Ancient China: Daily Life

Chinese culture is one of the oldest in the world today. Over 6,000 years ago this culture began to develop in the Yellow River Valley and many of those ancient practices are still observed in the present. The Chinese developed a society based on respect for the spirits of the earth, one's ancestors, the gods, and other people. It was believed that the world was governed by spirits and deities and so people should behave as though they were in the presence of these spirits at all times. Read through this article to learn more.

This website gives a brief and easy to read summary of some of the main features of daily life in Ancient China, such as food, entertainment, and family life

Most people in ancient China were very poor farmers, living in villages with about 100 people or so. For thousands of years, daily life in ancient China was much the same for most people, no matter what dynasty was in charge. Different dynasties were in charge of different parts of ancient China. Different dynasties rose to power. But nothing ever changed. The people remained a mix of extreme extravagance and extreme poverty. Read through this website to learn more about everyday life in Ancient China.

In ancient China the overwhelming majority of people were peasant farmers, living in small communities and working family farms. Life was necessarily harsh, and for children education was limited. Only the sons of wealthy families, living primarily in cities, were formally schooled. The father was the master of the house in Chinese families, and the children were taught from an early age that respect for their elders, particularly elder relatives, was paramount. It was common for three generations of a family to live together in the same dwelling, sometimes more. The eldest male was dominant; women were considered subservient to men, and daughters considered less valuable to the family than sons. Read this article to learn more about some examples of the harshness of daily life when growing up in ancient China and among its many diverse peoples and dynasties.

Together with European and Arabian architecture, ancient Chinese architecture is an important component of the world architectural system. During its long development, it gradually formed into a style which featured timberwork combining stone carving, rammed earth construction, bucket arch buildings and many other techniques. Industrious Chinese laboring people created many architectural miracles such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.

Women in ancient China did not enjoy the status, either social or political, afforded to men. Women were subordinate to first their fathers, then their husbands, and finally, in the case of being left a widow, their sons in a system known as the “three followings” or sancong.

A small foot in China, no different from a tiny waist in Victorian England, represented the height of female refinement. For families with marriageable daughters, foot size translated into its own form of currency and a means of achieving upward mobility.

Learn a little about the festivities, food, calendars, and colors of the Lunar New Year.

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art of arranging buildings, objects, and space in an environment to achieve harmony and balance in a way that will bring peace and prosperity.

The Art of War is an influential document about tactical warfare written by the ancient Chinese military strategist Sunzi.

Explore objects from ancient China and learn about the daily life and beliefs of the Ancient Chinese.