Step into the time of the Chinese Empire, with 15 step-by-step projects and over 300 exciting pictures. Travel back through the centuries to uncover the secrets of the world's oldest continuous civilization - the Chinese Empire. Fact boxes provide additional insights and highlight links with the present. You can explore Chinese culture and beliefs, from their ancient origins through to the abdication of the last emperor. More than 370 photographs and illustrations include cross sections, historical maps and a pictorial timeline. It features 15 easy and fun projects enable you to re-create the past - fly your own dragon kite, build a model of a Han house, and cook red bean soup. It is ideal for home or school use for ages 8 to 12. Discover fascinating facts about China and find out why tombs were filled with pottery figures, the importance of jade, who the terracotta warriors were, and how silk was made. You can learn about Chinese inventions, weapons and warfare; fashion, food and family life; politics, religion and festivals; and much more. Step-by-step practical projects bring the past to life - make an abacus, build a pagoda, and create and use ancient printing blocks. Stirring fact-packed text and over 300 beautiful images make history accessible and enjoyable for young readers.