You must prepare all three of these essay questions .Write three long paragraphs for each of the following three essays (so that will be nine long paragraphs altogether. A paragraph is like five to nine sentences long. Put a space between each paragraph so I know they are separate paragraphs (and it looks nicer).
Topic 1: In your first paragraph contrast Confucius (Kong Fu-zi or Kongzi) and Laozi, the two earliest great philosophers of China in the areas that they were very different in what they placed importance on. Then in your second paragraph talk about the more difficult issue of how these two philosophers were similar or had some common ideas that both would agree on. Then in your last long paragraph discuss how these two early native philosophies of China, Confucianism (Ru-jia) and Daoism (Dao-jia) influenced all the later dynasties in politics, family life, painting, poetry, architecture, etc. and all aspects of Chinese culture.
Topic 2: In your first paragraph contrast the two great powerful leaders of ancient China: Qin Shi Huangdi (Ying Zheng, The First Emperor of the short Qin Dynasty) and Han Wudi (Liu Che, the 7th emperor of the long Han Dynasty). Then in your second paragraph describe how these two great powerful leaders were quite similar to each other. Then in your final paragraph (third paragraph) discuss how the Qin and Han Dynasties together set the foundation for the nation or country known as China.
Topic 3: In your first paragraph contrast the two geniuses of the ancient world (who lived at about the same time but thousands of miles apart – with no knowledge of each other) in their different lives and different philosophies: Confucius (Kong Fuzi or Kongzi) and The Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama — especially in the Mahayana view of him). Then in your second paragraph discuss how these two men were very similar in their lives and philosophies. Then in your final (third) paragraph discuss the great co-founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin or Tang Taizong, and how we can say (despite his killing his brothers and forcing his father to step down) he was a “model emperor” (trying to be a sage-ruler or shengren) in the Confucianism mold and at the same time trying to be a Chakravartin or “wheel turning” Dharma-ruler who had close links to Buddhism.