Adam Lustig
3/13/14
History 9-2
Rough Draft/Research Paper
The Similarities and Differences of New York City and Chang’an
It is interesting that two cities over 7,000 miles apart from one another, and in completely different time periods, could have so many similarities. The city of Chang’an in China during the Tang Dynasty was set up in a grid fashion similar to that of modern day New York City. Flourishing trade was of great importance to the development of both cities, but very different political systems were used to govern each. Modern day New York City and Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty share key similarities as both were important trade centers in strategic locations, but were run on very different political lines.
Both Chang’an during the Tang dynasty and modern day New York City attracted people from all over the world because of the vast amounts of resources being traded. One of the greatest trade routes during the Tang Dynasty was the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a path that went from the Pacific coast of China to the Mediterranean Sea, and this road connected the Eastern market with the Western market (Chang’an). Chang’an was located at the Eastern end of the Silk Road. Many exotic goods were traded along this path from Persia and India (City Life in Tang). This trade made the people of Chang’an wealthy, and trade continued to increase in both the Western and Eastern markets. Because of the increased trade, many more people began to live near the Western market (Chang’an). The people of Chang’an began to be envied because of their vast wealth. This caused laws to be created that made it forbidden for people to show their wealth. While in New York City wealth is applauded and envied.
Trade in modern day New Y...
... middle of paper ...
...lead to government buildings. Commerce and trade increased because it allowed merchants, travelers, and locals to transport themselves and their goods throughout Chang’an in an efficient and organized fashion. The grid system in New York was, and still is, used as a organized and efficient way for anyone to navigate through the city. Before being built, the city was growing rapidly and city planners needed to plan for expansion. They decided on a plan of building Manhattan into a grid system. This allowed them to plan ahead for the rapidly increasing population. The main idea behind the system was to gain profit from real estate. The more that people moved into the new land, the more commerce increased. The net result was that the city grew even faster than the planners had expected and there was more profit from real estate than expected as well (New York Times).
The Silk Road made sure if you didn’t trade items you can hold, then you can trade items you can cherish. Finally, in the western civilizations (Rome), it was accessed by boat. Boats could carry a ton more items and it was less of a walk for the merchants/traders. However, the Silk Road did lead a small backup path up north of Parthia. Around 27 B.C.E., the Roman Empire had only begun, but the silk road had been a thing for a very long time before that.
Geography plays a key role with trade. The fourth painting that Brook shows us is called “The Geographer”. The main focal point in this painting is the globe that is located behind the man. During this time, knowledge of geography was far from perfect, but it was drastically improving. As Brook points out, the Spanish Jesuit, Adrino de las Cortes, was a great example of the moving geography of the epoch. The ship that he led was crashed onto the rocks of the Chinese coast by 1625, right after it had departed from Manila. This was completely by mistake, as they soon discovered uncharted territory. The people who had been living there had never seen any foreign people at a close range. It surprised them to see the wide span of people they brought: African Americans, Portuguese, Muslims, Spaniards, and the list goes on. This showed that the rise of the global world did not only imply goods and material objects, but also people from all
When comparing different societies in ancient history you may not think that Han China and Ancient Rome had a lot in common. These two great societies had many similarities and differences, especially in their social structures. These similarities and differences are all due to Han China’s and Ancient Rome’s governments, family structures and religions. Both of these wonderful empires lasted for approximately 400 years and had lasting effects on the lands they conquered.
The Mongols conquered and then united China. This created peace among the country and led to other great things. One of these great things is the Silk Road. The Silk Road is a long trading route that was created when China was united as they had started
Now that I live in Long Island I look at everything different and I see how much I changed as a person. Living in Long Island and living in Brooklyn is so much different because of the different atmosphere the different people and the things I did before vs the things I do now. Honestly I think living in Long Island changed me because when I moved here I started experiencing things and trying new things. Before I came to Long Island I was this shy innocent girl who was scared to make new friends but that all changed once I entered elementary school. When I entered elementary school I was eleven years old.
The Mongols influenced the world in many great ways, one of them was their vast trade system. They relied quite heavily on trade, not only to gain resources, but also to get their inventions and objects to the Europeans and then hopefully spread from there. The Mongols enhanced the trading system by composing the “Silk Road”. The Silk Road was a path/road that the Mongols had control of and it was a trade route that many travelers and traders took. Along the Silk Road, the main resource that was traded was silk, hence the name “Silk Road.” The
At the time of the Han Dynasty, general trade began over the Silk Road, which was a network of trails that stretched 4,000 miles from China extending to the Roman Empire. At the time the Chinese were unique in their knowledge of how to raise silkworms and weave silk. Chinese silk was extremely expensive. In fact it was worth its weight as gold in Rome! Europeans also preferred other Asian luxury goods including but not limited to exotic sp...
When comparing Western New York to New York City there are significant cultural differences that come to mind, but also some similarities. New York City is considered the most populous city in the United States. According to the 2014 census the population of the metropolitan region of the city reached to about twenty three million residents. Because of the rapidly growing population it has been named the cultural and financial capital of the world. The city is known for its big impact on finance, art, fashion, education, and entertainment. On the other hand, Western New York is more known for its scenic attractions, agriculture, award winning wineries, and classic style of living. The census bureau in 2014 also stated that if Western New York was counted as one single area the population would be significantly smaller than the cities, just topping over two and a half million. Because of all the farmland and less populated areas in Western New York, it leaves room tons of room for agriculture. A lot of western New Yorkers stick to the basic means of living like operating a family farm, owning your own business, and supplying your family however possible. For example, in the
New York City has always been an example of how diversity can exist in a successful and peaceful place. Full of action, enthusiasm, and a combination of many cultures, New York is rich in every sense of the word. For example, taking a walk down the busy streets not only opens your eyes to the small but meaningful details of the city and the different people that revive it but also the numerous worlds that are somehow fused in this magical city, like Little Italy, Chinatown, Little Syria, Korea Town, and many others.
Geographically, Hong Kong consists of three large regions; a region that is attached to China (New territories and Kowloon), Hong Kong Island and Lantau (see figure ???). The soil is fertile, and due to its abundance of sea, the habitants of Hong Kong have always been able to richly harvest fish (Roberts, Ling, & Bradshaw, 1992). However, the West has valued Hong Kong for something else; its unique geographical location. Situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong has been interesting ever since the West discovered China’s products. Throughout history, the Pearl River Delta has been the gateway for trade with the Western world, since there is very little east of China except for Japan which was unwilling to trade for many decades. So, when the West, and especially Britain, discovered Chinese tea, silk and chinaware, their ships would set course for the Pearl River. However, China enforced strict policies regarding trade, which complicated matters for the western merchants. After the Opium War (which was discussed more in-depth in section 2.2.1) Britain finally achieved its objectives; they could establish free trade ports and abolished many trade restrictions. Moreover, they colonized Hong Kong, making it an imperial outpost for economic exchanges (Roberts, Ling, & Bradshaw, 1992).
The Silk Road is trade route that connected east and west. Inaccurately named by Ferdinand von Richthofen in the 19th century, it is actually a collection of roads. Traders didn’t usually traverse the whole length of the route, however. Goods were usually traded multiple times before they reached the final destination. Items leaving from Asia and China were goods such as: silk, spices, textiles, ivory, jade, bronze objects, ceramics, lacquarware, flowers, furs, paper, jewelry, minerals, horses, and exotic plants and animals. Goods from the west were: wool, linen, coins, bullion, ambergris, gold, ivory, amber, coral, other precious stones, beads, and glass (a commodity that China has not been able to produce at this point). Goods originating from India were:...
There are so many opportunities in the city. It is easy to quickly observe some of the amazing opportunities that cities offer. Cities have advanced over the past 2000 years and there are so many interesting facts about them. The first Industrial Revolution played an important role in the development of London. It made this city famous and powerful. The people of London made the steam engine, which is what powered the first trains. The second Industrial Revolution played an important role in the development of New York. When New York was a part of the second industrial revolution, the people came up with an assembly line idea. This idea helped New York become the first city to replace horses with cars, which made a huge impact on the
Through the Silk Road, Chinese goods such as silk and porcelain were transported to places such as Persia in exchange for foreign exotic goods . Furthermore, the Silk Road supported the influx of culture and religion to further enforce Taizong’s embracing attitude of a cosmopolitan society. The Silk Road was also a major factor in introducing Buddhism to China, as during the seventh century, Xuan Zhuang used it to travel to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures . The capital of the Tang, and the beginning of the Silk Road, Chang’an, was the most populous and diverse city in both religion and culture in the world at the time , hosting Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, and high ranking officials and citizens from many countries in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East . Under Taizong’s guidance, China created close foreign relations with many foreign nations, and the Silk Road became a major component of trade and revenue for China’s economy. Correspondingly, his capital city of Chang’an became the greatest city in the
Hoobler, Dorothy, Thomas Hoobler, and Michael Kort, comps. China: Regional Studies Series. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Globe Fearon, 1993. 174-177.
Take a walk through New York City and we will find a plethora, a melting pot, of cultures and experiences. On the corner, we encounter an Italian Deli followed by a Chinese Dim Sum place. Two blocks after, we smell the fragrance from a Mexican grill, and next to it, a South Asian fusion restaurant. Down in the subway, we can hear rhythmic beats of drums played by a Jamaican band. The ability to find tens of ethnicities and cultures within a mile or so each other is such a unique feature of this city.