Religious Beliefs in China. Confucianism and Taoism. Religion of ancient China Religion that originated in ancient China

Religion of Ancient China briefly

Ancient China is one of the most mysterious countries in the world. This is how it was thousands of years ago, and this is how it is now. It is strikingly different even from neighboring countries, and this difference can be seen literally in everything. The religion of ancient China, summarized, can to some extent explain the reasons for the peculiarity of China.

The biggest difference between the Chinese and other peoples is that they are not a mystical people, but a practical one. If the mythology of other countries is diverse and extensive, then in China, instead of myths, there were legends about just virtuous rulers famous for their wisdom.

It is impossible to describe the religion of Ancient China briefly; one can only state its main directions. Here it should be said right away - a feature of the religion of China is that it is inextricably linked with philosophy. Those philosophical currents that found followers here became religions.

Since ancient times, a special system of worldview has developed in China. The Chinese believed that the world consists of chaos, in which there are life-giving particles - tsy. They were subsequently divided into light particles - yang and heavy - yin. From the light and light yang, the sky arose, and the dark yin - the earth. For the ancient Chinese, the sky is the progenitor of all life on earth. Confucius wrote: “Without Heaven, the people will perish. His fate depends only on the mercy of Heaven. For the Chinese, Heaven is not God or a deity to which one can turn, argue, be angry with him or admire him. It is a cold and abstract entity, indifferent to people.

The religion of ancient China, summarized, includes the following types:

Confucianism is a special system of ancient traditions. The basic principles of this religion are humanism and duty. For followers of Confucianism, great importance has a meticulous observance of rules and rituals. The founder is an official from the ancient Chinese family Kung Fu-tzu (Confucius in European).
. Taoism - the basis of this religion is the concept of Tao - a complex multifaceted concept. This is the Way and the beginning of everything. For the followers of Taoism, the main goal in life was to merge with the Tao. This could be achieved by acting according to the laws of morality, meditating and refusing excessive material values. The founder of Taoism is historical figure- archivist Lao-tzu. Although some researchers doubt its true existence. The principles of Taoism are very similar to those of Confucianism, and these religions have been successfully competing with each other for a long time.
. Chinese Buddhism. The appearance of this religion in China was facilitated by the close proximity to India. It appeared in the 1st century BC, and by the 4th century AD. gained worldwide popularity. The ideas of Buddhism were close to the Chinese, and this religion quickly adapted to the Middle Kingdom. The problems were that if for the Indians begging for a monk was not considered something shameful, then for the Chinese it was tantamount to shame, and in the very idea of ​​monasticism. Prior to this, China did not know such a way of life, and the refusal of a person from his own name when joining the monastic order of Buddhists was tantamount to abandoning his ancestors.
These are the three main religious currents of ancient China.

In China, in the XII-VIII centuries BC, a primitive ideographic writing was invented, improved and subsequently turned into a hieroglyphic calligraphy completed in form, and a monthly calendar was also basically compiled.

Peculiar Chinese culture has reached a special flourishing since the transformation of China at the end of the 3rd century BC into a single powerful empire from the beginning of the Qin dynasty, and later the Han dynasty

During early history imperial era Ancient China enriched world culture such important inventions as the compass and speedometer, seismograph, porcelain, printing and gunpowder. It was in China for the first time in the world that nautical devices were invented - the tiller and multi-tiered sails, in the field of writing and printing - paper and movable type, in military equipment - guns and stirrups. In the 7th-10th centuries, mechanical watches, silk weaving, a drive belt and a chain transmission were invented.

In mathematics, the outstanding Chinese achievement was the use of decimal fractions and the empty position to denote zero, the calculation of the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter (number e), the discovery of a method for solving equations with two and three unknowns. Even before the start of XTV, the so-called "Pascal's triangle" in China was considered the old fashioned way solving equations.

The ancient Chinese were experienced astronomers, they knew how to calculate the dates of an eclipse of the Sun, observed spots on it, and compiled one of the world's first catalogs of stars. The device known today as the Cardano suspension (invented in Europe in the 16th century) should in fact be called the Ding Huan suspension (II Tue).

When creating blowers for metallurgy, the Chinese were the first to apply the method of converting circular motion to translational, which was later used in Europe for the operation of steam engines. In China, a long tradition of biological plant protection was born - IV in belong to descriptions of methods for using some insects to fight others.

Astronomy, knowledge of calendar calculations and astrological predictions, mathematics, physics and hydraulic engineering reached a high level in ancient China. Fortification construction remained an important matter to protect the outer borders of the empire from incursions by warlike nomads. Chinese builders became famous for their grandiose structures - the Great Wall of China and the Great Canal that connected Beijing and Hangzhou. The construction of the canal began as early as the 6th century BC, continued for two thousand years, and was completed only in the 13th century. n. e.

This complex hydraulic structure with a length of more than 1800 km and a width of 15 to 350 m with numerous devices for pumping and purifying water has become a real masterpiece of world irrigation art.

In ancient China, a manual on pharmacology was first written, surgical operations were performed using narcotic drugs, and acupuncture and massage treatments were used. The ancient method of treatment with the help of the "root of immortality" - ginseng - is extremely popular in the world.

The originality of the spiritual culture of Ancient China is largely due to the phenomenon known as "Chinese ceremonies": strictly fixed stereotypes of ethical and ritual norms of behavior and thinking, developed in compliance with the rules and prescriptions of antiquity. The specificity of the spiritual life of the ancient Chinese consisted precisely in the fact that the exaggeration of ethical and ritual values ​​in their minds eventually led to their replacement of the religious and mythological perception of the world. This demythologization and, to a certain extent, desacralization of ethics and ritual have shaped the uniqueness of Chinese culture. The place of the cult of the gods was taken by the cult of real clan and family ancestors.

However, those gods whose cult was preserved became abstract deities-symbols without human traits: Heaven, Heaven, Tao Heaven is the highest impersonal naturalistic universality, the Great Tao, the omnipotent creator of the world, is absolutely indifferent to man, is all-encompassing and universal, formless and the nameless Law and Absolute of life, inaccessible to human senses, unseen and unheard of. To know the Tao, to understand it with one's own mind, having united with it - these are the key worldview principles and the ultimate life goal of the ancient Chinese.

Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophical system (tao - "way"), the founder of which is considered to be the semi-legendary Lao Tzu (VI century BC). laws, but to know the laws of nature and merge into it without separating oneself from other components (animals, plants, minerals, etc.). Taoism was formed against the backdrop of continuous internal wars and an ecological catastrophe that hit China in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. due to the predatory economic activity of Chinese farmers armed with tools, therefore Taoism called for the destruction of any statehood and promoted "wuwei" ("non-action"), the maximum restriction of any human activity, a priori harmful to nature, and therefore to man himself. Over time, Taoism acquired the features of a real religion, which promoted the fusion of man with nature and was repeatedly the ideological banner of anti-state peasant movements.

Confucianism, the ethical and political doctrine of the idealist philosopher Confucius, occupies a particularly important place in Chinese spiritual culture.

Under the influence of the religious, ethical-philosophical and socio-political views characteristic of ancient Chinese society, classical literature also developed. Even in the first poetry collection of Ancient China, the famous "Book of Songs", on the basis of folk songs, ancient hymns, the exploits of ancestors are sung.

The "Book of Historical Traditions", which includes speeches and instructions, according to legend, belonged to the ancient kings and their advisers, under the influence of Confucianism turned into a collection of teachings and advice. Confucius himself is credited with the authorship of the book "Spring and Autumn", which most clearly reflects his concept of the norms and rules of social order.

In the II-III centuries, Buddhism penetrated China, which influenced traditional Chinese culture. This, in particular, manifested itself in literature, fine arts, and especially in architecture (rock complexes like the temples of Ellora, graceful pagodas in the Indian style, Dunhuang cave temples, reminiscent of the Ajanta cave temples).

Buddhism, having existed in China for almost two millennia, changed noticeably in the course of adapting to a specific Chinese civilization, in particular, based on the synthesis of its ideas about alleviating suffering in this life and salvation, eternal bliss in the afterlife with Confucian pragmatism in China in the 6th century, one of the The most interesting intellectual currents of world religious thought - Chan Buddhism, which subsequently spread also in Japan, acquired the completed form of Zen Buddhism, is still very popular in many countries. The most significant transformation of Buddhism turned out to be in a peculiarly Chinese art based on original traditions. The Chinese never accepted the Indian image of the Buddha, creating their own image.

Chinese art is characterized by calligraphy, poetry and painting, which form an inseparable triune system. It is this hieroglyphic code system with its linguistic and pictorial possibilities that allows, from the point of view of Chinese aesthetics, with the help of one tool - a brush - to combine three different kind art and together achieve the most complete and accurate transmission of their artistic means surrounding harmony.

The first manifestations of civilization in China are usually attributed to the XIV century. BC. This is the beginning of the Shang (Yin) era. Then there was the state of Yin in the middle reaches of the river. Huanghe. The state was headed by the hereditary monarch Wang, already a property stratification, the beginnings of slavery, but the remnants of primitive communal relations were preserved. Then appeared moon calendar. The primitive religion as a cult of nature and the cult of ancestors began to transform into a systemic religion.

Each community had its own deity - Fandi, who was the patron and ancestor of the community, he supported the fertility of the land and the fertility of livestock. The local deities were led by the supreme god Shanli. The trenches made sacrifices to their gods and ancestors, including human sacrifices, by men from the captives (women were left alive as labor force). Human sacrifices were massive. In the Shan era, the idea of ​​Heaven as the supreme being, the owner of everything that exists, arises.

In the XI century. BC. The state of Yin conquered the people of Zhou.

The Zhou era lasted from the 11th century. BC. Debt slavery has already appeared here, but the basis of social slavery was created by free community members, who received land from Van. The state consisted of separate kingdoms, which gradually gained independence and fought among themselves. By the end of the era, private ownership of land was established. The technology of cultivating the land improved significantly, handicrafts were established, and trade flourished. At this time, a particular ancient religion is produced.

In the Chou people there was the goddess Foremother from the genus of the Baran - Jian Yuan, then her place was taken by the Ruler-Millet ("Volodar-Grain").

When, as a result of the conquest of the state of Yin and a number of neighboring tribes, the state of Zhou was formed, a cult intertribal union arose in which they worshiped the joint god Gun.

Subsequently, an even more influential state with the same name Zhou grows up within the lower and middle reaches of the Yellow River.

The cult of "The Supremacy of the Deity" - Heaven, appeared in it, and the Zhou became the "Son of Heaven" - Tian-tzu.

In the 8th century BC. the center of the state of Zhou moves to the east. Eastern Zhou is a period of existence of a number of fragmented independent states, there were about two hundred of them. About a dozen of their most significant, including the Eastern Zhou, formed the core of the state, which the historical tradition considered the "central kingdoms" of the Universe (Celestial Universe - Zhong Guo).

Among the large number of the kingdom of Zhong Guo, Eastern Zhou played the role of a cult center, and the Zhou baths became nominal rulers. Religion in this period remained a cult of nature and a cult of ancestors, especially royal ones.

From the 5th century BC. and to the III century. BC. the period of "kingdoms waging war" continues. The kingdoms of Qi, Chu, Qin, Jin, Han, Sui, Wu, Yue, Lu and others are fighting for dominance one over the other.

It was at this time that the main philosophical and religious schools of China appeared, and the first of them was Confucianism.

But before presenting the history and essence of Confucianism, let us briefly consider the content and forms of the religion of ancient China.

From disparate religious ideas in the Zhou era, religion was systematized to a certain extent. At the end of the XIX century. Iyibulo was given the name of the ancient state religion, or Sinism. But this name did not take root in Sinology, the religion of the ancient Chinese remained without a name, so let it be with us.

ancient chinese religion

As in any religion, in the ancient Chinese religion we find primarily animistic ideas associated with the personification of natural and social forces. They found themselves in adoration of the sky, various spirits and souls of their ancestors.

Sky (Tian, ​​Tian, ​​Te) is the main Chinese deity. This is not the spirit of the sky, not some kind of force, but the most living sky, above us, it sees everything, knows everything, everything belongs to it, it directs everything. It is the Supreme Ruler, a material object to be adored, not a supreme being.

The ancient Chinese did not put any views into understanding their deity of the sky. This is pure worship of the forces of nature.

The sky does not give revelation, miracles, divine intervention in the actions of nature and man. But fate, Ming, is different for everyone and becomes known only when it is realized. The sky can express its attitude to nature, to people because of the weather, natural phenomena, it can declare the loss of harmony between them and the earth. Then the emperor's business is to make a sacrifice, to regulate relations. If heaven is angry with the emperor, then he must be replaced.

The ancient Chinese idea of ​​spirits (Shan) is already animism. There are a great many Spirits, they are connected with the objects of nature, each of them has its own Spirit. They exist together as a kind of corporation, and they should be addressed not alone, but all together. Since they personify specific things (mountains, rivers, fields, heavenly bodies, natural phenomena, etc.), their existence is territorially limited. The cult according to them is no longer carried out by the emperor, but by the local ruler.

Spirits exist under Heaven, are subject to it, but do not represent it. They are all good, there are no evil spirits. Evil does not come from evil spirits, but from the lack of good will of good spirits.

The cult of spirits was served by shamanism borrowed from the primitive religion. Shamans were experts in dealing with spirits, they knew when, where and how to make sacrifices to them, how to invite them for help and how to prevent evil. The existence and authority of the spirits were supported by what the shamans knew traditional medicine, physiology and psychology of clients.

The cult of ancestors was the most entrenched. The ancient Chinese believed in the existence of a person's soul after his death. This is not a belief in personal immortality. It was the idea of ​​procreation as an eternal value.

The Chinese idea of ​​the other world retained the features of primitive ideas about it. The other world was a natural continuation of earthly life. The dead man did not die completely. He demanded food and care in accordance with the status that he occupied in earthly life. He had to be taken care of as if he were alive, replacing real things and forms of guardianship with appropriate symbolic ones. This and. was supposed to serve as a cult of ancestors. Therefore, in ancient Chinese animism, there is no idea of ​​otherworldly retribution, the idea of ​​hell and paradise. The Chinese fear not a future execution, but the condemning thought of the ancestral spirits to whom he is responsible. His current fate depends on his ancestors, real life. And one cannot be indifferent to this.

That is why each house had its own chapel or chapel with tablets on which the names of the ancestors were written. When a family gathers, the spirits of the ancestors are also present. Then the spirits of the ancestors are sacrificed - direct or symbolic. Family members consume the food, and the spirits of the ancestors consume the sacrifice. In honor of the ancestors, speeches are made, in spells they express their requests or gratitude for help, and the like. Such a cult has only a family character, it is carried out only by a husband and wife. Therefore, marriage is a religious act, it opens up the possibility of ancestor worship.

Honors his ancestors and the emperor. And this respect already has not only a family, but also a social character, the Emperor makes sacrifices to his ancestors and all predecessors on the throne. They help not only him alone and his family, but the whole country as a whole, all the people. Hence their significance, scale, publicity.

Cult traditions arose in ancient China. Sacrifices were made to Heaven, spirits and ancestors on various occasions, even in the event of a change in the weather. These sacrifices were made not for ransom, but out of gratitude and devotion. There is nothing ascetic about Chinese rituals. Rites are often accompanied by music. The victims are animals, plants, household items - it all depends on the reason for the sacrifice, on what is asked. The petitioner himself, the head of the family, makes sacrifices, there are no specialists in sacrifices. But everything must comply with the ritual, nothing can be rejected or simplified. In the eyes of the Chinese, sacrifice is the sum total of relationships with the supernatural, and nothing can be neglected here.

The ancient Chinese religion was a significant flourishing of traditional magic: magicians, soothsayers, fortune-tellers, connoisseurs of the recipes of miraculous elixirs, specialists from good and evil, love and hate, life and death had unlimited scope for their activities. The magic of achieving immortality gained a special scope. The search for the elixir of immortality was encouraged by almost all emperors of all dynasties. Why not make the wonderful imperial life limitless, in which for the Son of Heaven there was never, nowhere, anything denied? The inaccessibility of this dream is obvious. But these searches stimulated the creation of significant pharmaceutical discoveries for ancient Chinese medicine.

So, the ancient Chinese religion, directly born from the primitive religion of their ancestors, followed the usual path for all religions: turning the original personification of nature and society into polytheism, combining elementary fetishistic and magical techniques and actions into a religious cult. The statement that the ancient Chinese worshiped Shandi - the First Sovereign, outstanding from all spirits, and even with a hint that the ancient Chinese under Shandi understood the One God, can hardly be considered justified.

The history, culture, religion and traditions of the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire for centuries aroused genuine interest in citizens of European countries, because the original and rich culture of this eastern state was so different from the traditions and rules adopted in Western society. The originality and difference between the civilization and worldview of the Chinese from the worldview of Europeans is especially clearly seen in the comparison of the beliefs of the ancient Chinese and the religions of the tribes whose descendants now inhabit the European part of Eurasia - Scandinavians, Romans, Chimerians, Scythians, etc. The religion of ancient China is, first of all, philosophy, search life path, the absence of complex cults and strict rules and focus on.

Chinese civilization has a history of many thousands of years, in which decline has been replaced by prosperity more than once. Beautiful nature, which seemed to be created in order to contemplate its beauty, the class division of society, the tradition of respect for elders, bloody wars, the struggle of dynasties, great discoveries, the development of trade, the need for hard daily work - all these, at first glance, do not unrelated factors influenced the formation and development of the philosophy and religion of ancient China.

Religion of the ancient Chinese in the period before the second millennium BC

The ancient Chinese, who lived more than 4 thousand years ago, had beliefs somewhat similar to those of other ancient tribes. The first beliefs of the Chinese, of which later and, were based on totemism, and almost all Chinese tribes had their own totem. The deification of dragons in Chinese mythology and belief in the power and patronage of these mythical animals, which the Chinese have preserved to this day, take their roots precisely from those ancient times when many Chinese tribes considered the snake to be their totem. Over time, the patron serpent in the minds of the people was transformed into a flying serpent - a dragon. A popular Chinese legend about the magical fenghuang bird, a transformed swallow totem, has a similar origin. The dragon and fenghuang in the religion of the ancient Chinese were something like the supreme deities: the dragon identified the earth and the masculine, and fenghuang - the sky and the feminine.

According to the beliefs of the Chinese, everything around is chaos, in which there are particles of living energy Tsy. Qi is of two types - YIN and YANG, YIN - dark, viscous and heavy particles, they are also the feminine principle and the embodiment of earth and water, and YANG - light and light particles that identify light, sky and the masculine principle. The ancient Chinese considered the sky to be the progenitor of all life on Earth, but praying to Heaven, in their opinion, was pointless - it is indifferent to human affairs. The Chinese also believed that the harmony of YIN and YANG is necessary for human life, and all misfortunes, cataclysms and - consequences of the disharmony of these fundamental energies.

Pantheon of ancient Chinese gods

The religion of the ancient Chinese is characterized by such a phenomenon as euhemerization (humanization) of deities. Now no one can say for sure whether the Chinese deities had real prototypes - emperors, warriors, dignitaries and rulers, or the belief that the gods once lived on earth appeared among the Chinese after they believed in deities . The most famous and revered in the religion of the ancient Chinese were such deities:

- Guandi - the god of war and wealth, the patron of officials;

Zhu Shou - deity of autumn and metals;

Leigong - the god of thunder;

Pangu - the first person born as a result of the interaction of the supreme forces of the universe yin and yang;

Fusi - the ruler of the sky;

Nuwa - the ruler of the earth;

Shennong - the god of agriculture;

Yudi is the god-emperor of the universe.

The ancient Chinese erected temples to these gods and prayed for patronage, however, unlike the ancestors of Europeans, fanaticism in faith was not inherent in the ancient Chinese - there is no evidence in history that the Chinese made sacrifices to their deities or had any complex worship cults. Since the religion of the ancient Chinese is based on philosophy, the gods in their view were something like helpers, patrons, who, like people, obey the laws of the universe.

Three religions of ancient China

In the second millennium BC, the formation of religious and philosophical movements began, and before the beginning of our era, the ancient Chinese had: Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. These three religions have a lot in common - the absence of a deity that requires worship, a philosophical assessment of the world, and most importantly, an orientation towards self-development and self-improvement of a person.

The second religion of ancient China, which was formed around the third century BC and is widespread to this day, is Taoism - religious and philosophical doctrine of the spiritual path of man. The founder of Taoism is Lao-tzu, who formed the doctrine of Tao - the beginning of all life and the great path that every person must go through in order to merge with the Universe and become part of Tao himself. According to the teachings, this goal can be achieved without doing evil, adhering to strict moral standards and moderation in one's own desires, and regularly practicing meditation.

The last belief in the triad of religions of ancient China is the teaching of Kung Fu Tzu - Confucianism . Adherents of this religion, which originated in the fifth century BC, are sure that the purpose of every person's life is to do good for other people; humanism, philanthropy, justice, respect for elders - these are the features that everyone who calls himself a follower of Confucius should possess. Probably, when compiling the dogmas of his teaching, Confucius relied on ancient traditions and the faith of his ancestors, because the religious and philosophical movement he founded has some features of the cult of ancestors, the cult of the earth and the veneration of Heaven as the creator of all life on earth.

Compass, gunpowder, dumplings, paper (including toilet paper and paper money), silk and many other things from our everyday life, what do they have in common? As you might guess, they all came to us from ancient China. Chinese culture and civilization has brought mankind a great many useful inventions and discoveries. And not only in the material sphere, but also in the spiritual one, because the teachings of the great Chinese philosophers and sages, such as Kung Tzu (better known as Confucius) and Lao Tzu remain relevant at all times and epochs. What was the history of ancient China, its culture and religion, read about all this in our article.

History of ancient China

The emergence of the civilization of ancient China falls on the second half of the 1st millennium BC. e. In those distant times, China was an ancient feudal state, which was called Zhou (after the name of the ruling dynasty). Then the state of Zhou as a result broke up into several small kingdoms and principalities, which continuously fought with each other for power, territory and influence. The Chinese themselves call this ancient period of their history Zhangguo - the era of the Warring States. Gradually, seven main kingdoms stood out, which absorbed all the others: Qin, Chu, Wei, Zhao, Han, Qi and Yan.

Despite political fragmentation, Chinese culture and civilization actively developed, new cities appeared, crafts and Agriculture and iron replaced bronze. It is this period that can also be safely called the golden age of Chinese philosophy, since it was at that time that the famous Chinese sages Lao Tzu and Confucius lived, on whom we will dwell in more detail a little later, as well as their numerous students and followers (for example, Chuang Tzu) who also enriched the world treasury of wisdom with their thoughts and works.

Again, despite the fact that the Chinese civilization at that time consisted of seven fragmented kingdoms, they had a common essence, one language, one tradition, history, religion. And soon one of the strongest kingdoms - Qin, under the rule of the stern and warlike emperor Qin Shi Huang, managed to conquer all the other kingdoms, reunite ancient China under the banner of a single state.

True, the Qin dynasty ruled a united China for only 11 years, but this decade was one of the greatest in Chinese history. The reforms carried out by the emperor affected all aspects of Chinese life. What were these reforms of ancient China that had such an impact on the life of the Chinese?

The first of these was the land reform, which dealt a crushing blow to communal land tenure, for the first time land began to be freely bought and sold. The second was the administrative reform, which divided the entire Chinese territory into administrative centers, they are also counties (xiang), at the head of each such county was a state official who, with his head, answered to the emperor for order in his territory. The third important reform was the tax reform, if earlier the Chinese paid a land tax - a tithe of the crop, now the fee was charged depending on the cultivated land, which gave the state an annual permanent income, regardless of crop failure, drought, etc. All the risks associated with crop failures now fell on the shoulders of farmers.

And without a doubt, the most important in those turbulent times was the military reform, which, incidentally, preceded the unification of China: first, the Qin, and then the general Chinese army was rearmed and reorganized, cavalry was included in it, bronze weapons were replaced with iron ones, long riding clothes of warriors were replaced short and more comfortable (like nomads). The soldiers were divided into fives and dozens, connected with each other by a system of mutual responsibility, those who did not show due courage were severely punished.

This is what the ancient Chinese warriors looked like, the terracotta army of Qin Shi Huang.

Actually, these measures of the reformer Qin Shihauandi helped make the Qin army one of the most combat-ready in ancient China, defeat other kingdoms, unite China and turn it into the strongest state in the East.

The Qin dynasty was replaced by a new Han dynasty, which strengthened the cause of its predecessors, expanded Chinese territories, spread Chinese influence to neighboring peoples, from the Gobi desert in the north to the Pamir mountains in the west.

Map of ancient China during the Qin and Han eras.

The reign of the Qin and Han dynasties is the period of the greatest flourishing of the ancient Chinese civilization and culture. The Han Dynasty itself lasted until the 2nd century BC. e. and also collapsed as a result of the next unrest, the era of Chinese power was again replaced by an era of decline, which was again replaced by periods of take-off. After the fall of the Han, the era of the Three Kingdoms began in China, then the Jin dynasty came to power, then the Sui dynasty, and so many times one imperial Chinese dynasties succeeded others, but all of them could not reach the level of greatness that was under the ancient Qin and Han. Nevertheless, China has always experienced the most terrible crises and troubles of history, like a Phoenix bird, reborn from the ashes. And in our time, we are witnessing another rise of Chinese civilization, because even this article you are probably reading on a computer or phone or tablet, many of the details of which (if not all) are made, of course, in China.

Culture of ancient China

Chinese culture is extraordinarily rich and multifaceted, it has greatly enriched the global culture. And the greatest contribution here, in our opinion, is the invention of paper by the Chinese, which in turn actively influenced the development of writing. In those days, when the ancestors of many European peoples still lived in semi-dugouts and could not even think about writing, the Chinese already created extensive libraries with the works of their pundits.

The writing technology of ancient China also underwent considerable evolution and appeared even before the invention of paper, at first the Chinese wrote on bamboo, for this the bamboo trunks were split into thin boards and hieroglyphs were applied on them with black ink from top to bottom. Then they were fastened with leather straps along the upper and lower edges, and a bamboo panel was obtained, which could be easily rolled into a roll. This was an ancient Chinese book. The appearance of paper made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of book production, and make books themselves accessible to many. Although, of course, ordinary Chinese peasants in those days remained illiterate, but for government officials and especially aristocrats, literacy, as well as mastery of the art of writing, calligraphy was a mandatory requirement.

Money in ancient China, as well as in other civilizations, was first in the form of metal coins, although in different kingdoms these coins could have different shape. Nevertheless, over time, it was the Chinese who were the first, however, already in a later era, to use paper money.

We know about the high level of development of crafts in ancient China from the works of Chinese writers of those times, as they tell us about ancient Chinese artisans of various specialties: casters, carpenters, jewelers, gunsmiths, weavers, ceramics specialists, builders of dams and dams. Moreover, each Chinese region was famous for its skilled craftsmen.

Shipbuilding actively developed in ancient China, as evidenced by the well-preserved model 16 of a rowing boat, a junk, which was discovered by archaeologists.

It looks like an ancient Chinese junk.

And yes, the ancient Chinese were good sailors and in this matter they could even compete with the European Vikings. Sometimes the Chinese, as well as the Europeans, undertook real sea expeditions, the most grandiose of which is the voyage of the Chinese admiral Zheng He, it was he who was the first of the Chinese to sail to the coast of East Africa and visited the Arabian Peninsula. For orientation in sea ​​voyages the Chinese were helped by the compass, invented by them.

Philosophy of ancient China

The philosophy of ancient China stands on two pillars: Taoism and Confucianism, which are based on two great Teachers: Lao Tzu and Confucius. These two areas of Chinese philosophy harmoniously complement each other. If Confucianism defines the moral, ethical side public life Chinese (relationship with other people, respect for parents, service to society, proper upbringing of children, nobility of spirit), then Taoism is rather a religious and philosophical doctrine of how to achieve inner perfection and harmony with the outside world and at the same time with oneself.

Don't do to other people what you don't want them to do to you.. - Confucius.

Allowing great malice, you acquire an excess of malice. Calm down - doing good. Lao Tzu.

These lines of two great Chinese sages, in our opinion, perfectly convey the essence of the philosophy of ancient China, its wisdom for those who have ears (in other words, this is briefly the most important of it).

Religion of ancient China

Ancient Chinese religion is largely associated with Chinese philosophy, its moral component comes from Confucianism, the mystical from Taoism, and also much is borrowed from Buddhism, a world religion, which in the 5th century BC. e. appeared in the next.

The Buddhist missionary and monk Bodhidharma (who is also the founder of the legendary Shao-Lin Monastery), according to legend, was the first to bring the Buddhist teaching to China, where it fell on fertile soil and flourished, acquiring a Chinese flavor in many respects from synthesis with Taoism and Confucianism. Since then, Buddhism has become the third integral part of China's religion.

Buddhism also had a very good influence on the development of education in ancient China (a commoner could become a Buddhist monk, and being a monk already had to learn literacy and writing). Many Buddhist monasteries simultaneously became real scientific and cultural centers of that time, where learned monks were engaged in rewriting Buddhist sutras (creating extensive libraries at the same time), teaching people to read and write, sharing their knowledge with them, and even opening Buddhist universities.

Buddhist monastery Shao-Lin, and it is from here that martial arts originate.

Many Chinese emperors patronized Buddhism by making generous donations to monasteries. At some point, ancient China became a real stronghold of the Buddhist religion, and from there Buddhist missionaries spread the light of the Buddha's teachings to neighboring countries: Korea, Mongolia, Japan.

Art of ancient China

The religion of ancient China, especially Buddhism, largely influenced its art, since many works of art, frescoes, sculptures were created by Buddhist monks. But besides this, a special and peculiar style of painting was formed in China, in which great attention is paid to landscapes, describing the beauty of nature.

Like this painting by Chinese artist Liao Songtang, written in the original Chinese style.

Architecture of ancient China

Many ancient Chinese buildings, created by talented architects of the past, still arouse our admiration to this day. The magnificent palaces of the Chinese emperors are especially amazing, which, first of all, were supposed to focus on the high position of the emperor. In their style, without fail, there is grandeur and splendor.

Palace of the Chinese Emperor, Forbidden City, Beijing.

The palaces of Chinese emperors consisted of two sections: front or official, and everyday or residential, where the private life of the emperor and his family took place.

Buddhist architecture in China is represented by numerous beautiful pagodas and temples built with Chinese pomp and grandeur.

Chinese pagoda.

Buddhist temple.

• Ancient China is the birthplace of football, according to Chinese historians, since this ball game is mentioned in ancient Chinese chronicles that date back to 1000 BC. e.
• It was the Chinese who were one of the first inventors of the calendar, so around 2000 BC. e. they began to use the lunar calendar, mainly for agricultural work.
• Since ancient times, the Chinese have revered birds, with the phoenix, crane and duck enjoying the greatest respect. Phoenix personifies imperial power and strength. The crane symbolizes longevity, and the duck symbolizes family happiness.
• Among the ancient Chinese, polygamy was legal, but of course, on the condition that the husband was rich enough to support several wives. As for the Chinese emperors, sometimes there were thousands of concubines in their harems.
• The Chinese believed that during the practice of calligraphy, the improvement of the human soul takes place.
• The Great Wall of China, a grandiose monument of Chinese construction, is included in the Guinness Book of Records for many parameters: it is the only building on earth that can be seen from space, it was built 2000 years - from 300 BC. e. before 1644, and more people died during its construction than anywhere else.

Ancient China video

And finally, interesting documentary about ancient China.

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