Cho-yun HSU

A detail of a Qing dynasty scroll, showing men at work in rice paddies. Chinese farmers worried constantly about getting enough water to irrigate the paddies.
The interrelationship between humans and nature has been strong for millennia in China. Factors such as climate, landscape, and natural resources have shaped the culture of China since the seventh century BCE. Reinforced by Confucian and Daoist philosophies, the ancient Chinese stressed the need for