ancient china
Introduction
Chinese culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world, originating thousands of years ago.[1][2] The culture is prevalent across a wide geographic region of East Asia and is extremely diverse and varied, with customs and traditions varying greatly between provinces, cities and even towns as well. The terms "China" and the geographical mass of "China" have changed over the centuries, the last name being Great Qing before the name "China" became common in modernity.
Chinese civilization is historically considered a dominant culture of East Asia.[3] With China being one of the first ancient civilizations, Chinese culture exerts a profound influence on the philosophy, virtue, etiquette "Etiquette (code)") and traditions of Asia.[4] Chinese characters, ceramics, architecture, music, dance, literature, martial arts, gastronomy, art, philosophy, business etiquette, religion, politics "Legalism (philosophy) China)") and history have had a global influence, while its traditions and festivities are celebrated, instilled and practiced by people around the world.[5][6][7].
Society
Structure
Since the period of the Three Augusti and Five Emperors, the main ruler has been some monarch. In different periods, different names have been used to refer to the various social positions. Conceptually the imperial and feudal periods are similar, with the government and military officers at the top of the social hierarchy while the rest of the population was under regular law.[8]
From the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC) onwards, traditional Chinese society has been organized into a hierarchical system of socioeconomic classes known as The Four Occupations).
Identity
Currently, in China there are 58 recognized ethnic groups.[9]
The preeminent group is the Han ethnic group. Throughout history many groups have assimilated into neighboring ethnic groups or disappeared without a trace. At the same time, within the ethnic group they have maintained cultural traditions or linguistic peculiarities. The term 'Zhonghua minzu' is used to define Chinese nationalism in general. Traditional cultural identity was largely related to different family names.