Wave 3 Top Five

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Technological Advancement in the Song Dynasty:
During the Song Dynasty, China underwent an explosion of invention and innovation.  To get an idea of their scientific interest, imagine the Renaissance combined with the Industrial Revolution.  With the idea of polymath personalities, similar to the idea of a "Renaissance Man," the Chinese became very interested in learning about a multitude of topics, and combined this with a drive for scientific invention.  This lead to the discovery of: true north vs. magnetic north, the first ever odometer, the printing press (Gutenberg didn't 'invent' it in Europe until 400 years later), gunpowder, etc.  In addition, they made leaps and bounds in terms of mathematical and civil engineering.  China truly paved the way for scientific learning centuries before Europeans had any of the same ideas.
For more information on their inventions, visit http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/chinahist/song.html

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The Invention of Kung Fu:
During the Tang dynasty, a Chinese monastery called Shaolin began practicing martial arts as a method of defending themselves against bandits.  After helping Li Shimin take power, the Shaolin monastery was patronized by the government, and their martial arts grew rapidly.  Although records show no indication of the monks ever doing formal military training, they were an important force for centuries.  Over time, they became known as the founders of Kung Fu, one of the most well-known fighting styles in the world.  In addition, the Shaolin monastery has stayed open until this day, and it still teaches Kung-Fu, just as it has for over 1000 years.  Just think of how many Chinese action movies we would be missing if it weren't for these 8th century monks!  Jackie Chan owes these monks big time...
For more information on these badass monks, visit http://gochina.about.com/od/zhengzhou/p/Shaolin_History.ht

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The Seven Sages of Bamboo Grove:

During the political turmoil of the Jin Dynasty, many Chinese just wanted to be able to escape from it all.  Seven men in particular, known now as the seven sages, became Taoist escapists.  They wrote poems, literature, and used many other forms of art to criticize the government and it policies.  Also, they enjoyed drinking ale (a lot) and  would frequently work on their arts while intoxicated.  In fact, even the normally unbiased wikipedia describes them as "ale-fueled jokesters and eccentrics."  They were very similar to the hippies of the Vietnam war era: they turned against society, rejected traditional values, and made a mockery of the government.  They became a common symbol Chinese arts.

For more information on China's hippies, visit  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sages_of_the_Bamboo_Grove

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An Lushan Rebellion:
This is probably one of the weirdest stories in all of china, and just a sample of how much trouble those concubines could be!  Just as concubine troubles had caused the Shang dynasty to fall, they also were a major cause of the fall of the Tang.  The Emperor fell madly in love with  a concubine, named Yang Guifei, and decided that he would listen to her in order to make her happy.  Of couurse, she was also attracted to a general, called An Lushan.  In order to make him happy, she convinced the emperor to give him many troops and high positions.  Eventually, when they came to a disagreement, An Lushan decided to use his military against the emperor.  When the emperor tried to muster up his own forces, they refused to do so until he the concubine was murdered.  So, in the end, everyone lost:  Emperor lost power, Yang Guifei was killed, and An Lushan was hated by the emperor, and the Chinese people's golden age began to come to an end.

For more information about this dramatic scene, check out
http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/tang-event.html

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Empress Wu
Empress Wu was the wife of a Chinese emperor who slowly rose to become China's only female Emperor.  She began ruling in place of her husband as a de facto ruler when he because he was incapable to rule.  Because she was shrewd and power-hungry, she quickly gained a lot of influence, and began plotting her rise.  She had all heir apparents and sons thrown out of the kingdom or killed, and she grew in her influence.  Eventually, she broke all semblances of the males being in control and declared herself empress of a new dynasty, the Zhou.  And just like that, the first and only Chinese empress came to power.  This lead to a period of women holding the power in China.  But, soon enough, the men came back to power and ended this woman streak.
For more information, visit

http://bhoffert.faculty.noctrl.edu/hst261/14.empresswu.html