Chinese society is strongly hierarchical and a person’s rank counts for much. Every individual is slotted into a complex system of superior and ordinate beings. The person’s place is not fixed and he or she can rise or fall within the ranks, but the ranks themselves continue unchanged.
From the 1st century BC to the 16th century, China was the world leader in science and technology. China is home to the “Four Great Inventions”, and the first country to have calculated the value of π. It has the earliest and most complete astronomical records in the world. Its bronze and ceramic manufacturing technology are very advanced.
The Chinese nation created a splendid culture in the past, and had been a world leader. However, in the 100 odd years between 1840 and 1949, the development of Chinese science and technology was slow, and was on a zigzagging path.
China has a long history of education; its tradition of combining public and private teachings, and attaching equal importance to the studies in humanities and in science, started as early as before the Common Era. The imperial examination, which lasted for more than a thousand years, had a great impact on China’s education and its society.Since modern times,China has been influenced by the West and has introduced some reforms.
The Imperial Examination System The imperial examination system is the carliest examination system in the world, through which the country selected officials through examinations.
