the reasons I find this new paper to be such a wonderful invention.
Reporter: What was the main reason for developing the Silk Road? Did it achieve what you were hoping it would?
Emperor Gaozu: When silk was accidently invented, we wanted to get the word out to countries outside of China, but we didn’t have a way to get as far as we would’ve liked. This is when the Silk Road came into play. We made the Silk Road as a trade route, starting with us wanting to trade silk for other goods. As for it achieving what we hoped for, it went far and beyond what we were looking for. Usually in return for silk, other countries would trade jade, furs, spices, pearls, and ivory. One of the most valued trades were when people would trade horses, or when the Romans would trade glassware. Like silk, the Romans invented glassware and everybody wanted it. Silk for glassware was one of the most valuable trades for China, especially up until we were taught how to make glassware ourselves. Another reason the Silk Road was such a magnificent idea was because, instead of just material items, people also started trading ideas, and stories, and philosophies. This is how China learned about Buddhism, which eventually became a major religion in China. As you can see, this is why I think the Silk Road was a wonderful development for China.

Reporter: Thank you very much for your time. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Emperor Gaozu: Thank you for having me.

Map

Map of the Han Dynasty

This map is of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) compared to modern day China. The ivory area is the Han Dynasty’s territory. The red line marks the borders of modern day China. Expansion of the Han was largest during Emperor Han Wudi’s rule. The first expansion occurred when the Han defeated the Xiongnu. The expansion of the Han also included expanding into the Gansu province in North Korea, the Tunnan and Guangzhou provinces, and the northern area of modern Vietnam. This map also includes the Chang’an, Loyang, and the Great Wall of China. During the shift of the Western Han period, and the Eastern Han period, the capital city shifted from Chang’an, to Loyang. During the period of the Han Dynasty, the Great Wall was extended far into the Gobi Desert. This was important because it made the wall hard to scale, so the Han was safe from invaders. Also, the wall protected the Han against erosion of the weather. The Han’s territory was more than half the size of today’s China, but still not quite as big.  

Opinion Editorial

Confucianism vs. Daoism

Though Confucianism did not work for the Qin Dynasty, Emperor Han Wudi believes that we should follow it, and declared China as the Confucian state. Confucianism has helped China is some way, but overall is an unfair, and inadequate philosophy to follow. Instead of Confucianism we should follow the philosophy of Daosim. The citizens of China should care about the fact that Confucianism is unreasonable. It discriminates against women, and gives children no freedom. A woman is brought up being taught that she most fully obey her father, or if she is married she must fully obey her husband, or if she is a widow she must fully obey her son. As soon as babies are born, their taught that they cannot make any decisions for themselves, and that their parents have full control over anything they do. Also, children are not allowed to choose who they marry, but their parents choose for them. Finally, after marriage, the couple must stay with the grooms parents and take care of them for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, Daoism teaches us to become one with nature. We shouldn't strive for excellence and power. Daoism teaches the Emperor to make fewer laws, which results in supporting people in achieving what they naturally desire. This is called “action through nonaction”. If China were to convert to Daoism, our children would learn how to grow up to be their own person and make their own decisions, and wouldn't be mentally handicap. Also, daoism would give China a chance to see what women are actually made of, and give them a chance to do something great with their lives. Therefore, Daoism is a better philosophy for China to follow because it allows more people in our nation to strive in what they naturally desire, and do something extraordinary for China.

News Article

Opening up Doors with the Silk Road

December 20, 206 BC, Chang’an- The Silk Road starts in the capital city of Chang’an and it ranges 4,000 miles. It was created to allow trade with countries outside of China like India, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Silk Road is especially important because it links two major trading industries; the Chinese, and the Romans.
Jan-Chang, a citizen of China who has now traveled the Silk Road explained, “Creating the Silk Road was a step in the right direction. The Silk Road is a long voyage, through some brutal areas, but it’s worth it to find new trade. China now has the power to branch out and broaden their horizons. The materials, and ideas that have already came from the Silk Road in such little time shows it was worth creating. I can’t wait to see what what else comes from the Silk Road.”
Another citizen of China, Chin-Lin, who is waiting for her husband to return from the Silk Road said, “ Ever since Zhan Qian opened the Silk Road, China changed for the better. Before the Silk Road, it has been very hard for China to trade with other countries, especially the countries further away. Now we have a path leading us straight to the other countries. China is learning new ideas from neighboring countries, and is becoming very strong. I wish my husband could spend more time at home, but he is working hard to find great ways to expand, and strengthen China.”
This is only the beginning of what will come from the Silk Road, but if ideas and new material keep coming as fast as they have already, there will be a new, bigger and better China soon.