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Geography and History Activity

CLASS

netw rks

Imperial China
Lesson 1 China Reunites

Understanding Location:
Changan and Hangzhou
Changan

The city of Changan had been inhabited for thousands of

yearssince around 6000 B.C. The rulers of the Tang
dynastymade it their capital city. It had several geographic
advantages. First, it was situated at the point where the
Huang River and the He River meet. These rivers provided
both natural resources and a key transportation route to the
East China Sea and beyond. In addition, the city was located
on a low plain that was protected to the south by the Qin
(CHIHN) Mountains. With these resources and natural
protections, the city was able to prosper.
The city had an economic advantage as well. Trade prospered
in Changan because it was the eastern-most stop on the Silk
Road. Changan was a cultural center, too. It is the place
where Buddhism was introduced to the Chinese. In A.D. 652,
the Big Wild Goose pagoda, or temple, was built there for
worship. By the A.D. 900s, Changan was the worlds largest
city. It was home to more than a million people. Today the city
is called Xian (SHEE ANH), and more than three million
people live there.

When invaders from Mongolia in the north made life in

Changan unsafe, the Song dynasty rulers moved the capital
city about 750 miles south to Hangzhou. Hangzhou was not
just a place to escape invaders, however. It was a beautiful
location situated near Hangzhou Bay and Xi (SHEE) Lake and
surrounded by gently rolling green hills. Around A.D. 1126,
Song emperors built lavish palaces and gardens around the
lake for their enjoyment. Poets throughout the ages have
celebrated Hangzhous beauty in their poems.
The waters and land around Hangzhou made it an agricultural
center. It was known as the Land of Fish and Rice. Farmers
were able to collect many species of fish and grow many
varieties of rice and tea. In addition, the city was a major
producer of high quality silks. Because Hangzhou was located

Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Hangzhou

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Geography and History Activity Cont.

netw rks

Imperial China
on the Grand Canal and near the Chang Jiang, traders were
able to transport the products of Hangzhou to other parts of
China and around the world.

Capital Cities of the Tang and Song Dynasties

N
W

MONGOLIA

S
0

KOREAN
PENINSULA

1000 miles
Hua ng

1000 km
0
Two-Point Equidistant projection

East
China
Sea

He

Arabian
Sea

Ch

Changan

TIBET

an

gJ

Hangzhou

ia n g

CHINA
PACI FI C
O CE AN

INDIA
M

ek

on

South
China Sea

g R.

Bay of
Bengal

the Concept

1. Identifying What geographical advantages did Changan

have?

pital Cities of the Tang and Song Dynasties

12-04A-NGS-824133_A-RESG.ai
p6 x 20p0

Mar 1, 2011 - First Proof

2. Describing For what geographical features was Hangzhou

known?

Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Directions Answer the following questions.

Understanding
overing our Past - World)

JAPAN

NAME

DATE

Geography and History Activity Cont.

CLASS

netw rks

Imperial China
3. Explaining Why did Song dynasty rulers move the capital
city from Changan to Hangzhou?

Applying the Concept

4. Analyzing How did geography influence the economies of
the two capital cities?

5. Evaluating Which capital city provided more advantages

for traders? For farmers? For rulers? Why?

Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.