Bristle Toothbrush

The bristle toothbrush was one of China's greatest creation, many people did not know what a bristle toothbrush was until they actually knew what it was used for. 

The bristle toothbrush was found during 1498 B.C, many Chinese described it as a cattle-bones handle with pig hair bristles. There were more than one bristle toothbrush, there was a porcupine's quills, bird feathers, and wooden thorns. 

The bristle toothbrush was so popular even the Europeans used it. Usually the Europeans would use a cloth and baking soda and rubbed their teeth on it. The bristle toothbrush was something where the people who had very bad teeth could have something to clean they're bad teeth. 

The bristle toothbrush has changed China because many people lost their teeth and couldn't eat anything. The bristle toothbrush was a branch with tiny branches on the tip. 

The bristle toothbrush had a major impact in China. A few people still used it today also. 

Religion: Confucianism

        In the period of the Ming Dynasty, the most common religion was Confucianism. Confucianism is a religion where if people behaved well, the people below would follow their examples. This is important because if the government trusts people and let them be free at times, then the people would trust the government more. It's a back and fourth thing. 

          Confucianism is a main purpose to achiever harmony, one of the most important social values. It is a religion of trust, to trust one another. Without trusting someone you can't ask them for help or trust them to do an a quick job for you. But also you should be a good example for one another, it's a good example for many people especially emperors. 

         Buddhism and Taoism are very similar to Confucianism, Taoism and Confucianism are both beliefs that want peace. But Buddhism and Confucianism is when a person has to be good. At times Confucianism is bad for the dynasty because they're maybe times where not many people get along and they don't know if they could trust a person or not even if they look like a trusting person. Confucianism is a good belief because you're trying to be someone role model. 

Inventions: Porcelain

Porcelain was a very gorgeous looking pottery, it was invented in China during the Ming Dynasty. This was a important invention during the Ming Dynasty because the porcelain had been exported all around the world. The porcelain had many types of designs and colors on it, but never blue. Until one day they found out on how to make the blue, they also had founded out about manganese. They learned that when you add manganese to the cobalt, the colors on the porcelains were dulled a bit and the lines became more neater. This type of porcelain was very unique, it was considered the nicest types of pottery and high quality. 
          Porcelain wasn't created by exactly one person but many, it all started during the Han Dynasty. It was very popular, during the Ming Dynasty a few Chinese people had founded out on how to add designs. The people in the Han Dynasty knew also, but the Ming had made it better and neater. Porcelain was used for plates, cups, statues, and also decorations. Many people used it as decorations even more because it made them look more classy and high quality. 
          Porcelain changed many people, but mostly the people who sells items and food. It changed peoples way of eating and drinking, they used porcelains at plates and cups. It was a big deal for sellers because they got to sell these porcelains to other countries and they were able to make lots of money. Many people still use porcelains today as mugs, plates, souvenirs, decors, statues, etc. The Porcelain was not only a gorgeous item, but it was also one of the most popular item in ancient time and today.  

Interview with Emperor Hongwu

Reporter: Good evening Empror Hongwu, it's nice to have you today.

Emperor Hongwu: Thanks for having me

Reporter: Now let's get started, I've heard you've been working on the Great Wall of China. How far have you reached with the rebuilding/connecting?

Hongwu: In all honesty, the Great Wall is very hard to build and connect, but since a few emperors build some towers and swaths, it's been less stressful. The Great Wall is very hard to build, my slaves have been taking a long period of time just to build one tower. But since I have millions of slaves building/connecting it for me, it won't take very long. I hope that no evil spirits will get through since I didn't make the walls straight because evil spirits go through straight lines. Another reason I connected/rebuild this wall was so invaders and enemies wouldn't come into China and ruin my dynasty, I'm going to make sure the Ming Dynasty stays the same for a long time. 

Reporter: Interesting. I hope everything ends well, now since you brought up invaders and enemies, there was a war with Korea and Japan, and you're country was also involved. I've learned that you have given Korea supplies and soldiers, what was the purpose of you giving supplies and soldiers to Korea and not Japan? 

Hongwu: I do not fond the Japanese, especially the wako's. The wako's are Japanese pirates who spent most of their life around China and Korea, they were the ones who what so called, "started the war." Japan has always wanted to conquer my dynasty but I won't let that ever happen, ever. During the late 1590's, Japan had invaded Korea, I was very shocked, after having a war with us, they started to attack Korea. Of course I wanted to be involved because I wasn't done having payback with them, for me to feel better in the inside, I gave Korea supplies and soldiers. I knew that Korea didn't have the best supplies and they did not have enough soldiers to fight with Japan so I gave them as many men soldiers as I could get. As I gave Korea these things, they have been fighting with Japan for quite a while, but around 1596 Japan had made truces with Korea, they couldn't take it and they were losing a lot of soldiers and they did not have enough war supplies. That's when I felt good in the inside. 

Reporter: Wow. Your dynasty has been very good lately, what have you thought about your dynasty from the beginning till now?

Hongwu: My dynasty has been great, but it isn't be perfect. There has been some problems from the past like others trying to assassinate me, the war with Japan, and enemies invading China. I've been trying to make China a great place, there ha been many things my dynasty has invented, the bristle toothbrush, porcelain, etc. We are making a big accomplishment with connecting and rebuilding the Great Wall of China, also our trade is doing very well, we get what we need and Europe gets what they need and we're all happy. So, my dynasty has been good from the beginning til now.

Reporter: That's nice to hear, finally for the last question. Do you think you've been a good emperor from the beginning of the dynasty till now?

Hongwu: I feel that I have been a great emperor and that I've done the things I have, people who say that I haven't been a good emperor are just the people who disagree with the things I do. For example, there are many people who can't/haven't paid their debts, I won't just let them go, what I have given them, they have to work for it. So, with those people I make them do work like building the Great Wall, becoming servants, or even be entertainers for me. I do not trust them with making me food, letting them become my helper, or even making medicine because they haven't been educated or else they would haven't had problems with debts. But everyone else is happy with how they are, of course there are people who think that I'm a Legalistic person and that is debatable. I don't trust anybody, not even my parents because you do not know what would happen. They could look like a person you trust but then they can do something really bad to you like poison you which would not be great. So I don't trust anyone for particular reasons. Over all, my dynasty has been good and that means that I've been a good emperor.

Reporter: I see, well thanks so much for answering my questions. We hope to interview you another time.

Hongwu: I'd be honored to answer more questions in the future, have a nice day!

New Discoveries New Porcelains!

What is this new Jingdezhen, it's porcelain. But it's not just any porcelain, the kilns on the Jingdezhen became the main product in Europe. The people who bought it would look like they were high class, these porcelains make many people look important. This is very important to us Chinese because this porcelain makes us known well in Europe, and since it's made from Kaolin, kilns, and pottery stone it was very hard keep it from thieves who wanted to make it to become rich. But the porcelain isn't just white colored, the most popular color that are used on the Jingdezhen is blue. I recommend you to buy a Jingdezhen because it is a very extraordinaire  object and very popular. Now these kinds of objects are breakable and will be expensive to buy another one so be careful and take good care with the porcelains. I'm not a person who would buy it, it's too fancy for me but I do love the design and colors but I'd brake it right when I buy it. But these are the new objects, so get them now while they last! China has been founding new things lately, let's see what's going to be the "the new thing."

Ming Dynasty's Map

This is the map of the Ming Dynasty, (1368-1644) the blue line is the Great Wall of China. The dash lines are the current boundaries of China and Mongolia, and the orange brownish area was the Ming Dynasty.  The Ming wanted to expand their Dynasty but they failed, they were also afraid that they would lose half of their land by other people. During the Ming Dynasty emperor Hongwu was the first emperor to make a trade exploration of the outside world, it became very popular that painter Marco Polo was using it.

The Great Finish on the Great Wall

1620 B.C-
For many years, the Great Wall of China has finally been rebuild/connected by the one and only emperor Hongwu. He has made a big impact in China for a long time and we're looking forward for having the Ming Dynasty for a long time. Of course he did not build this Great Wall himself, he had many workers to do it for him. For example, slaves, people who did not have enough money to take care of their family so they worked for the emperor. Also the people who did not pay their debts, since they couldn't pay the emperor they had to work for him as punishment.

What has happened during the Great Walls is emperor Hongwu has tried to connect these walls to protect China from evil spirits and enemies. Now, this has been one of China's biggest accomplishments. This Great wall has been built from over 1 million slaves, without much food, water, and sleep.

The 25 mile Great Wall has been a significant achievement in China, the Great Wall hasn't been made by emperor Hongwu of course, it was first built in the Qing Dynasty and many more dynasty's. 

These walls were built on the mountains and have been mostly on the edges of the Ming Dynasty's territory.

Emperor Hongwu had some people that had to keep an eye on the slaves and keep them awake. This is one of the amazing things China has done, this will be a great memory for China in the future.