Do you know why the opening time for the Beijing Olympics was set at 8.08 pm on 8 August 2008? Or what are the secrets guarded by the silent terracotta army inside the First Chinese Emperor's tomb? This book will introduce you to the most famous people and events in China during the last 2200 years. Meet the emperor who loved a woman too much, and the admiral whose fleet was so big it blocked out the sun. Discover the meaning of dragons, and why you should never give a Chinese man a green hat. Be amazed at China's many inventions, from silk, paper, printing and porcelain to crossbows, stirrups, matches, cast iron, steel and gunpowder.

- Enter the dragon
- First emperor of all china
- Founding dynasty: The Han
- Age of disunion
- Golden dynasty: The Tang
- Divided dynasty: The Song
- Mongol dynasty: The Yuan
- Eunuchs’ dynasty: The Ming
- Crippled dynasty: The Qing
- No more emperors?