10 Bizarre Practices Normalized in the Ancient Chinese Society
China’s ancient civilization is now the world’s longest continuously practiced one. Sanskrit Cina (from the Chinese Qin Dynasty, pronounced “Chin”) was rendered as “Cin” by the Persians, and the name seems to have spread down the Silk Road through commerce. Seres, meaning “the land from which silk comes from,” was the name given to the area by the Romans and the Greeks.
Before Barbosa’s notebooks detailing his trips to the east in 1516 CE, the name “China” had not appeared in a western text (though the Europeans had long known of China through trade via the Silk Road). The name “Cathay” for China dates back to the 13th century CE when the famed traveler Marco Polo introduced the country to Europeans.
Although the civilization is credited with progress in trade and other development, a variety of terrifying practices were normalized in ancient Chinese society!
1. The Solution to Body Odor? Using Urine
Taking care of one’s body odor was very important in Ancient China, with people believing that a person with a foul body odor was a sign of barbarism. As a result, the wealthy class did all in its power to maintain a pleasant aroma.
