Confucianism has deeply influenced Chinese culture from ancient times to today. During the Han Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE), Confucianism was established as the state ideology. According to Confucian teachings, women were expected to be subservient and perform domestic tasks. But did women of the Han Dynasty follow these teachings for how to behave? In this lesson, students analyze ancient historical documents to investigate this question.
Image: Photo of a female dancer figurine, China, 2nd century BCE. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
