A Wisdom Archive on 960

Paper money originated in two forms: drafts, that is receipts for value held on account, and "bills", which were issued with a promise to convert at a later date. Money is based on the coming to pre-eminence of some commodity as payment. The oldest monetary basis was for agricultural capital: cattle and grain. In Ancient Mesopotamia, drafts were issued against stored grain as a unit of account. A "drachma" was a weight of grain. Japan's feudal system was based on rice per year – koku. At the same time, legal codes enforced the payme ...

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Zhejiang was outside the sphere of influence of early Chinese civilization during the Shang Dynasty (16th century BC - 11th century BC). Instead it was populated by peoples collectively known as the Yue, such as the Dongyue and the Ouyue. Starting from the Spring and Autumn Period, a state of Yue emerged in northern Zhejiang that was heavily influenced by Chinese civilization further north, and under King Goujian of Yue it reached its zenith and was able to wipe out, in 473 BC, the state of Wu further north, a major power at the time. In 333 ...

Read more here: » Zhejiang: Encyclopedia II - Zhejiang - History

List of Byzantine Emperors - Non-dynastic. Jovian (Iovianus) (332 - 364, ruled 363 - 364) – Soldier, restored Christianity ...

Read more here: » List of Byzantine Emperors: Encyclopedia II - List of Byzantine Emperors - Constantinian dynasty

List of Byzantine Emperors - Non-dynastic. Jovian (Iovianus) (332 - 364, ruled 363 - 364) – Soldier, restored Christianity ...

Read more here: » List of Byzantine Emperors: Encyclopedia II - List of Byzantine Emperors - Constantinian dynasty 306-363

List of Byzantine Emperors - Non-dynastic. Michael VI the Bellicose (Μιχαήλ ΣΤ' ο Στρατιωτικός) (ruled 1056 - 1057) – chosen by Theodora; deposed & entered monastery ...

Read more here: » List of Byzantine Emperors: Encyclopedia II - List of Byzantine Emperors - Macedonian dynasty 867-1056

With the proclamation of the People's Republic of China (中華人民共和國) on October 1, 1949, China was divided yet again, into the PRC on the mainland and the ROC on Taiwan and several outlying islands of Fujian (福建省), with two governments each regarding itself as the one true Chinese government and denouncing the other as illegitimate. This remained true until the early 1990s, when political changes on Taiwan led the ROC to formally accept that they would never reoccupy China again. Since then, they have been pushing actively t ...

Read more here: » History of China: Encyclopedia II - History of China - Post modern independence

In addition to the major cities there are also the following sights: Ancient City of Pingyao is a town and a World Heritage Site near Taiyuan noted for its preservation of many features of northern Han Chinese culture, architecture, and way of life during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Yungang Grottoes, a World Heritage Site in Datong consist of 252 caves noted for their collection of 5th and 6th century Buddhist cave art. Mount Wutai (Wutai Shan) is the highest point in the province. It is known as the residence of the bodhisattva Manjusri, and as a result is also a major Buddhist pilgrimage destination, wit ...

Read more here: » Shanxi: Encyclopedia II - Shanxi - Tourism

Banknote collecting is a somewhat small, specialized pastime practiced mostly in America. Although generally not as widespread as coin and stamp collecting, the hobby is growing. Prior to the 1990s currency collecting was a relatively small adjunct to coin collecting, but the practice of currency auctions, combined with larger public awareness of paper money (owing to the redesigning of larger denominations ...

Read more here: » Banknote: Encyclopedia II - Banknote - Paper Money Collecting as a Hobby in the U.S.

People in most regions of Shanxi speak dialects of Jin, a subdivision of Chinese. People in the southwest speak dialects of Mandarin. (Jin is sometimes classified as a subdivision of Mandarin. For more information, see Chinese spoken language.) Vinegar is a very important part of Shanxi cuisine. Popular forms of traditional entertainment include Shanxi Opera (Jinju), Puju, Beilu Bangzi, S ...

Read more here: » Shanxi: Encyclopedia II - Shanxi - Culture

Shanxi is divided into 11 prefecture-level divisions, all of them prefecture-level cities: Taiyuan (Simplified Chinese: 太原市, Hanyu Pinyin: Tàiyuán Shì) Datong (大同市 Dàtóng Shì) Yangquan (阳泉市 Yángquán Shì) Changzhi (长治市 Chángzhì Shì) Jincheng (晋城市 Jìnchéng Shì) Shuozhou (朔州市 Shuòzhōu Shì) Jinzhong (晋中市 Jìnzhōng Shì) Yuncheng (运城市 Yùnchéng Shì) Xinzhou (忻州市 Xīnzhōu Shì) Linfen (临汾市 Línfén Shì) ...

Read more here: » Shanxi: Encyclopedia II - Shanxi - Administrative divisions

Zhejiang consists mostly of hills, which account for about 70% of its total area. Altitudes tend to be highest to the south and west, and the highest peak of the province, Huangyajian Peak (1921 m), is found in the southwest. Mountain ranges include the Yandang Mountains, Tianmu Mountains, Tiantai Mountains, and Mogan Mountains, which traverse the province at altitudes of about 200 - 1000 m. Valleys and plains are found along the coastline and rivers. The north of the province is just south of the Yangtze delta, and consists of plains ...

Read more here: » Zhejiang: Encyclopedia II - Zhejiang - Geography

Shanxi depends mostly on agriculture, mainly the cultivation of wheat, but also corn and sorghum. Shanxi is very rich in natural resources, including coal and bauxite. Shanxi has, in fact, one third of China's coal, and this has made Shanxi a leading producer of coal within China. Industry in Shanxi is mostly centered around coal, power generation, metal refining, and other heavy industries. In 2003, Shanxi had a gross domestic product of 245.7 billion RMB, and a per capita income of 7468 RMB. By market exchange rates, these convert to US$29. ...

Read more here: » Shanxi: Encyclopedia II - Shanxi - Economy