China

Outline of History

Ancient Chinese civilization, which flourished in the fertile basins of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, is one of the world's earliest civilizations. The first dynasty of ancient China was the Xia, and dates back to 4,000 years before the present. The Qin Dynasty, the first united central government of China, was founded in 221 BCE. The last dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, ended in 1912 with the founding of the Republic of China. With the end of the civil war, the People's Republic of China was established in 1949.

Administrative Divisions

Geographically, China is divided into seven areas—namely, northeast, northwest, southwest, north China, east China, central China, and south [Page 195]China. Administratively, there are 23 provinces; five autonomous regions, each with a designated minority group; four municipalities (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing); and two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macao). The capital of China is Beijing.

Nationalities

There are 56 distinct nationalities in China, the largest one being the Han Chinese, who constitute/account for about 91.9% of the total population. The other 55 are usually called ethnic minorities. They mainly live in the northeast, northwest, and southwest of China.

Buddhism

Buddhism is the largest organized religion in China. It was introduced to China during the Han Dynasty in the first century CE, and it became quite popular during the periods of the Southern and Northern dynasties, Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty, and their successors. With centuries of development, Buddhism is so deeply embedded in the Chinese culture that it has been viewed as one of the traditional religions of China.

Buddhism in China has three branches: Chinese Buddhism (Chinese versions of Mahayana Buddhism), Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism, and Theravada Buddhism. The large majority of Chinese Buddhists are Han Chinese. The believers of Tibetan Buddhism mainly live in the areas of Tibet, Qinghai Province, and Inner Mongolia, while Theravada followers are found among the ethnic minorities, such as Dai, Blang, and Deang, who live in southwestern areas such as the Yunnan Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

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