Interaction+with+EnvironmentChina1

Feudalism was a major part of classical China, especially for the Zhou and Qin Dynasty. __Feudalism__ as practiced in classical China, meant that a large portion of land that was owned and inhabited by aristocracy was cultivated and worked on by peasants. These peasants worked on the land in exchange for a portion of the crop to sustain themselves along with the protection of the ruling aristocratic family. Farms during this period consisted mostly of intensive-subsistance and the main crop was rice. During the Qin dynasty, much Chinese territory was greatly expanded. Under Shi Huangdi's rule, China reached present-day Hong Kong and even influenced parts of Korea and Vietnam. The Han Dynasty, however, expanded further into Manchuria (north) and the Taklamakan Desert (west) forming most of modern-day China. Trade in silk also became a vital part of Chinese culture and economy. It also caused the creation of what is today refered to as the __Silk Roads__. Under the Han Dynasty, silk trade was highly encouraged and the creation of new roads leading westwards was actively persued. This system of roads and passages would become, by far, one of the most used trade routes of its time, eventually leading to western contact and new trade markets.