China is BIG. As we have seen already this semester, and as we will see moving forward, events and phenomena (like increased foreign trade or overseas migration) can affect regions of China very differently. It is often useful to use the idea of macro-regions to deal with such issues (just as in US politics and economic we often talk about the South, the Midwest or the Northeast). Write an essay where you describe how 3 events or trends we have discussed affected specific regions (you might find it most useful to think in terms of macro-regions or groupings of macro-regions) in specific ways. Finally, do you have any observations about how regional differences/identities might have affected developments in China? Version 1: ‐ Example region: Xinjiang or Northwest China o Three trends:  In Han Dynasty, think about Silk Road. Han started international trade with Northwest, import foreign goods, also brought Chinese culture to the Northwest. Then it became a part of the tributary system.  In Tang Dynasty, XinJiang was a part Chinese territory, which developed by Han Dynasty international trade.  Except for Yuan and Qing, which was governed by non-Han Chinese (Mongolian and Manchurian), during two of those Han Chinese governing: Song and Ming, Northwest was not officially governed this area.  In Qing Dynasty, the Northwest came back the tributary system and Kangxi’s crusades brought Xinjiang officially under the govern of China. o Why does it matter ?  In the connecting part between China and the Western  Different religion: Muslim  Oil and natural gas for nowadays use. o Identity changes:  They were not Han  Influenced by Chinese cultural during a long historical period  Become Chinese now.  China is BIG and as a melting pot, on the one hand, confusions as the main ideology for China in influential for the territories around China; on the other hand, foreign culture got into China and formed China as big and tolerant country. Version 2: • Northwestern China:o Characterized by largest flat land area in the country  Raised horses  Strong military  Geography definitely factors into how a nation will develop because building successful and prosperous communities begins with a habitable area with an abundance of natural resources o Beijing serves as the urban center of North China which is otherwise predominantly rural  Easy access to trade routes  Close to danger/warrior tribes such as the Mongol • Eastern/Coastal China: o Shanghai is the most economically important city because it underwent dramatic industrialization and modernization changes when Westerners entered China o Trading ports o Agriculture • Northeastern China/Manchuria: o Nomadic tribes o Abundant natural resources: arable land, rich reserves of iron, coal, petroleum o Strategically located so it was the center of Russian and Japanese spheres of influence of China Version 3: - North China is the most important macro region: it contains a little over one quarter of China’s total farm land as well as slightly over one quarter of the total population. Beijing is its capital. Tianjin is its sister city. Produces and puts out a higher percentage than percentage of population of China’s industrial products and crops. - Most developed part of China is the Lower Yangtze. Shanghai is its main center – most important economic city of China. Produces more than twice its population in the GDP. - Natural resources are most prevalent in Manchuria. - Beijing/ Shanghai link is the most important economic relationship. Grand Canal - Middle regions are big on grain. They do not break even on GDP to population production - Sichuan Basin in West and Yunnan-Guizhou plateau are relatively poor areas with dense population- Southeast China is more ocean based. Hong Kong Frameworks for thinking about country and region: Environmental: geographic and climatic Political: military and diplomatic relations Cultural: spheres of linguistic, religious, or other cultural connection Economic: ties of exchange and trade Race: apparent phenotypic similarities Ethnic: mixture of culture, race and sometimes other assumed similarities Migration: connections through community movement and settlement Historic: legacy of earlier above connections - N – Wheat S – Rice W – Pasture - In the North they had more middle peasant class - Grand Canal got wealth from South to the North - 94% of the population is in the East. The Hu Huanyong line. 3 EVENTS EFFECTING MACRO REGIONS DIFFERENTLY TRADE RESTRICTIONS Canton System and the Opium War (Nanking Treaty)– changed the amount of trade allowed in regions such as Southeast China and the Lower Yangtze. The Opium War came out of a trade imbalance between China and Europe. The Canton System was put in place to protect China from itself in terms of opium. Hong middlemen would work with China and Westerners for pay and to limit opium into China. China’s loss in the war forced trade ports open and allowed extraterritoriality in the region. Shanghai for instance was an international city. With China joining the World Trade Organization in 2004 they are open to trade more so than ever before. This is the explosive center of economic growth and has any regions linked to the ocean growing exponentially. DIVISION and UNION -1911 Xinhai Revolution: in response to decline of Qing state, which was ineffective in modernizing China and dealing with foreign threats. 2 Opium wars and Boxer Rebellion. The Yuan monopolized the new national government and this led to decades of political division and warlordism. Wuchang Uprising was the biggest one. FOREIGN THREATS -Japan extraterritoriality and WW2 affecting E and NE. Mongols invaded the North and ruled with Jin Dynasty and Yuan when the empire split.Version 4: Macro region · Way to divide land of China · Done by geography · Either divided by this or provinces · This is cultural division Southeast Macro regions(Affected by following three events) Canton System · Brought trade to these areas · Home to foreign ports because its by the sea shore Opium Wars (1 and 2) · Main location of War (Guangzhou) · Many local Chinese Opium sellers arrested · 2nd War opens 10 more treaty ports and allows emigration · Extraterritoriality (not all land in area belong to