Daily Life of Ancient China
Peasants
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In ancient China a majority of people were peasants and farmers and even though they were well known and respected for their food, they lived tough and difficult lives. The usual farmer would live in a small village of approximately 100 families so they could work as small family farms. The farmers had ploughs and used animals like dogs and oxen to help with the work; most of it was done by hand. Farmers would work for the government for one month per year. They worked in construction projects like building palaces and city walls. They would pay taxes by giving the government a percentage of their crops.
Food
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The type of food that people ate depended on where they were living. In the north the main crop was a grain called Millet in the south they grew rice. Eventually rice became the main food for most of the country. People that lived close to the rivers also ate fish as well.
Living in the City
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Life would be much different for people living in the city. People in the cities would work many different jobs such as merchants, craftsmen, government officials and scholars. A lot of the cities in Ancient China grew populations to hundreds of thousands of people. Each night the gates to the city were shut and locked and no one was allowed to enter or leave after dark.
Family Life
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A Chinese family would be ruled by the father and his wife and children had to obey him in everything that he said. Women would usually take care of the home and raise the children. A big part of Chinese family life was the respect of their elders. Children of all ages, even adults, had to respect their parents. This respect would continue even after people were dead. The Chinese would often would pray to their ancestors and offer sacrifices to them.
School
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Only wealthy boys could attend school in Ancient China. They learned how to write using calligraphy.
Women
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The life of women in Ancient China was one of the most difficult. They were not worth as much as men were. Sometimes when a baby girl was born she was put outside to die if the family didn't want it. This was considered okay in their society. Women also did not get a choice as to who they would marry.