Written records of the history of China can be found from as early as 1500 BC under the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). Ancient historical texts such as the Records of the Grand Historian (ca. 100 BC) and the Bamboo Annals (before 296 BC) describe a Xia dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BC), which had no system of writing on a durable medium, before the Shang. The Yellow River
is said to be the cradle of Chinese civilization, although cultures
originated at various regional centers along both the Yellow River and
the Yangtze River valleys millennia ago in the Neolithic era. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest civilizations,and is regarded as one of the cradles of civilization.
Much of Chinese culture, literature and philosophy further developed during the Zhou dynasty
(1046–256 BC). The Zhou dynasty began to bow to external and internal
pressures in the 8th century BC, and the kingdom eventually broke apart
into smaller states, beginning in the Spring and Autumn period and reaching full expression in the Warring States period. This is one of multiple periods of failed statehood in Chinese history, the most recent being the Chinese Civil War that started in 1927.
Between eras of multiple kingdoms and warlordism, Chinese dynasties have ruled parts or all of China; in some eras control stretched as far as Xinjiang and Tibet, as at present. In 221 BC Qin Shi Huang united the various warring kingdoms and created for himself the title of "emperor" (huangdi) of the Qin dynasty, marking the beginning of imperial China. Successive dynasties developed bureaucratic systems that enabled the emperor to control vast territories directly. China's last dynasty was the Qing (1644–1912), which was replaced by the Republic of China in 1912, and in the mainland by the People's Republic of China in 1949, resulting in two de facto states claiming to be the legitimate government of all China.
In the 21 centuries from 206 BC until AD 1912, routine administrative tasks were handled by a special elite, the Scholar-officials
("Scholar-gentlemen"). Young men were carefully selected through
difficult examinations and were well-versed in calligraphy and
philosophy. The conventional view of Chinese history is that of
alternating periods of political unity and disunity, with China
occasionally being dominated by steppe peoples, most of whom were in
turn assimilated into the Han Chinese population. Cultural and political influences from other parts of Asia and the Western world, carried by successive waves of immigration, cultural assimilation, expansion, and foreign contact, form the basis of the modern culture of China.
Historians often refer to the period from Qin dynasty to the end of Qing dynasty as Imperial China. Though the unified reign of the First Qin Emperor lasted only 12 years, he managed to subdue great parts of what constitutes the core of the Han Chinese homeland and to unite them under a tightly centralized Legalist government seated at Xianyang (close to modern Xi'an).
The doctrine of Legalism that guided the Qin emphasized strict
adherence to a legal code and the absolute power of the emperor. This
philosophy, while effective for expanding the empire in a military
fashion, proved unworkable for governing it in peacetime. The Qin
Emperor presided over the brutal silencing of political opposition,
including the event known as the burning of books and burying of scholars. This would be the impetus behind the later Han synthesis incorporating the more moderate schools of political governance.
Major contributions of the Qin include the concept of a centralized
government, the unification of the legal code, development of the
written language, measurement, and currency of China after the
tribulations of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Even
something as basic as the length of axles for carts—which need to match
ruts in the roads—had to be made uniform to ensure a viable trading
system throughout the empire. Also as part of its centralization, the
Qin connected the northern border walls of the states it defeated,
making the first Great Wall of China.
A major Qin innovation[citation needed] that lasted until 1912 was reliance upon a trained intellectual elite, the Scholar-official
("Scholar-gentlemen"). They were civil servants appointed by the
Emperor to handle daily governance. Talented young men were selected
through an elaborate process of imperial examination. They had to demonstrate skill at calligraphy, and had to know Confucian philosophy. Historian Wing-Tsit Chan concludes that:
Generally speaking, the record of these scholar-gentlemen has been a
worthy one. It was good enough to be praised and imitated in 18th
century Europe. Nevertheless, it has given China a tremendous handicap
in their transition from government by men to government by law, and
personal considerations in Chinese government have been a curse.
After Emperor Qin Shi Huang's unnatural death due to the consumption of mercury pills,the Qin government drastically deteriorated and eventually capitulated
in 206 BC after the Qin capital was captured and sacked by rebels, which
would ultimately lead to the establishment of a new dynasty of a
unified China.
Despite the short 15-year duration of the Qin dynasty, it was immensely
influential on China and the structure of future Chinese dynasties.
Well-conducted, and with good health status.
1. Application Form
Please upload your finished application form here.
2. Health certificate
Photocopy of notarized foreigner physical examination record (for durations of study over 6 months)
3. Financial support statement
Official Bank Statement(equivalent to RMB150,000.00)
4. Resume
Written in Chinese or in English
5. Study plan
Study plan (on less than 800 words in English or Chinese)
6. Commitment Letter
[only for Confucius Scholarship]Commitment
Letter in Chinese with your signature. The applicant will be engaged in
Chinese language teaching for at least 5 years after graduation (written
in Chinese and signed)
7. Passport photo
A recent passport-sized photo of the applicant
8. Certificate of HSK
Certificate of HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test)
9. Photocopy of valid passport
With name, passport number & expiration date, and photo included
10. Certificate/diploma of highest education
Graduation certificate in languages other
than Chinese or English should be translated into Chinese or English and
be certified by notarization.
11. Academic transcript of highest education
A photocopy of the transcript
Applicants should offer a photocopies of their notarized final schooling
certificate and school report in Chinese or English version.
12. Two letters of recommendation
From professor or associate professor or equivalents
13. Personal Statement
Written in Chinese (1000 words for Master
Degree candidate and 1500 words for Doctor Degree candidate). Should
present education background, work experience, academic research
results, research proposal, and personal development plan and etc.
14. Copy of article or papers published
The indexes and abstracts of published theses/dissertation or other materials to prove applicant's research ability.
Answer: ACASC charges a service fee of 50$ for using its online application portal. Applying through ACASC into Chinese universities attracts a service fee of $50.
Answer: Yes. ACASC gives the applicants, the chance to directly apply to their desired universities through our online application portal. We have synchronized our system to create a simple platform that connects universities and colleges in China to international students all around the world.
Answer: To track the application status, please log in your ACASC personal account. Whenever there’s an update, you will be informed on your application status through ACASC system within a day as soon as we receive university’s notification. You will simultaneously receive ACASC auto-email about the application status. To directly inquire about your application status, feel free to send us an email to admission@acasc.cn and our team will keep you updated.
Answer: When an application is pending a decision it means that your school has received it and no admissions decision has been made yet. The admissions office may have reviewed your application package or may not have.
The main cause of a pending application is usually incomplete application documents. As a result you will be requested by the school’s admission office to re-check and modify all submitted application documents or perhaps even add extra documents and then re-submit them.
To avoid further delays, carefully read the university’s comments, modify your application form on ACASC, and re-upload the required application documents. You can contact ACASC on admission@acasc.cn for any help with regards to your pending application
Processing time varies for different applications. For example to process a degree program application requires more time than a Chinese language application. Confirmation for Chinese language application by the admission office usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. However, time for degree programs application differs. For example fall semester application processing is after March, and it takes a period of 1 to 2 months. This also depends on your qualification and the number of applicants.
