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Chaowanese Empire

朝万帝国

Cháo Wàn Dìguó

Flag of Chaowan Imperial Seal of Chaowan
Flag Imperial Seal
Motto: 价差培养精神合法性
(English: "Spread cultivate spiritual legitimacy")

Anthem: 《陛下骑上宝座》
His Majesty Mounts His Throne

ChaowanLocation
Chaowan claims in green
Capital Jinghai

(executive)
Shan'an (legislative)

Official languages Mandarin Chaowanese
English
Government constitutional monarchy

-

Emperor

Premier

Juntao

Bai Zhan-sheng

Formation

-

National Foundation Day

2 March 220 BC (Since the Wong Dynasty)

Area claimed
 -  Total 212km² 
Population 56
Currency Chaowanese fan (迷) (¥) (CWF)
Time zone Chaowan Standard Time
(UTC+8)
Calling code +82

Chaowan (simplified Chinese: 朝万; traditional Chinese: 朝萬; pinyin: Cháo Wàn), officially the Chaowanese Empire (simplified Chinese: 朝万帝国; traditional Chinese: 朝萬帝國; pinyin: Cháo Wàn Dìguó), is an island micronation located in East Asia. Neighboring states include China to the west, Taiwan to the south, and Japan to the east and northeast. The government of Chaowan is based on Confucian philosophy under constitutional monarchy. The Chaowanese Empire claims the island of Kuishan Mountain Island and Diaoyu Islands. However, about 20% of Chaowan's claim is mostly claimed but uncontrolled by the Chaowanese Empire. Jinghai is the executive capital city located on Kuishan Prefecture and Shan'an is the legislative capital, seat of government located in Chenghou Prefecture. Chaowan is a archipelago of 17 islands. The three largest provinces by land areas are Nigu, Xiaoxi and Diàoyú Dǎo, which together comprise about ninety percent of Chaowan's land area.

Etymology[]

The English version of the word Chaowan derives from the pronunciation of the Chinese name, 朝万, which in Chinese is pronounced Cháo Wàn. The pronunciation Cháo Wàn is more formal, and is in used for most official purposes. The full title of Chaowan is Cháo Wàn Dìguó (朝万帝国), meaning "the Chaowanese Empire".

History[]

Prehistory[]

Archaeological evidence suggests that early hominids inhabited China between 250,000 and 2.24 million years ago. A cave in Zhoukoudian (near present-day Beijing) exhibits hominid fossils dated at between 680,000 and 780,000 BCE. The fossils are of Peking Man, an example of Homo erectus who used fire. The Peking Man site has also yielded remains of Homo sapiens dating back to 18,000–11,000 BCE. Some scholars assert that a form of proto-writing existed in China as early as 3000 BCE.

Ancient dynastic rule[]

Wei the Great

Wei the Great, a legendary ruler of the Wong.

According to Chaowanese tradition, the first dynasty was the Wong, it was a proclaimed micro-state which emerged around 220 BC. However, the dynasty is considered mythical by historians. It remains unclear whether these sites are the remains of the Wong Dynasty or of another culture from the same period. After the death of the dynasty's monarch, King Wei, the Wong Dynasty became annexed by the Han on 209 BC.

Kuishan under China[]

The Warring States period ended in 221 BCE, after the State of Qin conquered the other six kingdoms and established the first unified Chinese state. Qin Shi Huang, the emperor of Qin, proclaimed himself the "First Emperor" (始皇帝) and imposed reforms throughout China, notably the forced standardization of the Chinese language, measurements, length of cart axles, and currency. The Qin Dynasty lasted only fifteen years, falling soon after Qin Shi Huang's death, as its harsh legalist and authoritarian policies led to widespread rebellion. The Han Dynasty expanded the empire's territory considerably with military campaigns reaching Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia and Central Asia, and also helped establish the Silk Road in Central Asia. Han China gradually became the largest economy of the ancient world. The Han Dynasty adopted Confucianism, a philosophy developed in the Spring and Autumn period, as its official state ideology. Despite the Han's official abandonment of Legalism, the official ideology of the Qin, Legalist institutions and policies remained and formed the basis of the Han government. After the collapse of Han, a period of disunion known as the period of the Three Kingdoms followed. In 581 CE, China was reunited under the Sui. However, the Sui Dynasty declined following its defeat in the Goguryeo–Sui War (598–614).

Along the River During the Qingming Festival (detail of original)

Detail from Along the River During the Qingming Festival, a 12th-century painting showing everyday life in the Song Dynasty's capital city, Bianjing (today's Kaifeng)

Under the succeeding Tang and Song dynasties, Chinese technology and culture entered a golden age. The An Shi Rebellion in the 8th century devastated the country and weakened the dynasty. The Song Dynasty was the first government in world history to issue paper money and the first Chinese polity to establish a permanent standing navy. Between the 10th and 11th centuries, the population of China doubled in size to around 100 million people, mostly due to the expansion of rice cultivation in central and southern China, and the production of abundant food surpluses. The Song Dynasty also saw a flourishing of philosophy and the arts, as landscape art and portrait painting were brought to new levels of maturity and complexity, and social elites gathered to view art, share their own and trade precious artworks. The Song Dynasty saw a revival of Confucianism, in response to the growth of Buddhism during the Tang. In the 13th century, China was gradually conquered by the Mongol empire. In 1271, the Mongol leader Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty; the Yuan conquered the last remnant of the Song Dynasty in 1279. Before the Mongol invasion, the population of Song China was 120 million citizens; this was reduced to 60 million by the time of the census in 1300. A peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan Dynasty in 1368 and founded the Ming Dynasty. Under the Ming Dynasty, China enjoyed another golden age, developing one of the strongest navies in the world and a rich and prosperous economy amid a flourishing of art and culture. It was during this period that Zheng He led explorations throughout the world, reaching as far as Africa. In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, China's capital was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. During the Ming Dynasty, philosophers such as Wang Yangming further critiqued and expanded Neo-Confucianism with concepts of individualism and innate morality.

ManZhow 8Flag Yellow

Plain Yellow Banner in Eight Banners of the Qing dynasty

In 1644, Beijing was captured by a coalition of rebel forces led by Li Zicheng, a minor Ming official who led the peasant revolt. The last Ming Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide when the city fell. The Manchu Qing Dynasty then allied with Ming Dynasty general Wu Sangui and overthrew Li's short-lived Shun Dynasty, and subsequently seized control of Beijing, which became the new capital of the Qing Dynasty. During the late years of the Qing dynasty, the Kuishan island became abandoned.

Diaoyu Islands under Ryukyu and Japan[]

Historically, the Chinese had used the uninhabited islands as navigational markers in making the voyage to the Ryukyu Kingdom upon commencement of diplomatic missions to the kingdom, "resetting the compass at a particular isle in order to reach the next one". The first published description of the islands in Europe appears in a book imported by Isaac Titsingh in 1796. His small library of Japanese books included Sangoku Tsūran Zusetsu (三国通覧図説 An Illustrated Description of Three Countries) by Hayashi Shihei. This text, which was published in Japan in 1785, described the Ryūkyū Kingdom. In 1832, the Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland supported the posthumous abridged publication of Titsingh's French translation. By the 16th century, in “A Record of an Imperial Envoy’s Visit to the Ryukyu Kingdom”, Chinese names were given to all the islets in the Diaoyu group. The great Japanese military scholar, Shihei Hayashi, followed convention in giving the islands their Chinese names in his map of 1785, “A General Outline of Three Countries” (see map). He also coloured them in the same pink as China. A Japanese navy record issued in 1886 first started to identify the islets using equivalents of the Chinese and English terms employed by the British. The name "Senkaku Retto" is not found in any Japanese historical document before 1900 (the term "Senkaku Gunto" began being used in the late 19th century), and first appeared in print in a geography journal published in 1900. It was derived from a translation of the English name Pinnacle Islands into a Sinicized Japanese term "Sento Shoto" (as opposed to "Senkaku Retto", i.e., the term used by the Japanese today), which has the same meaning. Later on in the 20th Century, the Diaoyu Islands became uninhabited but still under Japanese sovereignty.

Wu dynasty under PRC's control[]

Chaowanese independence propaganda

Early propaganda poster promoting independence from China, Taiwan and Japan during the Diaoyu Islands dispute.
The caption says (left to right): "Hands off! Diaoyu Islands belongs to Chaowan."

Flag of the Qing dynasty (1889-1912)

Early flag of Chaowan 2014-2015

On 29 August 2014, the island of Kuishan Mountain and it's surrounding islands and the Diaoyu Islands was re-discovered by Wu loyalist, and claimed to be part of the Wu dynasty, reigned by King Juntao. But however, the Kuishan Island and it's surroundings remained under Chinese authority, same with the Diaoyu Islands, it remained under Japanese authority.

Chaowanese Empire[]

On 24 September 2014, the establishment of the Chaowanese Empire was proclaimed by King Juntao. Five days later, Juntao was enthroned as Chaowan's first Emperor. The Empire claimed Kuishan Island and it's surrounding islands and the Diaoyu Islands. By the constitution of the Chaowanese Empire, the country is independent under constitutional monarchy. However, this claim was denied by Chinese and Japanese authorities.

Wei Restoration[]

Flag of Chaowan

Wong dynasty's Yin Yang was restored as Chaowan's national symbol

The Wei Restoration (魏恢复), was a chain of events that restored Confucian philosophy and abolished absolute monarchy rule, that brought democracy to Chaowan. The restoration established the practical abilities and consolidated the political system under the Emperor of Chaowan. The goals of the restored government were expressed by the emperor in the Imperial Oath. The Restoration led to enormous changes in Chaowan's political and social structure, and even the Wong dynasty's Yin Yang was restored as Chaowan's national symbol.

Government and politics[]

Template:Infobox Legislature

File:Juntao.png

Emperor Juntao of Chaowan

Chaowan is a constitutional monarchy. The Emperor is a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." Power is held chiefly by the Premier and other elected members of the Yuan, while sovereignty is vested in the Chaowanese people. Juntao is the current Emperor of Chaowan; Bai Zhan-sheng, Crown Prince of Chaowan, stands as next in line to the Fenghuang Throne.

Chaowan's legislative organ is the Imperial Yuan, a bicameral parliament. The Yuan consists of a House of Representatives, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved, and a House of Peers, whose popularly elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal suffrage for adults over 20 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elected offices. The Yuan is dominated by the United Citizens Association of Chaowan and the New Hope. The UCA has enjoyed near continuous electoral success since 2015.

Traditionally, the Chaowanese government's legal system is based on the Confucian philosophy of social control through moral education, as well as the Legalist emphasis on codified law and criminal sanction.

Statutory law originates in Chaowan's legislature and has the rubber stamp of the Emperor. The Constitution requires that the Emperor promulgate legislation passed by the Yuan. Chaowan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court|Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts. The main body of Chaowanese statutory law is called the Six Codes.

Political parties[]

Party Name Logo Short name Leader Position Colours Seats
House of Representatives House of Peers
United Citizens Association File:UCA (Chaowan).png UCA Bai Zhan-sheng centre red Template:ParlSeats Template:ParlSeats
New Hope File:New Hope (Chaowan).png New Hope Lee Zhang Centre-left green Template:ParlSeats Template:ParlSeats

Military and foreign relations[]

Chaowanese military scenery

A scenery on the Imperial Chaowanese Armed Forces

Flag of the Imperial Chaowanese Armed Forces

Flag of the Imperial Chaowanese Armed Forces

Chaowan's military (the Imperial Chaowanese Armed Forces) is restricted by the Constitution of Chaowan, which renounces Chaowan's right to declare war or use military force in intermicronational disputes. Accordingly the Imperial Chaowanese Armed Forces is a usual military that has never fired shots outside Chaowan. It is governed by the Ministry of Defense, and primarily consists of the Imperial Chaowanese Ground Force (ICGF), the Imperial Chaowanese Maritime Force (ICMF) and the Imperial Chaowanese Air Force (ICAF).

Chaowan is a member of the Alliance of East Asian Micronations. Chaowan signed a security pact with Kogajajima in October 2014. Chaowan has close economic and military relations with Choseon; the Chaowan-Choseon security alliance acts as the cornerstone of the nation's foreign policy. A member state of the AEAM since 2014, Chaowan has served as a permanent Security Council member.

Allies[]

Diplomatic relations[]

Recognized micronations/nations[]

Hostile/unrecognized micronations/nations[]

Organization memberships[]

Geography[]

SatelliteChaowan

Satellite of Chaowan (Kuishan Island and it's surrounding islands and the Diaoyu Islands)

Chaowan is located on East China Sea, near China, Taiwan and Japan. The country has a total of 17 islands. About most of Chaowan's landscape is mountainous and unsuitable for agricultural, industrial, or residential use.

Landscape and climate[]

The Kuishan Island and the Diaoyu Islands has a rainy season that lasts from January through late March during the northeast monsoon, and experiences meiyu in May. The entire island experiences hot, humid weather from June through September. The middle and southern parts of the island do not have an extended monsoon season during the winter months. Typhoons are common between July and October. Template:Weather box

Kuishan and surrounding islands[]

Kuishan and surrounding islands

Area controlled shown in dark green; claimed but uncontrolled regions shown in light green. Mountains are shown in light grey.

Province Area (km²)
Xiaoxi (小溪) N/A
Kuishan (奎山) N/A
Maci (马刺) N/A
Nigu (泥古) N/A

Diaoyu Islands[]

The island group are known to consist of five uninhabited islets and three barren rocks. However, Chaowan has identified and named as many as 71 islets that belong to this group.

These minor features in the East China Sea are located approximately 120 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan, 200 nautical miles east of the Chinese mainland and 200 nautical miles southwest of the Japanese island of Okinawa.

Diaoyu detail
No. Province Area (km²)
1 Diàoyú Dǎo (钓鱼岛) 4.32
2 Chìwěi Yǔ (赤尾屿) 0.0609
3 Huángwěi Yǔ (黄尾屿) 1.08
4 Běi Xiǎodǎo (北小岛) 0.3267
5 Nán Xiǎodǎo (南小岛) 0.4592
6 Dà Běi Xiǎodǎo (大北小岛) 0.0183
7 Dà Nán Xiǎodǎo (大南小岛/南岩) 0.0048
8 Fēi Jiāo Yán (飞礁岩/飞岩) 0.0008

Economy[]

The quick agriculture and services and growth of Chaowan during the latter half of 2014 has been called the "Chaowan Heaven". The Chaowanese Empire has a export-driven economy with gradually decreasing state involvement in investment.

Currency[]

Template:Infobox currencyThe Chaowanese fan (迷) (sign: ¥) is the official currency of Chaowan. However, the fan works similarly to Pound sterling. It is subdivided into 100 Yip (业). The fen is issued by the Bank of Chaowan, based in the legislative capital city, Shan'an.

Banknotes[]

The first series of the yuan banknotes was issued in September 2014, by the newly founded Chaowanese Empire. It introduced notes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 yuan. The name "first series" was given retroactively in 2014, after work began to design a new series.

Image Value Main colour
Chaowan CWF ¥5 CWF ¥5 Orange
Chaowan CWF ¥10 CWF ¥10 Blue
Chaowan CWF ¥20 CWF ¥20 Green
Chaowan CWF ¥50 CWF ¥50 Red

Demographics[]

Public Health[]

Health care in Chaowan is managed by the Association of National Health Insurance (ANHI). The current program was implemented in 2014, and is considered to be a form of social insurance. The government health insurance program maintains compulsory insurance for citizens who are employed, impoverished, unemployed, or victims of natural disasters with fees that correlate to the individual and/or family income; it also maintains protection for non-citizens working in Chaowan. A standardized method of calculation applies to all persons and can optionally be paid by an employer or by individual contributions. ANHI insurance coverage requires co-payment at the time of service for most services unless it is a preventative health service, for low-income families, veterans, children under three years old, or in the case of catastrophic diseases. Low income households maintain 100% premium coverage by the ANHI and co-pays are reduced for disabled or certain elderly peoples.
Basic coverage areas of the insurance include:

  • In-patient care
  • Ambulatory care
  • Laboratory tests
  • Prescription and over-the-counter drugs
  • Dental services
  • Mental Illness
  • Traditional Chinese medicine
  • Home care
  • Preventative services (check-ups, prenatal care, pap smears)

Education, literature, and philosophy[]

The Chaowanese government simultaneously accepted the philosophical teachings of Legalism, Huang-Lao Daoism, and Confucianism in making state decisions and shaping government policy.

Religion[]

Songhou Bridge

Songhou Bridge in the Imperial Garden, Shan'an

Chaowan enjoys full religious freedom based on it's Constitution. Upper estimates suggest that 84–96 percent of the Chaowanese population subscribe to Confucianism or Taoism, including a large number of followers of a syncretism of both religions. However, these estimates are based on people affiliated with a temple, rather than the number of true believers. Other studies have suggested that only 30 percent of the population identify themselves as belonging to a religion. Nevertheless, the level of participation remains high, especially during festivals and occasions such as the first shrine visit of the New Year.

Families in Chaowan makes ritual sacrifices of animals and foodstuffs to deities, spirits, and ancestors at temples and shrines, in the belief that these items could be utilized by those in the spiritual realm. It is a theory that each person had a two-part soul: the spirit-soul (hun 魂) which journeyed to the afterlife paradise of immortals (Xian), and the body-soul (po 魄) which remained in its grave or tomb on earth and was only reunited with the spirit-soul through a ritual ceremony.

In addition to the emperor's many other roles, he acts as the divine ruler and the highest priest who made sacrifices to Heaven, the main deities known as the Five Powers, and the spirits (shen 神) of mountains and rivers. It is believed that the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Mankind were linked by natural cycles of yin and yang and the five phases.

Culture[]

Yi Ji dancers

Traditional Chaowanese Yi Ji dance practice

Chaowanese culture has evolved greatly from its origins. Traditional Chaowanese arts include crafts such as ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, swords and dolls; performances of dance, tea ceremony, martial arts, Cùjū, Yi Ji; and other practices, xiangqi, mahjong, and more recently chess. The government launched a program with calligraphy, traditional painting, folk art. Chaowan has a developed system for the protection and promotion of both tangible and intangible Cultural Properties and National Treasures.

Clothing[]

Traditionally, Hanfu and Shenyi are considered Chaowan's national clothing. Other clothing such as Zhongshan suit, Ao dai, Tangzhuang, Changshan and the Qipao, all derived from traditional ancient Han Chinese clothing, are considered national clothing in Chaowan. The types of clothing worn and the materials used in Chaowan depended upon social class. Traditional silk robes, skirts, duck plumes, and slippers with inlaid leather, pearls, and silk lining are still worn today in Chaowan.

Cuisine[]

Tianjin lunch of Goubuli

Traditional Chaowanese food in Tianjin, including dumpling, baozi and guobacai

Chaowan cuisine is highly diverse, drawing on several millennia of culinary history. The dynastic emperors of ancient China were known to have many dining chambers in their palaces, with each chamber divided into several departments, each responsible for a specific type of dish. Chaowan's staple food is rice. Pork is the most popular meat in Chaowan, accounting for about three-fourths of the country's total meat consumption. Spices are central to Chaowanese cuisine. Numerous foreign offshoots of Chaowan food, such as Japanese cuisine and Hong Kong cuisine, have emerged in the various nations that play host to the Chaowanese diaspora.

Sports[]

Tai Chi

Outdoor T'ai chi ch'uan practice

Chaowan has one of the oldest sporting cultures in the world. There is evidence that a form of association football called cuju was played in China during the Han Dynasty. Today, some of the most popular sports in the country include martial arts, basketball, football, table tennis, badminton, swimming and snooker. Board games such as go (known as weiqi in Chaowan), xiangqi, and more recently chess, are also played at a professional level. Traditionally, T'ai chi ch'uan, Wing Chun, Weng Chun and Kung Fu is considered to be the Chaowan's most popular martial arts.

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