Changan - Capital of the Han, Sui, and Tang Dynasties

Changan is the name of one of the most important and immense ancient capital cities of ancient China. Known as the eastern terminal of the Silk Road, Changan is located in Shaanxi Province about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) northwest of the modern town of XiAn. Changan served as capital to the leaders of the Western Han (206 BC-220 AD), Sui (581-618 CE), and Tang (618-907 AD) dynasties. ChangAn was established as a capital in 202 BC by the first Han Emperor Gaozu (ruled 206-195), and it was destroyed during the political upheaval at the end of the Tang dynasty in 904 AD. The Tang dynasty city occupied an area seven times larger than the current modern city, which itself dates to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing(1644-1912) dynasties. Two Tang dynasty buildings still stand today―the Large and Small Wild Goose Pagodas (or palaces), built in the 8th century AD; the rest of the city is known from historical records and archaeological excavations conducted since 1956 by the Chinese Institute of Archaeology (CASS). Western Han Dynasty Capital At about AD 1, the population of ChangAn was nearly 250,000, and it was a city of international importance for its role as the eastern end of the Silk Road. The Han Dynasty city was laid out as an irregular polygon surrounded by a pounded-earth wall 12-16 meters (40-52 feet) wide at the base and more than 12 m (40 ft) high. The perimeter wall ran a total of 25.7 km (16 mi or 62 li in the measurement used by Han). The wall was pierced by 12 city gates, five of which have been excavated. Each of the gates had three gateways, each 6-8 m (20-26 ft) wide, accommodating the traffic of 3-4 adjacent carriages. A moat provided additional security, surrounding the city and measuring 8 m wide by 3 m deep (26x10 ft). There were eight main roads in Han dynasty ChangAn, each between 45-56 m (157-183 ft) wide; the longest leads from the Gate of Peace and was 5.4 km (3.4 mi) long. Each boulevard was divided into three lanes by two drainage ditches. The middle lane was 20 m (65 ft) wide and reserved exclusively for the use of the emperor. The lanes on either side averaged 12 m (40 ft) in width. Main Han Dynasty Buildings The Changle Palace compound, known as the Donggong or eastern Palace and located in the southeastern part of the city, was approximately 6 sq km (2.3 sq mi) in surface area. It served as the living quarters for the Western Han empresses. The Weiyang Palace compound or Xigong (western palace) occupied an area of 5 sq km (2 sq mi) and was located in the southwestern side of the city; it was where Han emperors held daily meetings with city officials. Its principal building was the Anterior Palace, a structure including three halls and measuring 400 m north/south and 200 m east/west (1300x650 ft). It must have towered over the city, as it was built on a foundation that was 15 m (50 ft) in height at the north end. At the north end of the Weiyang compound was the Posterior Palace and buildings that housed the imperial administration offices. The compound was surrounded by a pounded earth wall. The Gui palace compound is much larger than Weiyang but has not yet been fully excavated or at least not reported in the western literature. Administrative Buildings and Markets In a administrative facility located between the Changle and Weiyang palaces was discovered 57,000 small bones (from 5.8-7.2 cm), each of which were inscribed with the name of an article, its measurement, number, and date of manufacture; its workshop where it was created, and the names of both the artisan and the official who commissioned the object. An armory held seven storehouses, each with densely arranged weapon racks and many iron weapons. A large zone of pottery kilns that manufactured brick and tile for the palaces was located north of the armory. Two markets were identified within the northwestern corner of the Han city of ChangAn, the eastern market measuring 780x700 m (2600x2300 ft, and the western market measuring 550x420 m (1800x1400 ft). Throughout the city were foundries, mints, and pottery kilns and workshops. The pottery kilns produced funerary figures and animals, in addition to daily utensils and architectural brick and tile. In the southern suburbs of Changan were remains of ritual structures, such as the Piyong (imperial academy) and jiumiao (ancestral temples to the Nine Ancestors), both of which were established by Wang-Meng, who ruled ChangAn between 8-23 AD. The piyong was built according to Confucian architecture, a square on top of a circle; while the jiumiao was built on the contemporary but contrasting principles of Yin and Yang (female and male) and Wu Xing (5 Elements). Imperial Mausoleum Numerous tombs have been found dated to the Han Dynasty, including two imperial mausoleums, the Ba Mausoleum (Baling) of Emperor Wen (r. 179-157 BC), in an eastern suburb of the city; and the Du mausoleum (Duling) of Emperor Xuan (r. 73-49 BC) in southeastern suburbs. Duling is a typical elite Han Dynasty tomb. Within its gated, pounded earth walls are separate complexes for the burials of the emperor and empress. Each interment is centrally located within a gated rectangular surrounding wall and covered by a pyramidal pounded-earth mound. Both have a walled courtyard outside of the burial enclosure, including a retiring hall (qindian) and a side hall (biandian) where ritual activities associated with the buried person were conducted, and where the individuals royal costumes were displayed. Two burial pits contained hundreds of nude life-sized terracotta figures―they were clothed when placed there but the cloth has rotted away. The pits also included a number of pottery tiles and bricks, bronzes, gold pieces, lacquers, pottery vessels, and weapons. Also at Duling was a shared mausoleum temple with an altar, located 500 m (1600 ft) from the tombs. Satellite tombs found east of the mausoleums were built during the rulers dynasty, some of which are quite large, many of them with conical pounded earth mounds. Sui and Tang Dynasties Chang​an was called Daxing during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) and it was founded in 582 AD. The city was renamed Changan by the Tang dynasty rulers and served as its capital until its destruction in 904 AD.   Daxing was designed by the Sui Emperor Wens (r. 581-604) famous architect Yuwen Kai (555-612 AD). Yuwen laid out the city with a highly formal symmetry that integrated natural scenery and lakes. The design served as a model for many other Sui and later cities. The layout was maintained through the Tang Dynasty: most of the Sui palaces were also used by Tang dynasty emperors. An enormous pounded-earth wall, 12 m (40 ft) thick at the base, enclosed an area of approximately 84 sq km (32.5 sq mi). At each of the twelve gates, a fired brick fa ¸ade led into the city. Most of the gates had three gateways, but the main Mingde Gate had five, each 5 m (16 ft) wide. The city was arranged as a set of nested districts: the guocheng (outer walls of the city describing its limits), the huangcheng or imperial district (an area of 5.2 sq km or 2 sq mi), and the gongcheng, the palace district, containing an area of 4.2 sq km (1.6 sq mi). Each district was surrounded by its own walls. Main Buildings of the Palace District The gongcheng included the Taiji Palace (or Daxing Palace during the Sui dynasty) as its central structure; an imperial garden was built to the north. Eleven great avenues or boulevards ran north to south and 14 east to west. These avenues divided the city into wards containing residences, offices, markets, and Buddhist and Daoist temples. The only two extant buildings from ancient Changan are two of those temples: the Great and Small Wild Goose Pagodas. The Temple of Heaven, located south of the city and excavated in 1999, was a circular pounded earth platform composed of four concentric stepped circular altars, stacked on top of one another to a height of between 6.75-8 m (22-26 ft) and 53 m (173 ft) in diameter. Its style was the model for the Ming and Qing Imperial Temples of Heaven in Beijing. In 1970, a hoard of 1,000 silver and gold objects, as well as jade and other precious stones called the Hejiacun Hoard was discovered at Changan. The hoard dated to 785 AD was found in an elite residence. Burials: a Sogdian in China One of the individuals involved in the Silk Road trade that was so central to the importance of ChangAn was Lord Shi, or Wirkak, a Sogdian or ethnic Iranian buried in ChangAn. Sogdiana was located in what is today Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan, and they were responsible for the central Asian oasis towns of Samarkand and Bukhara. Wirkaks tomb was discovered in 2003, and it includes elements from both Tang and Sogdian cultures. The underground square chamber was created in the Chinese style, with access provided by a ramp, an arched passageway and two doors. Inside was a stone outer sarcophagus measuring 2.5 m long x 1.5 m wide x 1.6 cm high (8.1x5x5.2 ft), lavishly decorated with painted and gilded reliefs depicting scenes of banquets, hunting, travels, caravans, and deities. On the lintel above the door are two inscriptions, naming the man as Lord Shi, a man of the nation of Shi, originally from the Western countries, who moved to Changan and was appointed sabao of Liangzhou. His name is inscribed in Sogdian as Wirkak, and it says that he died at the age of 86 in the year 579, and was married to the Lady Kang who died one month after him and was buried by his side. On the southern and eastern sides of the coffin are inscribed scenes associated with the Zoroastrian faith and in Zoroastrian fashion, the selection of the south and eastern sides to decorate corresponds to the direction the priest faces when officiating (south) and the direction of Paradise (east). Among the inscriptions is the priest-bird, which may represent the Zoroastrian deity Dahman Afrin. The scenes described the Zorastrian journey of the soul after death. Tang Sancai Pottery Tang Sancai is the general name for vividly color-glazed pottery produced during the Tang dynasty, especially between 549-846 AD. Sancai means three colors, and those colors refer typically (but not exclusively) to yellow, green and white glazes. Tang Sancai was famous for its association with the Silk Road--its style and shape were borrowed by Islamic potters at the other end of the trade network. A pottery kiln site was found at ChangAn named Liquanfang and used during the early 8th century AD. Liquanfang is one of only five known tang sancai kilns, the other four are Huangye or Gongxian Kilns in Henan Province; Xing Kiln in Hebei Province, Huangbu or Huuangbao Kiln and Xian Kiln in Shaanxi. Sources: Cui J, Rehren T, Lei Y, Cheng X, Jiang J, and Wu X. 2010. Western technical traditions of pottery making in Tang Dynasty China: chemical evidence from the Liquanfang Kiln site, Xian city. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(7):1502-1509.Grenet F, Riboud P, and Yang J. 2004. Zoroastrian scenes on a newly discovered Sogdian tomb in Xian, northern China. Studia Iranica 33:273-284.Lei Y, Feng SL, Feng XQ, and Chai ZF. 2007. A provenance study of Tang Sancai from Chinese tombs and relics by INAA. Archaeometry 49(3):483-494.Liang M. 2013. Scenes of Music-Making and Dancing in Wall Paintings of the Tang Tombs in the Xian Area. Music in Art 38(1-2):243-258.Yang X. 2001. Entry 78: Changan Capital Site at Xian, Shaanxi Province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 233-236.Yang X. 2001. Entry 79: Imperial mausoleums of the Western Han dynasty at Xian and the Xianyang Plains, Shaanxi Province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 237-242.Yang X. 2001. Entry 117: Daxing-ChangAn Capitals and Daming Palace Sites at Xian, Shaanxi province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 389-393.Yang X. 2001. Entry 122: Hoard of Gold and SIlver Objects at Hejiacum, Xian, Shaanxi province. In: Yang X, editor. Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. New Haven: Yale University Press. p 3412-413.

The Cure Of Parkinson s Disease - 1761 Words

Abstract Parkinson s is a very complex subject since there is still no cure and heredity still can t be proven. As a CNA you are expected to know that there are different diseases with different needs. Parkinson s has many signs and symptoms. If tremors are noticeable it is best to get a check up, but just because you show signs it is no reason to self diagnose. Before Parkinson s begins you can always try to prevent it. Who knew caffeine could prevent Parkinson s. Although Parkinson s can be prevented, there are still some things that make you more prone to getting Parkinson s. Some things include age and heredity. Science is always changing and you never know what things can be invented to stop Parkinson s or maybe even reverse†¦show more content†¦Parkinson’s is a disease that is believed to be a neurological disease. This disease is caused by the dopamine in the brainstem and cerebellum, and the brain stems inability to produce enough dopamine. There are many signs that te ll people Parkinson s is present, and although there is a cure, it doesn t always work. As a Certified nursing student there are many things we can do to help a patient or resident with Activities of daily living. As a CNA it is a great idea to know more in depth about diseases to better help residents and patients. Signs and Symptoms: Parkinson’s like many diseases can be detected if you notice the things that s most patients with Parkinson s have. Although these signs to conclude Parkinson s having one sign or symptom is not enough to diagnose that you may or may not have Parkinson s. One of the most common of theses signs and symptoms is tremors, which means â€Å"uncontrolled trembling† (Hegner, Acello, Caldwell, 2008). The trembling usually starts at the fingers and moves up the arm, until eventually is reaches both arms. In the case of the legs, the tremors would start at the toes and moves up the leg to the thighs. Tremors can also be in the head and the jaw. The next thing to notice in a person with Parkinson s Muscular rigidity which means â€Å"loss of flexibility† (Hegner, Acello, Caldwell, 2008) in the muscles. The muscles in the body become less stretchable and limits the

Contemporary Indigenous Health Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Contemporary Indigenous Health. Answer: Indigenous population living in remote communities suffer from poor health status and longevity as compared to other Australians, the imbalance is to be addressed by healthcare professionals by ensuring optimal quality care devoid of discrimination and injustice. Nurses play a significant role in the improvement of health and wellbeing of indigenous people, and they require both cultural respect and clinical skills to do so (Hunt et al. 2015). The RN Standards, UTS Graduate attributes, and Indigenous Graduate attributes guide decision making of nurses while caring for this section of the population. The present essay focuses on contemporary indigenous health and wellbeing from the nurses point of view and puts up a reflection on personal experience in this regard. The essay first highlights the assumptions made prior to providing nursing care for indigenous people. The second section of the essay reflects on personal experience using Gibbs reflection model. The consecutive part of th e essay puts forward an action plan based on the conclusion drawn from the reflection. The essay provides a logical conclusion to the comprehensive discussion. As a nurse, I understand that I am accountable for providing safe and high quality care to the patients presenting diverse health issues and concerns. In this regard, I would like to mention that I lacked a clear knowledge of the requisites of providing secured and culturally competent care to individuals belonging to the indigenous groups. Prior to delivery of care to the indigenous population, I had the assumption that I lacked adequate skills and knowledge imperative for caring for the indigenous population. I strongly felt that I was not well equipped and knowledgeable about the attributes one must possess while caring for the vulnerable population. At this juncture, I would like to highlight that I felt the need of addressing my inability to demonstrate appropriate skills while caring for an indigenous population. Communication, in my viewpoint, is the most crucial factor while a nurse is caring for a patient. I believed that I lacked effective communication skills that would en able me to care for patients from diverse backgrounds. According to Ramjan, Hunt and Salamonson (2016) nurses are to be aware of the differences in nonverbal and verbal communication needs of the indigenous and nonindigenous population. Further, they must appreciate the cultural and linguistic aspects of interactions demonstrated by this group. Recognizing chances of miscommunication is a crucial aspect that nurses must address while delivering care. Devitt et al. (2017) in this regard highlighted that nurses must understand the adverse consequences of communication breakdown when a patient is unable to express his viewpoints and opinions. Molloy (2017) pinpointed that effective health care communication between care providers and indigenous patients witnesses numerous challenges. These barriers are to be overcome at every stage by nurses in a competent manner. Prior to commencing CIHWB, I was apprehensive of the outcomes that were to be experienced as a result of caring for patients from the indigenous population. I was looking forward to translate my minimal skills and knowledge into practice. My aim was to learn from experiences and engage in professional development for future practices. I was hopeful that CIHWB would be a fulfilling experience, providing me the opportunity to determine my key strengths and weaknesses that I need to work on at an immediate basis. Coming to the next part of the essay, personal experience regarding CIHWB would be explained with the help of Gibbs reflective cycle. Reflective writing with the help of an established framework is a deliberate and active process of critically examining practice. A nurse is challenged to undertake the process of self-inquiry. Gibb's reflective cycle permits a systematic and structured analysis and reflection of any selected experience (McEwen Wills 2017). With this reflection, I would be able to look deep into my experience and feelings with successful interpretation of the same. The key events from CIHWB summer sessions pertained to experiences of patient care through which I got wide exposure to diverse, challenging clinical scenarios. These scenarios were significant to my continual learning process as a nurse for fostering professional development. We were provided with various opportunities to demonstrate our critical thinking skills and decision making ability. One particular scenario that was significant in this context would be explained in here. On my third day of CIHWB session I was placed at the recovery room where a 31 year old woman, Ms. G, was recovering from surgery due to elective termination of pregnancy. Upon investigating I came to know that the patient had an indigenous background, living in a remote town of the state. As a result she had language barriers in communication and needed an interpreter to communicate her needs and opinions. Preoperatively, she had an interpreter present to engage in effective communication; however, the interpreter was not present in the recovery period. When she gained consciousness after surgery she saw a 3-year-old boy admitted at the next bed to hers. This made her distressed and started crying. She appeared to have no clear understanding of English language and all the attempts to console her went into vain. I gave best efforts to calm her down and help her in gaining control over her feelings; however, she was not ready to comprehend. I felt that the patient was upset upon seeing the boy in the recovery room and went to get a mobile screen for separating Ms. G from the boy. This however made the situation worse as she became more upset. Realizing the importance of the situation I called the concerned personnel to request the interpreter to visit the recovery room as I was not able to reassure the patient due to the communication barrier. It was disturbing to find that the 3 year old boy was also upset. The interpreter arrived soon after and helped the patient to verbalize that the presence of the child made her feel depressed as she had undergone pregnancy termination. I felt helpless as I was not in a position to understand the reason behind the patients disturbed emotional front. I also felt guilty of not being able to reassure her and calm her down. Further, I felt sorry for the 3 year old boy who was very much distracted by the surrounding environment. I was also concerned that the patient felt isolated when the screen was placed and might have felt judged due to her reactions. At this point, it would be essential to evaluate the experience and understand the implication for indigenous healthcare practice. Ms. G was in a vulnerable position due to her surgery at the recovery room and required the elimination of communication barriers. Though I attempted to resolve the issue by placing the screen, it only added to the anguish and stress suffered by the patient. It was, however, a good decision to call the interpreter upon applying critical analysis skills. In this manner I had been able to provide the patient with safe and companionate care. Analysis of the experience would help in drawing key messages from the scenario. According to Piercey and Robinson (2017) nurses are to be culturally competent while caring from patients from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Communication is perceived as the most basic component of cross culture care and nurses must be considering all possible mean of eliminating language barriers. I feel that I should have considered calling the interpreter right after the patient was brought in the recovery room. Though I have attempted to resolve the situation my ability to care for the patient proved to be insufficient. Chang and Daly (2015) suggested that nurses must address their deficits for ensuring that cross cultural and communication differences do not arise. Use of translators and interpreters is the best aid in this regard. Based on the literature at the time of analysis, it is clear that it would have been appropriate if I had called the interpreter for reducing the anxiety, stress and emotional pain felt by the patient under my care. In my opinion, it was in concern of both the patients to place the screen between them. Scarcity of resources might not enable the presence of an interpreter at certain point of time, but as advocates of patients a nurse must ensure to act in the patients best interest. Reflection on the nursing scenario entails changes to be brought in future practice based on RN Standards, UTS Graduate attributes and Indigenous Graduate attributes. As per the NMBA RN standard 1, nurses must engage in therapeutic and professional relationships. Further, as per standard 6, nurses must provide safe, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice (Daly et al. 2017). I would adhere to these two standards in my future professional practice. The UTS Graduate attributes focus on ensuring that the graduates are well-rounded professionals who are ready to make a place for them in the respective domain in future. These attributes include communication and collaboration, Indigenous proficiency, professional competence, critical thinking, and leadership. As a healthcare professional, I would ensure that I demonstrate all these skills in due course of my practice. As per the Indigenous Graduate attributes, a graduate is to communicate effectively and ethically within Indig enous Australian contexts. Abiding by this statement, I would focus on engaging in effective communication with my clients from an indigenous background. At the end of the essay, it is to be concluded that as a healthcare professional delivering care to indigenous people, I would engage work in a more focused manner. The care process of a nurse is to be informed by attributes designed for ensuring indigenous health and wellbeing. I felt this reflective essay has been highly valuable in guiding my future practice. There lies immense scope of applying the key insights taken from the reflective work that would help in future professional development. This would be further informed by key nursing practice standards and attributes. References Chang, E. Daly, J., 2015.Transitions in Nursing-E-Book: Preparing for Professional Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences. Daly, J., Speedy, S. Jackson, D., 2017.Contexts of nursing: An introduction. Elsevier Health Sciences. Devitt, J., Anderson, K., Cunningham, J., Preece, C., Snelling, P. Cass, A., 2017. Difficult conversations: Australian Indigenous patients views on kidney transplantation.BMC nephrology,vol. 18, no. 1, p.310. Hunt, L., Ramjan, L., McDonald, G., Koch, J., Baird, D. Salamonson, Y., 2015. Nursing students' perspectives of the health and healthcare issues of Australian Indigenous people.Nurse education today,vol 35, no.3, pp.461-467. McEwen, M. Wills, E.M., 2017.Theoretical basis for nursing. Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Molloy, L., 2017. Nursing care and indigenous Australians: An autoethnography.Collegian,vol. 24, no. 5, pp.487-490. Piercey, C. Robinson, M., 2017. Indigenous nursing workforce, to achieve equality in healthcare services.Australian nursing midwifery journal,vol. 24, no.9, pp.39-39. Ramjan, L., Hunt, L. Salamonson, Y., 2016. Predictors of negative attitudes toward Indigenous Australians and a unit of study among undergraduate nursing students: A mixed-methods study.Nurse education in practice,vol. 17, pp.200-207.