Following up on Chinese Economy: Silk Industry, this week we’ll discuss the Chinese Economy from the standpoint of agriculture and irrigation.
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The development of agriculture about 12,000 years ago changed the way humans lived, switching them from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to permanent settlements and farming.
The Yellow River region and the Yangtze River region were the origins of agricultural development in China. An important source of energy, waterpower was applied at an early date to grinding grain. Large rotary mill appeared in China about the same time as in Europe (2nd century BC).
Farming tools developed were mainly made of shell and bone, while rice was planted in paddy fields using slash-and-burn methods. The world’s oldest known rice paddy fields reveal evidence of ancient cultivation techniques such as flood and fire control.
Four Chinese historical irrigation sites were recognized as World Heritage Irrigation Structures, the Tongjiyan Irrigation System, Xinghua Duotian Irrigation and Drainage System, Songgu Irrigation Scheme and Chongyi Shangbao Terraces.
Out of agriculture, cities and civilizations grew, and crops and animals could now be farmed to meet demand.
Today China is the world’s biggest consumer of wheat, which the country uses to make noodles, dumplings, buns, and other pastries. Wheat came to what is now known as northern China toward the end of the Neolithic period ago. Initially, it seemed to have been treated as a crop of desperation and was grown in an attempt to stave off starvation.
Agriculture, the services, manufacturing and technology are some of the major sectors and industries driving growth for China. The country, one of the world's largest exporters and importers, produces many agricultural goods, including corn, rice, wheat, soy, cotton, peanuts, and apples.
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