Download A Resource Guide for Students and Teachers

A Resource Guide for Students and
Teachers
China in Asia
A Resource Guide for Students and Teachers
Bowers Museum
Houston Museum of Natural Science
National Geographic Museum
National Geographic Museum
1145 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
www.ngmuseum.org
Funded by The Boeing Company
An assembled life-size
archer from the terra
cotta army. He once
held a crossbow
in his hands.
i
View of statues from tomb
Acknowledgements
Project Director
Linda Kahn
Vice President of Education
Bowers Museum
Principal Author
Claire Scoggin
Assistant Director of Youth Education Sales
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
Project Consultants
Debbie Granger
Coordinator, History and Social Science
Orange County Department of Education
Jim Thomas
Coordinator, Visual and Performing Arts
Orange County Department of Education
Albert E. Dien, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Stanford University
Project Contributors
Glenda Cheung, Voice Artist
The Warrior with the Smiling
Moustache
Jean Drum, Author
The Warrior with the Smiling
Moustache
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
National Geographic Society
New Song Media, Audio Recording
Rick Founds, Recording Engineer
Erin Washington, CD Cover Design
Rob Sexton
S2 Design, www.s2design.com
Special Recognition and Thanks
Peter C. Keller, Ph.D., President of Bowers Museum
Barry Waldman, Board of Governors,
Bowers Museum
Sarah Murr, Community Investor –
Arts & Culture, The Boeing Company
Chinese Cultural Arts Council, Bowers Museum
Docent Guild, Bowers Museum
Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of
China’s First Emperor is a publication
of the Bowers Museum in conjunction with the
Houston Museum of Natural Science and the
National Geographic Museum and accompanies
an exhibition of the same title touring the United
States from May 18, 2008 through March 31, 2010.
Photo Credits
Cover Photo:
Wang Da-Gang
All Other Photos:
O. Louis Mazzatenta
National Geographic Image Collection
Artist Renderings
Hsien-Min Yang
Maps
National Geographic
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements................................................................. iii
Table of Contents.......................................................................iii
Message to the Teachers and Students.................................. iv
Book Your Museum Visit.........................................................iv
Curriculum Connections...........................................................v
Story
The Warrior with the Smiling Moustache..............................1
Historical Background
Terra Cotta Warriors................................................................ 11
Daily Life in Ancient China....................................................19
Traditional Values.....................................................................20
Modern Way of Life.................................................................20
Activities
Student and Class Activities....................................................21
Teacher and Student Resources
Glossary......................................................................................31
Booklists....................................................................................32
Resources...................................................................................33
Websites......................................................................................33
©2008 by Bowers Museum
Permission is hereby granted to reproduce and distribute
this publication for educational and research purposes.
iii
Introduction
T
he Army of the Terra Cotta
Warriors, first discovered in
1974, is now recognized as the
eighth wonder of the ancient
world. Over 7000 life-size figures of
soldiers, charioteers, archers, and
cavalrymen were buried 2200 years
ago in three large pits to guard the
tomb of one of the most important
rulers of the ancient world, the First
B
owers Museum, in conjunction
with the Houston Museum of
Natural Science and National
Geographic Museum, have
designed Terra Cotta Warriors:
Guardians of China’s First
Emperor as a guide for teachers
and students who will be visiting
the exhibition, Terra Cotta
Warriors: Guardians of
China’s First Emperor (May
18, 2008 – October 12, 2008).
Working from the principle that the
more you know about something,
the better you will understand it,
using this guide will give you a richer
experience as you tour the museum.
We hope it will help your students
feel comfortable and at home in the
exhibition and excited to see history
come alive.
Ruler of the Qin dynasty in China.
We get our name China from the
name of his dynasty, and much of
what he accomplished influenced
the way of life in China for the next
2000 years.
In the coming years, China will
become increasingly important in
our own future. We need to know
more about its history and culture in
The guide is composed of three
sections. Begin by sharing the
story with your students! This will
set the stage for learning about
the history, participating in the
activities included in the guide, and
heightening anticipation prior to
visiting the exhibition.
The second section presents
a historical perspective offering
background information about the
First Emperor and the Qin dynasty.
Grounded in this rich period of
history, your visit through the gallery
becomes an exciting experience.
The third section, Student Activities,
sets the stage as both a follow-up
and conduit to learning about this
most interesting history. These
varied classroom and independent
activities will serve to sharpen the
Book Your National Geographic Museum Visit Today!
order to understand it better and to
help establish a mutual friendship.
Following the terra cotta army, the
First Emperor, and what he hoped to
accomplish, can lead to a wonderful
journey of learning about China.
Albert E. Dien, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Stanford University
students’ knowledge and greatly
enhance their experience during
the visit. The activities will also
help them relate the culture and
civilization of China’s Qin dynasty
to life in Southern California in the
21st Century, and reinforce what they
learn at Bowers Museum.
When your students visit the
museum, our hope is that this
background information will have
them saying, “Oh yes! I know about
that!” as they view the artifacts.
Education Department
Bowers Museum
School Group Booking Information
This curriculum guide was specifically designed to prepare students for
a visit to the National Geographic Museum exhibition Terra Cotta
Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor (November
19, 2009 – March 31, 2010). Featuring one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, this exciting exhibition showcases
100 objects, including 14 life-size terra cotta figures, two half-size wooden
chariots, and life-size bronze animals, all from the tomb complex belonging
to China’s first
emperor, Qin Shihuangdi (259-210 BC).
To book a group, please call 202.857.7281. For more information
about the exhibition, please visit www.ngmuseum.org.
School Group Pricing
$6 each, one adult free for every 10 students
Group Benefits
• Discounted tickets
• Advance booking opportunity
• 10% discount in the exhibition gift shop for every group member
Join Your State Geographic Alliance
Your local geography alliance can help you get classroom materials, extend
your skills with professional development opportunities, and meet fellow
geography-minded educators in your community. To join your local alliance,
please visit www.nationalgeographic.com/education.
Contact Numbers
National Geographic Museum 202.857.7588
Group Sales Office 202.857.7281
iv
Curriculum Connections
This guide supports the
attainment of the following
national standards. Although
this guide highlights standards
at the middle school level, the
exhibition and guide are also
appropriate for elementary
and high
school levels.
National Geography Standards
The National Council for
Geographic Education
Standard 1:
How to use maps and other
geographic representations, tools,
and technologies to aquire, process,
and report information.
Standard 3:
How to analyze the spatial
organization of people, places, and
environments on the Earth’s surface.
Standard 13:
How forces of cooperation and
conflict among people influence the
division and control of the Earth’s
surface.
Standard 17:
How to apply geography to interpret
the past.
National Social Studies
Standards
National Council for the
Social Studies
relative location, direction, size,
and shape.
Culture
Explain and give examples of
how language, literature, the arts,
architecture, other artifacts,
traditions, beliefs, values, and
behaviors contribute to the
development and transmission of
culture.
Explain why individuals and groups
respond differently to their physical
and social environments and/or
changes to them on the basis of
shared assumptions, values and
beliefs.
Time, Continuity, and Change
Identify and describe selected
historical periods and patterns of
change within and across cultures.
E stimate distance, calculate size,
and distinguish other geographic
relationships.
D escribe ways that historical events
have been influenced by, and have
influenced, physical and human
geographic factors.
Individual Development
and Identity
Identify and describe ways regional,
ethnic, and national cultures
influence individuals’ daily lives.
Identify and use processes important
to reconstructing and reinterpreting
the past.
Individuals, Groups, and
Institutions
Demonstrate an understanding
of concepts such as role, status,
and social class in describing the
interactions of individuals and
social groups.
Develop critical sensitivities such as
empathy and skepticism regarding
attitudes, values and behaviors
of people in different historical
contexts.
I dentify and analyze examples
of tension between expressions
of individuality and group or
institutional efforts to promote
social conformity.
People, Places, and
Environments
Elaborate mental maps of locales,
regions, and the world that
demonstrate understanding of
I dentify and describe examples of
tensions between belief systems
and government policies and laws.
Power, Authority, and
Governance
D escribe the purpose of government
and how its powers are acquired,
used, and justified.
D escribe and analyze the role of
technology in communications,
transportation, informationprocessing, weapons development,
or other areas as it contributes to or
helps resolve conflicts.
English Language Arts
Standards
National Council of Teachers of
English
S tudents read a wide range of print
and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, themselves,
and of the cultures of the United
States and the world.
S tudents apply a wide range of
strategies to comprehend, interpret,
evaluate, and appreciate texts.
S tudents develop an understanding
of and respect for diversity in
language use, patterns, and dialects
across cultures, ethnic groups,
geographic regions, and social roles.
National Standards for Arts
Education
Consortium of National Arts
Education Associations.
Visual Arts
Standard 4:
U nderstanding the visual arts in
relation to history and cultures.
Content Standard 5:
R eflecting upon and assessing the
characteristics and merits of their
work and the work of others.
Content Standard 6:
M
aking connections between
visual arts and other disciplines.
S tudents conduct research on issues
and interests by generating ideas and
questions, and by posing problems.
They gather, evaluate, and synthesize
data from a variety of sources (e.g.
print and no-print text, artifacts,
people) to communicate their
discoveries in ways that suit their
purpose and audience.
v
The Warrior
with the
Smiling
Moustache
H
o Lin sat at the dinner table,
where the steaming bowl
of noodles, juicy pork, and
vegetables was waiting to be
eaten, but he didn’t even seem to
notice it. Instead, he sat frowning
into the distance, absently tapping his
forehead with his chopsticks. His wife,
Bi Ling, frowned back at him. She was
proud of the good meals she made
for her family, and she expected them
to be eaten with smiles, not ignored
with frowns. Mei Ling, and her twin
brothers Chang Shen and Wan Hai,
eyed their father worriedly. What was
wrong?
Ho Lin shook his head, hit his
chopsticks on the table with a loud
clack, and said, “It’s wrong. I just
know it’s wrong. And what if the First
Emperor finds out?”
His family looked at each other
with wide eyes. Ho Lin was the captain
in charge of Pit Two of First Emperor’s
tomb, the most astonishing, amazing
construction project ever seen in the
kingdom of China, and everyone
knew that it must be perfect in every
way, just as First Emperor wanted it.
Everyone also knew that if it wasn’t
perfect, First Emperor’s rage would
be terrible to behold and every worker
would fear for his life. This was
serious business.
“It’s the warrior in the second row,
right in the front,” he explained. “The
general with the smiling moustache.
You know, he looks pleased, as if even
his moustache is smiling. When I got
to work this morning his moustache
had been painted already, and I’m
just sure it wasn’t done yesterday
when I left. How could this have
happened? I’m supposed to keep track
of everything, absolutely everything,
that happens in the pit.”
They all understood what Ho
Lin meant. Qin Shihuangdi, the
First Emperor, the ruler of the great
kingdom of Qin, was having his
tomb built. Four huge pits had been
dug in the ground by thousands of
workers, and into those pits First
Emperor’s army was put. No, not
real human soldiers, of course.
Terrible as First Emperor could be,
he would not put live people into
his tomb. No, this army was made
of clay, more than 7,000 life-size
clay soldiers, privates and generals,
archers, swordsmen, and cavalry,
all in rows, ready to defend the First
Emperor in the afterlife, just as his
human army had defended him in
his mortal life. Weapons, chariots,
horses, everything an army needed
was there. First Emperor would be
safe and protected for all eternity. He
would also be entertained, for the
imperial musicians and jugglers were
also there, and even trained dancing
swans and geese for his pleasure.
“One moustache?” laughed
Bi Ling, her eyes twinkling with
amusement. “How can you keep track
of every moustache in the army?
One of the painters surely painted it
yesterday. As long as it looks right,
how can it matter?”
“It’s not just one moustache,”
sighed Ho Lin, rubbing his fingers
through his carefully arranged top
knot, making stray strands of hair
fall down over his eyes. “It’s that
everything must be perfect, and if I
lose track of one moustache, what
else might I overlook? It could be
something that is really important. I
have to solve this mystery before many
more days have passed.” He brushed
the hair from his face and sighed
again.
“Is First Emperor really that
terrible?” asked Mei Ling. Of course
everyone had heard stories about First
Emperor, but how could he expect
everyone and everything to be perfect
all the time?
“Well,” nodded Ho Lin. “It is true
that he has done many good things
for our kingdom. Now we have the
same kind of coins everywhere, so
merchants can sell their goods and
customers can buy what they want
easily. You know, here in our city we
attracted merchants from the west
and east of us, so we used to have to
deal with two different types of coins,
some that looked like knives and
others that looked like spades. It made
trade complicated.”
Chang Shen and Wan Hai grinned
as they thought of their treasured
round bronze coins with the square
hole in the middle which they
planned to use to buy sweetmeats at
the next market day. They both had
what their sister described as a sweet
tooth big enough for a tiger.
Bi Ling smiled. “Yes,” she said,
“The new coins are easier to use,
and it’s nice when the merchants at
the market use them. When I pay for
something or get change back, there’s
never any argument now. Sometimes
I used to have to be really unpleasant
when I thought the persimmon man
wasn’t giving me enough “spades” for
the number of “knives” I had given
him. But just the same, the old coins
had interesting shapes and they were
fun to have. I kind of miss them.”
“And,” Ho Lin went on, “since all
carriages must have their wheels the
same distance apart, they can travel
easily in the same ruts in the road all
over the kingdom. That makes life
much more pleasant. He has made
all merchants use the same weights
so that when you buy a dou of grain
you get the same amount anywhere in
the kingdom. It’s hard for anyone to
be cheated now. And,” he continued,
waving his chopsticks at Chang Shen
1
Colored pigments still cling
to the face of this terra cotta
soldier, buried to accompany
China’s first emporer, Qin Shi
Huang, in the afterlife
and Wan Hai, who complained about
having to practice calligraphy, “we
now have a simpler form of writing
which makes keeping records so
much easier.”
“True,” sighed Bi Ling, “but
everyone in the land must do exactly
as First Emperor says or they may pay
with their lives.”
(army)
After the meal was over, the three
children went outside to sit under the
big mulberry tree behind the house.
Under the tree were baskets waiting to
be filled with the bright green leaves
which would be fed to silkworms.
These very particular creatures would
eat only mulberry leaves before they
spun their cocoons of strong, shiny
thread which could be made into
the lovely shimmering silk cloth that
would travel on the backs of patient
camels to far off lands to the far
west, where it was worth its weight in
gold. Only in China was the secret of
making this wonderful cloth known.
“I’m afraid for Father,” said Chang
Shen. “If something is not right with
the soldiers in the tomb and First
Emperor finds out, Father could be
punished.”
“Punished!” muttered Wan
Hai. “Worse than that. He could be
beheaded!”
Mei Ling gasped. “We’ve got to do
something,” she declared. “Right now
we have to do something.”
“But what can we do?” chorused
her brothers. “We’re just kids. We can’t
even get into the tomb where the clay
army is.”
“Kids or no kids, who else is
there?” Mei Ling demanded. She
never admitted that anything was
impossible. Sometimes her brothers,
who were, after all, only a year
younger, wondered why they so often
let her take charge, but they had
to admit that she got things done.
“Father can’t let anyone know that he
suspects a problem. He’d be blamed
right away. We can’t ask any grownups to help us. That might get Father
into trouble too. We’re the only ones
who know about this who won’t make
it worse for father, and so we’re the
only ones who can do something.”
With her hands on her hips, she
glared at her brothers. “Can you think
of a better way?”
They shook their heads. “How do
we begin?” wondered Wan Hai.
“We need to find out exactly what
goes on in there,” said Chang Shen.
“When we know just what all the
workmen do and how they do it, we
can begin to figure out how someone
might be able to do something he
wasn’t supposed to.”
“Right,” smiled Mei Ling.
“Confucius has said that knowledge is
the key to life, so we have to educate
ourselves about what goes on in the
tomb.”
Three heads bent over the ground
as Chang Shen found a small stick
and began to write in the dust a list
of the things they needed to do. First,
they agreed, they had to find a way to
get into the tomb during the working
day and see what really went on and
who worked on what. They needed to
know the entire work routine. Then
they had to pay some special attention
to paint – who paints, where the paint
and brushes are kept, who supervises
the painters, what a person needs to
know in order to be a good painter.
“Whew!” breathed Wan Hai,
“That’s a tall order. We’re going to
have to work fast to find out all that.”
“Exactly,” said Mei Ling. “That’s
why we can’t waste a minute.”
(father)
The next morning their first
problem was solved in the most
unbelievable way. As Bi Ling handed
everyone a dish of noodles and
vegetables, Ho Lin looked at Chang
Shen and Wan Hai and said, “A
messenger from the supervisor of the
tomb workers came by earlier. He
needs boys to run errands for him
this morning because he will be busy
overseeing a new shipment of clay
from Mount Li which will arrive soon.
He thought you could do a good job.”
The boys carefully kept themselves
from smiling or looking at each other
lest they give anything away, and
said, “Yes, Father, we’d be happy to do
that.”
“Well, work carefully and follow
all the instructions you’re given,” said
Ho Lin. “It’s an honor to help on this
great work.”
As soon as they could, the three
children met again under the
mulberry tree.
“You’ve got to notice everything,
absolutely everything and remember
it all,” said Mei Ling.
“We will,” they promised. “Mei
Ling, why don’t you go over to the
shop of Zhu the painter and see if you
can find out anything interesting.
Maybe someone has been asking
questions about paint.”
She nodded. “In fact, I’m going to
look and listen all over the village. No
one will suspect that a girl would have
anything important to do with the
emperor’s tomb. I bet I’ll be able to
find some clues to what’s happening.”
(clay)
When the boys walked into the first
pit that morning, their jaws dropped
in astonishment. They had heard, of
course, of the great clay army that
First Emperor was making to guard
him in the afterlife, but seeing it took
their breath away. Row after row of
clay figures, more than life-size, all
standing as if ready for battle. They
looked alive, with their hair arranged
in braids and buns and every strand
carefully carved, their uniforms
gleaming in blue and red, purple
and green, yellow and orange. Rows
of kneeling archers with crossbows
alternated with standing archers, so
that while one row fired, the other
had time to reload, just as they would
be in a real battle. Others had spears,
halberds, and battle-axes. No soldier
wore a helmet or carried a shield.
They wanted to show they were too
brave to need to wear armor.
The supervisor walked over to
them. “You boys should walk around
the workshop and let the foremen
know that you can do any errands
they need,” he told them. “Just keep
your eyes and ears open and make
yourselves useful.”
Barely able to keep from letting
their excitement show, Chang Shen
and Wan Hai began to walk around
the workshops. “ Look at the horses,”
Wan Hai pointed.
“They’re wonderful,” agreed
Chang Shen. And indeed they were.
Clay Mongolian ponies, small but
3
powerful, looking as if they were just
straining to gallop across a battlefield.
Their fur was being painted a deep
brown, and their ears and nostrils
were pink. “Look how their tails are
braided,” he added.
“Yes,” said his brother. “Father told
me that’s done so the tails won’t get
caught in the harness of the chariot
they’re pulling.”
They passed several rows of legs.
All the legs were made of solid clay
so the statues would stand firmly on
the ground. Some of the legs wore
loose pants and boots with upturned
toes on their feet. Others, meant for
the archers who had to be able to
move swiftly, wore low flat shoes tied
securely on their feet.
Further along they found rows of
hollow torsos standing side by side,
waiting to be attached to their legs.
“Look how every one is different,”
said Chang Shen. “You can see every
detail on their uniforms. Look at the
fish scale design on that man’s armor.
And this one has bigger plates of
armor fastened together.”
“Yes,” added Wan Hai, “The more
important officers have the smallest
pieces in their armor, and the lower
ranks have bigger pieces. Look, this
man has no armor at all. I guess
he isn’t supposed to be fighting in
the front lines. Maybe he’s the chief
commander.”
“And this one has his arms set
ready to draw his bow. How real he
looks!” marveled Chang Shen.
They were interrupted by a
workman with a wheelbarrow. “Here,
you fellows. Make yourselves useful.
We need a new supply of clay. Run to
the clay shed and ask them to put two
dou into the wheelbarrow and get it
back here. Think you two can handle
that?”
“Oh yes,” chorused Chang Shen
and Wan Hai, and off they went. As
they trundled the wheelbarrow back,
one to each handle, they passed the
workshop of the sculptors who were
carefully creating the heads. The
already completed heads, which
would be added to the torsos later,
were sitting in the shade to dry, and
sculptors were working on others,
shaping noses, fashioning eyebrows
above the eyes, and molding ears.
“That one must be going to be a
general,” laughed Wan Hai, pointing
to one of the heads. “Look how serious
and worried he looks, with those lines
in his forehead. Maybe he’s afraid his
battle plan will fail.”
(help)
While Chang Shen and Wan Hai
were busy in the workshop, Mei Ling
was equally busy exploring the town
for clues and ideas. As she headed
toward Zhu’s shop, she walked across
an arching bridge over the canal.
Beneath her a merchant poled his
small boat, with its curved roof of
reeds, along the water. The boat was
piled with peaches and melons which
he would sell at the market in the
center of town. Two important looking
government officials rode by in a twowheeled carriage pulled by a proud
horse with flowing mane and braided
tail. The trim looking carriage
was topped by a blue umbrella, its
color signifying that they were only
commoners, not royalty. The oiled
mulberry bark paper canopy stretched
over the delicate bamboo frame and
shaded them comfortably as they
made their way toward the palace.
Even this early in the morning, there
were customers crowding around the
street stalls, enjoying steaming bowls
of millet porridge or perhaps honey
rolls before they continued the day’s
work.
As she neared the painter’s shop,
Mei Ling could see the shelves of paint
pots, each one holding a different
color—blue, red, green, yellow,
orange, white, black, and the brilliant
purple which had been invented by
alchemists who were hoping to make
imitation jade. Besides paint pots,
Zhu’s shelves had rows of baskets
which held brushes of all sizes,
dishes of white lead to make creamy
white paint, and pans of charcoal for
black. Plates held piles of rusty red
cinnabar, sea-blue lapis lazuli from
the mountains far to the west, forest
green malachite, and poisonous
yellow orpiment. Zhu would pound
these stones into a fine, dusty powder
and mix it with tung seed oil or fish
glue to make a smooth, bright paint.
It all seemed mysterious and exciting,
and Mei Ling thought it would be a
wonderful place to work.
As she came to the shop next
door to Zhu’s, a busy bronze maker’s
workplace with its red glowing
furnace, she saw the young apprentice
stirring the molten mix of copper,
lead, and tin, ready to pour it into a
mold to make a bronze vessel, maybe
a wine jar or maybe a sword blade.
On the window sill was a cricket cage
made of bamboo, where the small
brown insect waved its long feelers as
if it were greeting her. She smiled at it,
because crickets were good luck. She
also admired the cage, which wasn’t
just the usual plain tan bamboo. No,
this cage had been painted lovingly in
brilliant colors. It had a peaked roof
of bright red, almost like the tiles on
a nobleman’s elegant house, and the
sides were deep blue. And the door!
The door was the gorgeous purple
that she had heard her father describe
when he told about the uniforms of
the soldiers in First Emperor’s tomb.
“What a special cricket cage,”
thought Mei Ling, as she stood
admiring it. Inside the shop the
apprentice looked up and noticed her.
“Is this your cricket?” she asked
him. Smiling, the boy came over to
the window, pushing back the unruly
shock of black hair that fell over his
left eye. In his hand he was holding a
small bronze model of a tiger.
“Yes,” he answered. “My master
likes the cricket here. He thinks it
brings good luck to his work, and I
thought it would be nice to have a
very special cage for my cricket. I had
fun painting the cage. I’d really rather
be a painter than a bronze maker, but
my father apprenticed me to Master
Jang, so here I am.” He shrugged his
shoulders and smiled at her again.
“My name is Yung Fu,” he added.
“I’m Mei Ling,” she told him. “My
father is a foreman in the emperor’s
tomb where all the soldiers are being
made.”
“Ah,” said Yung Fu,. “We’re just
making some hufu, tiger tallies, for
the emperor. Look.” He held up the
bronze tiger so she could see it.
Mei Ling took the smooth little
model of the tiger in her hand. It was
really two identical halves of a tiger,
fashioned as if it were lying quietly
on the ground with its two front paws
neatly in place under his chin. “What
does the emperor do with this?”
4
she asked, looking at both halves
curiously.
“It’s when he wants to send orders
to one of his generals,” answered
Yung Fu. “He has to make sure that
his generals know that orders come
straight from the emperor, not some
enemy or traitor trying to make
trouble. So he gives the general one
half of the tiger and he keeps the
other half. Then when he needs to
send a message, he sends his tiger half
with the message, and the general
knows that if it matches the tiger half
he has, the message is truly from the
First Emperor.”
As she walked on to Zhu’s shop,
she wondered if Yung Fu had heard
all the stories about the First Emperor
and his harsh laws and was afraid
of him. She thought she had seen a
worried look in his eyes when she told
him about her father’s job.
For the next few hours, she learned
more than she ever thought she
could about paint and color from
Zhu. “You know,” he told her, “First
Emperor favors the color black. It is
like the sky in the morning just before
the sun comes up, so it symbolizes
heaven.” He pointed to the roof of
his workshop, with its black tiles,
each with a phoenix molded on
the endpiece. “First Emperor would
like my roof. Not only is it his most
auspicious color, but each phoenix on
the end pieces means eternal life, and
we know that the emperor wants to
live forever. That’s why he’s making
this wonderful tomb where your father
is working so hard.”
Zhu was a man who loved his
job and knew everything there was
to know about paints and colors.
Unfortunately for Mei Ling, what
he didn’t know was who could have
painted the soldier’s moustache.
Not that she told him about that, of
course, since it was strictly a secret,
but she asked him enough questions
to know that he knew nothing about
what went on inside the tomb. He only
delivered paint.
(cricket)
Chang Shan and Wan Hai strolled
slowly home after their first day
working in First Emperor’s tomb. It
had been an exciting day. They had
been able to watch everything that
went on and as they ran errands for
anyone who needed them, they had
kept their eyes very wide open for
any clues to the painted moustache
problem.
“All kinds of workers come and go
all day long,” said Chang Shen. “No
one bothers to notice who they are or
where they go.”
“Yes,” agreed Wan Hai, “it
wouldn’t be hard for someone to hide
in the tomb after all the workers leave
for the day.”
“And paint at night?” questioned
Chang Shen. “How would he be able
to see? Where would he get the paint?
Everything the workers use is put
away in its proper place at the end
of the day. The supervisors are very
particular about that.”
“I know,” Wan Hai answered him.
“I can’t figure out how it could be
done. Tomorrow let’s find a way to
check out the paint room.”
“But light,” argued Chang Shen.
“He’d need light to do a good job.
How would he get that? And wouldn’t
someone notice if there was light in
the tomb at night?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Wan Hai.
“But listen, let’s go over to the tomb
after evening noodles tonight and see
what it looks like after dark. We may
get some ideas.”
When the family gathered for
noodles that evening, Ho Lin smiled
at his sons. “You did very good work
today,” he told them. “Everyone
thinks you’re the best assistants we’ve
ever had on the job. We’ll be needing
you for quite a few more days. We’re
extra busy right now trying to get a lot
done before the emperor comes on his
next visit of inspection.”
Of course this was just what the
boys wanted to hear, and they grinned
at Mei Ling, who grinned back and
raised her eyebrows, signaling that she
had some interesting news to share.
They had quite an argument later
on when it came time to go over to the
tomb in the dark. Mei Ling insisted
that she was coming too, while her
brothers were sure it would be too
dangerous and scary for a girl. They
should have known better than to try
to stop her.
“No way,” she said, “Don’t you
think for one minute that I’m scared
to go over there in the dark. First of
all, l’m the oldest, and second, I don’t
get scared. Period.” And she planted
her feet firmly on the ground and
glared at her brothers.
They knew when they were beaten,
so all three set out quietly through the
town toward the dark tomb site. They
walked softly, only whispering a word
or two from time to time. The night
was silent and only the pale light of
the sliver of the moon shone down on
them. The only sound they could hear
was crickets chirping in the grass.
“Look,” Mei Ling suddenly
whispered, and just as they turned
their heads in the direction she was
pointing, a tiny, faintly pale glimmer
of light was extinguished, and the
5
blackness of the night surrounded
them again.
“It was someone,” breathed
Wan Hai. “Do you think it was the
moustache painter?”
“Who knows?” said Chang Shen.
“But for sure he’s disappeared for
good now. We could never find him in
this dark.”
Later that night they made more
plans for the next day. Wan Hai and
Chang Shen would try to find how
someone could get in and out of the
tomb at night and look for any signs
of the moustache painter. Mei Ling
would offer to take their father his
noon noodles and use the chance
to look around the workplace for
any other clues. They felt like they
had made a lot of progress, even if
they hadn’t come near to solving the
mystery yet.
(dark)
The next day as Mei Ling
walked into the workplace with her
father’s noon meal of noodles and
persimmon-duck stew, she looked
around in amazement. She stopped in
front of a handsome general standing
in front of his troops. His elegant
shoes curled up at the toes, his cap
sported a pheasant feather, painted
lovingly in its brilliant colors, and
his armor, made of small metal fish
scales, had bright tassels hanging
from it. As she looked at him, she
could understand why someone would
love to paint the statues. When they
were painted, they seemed to spring to
life, so different from the plain gray
clay ones awaiting their turn.
She was strolling around,
unnoticed by the busy workers, when
suddenly she noticed a familiar face.
Where had she seen that face before,
she wondered. It was a young boy,
a few years older that she was, and
he was carrying an armful of sword
blades back to one of the storage
areas. She cudgeled her brain into
thought, and... yes, that was it! It
was Yung Fu, the bronze maker’s
apprentice with the cricket cage in the
window sill. He was delivering swords
for the “army” from his master’s shop.
She waved, but he was concentrating
too hard on his awkward load of
sharp, pointed sword blades to notice
her as he hurried into the next room.
That night, the three detectives
gathered once again under the
mulberry tree. “Everyone is so busy
working over there that it wouldn’t be
hard for someone to sneak in,” said
Chang Shen.
“Yes,” agreed Mei Ling, “No one
paid any attention to me at all, and
I wandered all over. I even saw the
bronze maker’s apprentice delivering
a load of swords.”
“All true,” added Wan Hai, “But
what we have to do is figure out
how to get in after the workers go
home. I think we all suppose that
the moustache painter goes in while
everyone’s still working and just stays
there until everyone is gone. Then he
paints. It is easy for him to get out
after all. Not so easy for us to get in.”
“The first thing is to find out
where he comes out. That’ll show us
where we can get in.”
“No,” Chang Shen disagreed.
“That’s doing it the hard way. What
we need to do is to do what he does.
Just stay in the tomb and hide until
he starts painting. Then we’ll find out
who it is.”
“Well,” objected Wan Hai, “that’s
all very well, but what are father and
mother going to say if we don’t come
home for evening noodles? They’ll
run all over looking for us. They’ll be
worried, and it will spoil our whole
plan besides.”
“Hmmmm,” murmured Mei Ling.
“You’re right. We have to have a better
idea than that.” She closed her eyes
and put her hands over her ears. After
a second or two, her eyes flew open,
and she said, “Yes!”
“What is it?” asked Chang Shen.
“Have you got an idea?” asked
Wan Hai.
“Absolutely,” smiled Mei Ling. “All
of us are right about this. We have to
find out how the moustache painter
leaves.”
“But I thought....,” muttered
Chang Shen.
“No, wait and let me finish,”
commanded Mei Ling. “Tomorrow
we find out where he leaves. Then
one of you (nodding at her brothers)
manages to get over to that entrance
and fix it so that the door doesn’t close
completely. You’ll have to be careful
so that no one will notice. Closed just
enough so that it looks closed, but
open just enough so that we can get it
open and get in. Got that?”
“Yeah,” grinned Chang Shen.
“You know, I think that will really
work.”
Satisfied, they went back in and
didn’t even complain when their
mother told them it was time for bed.
The next day seemed to last
forever, even though of course it
really didn’t. Chang Shen and Wan
Hai hurried here and there, taking
messages to workmen at the tomb
and carrying supplies to groups of
workmen. Chang Shen got to see
inside one of the hollow horse torsos
and the worker even let him scratch
his name on it. (The inside, that
is, where it would never be seen by
anyone.) Wan Hai helped an archery
specialist set up the place for one
of the mechanical crossbows that
would be placed at the entrance to
the tomb, where it would fire arrows
automatically if anyone dared to try to
enter the tomb. That was fun because
the archer showed him just how the
crossbow worked and how powerful a
weapon it was.
Mei Ling went back to Zhu’s paint
shop and learned more about how
the paint and brushes were made.
She loved the soft furry feel of the
fine brushes, and Zhu let her paint
on some scraps of clay he had lying
around. While she was there, Yung Fu,
the bronze maker’s apprentice came
into the shop and was greeted happily
by Zhu.
“See, Mei Ling,” he said, looking
at the boy. “Here is a real painter.
He works in bronze right now, but
his heart is in paint. Some day he’ll
realize this and become one of our
kingdom’s finest workers with the
brushes and colors.”
Yung Fu turned red with
embarrassment and smiled shyly at
Mei Ling. Silently he took her brush
and the piece of clay she was painting
on and with a few quick strokes made
the plum blossom she had started to
paint come alive and seem to jump
right off the clay.
“I can almost smell its perfume,
it looks so real!” she exclaimed in
wonder. “Yung Fu, you are an artist, a
real artist.”
6
6
Redder than ever, Yung Fu hastily
slipped out the door and back to
his work at the bronze maker’s. Mei
Ling watched him with a thoughtful
expression on her face. She was
remembering that she had seen him
in the tomb, delivering sword blades,
and he loved to paint, and...
(plum)
Finally the day ended and it was
again time for evening noodles for
Chang Shen, Wan Hai, Mei Ling and
their parents. Ho Lin ate abstractedly,
his mind a million miles away.
He had already told them that the
moustache painter had been at work
again. This time he had completed
the rest of the warrior’s face and the
rich purple cuffs on the sleeves of his
uniform. Once again the work was
beautifully done, as fine as the most
experienced painter could do. But that
didn’t really help. It still meant that
someone was alone with the warriors
at night, and if that could happen,
who knew what else might happen.
Ho Lin was a deeply worried man.
Later that night, the three
detectives quietly left the house and
approached the tomb area. Before
they had set out, they had discussed
what they were going to do.
“We can’t just yell at him,” said
Mei Ling. “It would scare him and
if he had the brush in his hand he
might make a terrible mess on the
warrior that couldn’t be repaired.
Wouldn’t that be awful!”
“Or he might jump and
accidentally knock the warrior over
and break it,” suggested Chang Shen.
“That would be even worse.”
They thought about it and decided
that they would make some small
noises as they got closer to the painter,
to sort of warn him a little bit, and
then they would tell him right away
that they didn’t mean him any harm.
It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it was the
best they could think of. They just
hoped it would work.
Wan Hai led his brother and sister
to the spot where there was a small
side door for deliverymen to get into
the work area, out of the way of the
busy workers. Just as he had left it,
the door was open a tiny crack, and
as silently as three mice they crept
inside. At first the work area seemed
as dark as a starless night, but as their
eyes got used to it, they could see a
faint glow far on the other side. Mouse
like, they tip-toed toward the glow. As
they got nearer, the glow brightened,
and in the distance, past a few more
rows of warriors, they could see a
shadowy figure, the light from the
small lamp on the floor casting an
eerie light upwards onto his face. With
brush in hand, he was meticulously
applying paint to the armor of the
warrior, emerald green and scarlet
fish scales, each one looking as if it
were part of the general’s real armor.
Fascinated at what they were seeing,
they forgot to be as mouse like as they
planned, but the moustache painter
was so absorbed in his work that he
wouldn’t have noticed them if they
had brought the real army and all of
its horses with them.
“Uh...,” began Mei Ling, not
knowing how to begin now that
they were really there seeing it all
happening.
The moustache painter turned
around, a dreamy look in his eyes,
blinked a couple of times, brushed
back the hair off his forehead with an
absent gesture, and then opened his
eyes wide. “Oh,” he blurted out. “How
did you get in here? Who are you?
What are you doing here?”
Suddenly he seemed to realize
the position he was in, and he looked
around, apprehensively, as if he were
expecting to see First Emperor’s
guards suddenly appear with swords
drawn.
“It is you, Yung Fu,” exclaimed
Mei Ling. “I should have known. In
fact, I did sort of guess.”
“Don’t worry,” Wan Hai hastily
reassured him. “We don’t mean any
harm to you. We just had to find out
who the moustache painter was. It
was because of father, you see.”
Yung Fu looked more confused
than ever as he looked from Wan Hai
to Mei Ling and then over to Chang
Shen. “Moustache painter? Father?”
he frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Put your brush down,” said Mei
Ling, “before you drip paint on the
floor. Sit down, and we’ll explain.”
Still puzzled, Yung Fu carefully
placed his brush in its dish, and all
four of them sat on the hard earthen
floor. The three detectives began to
explain, taking turns but interrupting
each other all the time, and coming
back again and again to the fearsome
wrath of First Emperor if anything
went wrong with the building of his
tomb.
“You see,” began Wan Hai. “Father
noticed that the moustache had been
painted by someone who shouldn’t
have been in the tomb, and Father is
supposed to keep track of everything
that happens. That’s his job, and if
the emperor found out that he hadn’t
done his job correctly, well…….”
“Yes,” Mei Ling rushed on, her
words tumbling over one another, “He
couldn’t go to his chief or tell any of
the other workers. That would get him
in trouble too, because it is his job to
see that nothing like this happens.
First Emperor never listens to excuses,
you know.”
“So,” said Chang Shen, “It had to
be us. We had to solve the mystery and
help Father. You understand, don’t
you? We had to save Father.”
Slowly Yung Fu nodded. “I didn’t
think about that,” he said. “I would
never have wanted to cause anyone
trouble with the First Emperor. I never
thought about what would happen.
It’s just that... well... I mean... I want...
well... I just have to paint.” Blushing
furiously, he looked at the three
detectives.
“You do paint wonderfully,” said
Mei Ling. “Remember that plum
blossom you painted for me at Zhu’s
shop? And your cricket cage? It looks
like a cricket palace, it’s so beautiful.
You ought to be one of the First
Emperor’s painters. You’d be the best.”
Yung Fu smiled and began to look
a little bit happy for the first time. But
then he sighed, “I don’t know how I
could ever be allowed to do that.”
“There’s only one thing to do,”
said Chang Shen decidedly. “We’ll tell
Father all about it. He’ll know what
the best thing to do is.”
Yung Fu looked alarmed. “But I’ve
caused your father a lot of worry and
trouble,” he stammered. “He’ll be very
angry with me. And if he tells Master
Jang I will surely lose my job. I need
my job. My family depends on me.”
“Don’t worry,” Wan Hai assured
him. “When we explain it all to
8
Father, he’ll understand. After all, no
harm has been done, and now that we
know everything, no one will get in
trouble. You will see.”
(emperor)
There was a great deal of
conversation at morning noodles in
Ho Lin’s house the next day. The three
detectives were up early, very early,
unable to wait to tell their father all
that had happened the night before.
“You mean that this boy, this
Yung Fu, hid in the workplace and
no one noticed?” Ho Lin asked in
astonishment. “What do we have
guards for anyway, I wonder.”
“I bet they all went to sleep,”
guessed Chang Shen. “After all, you
can’t blame them. It’s dark and quiet
in there and who could imagine that
someone would hide in there just to
paint a warrior.”
“Well, you’re right,” agreed his
father. “I guess I wouldn’t have
thought of such a thing myself.”
“It’s a good thing though,” said
Mei Ling. “Otherwise Yung Fu would
never have gotten a chance to paint.”
“Hmmmm,” grumbled Ho Lin.
“Maybe so, but I wish he had chosen
a different way of applying for a job!
Why if this sort of thing keeps up, we
could have the workplace crawling
with people all night every night!
Then what am I supposed to do?”
“Well, Father, I guess you’ll just
have to get some better light in there
and set up a 24 hour a day work
schedule,” laughed Wan Hai.
“I need to see this young man,”
said Ho Lin, “and have a good talk
with him. I have to admit that he did
a wonderful job. We could use him
on our work crew, but how can I hire
someone who disobeyed the rules? You
know how important it is to obey First
Emperor’s rules.”
The three detectives nodded, their
faces serious as they thought of First
Emperor, whom everyone obeyed
without question.
Nevertheless, it was a cheerful
procession that wound its way to the
shop of the bronze maker. Master
Jang, who had no idea what this was
all about, stared at his visitors with a
puzzled face, bowing in greeting to
Ho Lin.
“Master Jang,” began Ho Lin.
“I understand you have a young
apprentice here who is named Yung
Fu.”
“Why yes,” replied the curious
bronze maker. “Why do you ask? He
is an excellent apprentice and always
does his work carefully. Sometimes,
though, I have thought that his
thoughts often fly far away from our
fiery furnace and molten metal here.”
“Exactly,” said Ho Lin, while
Chang Shen, Wan Hai, and Mei Ling
watched anxiously. “I think you’ll
find that even while he’s filling molds
with your red-hot mixture of tin and
copper, his mind’s eye is seeing a
world of wonderful colors. He longs for
red and blue, yellow, green, and deep
purple. He needs to paint.”
As Ho Lin spoke, Yung Fu had
slid quietly into the room and was
watching and listening, his mouth
open and his eyes wide as he saw his
three friends from the night before
and the serious looking foreman of
the tomb workshop.
“Color,” mused Master Jang. “You
have something there. Yes, he does
talk about color. He notices the green
fields. He says there are a hundred
different kinds of green. Imagine that!
How can green be anything but green?
And I do know that he often spends
his free time with Zhu in his paint
shop next door. I never stopped to
think about what he does there.”
At that moment, Zhu himself,
attracted by all the unusual visitors
to his neighbor’s shop, appeared in
the doorway and heard Master Jang’s
words.
“Oh, I can tell you that,” he
exclaimed eagerly. “Yung Fu paints!
He is drawn to paint like a bee to a
flower. I have given him a few lessons
and in no time at all, he was painting
as if he had been born to do that
one thing and only that thing. I tell
you, this young man should have
a different job. You make exquisite
bronzes, Jang, but bronze has only one
color, and Yung Fu needs a rainbow to
make his life complete.”
“Well,” said Ho Lin, “I think we’ll
have to see what can be done about
this. Come, Yung Fu,” and putting
his hand on Yung Fu’s shoulder,
he headed for the workshop of the
emperor’s tomb.
Wan Hai, Chang Shen, and
Mei Ling looked at each other and
followed after them. No one had told
them they couldn’t, had they? And
they knew they just had to know what
was going to happen.
As they neared the tomb, five
workers hurried by, followed by the
chief of the sculptors. The chief was
carrying a long, brightly colored silk
scarf over his arm. Ho Lin hurried
his steps, pulling Yung Fu along with
him.
“What can be happening?” he
muttered, a slightly worried expression
on his face.
When the group reached the door
of the workshop, one of the workers
met them.
“It’s General Zhong Yi,” he told
them breathlessly. “He’s just arrived
for a tour of inspection of the army.
He especially wants to see himself.”
“Himself?” said Wan Hai, puzzled.
“Yes,” explained Ho Lin. “You
know that many of the terra cotta
warriors are modeled after real people.
The general is one of them. And...
uh-oh, my goodness, the general! He’s
the one that Yung Fu painted! Oh,
oh,” and he sped off into the tomb
workshop.
The three detectives and Yung Fu
hurried after him. When they reached
the row of warriors where the general
stood, they gathered quietly in the
shadow of another warrior to see what
was happening.
Ho Lin was watching as the chief
of the sculptors bowed low before
General Zhong and ceremoniously
handed him the silk scarf. “Long
life and many days may you have,
General,” he said, bowing again.
The general nodded as one
of his aides put the scarf around
his shoulders. Then he turned to
“himself” and regarded the clay
statue with interest. He turned his
head to get a better view and then
leaned closer to examine the tassels
on his clay “armor.” Ho Lin and the
chief of sculptors weren’t the only
ones holding their breath. Four silent
shadows behind a nearby warrior also
held theirs.
“Well,” said General Zhong, “Well,
well.” He leaned back to get a better
view.
9
“I do believe that it is really me,”
he smiled.
Six breaths were carefully and
quietly expelled.
“This is remarkable, truly
remarkable,” continued the general,
touching “his” clay moustache with
the tips of his fingers. “These warriors
look like they are alive. First Emperor
may well be confident that they will
protect him in the afterlife. I never
imagined that anything could look
like this. My uniform is perfect. My
moustache is more handsome than
the real one!” and he smoothed his
real moustache with his hand as he
smiled contentedly.
He looked around at the workshop
filled with busy workers. “Which of
the workers made me?” he inquired,
smiling. “Who made my moustache
so handsome?”
Wan Hai, Chang Shen, and Mei
Ling gently pushed Yung Fu out into
the aisle near the general’s statue. Ho
Lin, hearing a small shuffle behind
him, turned around.
“Ah, General Zhong,” he said,
bowing again and taking Yung Fu
by the arm at the same time. “Here
is one of our youngest workers. He
is the one who painted such a fine
moustache for you that the emperor
himself would think it was real.”
The general turned to Yung Fu,
who bowed so low his heard nearly
touched his knees, and smiled again.
“How fortunate we are that the
kingdom of Qin has such talent,
such power to create beauty,” he said.
“This young painter must be given
high honors and he must paint many
more soldiers of our emperor’s army.”
Taking off the bright silk scarf, he
placed it around Yung Fu’s shoulders
and strode away, followed by his aides
and the chief of sculptors.
The three detectives grabbed Yung
Fu, who was still open mouthed with
shock, and began to dance and skip
around the warriors.
“Careful, careful,” admonished Ho
Lin. “Now is no time to knock over a
warrior and break a head. Come, we
have much to do.”
There was indeed much to do.
First, Yung Fu must be introduced
to the chief of painters. There would
be time for the full story to be told
later, but for now it was enough that
the chief of the painters agreed that
Yung Fu had shown himself to be an
outstanding painter and deserved the
praise of the general.
“You can start tomorrow. We begin
work just after sunrise, so be on time,”
instructed the chief painter. “You are
expected to have your hair combed
and be neat and clean.”
Next was a visit to Master Jang,
who heard the astonishing story with
amazement.
“I am happy for you,” he told Yung
Fu. “I’ll miss you, though. You have
been a good apprentice, and I thought
you had the talent to make beautiful
bronze vessels. But I always knew that
somehow metal wasn’t where your
heart was. This is a great day for you.”
He turned to his shelves and picked
out six small bronze three-legged
dings, beautifully formed with small
taotie designs on them. “These are
for you to keep your paints in,” he
told Yung Fu, “and to remember me
by too.”
“Master Jang, I could never forget
you,” Yung Fu assured him. “You
have always been so kind and taught
me much.”
Next, of course, must be a visit
next door to the shop of Zhu the
painter. He had already heard the
great news from some of the village
children, and he too had something
for Yung Fu.
“To work on the emperor’s army,
you must have the finest brushes.
Nothing else is good enough,” he said,
handing Yung Fu a pot filled with
brushes of all sizes. “There! You have
brushes for the smallest eyelash and
the largest boots and everything in
between. You are all ready to work for
the emperor.”
There was a great feast at the
house of Ho Lin that night. The
mystery of the moustache painter had
been solved, and Ho Lin no longer
worried about his job (or his head).
He hugged the three detectives and
told them that no father had ever
had such good children. Yung Fu just
smiled and smiled. His dearest dream
had come true, and he could still
scarcely believe it. He was a painter
now. His life would be filled with color
and beauty, and he didn’t think there
could be a luckier boy in the entire
kingdom.
Mei Ling had just one last request.
“Yung Fu,” she asked, “Will you paint
me a cricket cage like yours?” (happiness)
10
Terra Cotta Warriors:
Guardians of China’s
First Emperor
Battle-ready, an army takes
position for eternity in a flat
roofed-vault. Artist rendering
by Hsien-Min Yang.
I
magine descending down a ramp
into a dark, earthen pit. Out of
the silence you think you hear the
exhale of a horse. As you reach in
that direction, you feel the form of a
human face. Then you turn quickly
as you think you hear the scrape of a
sword being pulled from its case. Fear
grips you in your uncertainty. As your
eyes adjust to the darkness, you slowly
perceive the outline of human forms
– rows and rows of clay warriors,
standing in silence, ready for battle.
The army stretches as far as you can
see. You are sure that you hear the
rustle of armor, the click of metal.
This army is one of the most
impressive armies of all time. It has
been battle ready for over 2200 years.
It was created by Qin Shihuangdi
(Qin Shihuangdi sounds like: Chin
Shhr Hwong Dee), the First Emperor
of the Qin dynasty, to protect him in
the afterlife, throughout eternity. It
remained unknown for centuries until
it was discovered in 1974 by peasants
digging a well for water about 20
miles east of the city of Xi’an, in
central China. Since then three more
warrior pits have been found nearby.
One of them was empty, telling us
that the complex was probably not
complete when the emperor died.
There has never been found such
a massive artificial army from any
other time in history.
Today, the Museum of Qin Terra
Cotta Warriors and Horses covers
three acres containing three modern
buildings. It is a unique museum
where people come not only to see
the warriors, but to also observe an
archaeological dig site as scientists
excavate the warriors from their
burial chambers. Only a small
fraction of the warriors have been
excavated due to the painstaking care
required to preserve their grandeur.
It will take much longer to excavate
the army than the 36 years it took to
create it.
The tomb of Qin Shi Huang is
about 1/4 of a mile away from the
warriors’ pits. What appears to be a
hill (actually an artificial mound, or
tumulus) in the middle of a peaceful
corn field is the First Emperor’s burial
mound which is about 150 feet high
with three levels. Around the outer
area had been a stone wall 23 feet
thick with four corner watchtowers.
The walls of the inner city were 1/4
mile long on each side. The inner
tomb remains as it was left 2200 years
ago with Qin’s coffin in the middle.
The pits of the warriors are east
of the First Emperor’s tomb to protect
him from his enemies to the east. The
tomb is protected by the mountains to
the south (Mt. Li) and west (Qinling
Mountains); water to the north (Wei
River); and to the east is the Great
Central Plains. There are believed
to be at least 600 pits and tombs in
all, covering 56 square kilometers
(22 square miles). The warrior pits
alone cover an area of over 25,000
square meters (29,900 square yards).
It is believed that it took over 700,000
workers to complete the necropolis.
The terra cotta warriors are
considered one of the most important
archaeological discoveries of all time.
They give us valuable information
about the history of China. UNESCO
(United Nations Educational Scientific
and Cultural Organization) has put
Qin Shihuangdi’s tomb on its cultural
heritage list. The international
organization makes sure that
historical sites are preserved. The
First Emperor’s tomb has not been
excavated. Archaeologists are waiting
until it can be dug safely without
hurting the precious objects inside.
The tombs reproduce the realities
of life for aristocrats in China in 200
BCE. Qin started building the tombs
as soon as he became king of the state
of Qin. Chinese leaders before him
had built elaborate tombs with the
belief that they could continue to rule
forever in the afterlife, but none came
close to the detail and magnitude of
Qin’s. It is estimated that there were
over 7,000 warriors, more than 600
horses, 100 chariots, and uncountable
12
Guard in head armor; armor
made of pieces of limestone
secured by bronze thread
weapons. Each warrior is a few inches
larger than real life.
The warriors are arranged in
the pits to protect the emperor from
anyone who invades his tomb. Each
pit lies 15 to 20 feet below current
ground level and was constructed
with the figures placed in corridors
separated by earthen walls. Pit
number 1 is the largest pit. It is 252
yards long and 68 yards wide with
nine corridors which are about 11’
4” wide. The ceilings were made
of large tree trunks which rested
on the partitions and outer rims.
They were reinforced by planks and
wooden pillars. A layer of matting
was placed on the planks and then
sealed by a layer of plaster over which
was stamped earth. All but the earth
and plaster has disintegrated. The
corridors are paved with pottery bricks
on which the warriors and horses
stand. There are five ramps on each
end leading down to the pit.
The warriors in Pit 1 are arranged
in regular army formation. In the
front are three rows of standing
archers with crossbows so that while
one row was firing, the others were
reloading. These wore no armor. The
armored infantry line the corridors
with spears, halberds, and battle axes.
These are led by officers on chariots
carrying the bell and drum used
to give orders during battle. Troops
are defended at the sides and rear
by archers and crossbowmen facing
outwards.
The positions of the bodies and
hands of the warriors tell the type
of weapons they used, although
most of the original weapons were
deteriorated. Their uniforms tell their
army position. The
pants. Armor was made in overlapping
plates probably made of lacquered
leather representing fish scale designs.
The cavalrymen wore light armor,
and they wore a cap of leather.
Officers wore more ornate armor and
headgear. The infantry wore boots,
some with upturned toes. Although
the colors on the warriors’ uniforms
have since faded, they were very bright
and mixed. Color did not signify rank,
so the final effect was a dazzling array
of a real army of individual people.
One can almost perceive
movement by the positions of the
warriors and tilt of their heads.
Not only their
soldiers
wore padded
coats fastened
with a leather
belt with a
hooked buckle
and knee length
trousers. They
wore flat shoes
tied to their feet.
The horsemen,
in Pit 2, wore short
tunics over tight
uniforms but their scarves,
tassels, bows, accessories, and
hairstyles tell their rank so they
can be seen by other soldiers, and
unfortunately also by the enemy.
There are no female figures because
women were not allowed in the
Chinese army.
The faces of the warriors are
all different. Art historians had not
believed that such natural features
appeared in Chinese art until long
after the Qin dynasty. They have
been astonished at the expressiveness
of their faces. One feels that this
exhibit is not about an emperor. Its
importance lies in celebration of the
lives of the individuals who built this
empire.
Not only are there warriors
but chariots and their horses are
positioned throughout the rows of
warriors. There are four horses for
each chariot. The horses’ features are
so true to life that they appear alert
to commands from their charioteers.
Some of the pieces of the chariots are
actually moveable. They were used
in battle on inspection tours of the
army. The horses with the chariots are
tarpans, small horses which are now
extinct.
In addition to the army for
protection, the First Emporer had pits
created which contained many other
13
Back of head,
showing hairstyle of
terra cotta warrior
consisting of managers, overseers,
and workmen. For 36 years they
worked on this feat of mass
production. The figures include high
ranking officers, officers, armored
and unarmored infantry, charioteers,
cavalrymen, kneeling and standing
archers.
The clay for the figures must
have come from Lishan, (Mt Li) the
mountain at the foot of which stands
the emperor’s tomb. It was combined
with ground quartz. The average
weight of the warriors is about 200
types of figures – courtiers, civil
officials, musicians and acrobats.
The entertainers are sculpted as if in
mid-performance. A variety of birds
are with the musicians as if they
were trained to dance with the music.
Most figures are models, but there
were also found some small coffins
containing the bones of birds and
other animals. Also discovered was
a stable containing the bones of real
horses, with clay figures of grooms to
keep them fresh. We can imagine
the First Emperor being prepared for
a great hunting trip as well as for
battle.
When Qin Shi Huang became
king he assembled a group of
artisans to create his tomb and
underground army to protect him
throughout eternity. His officials
combined technology from
other crafts to organize factories
throughout the area with teams
kilos (440 pounds), and the average
height is 1.8 meters (5.9 feet).
The legs and feet of each warrior
are made of a solid base of clay to
give the figure support. Above the
legs the body is hollow. The torso
was built up with coiled clay. The
head, arms and hands were modeled
separately and then attached to the
body with clay coils. They were made
from an ancient molding technique.
The unique faces of each warrior may
have been copied from live humans
believed to be his actual army. The
facial features were created using fine
artist’s tools such as sharp bamboo.
Eyebrows, beards, and mustaches
were carefully crafted. Hair and hats
were modeled by hand and added
separately. Clothes and armor were
also hand finished. Each warrior
was covered with lacquer and then
colored with paint made from
minerals.
The statues were fired at a much
higher temperature than previous
methods utilized, thus making it
possible for them to survive for 2200
years. Horses were fired in one piece
except for their tails and forelocks.
Bridles with stone
Types of soldiers found in pits
14
Archer’s shoe showing
details of hemp sole
and beads and bronze bits have
survived. Few of the statues have been
found intact due to an invasion of the
tombs soon after he died. In addition
to what was plundered, the roof was
burned and fell, smashing most of
the statues.
Each statue bears an inscription
of one of the 87 foremen in charge of
the construction of the army. Some
worked for state workshops run by the
central government. Some worked
for non-government workshops. It is
estimated that there were about 1530
craftsmen altogether who worked on
the warriors. Each inscription tells
the name of the workshop, the master
artist, the office supervisor, and the
year of the First Emperor’s reign
that it was created. The inscriptions
are found hidden on the statues,
engraved or written with brush and
black and red ink.
Hundreds of bronze swords,
halberds, daggers, and battle axes
and thousands of arrowheads have
been found mixed with the scattered
pieces of the warriors. The swords
and the tips of the arrowheads are
still razor sharp. Some swords are
made of an alloy of cooper, tin and
13 other elements including nickel,
magnesium and cobalt. They are still
covered with a coating of oxidized
chrome, a true marvel of technology
for any age. Probably the most
amazing weapon of the time was the
crossbow which used a three-part
mechanism.
The tomb of the First Emperor
is believed to be a vast underground
palace and will most likely prove
to be one of the greatest marvels of
all time when it is excavated. No
documents from the Qin dynasty
survive, so we must must rely on a
description written 100 years later by
Sima Qian, the official historian of
the Han dynasty. Of course, he had a
strong bias so we must be careful in
reading what he says. He relays that
over 700,000 conscripts were used
to build the compound. Sima Qian
wrote,
“As soon as the First
Emperor became king
of Qin, excavations and
building had been started
at Mount Li, while after he
won the empire, more than
700,000 conscripts from all
parts of the country worked
there. They dug through
three underground streams
and put down bronze for
the outer coffin, and the
tomb was filled with models
of palaces, pavilions and
offices as well as fine
vessels, precious stones
and rarities. Craftsmen
were ordered to fix up
crossbows so that any thief
breaking in would be shot.
All the country’s streams,
the Yellow River and the
Yangtze were reproduced
in mercury and by some
mechanical means made
to flow into a miniature
ocean. The heavenly
constellations were above
and the regions of the earth
below. The candles were
made of man-fish oil to
ensure them burning for
the longest possible time.”
It is believed that the emperor’s
burial chamber itself is 30-40 meters
(32.8 yards-43.7 yards) below the
A bundle of bronze arrows found at the site of the terra cotta warriors in Xi’an, China.
The bronze arrow tips survived, while the wooden shafts have disentigrated.
original ground
15
Bronze ban liang coin
History
of China
Lead weight for measuring
bags of grain
I
s it any wonder that the First
Emporer conquered and united
much of China after seeing such
an impressive army? When Ying
Zheng (the First Emperor’s birth
name), ascended to the throne upon
the death of his father in 246 BCE,
he was only 13 years old. It is thought
construction of the warriors was
begun after he united China in 221.
The previous Eastern Zhou Period
laid the groundwork for the First
Emperor to unify China. Due to the
constant fighting during the Warring
States Period, military, economic,
social and political systems
were created which gave
him power and control
to defeat the other states.
In 230 BCE Ying
Zheng began
accomplishing
his dream
of unifying
and
bringing
under his
control
all the
Warring
States –
Han, Zhao,
Wei, Chu, Yan
and Qi. By 221 BCE
he had succeeded in creating the first
centralized empire in Chinese history
and declared himself Qin Shihuangdi
– the First Emperor of the Qin. He
had united lands from the Gobi Desert
to Vietnam to the Yellow Sea. It is
said that Qin Shi Huang conquered
China, “like a silkworm devouring
a mulberry leaf.” The Period of the
Warring States was over, yet he had
to keep his army battle ready in order
to deter rebellions by his conquered
subjects and to protect his newly
created empire from continued
invasions from the north.
In the period before Qin, the
concept of the Mandate of Heaven
developed. This meant that the ruler
was given authority by Heaven and
that if he ruled well, he would remain
in power. The First Emperor believed
he had received this power to rule the
entire world. He created the concept of
“emperor” and all subsequent rulers
of China had that title. A dynasty is
a succession of rulers who all came
from the same family. Although the
Qin dynasty lasted only 15 years, until
the death of the First Emperor’s son in
206 BCE, it set into motion much of
the groundwork that would maintain
China as a leading power throughout
world history. Some of his most long
lasting accomplishments include:
• Unified the seven Warring States
ending centuries of war
• Did away with much corruption
by abolishing the inheritance
of titles and offices and
creating a strict hierarchy
based on merit and
achievement
• Built a 4,700 mile network of
roads throughout the empire with
regular stops to provide a place to
sleep
• Linked and added to the great
wall of China in order to protect
his citizens from barbarian
nomadic attacks
• Built a canal system for irrigation
and transportation
• Established a single width for
cart axles so goods could be
transported easily from province
to province
• Standardized weights and
measures making trade more
uniform
• Created a single currency
• Combined the Chinese characters
in writing which helped promote
cultural unity
• Pioneered the use of mass
production and interchangeable
parts (for the production of
weapons and agricultural
implements)
• Codified the legal system by
making all laws the same in all
parts of the empire, and although
harsh, was consistently applied
The First Emperor is well known
in Chinese history for his amazing
advancements yet he is also known for
his ruthlessness towards his people. As
he conquered the adjoining Warring
States, he forced the leading families
to move to his capital at Xianyang,
so he could keep them under the
watchful eye of his bureaucracy. He
rebuilt their palaces in Xianyang.
The First Emperor chose his own
assistants to go to their kingdoms
to be the governors and judges. He
set up a system of 36 commanderies
with governors and other officials
appointed by the capital. By doing
so he did away with a fragmented
country and established a central
government.
The Chinese philosopher,
Confucius, lived not long before the
Qin dynasty. Confucianism stresses
social harmony, justice, and devotion
to family ancestors. Change meant
going against one’s ancestors. The
First Emperor felt that the teachings
of Confucius conflicted with his
progressive programs and laws. He
burned any writings that did not have
to do with agriculture and what he
considered necessary occupations.
16
Imperial capital
Artist’s rendering by
Hsien-Min Yang
The First Emporer had one of each
book retained in a library which was
burned by his enemies after his death.
Much of the teachings of Confucius
had to be rewritten from the memory
of his followers.
The First Emperor was influenced
by the Legalist writings of Han Feizi
who wrote that people are selfish and
rulers should reward their subjects for
loyalty and severely punish disloyalty.
The First Emperor established an
absolute right of command. This
meant that the ruler had complete
power over the people who had
no rights. This was exercised by
establishing “responsibility groups”;
households were organized into
groups which were obligated to inform
authorities if anyone failed to carry
out their assigned duties or broke the
law. People who turned in lawbreakers
were rewarded; people who did not
turn in lawbreakers were executed.
This tradition of absolute power
remained a principle of government
in China to modern times.
To carry out the First Emperor’s
grand projects required huge numbers
of laborers. Men who would have
normally worked in the fields raising
food were conscripted into the army
for a year or more and then to work
in the emperor’s service for another
year. They were forced to work on
the building projects such as the
roads, canals, palaces, his tomb and
the great wall. Thousands of people
died carrying out his commands.
Shortages of farmers led to food
shortages which led to rebellions
against the emperor. Embittered
subjects from farmers to aristocrats
and intellectuals hated him for his
oppressions and heavy taxation.
Several assassination attempts against
him led the First Emperor to build
secret passageways throughout his
great palace. When going out in the
evening, he went in disguise. And
every night he slept in a different
location.
The First Emperor toured his
conquered states to establish his
legitimacy and impress his subjects,
but also to find magicians who
could promise him eternal life.
Unfortunately one of their solutions
contained mercury. It is believed he
died from mercury poisoning while
on one of his tours.
When he died in 210 BCE, the
peasants rebelled against Hu Hai,
the emperor’s successor, who was a
less powerful ruler. They destroyed
the First Emperor’s great palaces and
buildings, yet the tombs survived. Out
of the chaos emerged the Han dynasty.
A sunflower surrounded by clouds is featured on the roof tile that once
decorated the First Emporer’s palace. The tile was excavated in 1995
when a road-widening project next to the tomb revealed the palace.
17
Details of warriors and
horses found in the tomb
Daily Life
in Ancient
China
Details of warriors and
horses found in the tomb
I
n ancient China there were
two classes of people, the upper
class and the lower class, and a
hierarchy existed within each.
The upper class consisted of the
emperor and his family, government
officials, scholars who were not
rich but were respected for their
knowledge, and the land-owning
gentry who had land they could rent
to others. Those in the upper class
lived in wooden houses with a tiled
roof. The emperor was the wealthiest
of the upper class, and the rich
ate well and wore silk. The skill of
making silk was a secret kept by the
Chinese for centuries. Both men and
women wore robes with sashes and
wealthy women wore silk slippers.
The lower class consisted of
soldiers, merchants, and peasants.
Although generals were respected,
soldiers were in the lower class
because they were sent to fight and
die. Merchants were looked down on
because they sold things others had
made. The peasants usually worked
the gentry’s land and remained in
poverty due to high taxes. The lower
class lived in houses made of mud
and straw.
Few of the poor could read or
write. They did not own their own
land, and some families were so poor
they sold their daughters to the rich
as servants. Farmers did not keep the
majority of their crops; the crops were
used to feed others. The men wore
baggy pants and a cotton shirt. All
shoes were made of straw. The poor
people’s diet included wheat noodles,
rice, steamed bread or bean curd.
Meat was rare. Workers performed
most jobs by hand, spending long
hours doing manual labor.
The First Emperor forced his
subjects into occupations which he
chose. He felt the only productive
occupations were agriculture and
the military. A few individuals were
needed as bureaucrats to carry out
the management of these people. He
felt that all other occupations such as
merchants and intellectuals had no
value in society. Qin did not believe
in education for the common man
because it would take time away from
farming. If workers were too slow or
tried to do something different, they
were put to work on the great wall.
19
Traditional
Values
Workers use tools
to uncover shards
F
amily was very important to the
Chinese. If a family could afford
it, as many as 100 relatives would
live in one household. Most
common people could not afford to
live this way, but common households
included grandparents.
Sons were considered to be more
valuable than daughters because
they could carry on the family name.
Men were expected to work and
women were expected to keep house
and raise children. Children were
expected to obey their parents, and it
was not against the law to kill a child
who disobeyed. Most marriages were
arranged when children were born,
and often the bride and groom did not
meet until their wedding day.
Modern Way
of Life
A
lthough the Qin dynasty lasted
only 15 years, the influence
of the First Emperor has
continued to this day. When
Mao Zedong brought communism
to China and created the People’s
Republic of China in 1949, he praised
the First Emperor for his foresight
and ability to carry out programs that
benefited the people of China. Time
has softened the view of his cruelty,
and his determination continues to be
admired by the people of China.
Because of Western influences,
modern China has changed. The
people dress like westerners and
modern high rises and apartments
can be seen everywhere. Both males
and females work outside the home.
Families live in smaller groups,
generally adding grandparents who
watch after the home and children
who are not yet attending school.
Children are still expected to be
respectful, to obey and to uphold
family honor. Marriage is more likely
decided by the couple, but they include
their parents in the decision.
Rural families tend to hang on to
traditional values, still living in mud
and straw houses, still valuing a male
child over a female, and continuing to
arrange marriages.
20
An archer lies in partly
excavated section of Pit 2
Student
and Class
Activities
Terra Cotta
Warriors:
Guardians of
China’s First
Emperor
1. Practice the pronunciation of
the Chinese name for the First
Emperor:
Qin Shihuangdi sounds like:
Chin Shhr Hwong Dee
Practice writing Qin Shihuangdi’s
name in Chinese:
2. Class Discussion on Ancient
K(now)
W(ant to Know)
L(earned)
China
Create a class KWL chart about
ancient China. On a KWL chart,
students write in the first column
what they already Know about
a topic. In the middle column
students write what they Want
to know about a topic. In the
last column, after exposure to
a topic, they write what they
Learned. What they learned
can line up to answer what
they want to know or not.
22
As students discuss their KWL,
write a list on the board of the topics
or categories they bring up such
as technology, wildlife, resources,
music, architecture, food, military,
occupations, art, government power,
etc. For example if a student says,
“pandas come from China,” write the
word, wildlife.
Tell the students that they will see
pictures and artifacts at the Terra
Cotta Warriors: Guardians
of China’s First Emperor
exhibition relating to all these topics.
Discuss the meaning of the words you
used. When needed, show a picture to
illustrate.
Create a chart such as the one to
the right and fill in the topics you
want the students to look for in the
exhibit. Tell them they will write the
name of the artifact and what it tells
us about life during the time of the
First Emperor.
Have the students share their
observations about life in ancient
China using the information they
collected on their charts. Discuss what
they could NOT tell from the objects
in the exhibit. Have them write a story
about one of the people in the list
below:
Emperor
Palace cook
Laborer
Warrior
Official
Musician
Palace guard Peasant farmer
Topics
Artifact
Information
3. Class Film Screenings
Mulan. Takes place in the time
period following the Qin dynasty.
(Walt Disney Studios, 1998.)
Technology
Wildlife
Hero. (Directed by Zhang
Yimou, Beijing New Picture Film
Company Edko Films/Elite Films,
2002.)
The First Emperor:
The Man Who Made
China (documentary).
(Directed by Nic Young,
Discovery Communications/
Lion Television, 2006.)
The Emperor and the
Assassin. (Directed by Chen
Kaige, Beijing Film Studio/Canal
Plus/China Film Co-Production
Corporation/NDF International/
New Wave Company/ Prizel/
ShinCine, 1999.)
Resources
Music
Architecture
Food
Military
Occupations
Art
Government
Power
Other:
23
4. Comparing Ancient China,
Modern China and Life as a
Chinese American
The students can read and
compare three books about life in
ancient China, life in China today,
and life as a Chinese American. This
can be a class or individual activity.
Students may use this activity to
practice their reading aloud skills.
As they read, ask the students to
look for comparisons such as:
1. What conclusions did the author
reach about life for each time and
place?
2. How are the lives of the characters
in the stories alike or different?
3. How are the lives of the characters
in the stories alike or different
from your own?
4. What questions would you like to
ask a character?
5. What do you think a character
would find strange about your
life?
6. Create a postcard a character
might send you. What would be
on the front of the card? What
would the message be? Create
a postcard you might send the
character.
7. Create a chart comparing the
lives of a character from ancient
China, a character from modern
China, a Chinese American, and
yourself.
Book and Character
Responsibilities
5. Observation Skills
The TCW exhibit is a great place
for students to practice their skill of
observation. After their visit, students
may write about what they observed. It
is helpful to gather words while at the
exhibition that they can use in their
writings.
Before coming to the exhibit, they
will make a class list of things to
look for such as qualities, properties,
values, and descriptive words. To
prepare, place the students in small
groups. Give each group two objects
that are similar such as two different
dolls, different objects, or different
pictures. Tell the class that they are
to see which group can find the
Family life
most features or descriptive words to
compare about the two objects. They
must work quietly so that other groups
do not steal their ideas.
After about five minutes, find
which group has the most items to
compare by asking one group to read
its list, and the other groups mark
off anything they name that is on
their list. Then the next group tells
the class the items on their list that
were not already named by the first
group. There will be class discussion
generated about what items are
the same or too similar to rename.
Continue this through all the groups.
Determine which group had
the most items to compare. If one
Education
Leisure Time
group has many more properties to
compare, discuss how they created
their list. If many properties to
compare are left out by all the groups,
prompt the class to add more by
saying such things as: How do they
feel? Are they pretty? How valuable are
they? What are they used for? If time
allows, blindfold one student and see
if he/she comes up with any other
ideas by touching the objects. As they
are sharing their lists, create a class
list on the board or overhead projector.
Remember to look for color,
shape, texture, size, patterns, to use
all of their senses, and to use words
describing emotions.
Comments
The day of the trip to see the
exhibt, remind the students of these
things to observe, so that they see
more details. Remind them to use all
of their senses.
6. Writing Activity
During your tour of the exhibition,
chose one aspect of the exhibit that
you enjoyed the most. After your visit
to the museum, write a persuasive
letter to a friend to convince him/
her to come see Terra Cotta
Warriors: Guardians of
China’s First Emperor.
Remember to use your observation
techniques to generate descriptive
language in order to make your letter
more convincing.
24
Detail of warrior, framed by
warriors in foreground
Your letter should contain the
following parts:
1. An introduction that engages the
reader and states the purpose of
the letter.
2. Facts that back up your opinion.
Use descriptive adjectives and
action words that will help the
reader “see” the exhibit.
3. A conclusion which summarizes
your purpose and details.
7. World Communities
Before coming to see Terra Cotta
Warriors: Guardians of
China’s First Emperor,
brainstorm and discuss human needs
(food, water, shelter, safety, etc.) with
the class. Relate these needs to jobs in
your community, such as a grocery
store and restaurant provide food.
Discuss why people have jobs.
Discuss a variety of jobs and how they
meet the community’s needs. Discuss
what students will see on the ride to
the museum. Remind the students
that they will see some landforms
(rivers, fields, hills, etc.), and some
things that are man-made (buildings,
bridges, trucks, farms, etc.)
On the trip to the museum, the
students will observe their community
and find ways the community helps
people meet their needs. The teacher
can use clip art to create an activity
where the students mark pictures they
see of community resources along
the way.
At the exhibit, have the students
look for examples of ways that
community needs were met in ancient
China. For example, when they see
the chariots, they may observe that
horses and chariots were used for
transportation.
A chart may be created ahead of
time with community needs listed.
The students can fill in the chart in
the exhibit of objects they see and
how they meet those needs. Students
may also draw pictures of objects if
preferred.
After their visit to the exhibit,
discuss with the students how the
needs of a community were the same
during the time of ancient China.
Compare how these needs are met
today.
8. Natural Resources
Since the terra cotta warriors were
created 2,200 years ago, most of
the materials used at that time
have disintegrated. Only very strong
artifacts made of such materials as
stone, clay, and metal have survived.
We do not have clothing or items
made of wood or plants, because
they break down chemically and
disappear. Many natural resources
do still remain. From those we can
infer what other materials were used
at that time. For example, in the terra
cotta warrior pits, we think that wood
beams were placed above the rows of
warriors because of the indentations
in the clay walls left by the wood.
What are natural resources?
They are materials that are made
by nature. They are not man-made.
Some examples are plants, minerals,
water, petroleum, and rocks. The
products that people create depend
on the natural resources available in
the area.
As a homework assignment,
have the students make a list of the
materials used to construct their
houses. Discuss the lists before
coming to the exhibit. Which
resources do they expect to find used
in ancient China? Which do they NOT
expect to find? Why?
At the exhibit, students will see
many materials used at the time
of the Qin Dynasty. They will see a
model of the First Emperor’s palace.
Have the students look for natural
resources and observe how they are
used. After the visit to the exhibit, they
will discuss natural resources.
The following terms are used to
describe artifacts in the exhibit. Some
of them are defined in the Glossary:
inlaid, inscribed, relic, height,
circumference, diameter, length,
width, thickness, cast in relief,
excavated, inscription, edict,
25
decree, plaque, scale weight,
mold, ceremonial, percussion,
gilding, dagger, mechanism,
helmet, armor, fragment, torso,
archaeology, site, pigment,
archer, civilian, infantry, acrobat,
official, general
The following materials are
represented in the exhibit. Tell the
students to look for artifacts made
from each resource and list it next to
each.
bronze
clay – terra cotta
jade
wood
limestone
iron
stone
The following weapons are found
in the exhibit:
spear, lance, sword, arrow,
crossbow, halberd, dagger, axe
Natural Resources Post Activity:
After their visit to the exhibit,
refer to the list of artifacts filled in at
the exhibit on their list of resources.
Discuss the resources and their uses.
Discuss how these same objects are
made today. Discuss the use of plastic
to make many products. What are
plastics made of?
Research the history of jade. See
bibliography.
9. Chinese Calligraphy
While at the Terra Cotta
Warriors: Guardians of
China’s First Emperor exhibit,
students may observe and practice
Chinese calligraphy. Discuss with
the students that Chinese characters
are very different from the phonetic
English language. Each Chinese
character represents a syllable
and also has a meaning. Chinese
characters are made with brush
strokes and look like drawings.
See sample below.
The symbols originally were
pictures of people, animals, and other
things but over the centuries these are
no longer recognizable.
Although there are about 80,000
characters, only about 3,500 are
commonly used. Each character
takes the same amount of space no
matter how complicated it is. There
are no spaces between the characters
so the reader has to figure out which
syllables go together.
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/
chinese_evolution.htm
10. What is Art?
Class Discussion: What is art? “Art”
is a very difficult word to define, and
everyone can have their own opinion
of what they think it means. Does art
have more to do with the actual item,
the intention of its creation, or the
ability of the creator? Try to come to
a class consensus of what is art. Then
create a class consensus of how the art
in the exhibit can be critiqued.
The exhibit presents a good
opportunity to think about the
differences between art and
something that is just utilitarian.
During their visit to the museum,
ask the students to think about their
definition of art and whether the
artifacts are art or not. Since the
warriors were created for something
rather than an aesthetic purpose,
are they art? Note the beauty of the
warriors and their design. After the
class visits the exhibition, show the
class their answers to “What is Art?”
and ask if they still feel the same way
they did before the visit. Have their
opinions changed? How is the culture
of ancient China represented in the
artifacts found in the pits and tomb?
Have the students imagine that
they are creating a set of items they
wish to accompany them in the
afterlife. List the items and tell why.
If their items were found 2,000 years
from now, would people consider their
artifacts art?
The exhibit reflects art at the
time of the Qin Dynasty. Show the
students several samples of modern
art. (A pre-activity can be for students
to bring a picture from home of a
piece of modern art to be used in this
discussion, or the art teacher can be
involved in the selection of artwork.)
Just as the terra cotta warriors told us
much about life during the time of
the Qin Dynasty, what does modern
art tell us about life today?
The warriors were created
to “protect” the First Emperor
throughout eternity. Give each student
a ball of clay. Have them create their
own personal protector. Write and
discuss their choice of protector. Is it
an animal? A specific person? Do they
consider their statue a work of art?
Why or why not?
As an extension, students may
research and share the definition of
art with the class. They will find many
definitions. Encourage them to choose
their favorite and tell why.
11. Chinese Symbolism
The Chinese use various animal-like
symbols in much of their art and
decorations. These symbols represent
virtues and wishes of good fortune.
For instance, a dragon is an example
of a symbol believed to ward off
evil spirits and lightening. Cranes
symbolize longevity, a long life.
Much symbolism was used in
artwork in ancient China as well as
today. Before coming to the exhibit,
have the students research Chinese
symbolism and then look for these
symbols in the exhibit.
At the exhibit the students will
see examples of decorated roof tiles
with Chinese symbols. The Chinese
believed that the roof of a building
was a landing platform where spirits
connected with the human world.
The roof slanted upwards in order
to send evil spirits back to heaven.
Roof decorations were utilized to help
communicate with the spirits in order
to attract good fortune, blessings and
protection.
Activity:
Have the students research Chinese
symbolism and create a drawing or
clay model of their own roof tile to use
to protect their own home.
12. Preserving Artifacts
Class discussion: While at the
museum, the students were asked
26
to consider how artifacts could
deteriorate. Ask the students to list
some items in their home that came
from their grandparents. How are
these items treated? (Hopefully with
respect so they do not get damaged.)
Discuss why families want to preserve
their heritage. Have students list some
items they own that they hope to some
day show to their grandchildren. What
will they do to be sure these items are
kept safe?
Discuss with the class why artifacts
should be conserved.
Artifacts in a museum are
conserved for the “world family.” They
tell about our collective past.
Some techniques to preserve
museum artifacts include:
• Handle the objects very carefully
• Keep the artifacts clean by
removing dust, dirt, mold and
other harmful matter that may
contribute to deterioration
• Do not use harmful chemicals on
or near the artifacts
• Keep artifacts in a display case
which reduces the amount of dust
etc. that can come into contact
with the artifacts
• Keep the light low since some
forms of light cause damage
• Do not allow pictures to be taken
with flash cameras
• Photocopy documents
• Keep the temperature cool
• Look at the artifact regularly
to check for signs the artifact
is deteriorating so it can be
stopped or slowed down. Signs of
deterioration are fading colors,
parts loose or missing, and insect
infestation
After visiting Terra Cotta
Warriors: Guardians of
China’s First Emperor,
discuss which items seem to be better
preserved than others (such as items
made from rocks and more sturdy
resources).
13. Legalism vs. Confucianism
Although his systems, standardizing
writing and weights and measures,
proved quite beneficial in unifying
his new empire, standardization
was disastrous for philosophical
ideas. The First Emperor outlawed
all schools of thought other than
the officially sanctioned Legalism.
This philosophy assumes that people
are selfish and anti-social, and that
the state is always more important
than the individual. People must
be harshly punished or rewarded
to behave correctly in a way that
would benefit the state and its ruler.
This was a departure from the most
popular school of thought at the time,
Confucianism, which states that the
strength of a government ultimately
is based on the support of the people
and virtuous conduct of the ruler. It
emphasizes human goodness and
social nature, as well as the right to
rebel against those who stand in its
way, such as unjust rulers.
The following points can be
covered on a chart, in a comparative
essay, or in a class discussion:
• What are the core ideas of each
philosophy?
• What are the major points of
difference in each?
• Are there any similarities between
the two?
• Find at least one Chinese dynasty
or ruler that employed each
school of thought. How were they
beneficial/detrimental to their
respective societies?
14. Map Activity
Use an outline map of China to
identify the following geographical
features and locations:
Cities
• Xi’an
The Museum of the Terra Cotta
Warriors and Horses is about
36 kilometers (22 miles) east of
Xi’an.
• Beijing
• Tianjin
• Nanjing
• Shanghai
• Guangzhou
• Chongqing
• Hong Kong
Rivers
• Yellow River
• Yangtze River
• Pearl River
Bordering Countries
• Afghanistan
• Bhutan
• Burma
• India
• Kazakhstan
• North Korea
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Mongolia
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Russia
• Tajikistan
• Vietnam
Bodies of Water
• East China Sea
• Korea Bay
• Yellow Sea
• South China Sea
• Pacific Ocean
• Philippine Sea
Provinces
• Anhui
• Fujian
• Gansu
• Guangdong
• Guizhou
• Hainan
• Hebei
• Heilongjiang
• Henan
• Hubei
Locate the Three Gorges in this
province. It is southeast of Xi’an.
• Hunan
• Jiangsu
• Jiangxi
• Jilin
• Liaoning
• Qinghai
• Shaanxi
• Shandong
• Shanxi
• Sichuan
• Yunnan
• Zhejiang
15. Great Wall
There is much visible evidence of the
influence of the First Emperor on the
history of China. Besides the terra
cotta warriors, one can visit the Great
Wall, one of the largest man-made
structures of all time. Parts of the wall
were initially begun before the time
of the Qin dynasty in order to keep
out invading nomads from the north.
Even though the emperor did not
start the building of these walls, he
contributed a great deal by unifying
and expanding them.
The First Emperor conscripted
labor for the job of expanding the wall
and many of these laborers died while
working on the project. It is rumored
that these bodies were buried in the
27
Bell used to sound
retreat for troops
wall; this is why it is called the longest
cemetery in the world.
During the First Emperor’s time,
the walls were reinforced with earth,
wood, and stone. Later during the
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE), the use
of bricks, tile, and limestone
made the building of the
wall move at a faster
pace.
Although the
Great Wall has been
a UNESCO World
Heritage Site since
1987, much of it
is in disrepair.
In some areas,
nearby villagers
have taken
parts of the
brick wall to
build their
homes,
while in
other
areas the
wall is
crumbling and is not safe for touring.
In Beijing the most well-preserved
parts of the wall are visited by about
four million visitors each year. The
Great Wall today is more than 4,000
miles long.
Activities:
Individually, or in groups, research
different areas of the Great Wall listed
below:
• Great Wall in Liaoning
• Great Wall in Hebei
• Great Wall in Beijing
• Great Wall in Tianjin
• Great Wall in Shanxi
• Great Wall in Inner Mongolia
• Great Wall in Ningxia
• Great Wall in Shaanxi
• Great Wall in Gansu
Create a visual aide and give
a presentation summarizing
your section of the wall. Include
information such as:
• Where your portion is located
• When it was built
• What materials were used
• A brief history of the dynasty
responsible for that section
Conduct research on the Great
Wall and write a persuasive essay
arguing whether the Great Wall
should be preserved or whether it is
not worth saving. Use the website
listed in the Resource Guide.
16. Math/Geography Activity
If the Great Wall were moved from
China to North America, how far
would it reach? On a map of North
America, show the distance of 4,000
miles. It does not have to go in a
straight line. The wall could go
from ________(name a city) to
__________(name a city). You
may list many cities along the route.
Research the border between the
U.S. and Mexico. Compare its use,
composition, and problems to that of
the Great Wall of China.
17. Entertainment
The First Emperor wanted to be
sure he was protected in the afterlife
which is why he created his terra
cotta warriors. He also wanted to
be entertained. Based on recent
archaeological discoveries of acrobats
and strongmen, we believe that the
emperor was entertained by a circus,
as well as musicians, and water birds.
We already knew about his ability
to conquer and protect, now we are
beginning to learn that there is more
to him than warfare.
Archaeologists who discovered the
11 acrobats and strongmen claim that
these performers appear to look like
those in the modern day Shanghai
Circus. Historians had believed that
the idea for acrobatics did not evolve
until the Han dynasty, however this
new discovery disproves that theory.
Acrobatics have a long and rich
history in ancient China. It is even
said that Confucius’s father was a
strongman.
When the First Emperor was
not being entertained by his circus
performers, he enjoyed the music
of a string orchestra. When these
musicians played, the water birds
would dance around a stream. The
emperor had 15 terra cotta musicians
and 46 bronze water birds placed in
his tomb.
During the Qin Dynasty, the
Imperial Music Bureau was founded.
The bureau was responsible for
supervising court and military music.
The Music Bureau decided which folk
music would be officially recognized.
This was a very important task
because the First Emperor believed
that this music would keep harmony
and longevity within his state. The
placement of the string orchestra in
the First Emperor’s tomb emphasizes
the importance of music.
Activities:
Class discussion: List the types of
circuses the students have seen. Visit
the three websites below, and create
a chart listing items the students
might see in the Shanghai Circus,
Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey
Circus, and Cirque Du Soleil. How are
these circuses different? How are they
the same? Observe that this form of
entertainment has remained similar
for over 2,000 years.
http://acrobatsofchina.com/en/
history.htm
http://www.ringling.com/
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/
28
cirquedusoleil/default.htm
Music
Conduct a class discussion or write an
essay to express individual ideas about
music:
• Do you feel that music is an
important part of daily life?
• What would our lives be like today
if we did not have music?
• Would you be upset if you were
forced to listen to only one kind
of music which a Music Bureau
chose?
• Why do you think the First
Emperor wanted to control what
music was officially recognized by
the palace?
• Do you think officially
recognizing one type of music
would limit different styles of
music? Why?
18. Responsible Research
Class Discussion: The First Emperor’s
tombs have contributed invaluable
information about how the Chinese
people lived long ago. The artifacts
tell us much about their culture such
as their work, beliefs, entertainment
and daily lives. Yet the First Emperor
did not allow people to create artwork,
so there are not pictures of him that
we can use to tell what he looked like.
People were not allowed to write about
his life or his activities. He did not
allow common people to learn to read
and write.
Why do you think these
informative activities were not
allowed? How did this enforce his
desire to control his subjects?
About 100 years after the First
Emperor died, a man named Sima
Qian wrote a history book called Shi
Ji, also called the Records of the
Grand Historian of China.
Sima Qian was a palace official at
the court of Han. His writing about
the First Emperor is very negative,
which is a sign that he may have been
writing to serve another purpose than
preserving history. The Han Dynasty
took control of China away from the
Qin Dynasty so the book may have
been written in order to assert their
right to rule. It is also possible that
some of what was written about the
First Emperor was secretly written
to criticize the Han Dynasty and
Emperor Wudi.
Many books and articles are
written as if they are true, but in
reality they are devised to serve
another purpose rather than being
informative. With the availability of
the internet and its valuable research
use, it is imperative that students
learn how to evaluate all that they
see, hear, and read. Studying the First
Emperor presents an opportunity to
discuss the importance of education
and how and why information
is presented. Conduct Internet
Evaluation activities as the students
use the internet to do research.
Evaluation activities can be found on
the internet.
19. Math Activities
Pit I is estimated to contain 7,000
warriors known as the Right Army.
The pit is five meters deep. It measures
230 meters east to west and 62 meters
north to south. Convert meters to
yards. Compare the size of the pit to
a football field. Draw a scale model
of the pit and a football field side by
side. Decide what scale to use and how
much detail you want to show. For
example, the pit is divided into nine
columns going east to west. How is a
football field divided? You could also
show how the warriors in the pit are
arranged and how the players might
be arranged on the football field.
In creating the warriors, foremen
supervised teams of subordinates.
So far the names of 87 foremen have
been found. It is assumed that about
a dozen workers served under one
foreman. How many people does this
show worked on the warriors? Work
on the army pits went on for at least
12 years. Seven thousand warriors
were produced. How many warriors
could each team (foreman and
subordinates) produce in one year?
Below is a timeline marked
in one hundred year increments.
More information can be added if
it is created vertically or using the
landscape layout.
Directions: Use the timeline below
and fill in the information listed.
• Mark 300 BCE at the left end of
the time line
• Mark 2100 at the right end of the
line
• Find the point that would be 0
and mark it. Discuss the meaning
of this point. What does it
indicate?
• The First Emperor, Qin Shi
Huang, was born in 259 BCE.
Mark this date.
• Mark today’s date. (What year is
it?)
• If a generation is considered
to be thirty years, how many
generations have lived since Qin
Shi Huang’s birth?
• You may mark events in China
on the top of the time line and
worldwide events on the bottom
of the timeline. You may include
events that are important to you
such as your own birth.
• What observations can you make
by creating this timeline? For
example, was Columbus’s trip to
the Americas closer to the time of
Qin dynasty or to today?
29
Pronunciation
Guide To
Chinese Sounds
C
hinese names and places are
Romanized (written in the
Roman alphabet) according
to the pinyin system, the
standard form used throughout China
to write Chinese in English. (Please
note that Taiwan still uses the older
Wade-Giles system.)
Consonants
Q
Qi
chee
Qin dynasty Chin dynasty
Qing dynasty Ching dynasty
X
Xi’an
Shee-an
Z
Zeng
Dzung
How are you?
Ni hao ma? (Nee haow ma?)
I like you
Wo xihuan ni
(Wo shee-hwang nee)
Jo
Jang
Vowels
a
e
i
ian
ou
u
ua
ui
Hello!
Ni hao! (Nee haow)
I am (insert your name)
Wo shi . . . (for girls)
Wo shir . . . (for boys)
C
ts
Q
ch
X
sh
Z
dz
Zh
j
C
Cong
tsong
Cizhou Tsi-jo
ZH
Zhou
Zhang
Speak
Chinese
a, as in Alice
u, as in sung
ir, after certain consonants (shi, chi, zi, zhi)
Ee, after others (di, zi, bi)
yen
o, as in toe
oo
wa
way
She/He is Chinese
Ta shi Zhongguoren
(Ta shir Jong-gwo-rin)
I am not Chinese
Wo bu shi Zhongguoren
(Wo boo shir Jong-gwo-rin)
I am American
Wo shi Meiguoren
(Wo shir May-gwo-rin)
I want to go to China
Wo yao qu Zhongguo
(Wo yaow choo Jong-gwo)
I like Chinese art
Wo xihuan Zhongguo meishu
(Wo shee-hwang jong-gwo may-shoo)
30
Glossary
Bi – a disc form usually made of
jade, from the Neolithic period
onwards as a ritual object used in
burials. The significance of the
form is not entirely clear, though
its round form may symbolize
heaven.
Buddhism – a religion based on
the teachings of the Buddha, the
“Enlightened One,” who lived in
northern India in the 6th century
BC. He taught that suffering is
caused by attachment or clinging,
and advocated living a life of
moderation, non-attachment and
compassion.
Calligraphy – literally, “beautiful
writing,” one of the most
respected art forms in China.
Chinese characters are written
with a brush and ink on paper
or silk in a number of different
styles.
Celadon – a high-firing, greenish
glaze that derives its color from
tiny quantities of iron oxide
that turn the glaze green in an
oxygen-starved kiln atmosphere.
Confucianism – a philosophy
based on the teachings of
Confucius, who lived in China
in the 6th century BC. He taught
the importance of relationships,
particularly between ruler and
subject and parent and child, and
the need for benevolence on the
part of the ruler and parent, and
respect on the part of the subject
and child.
Cong – a cylinder with a square
cross-section made of jade and
used in burials. The significance
of the form is not entirely clear,
though its form may represent
heaven (round) and earth
(square).
Daoism (pronounced Dow-ism, also
spelled Taoism) – an ancient
Chinese philosophy based on the
concept of the Dao, or “Way,” a
force that animates the universe
and inhabits all things. The
philosopher Laozi, who lived in
the 6th century BCE, is believed to
have written the Daode jing, a
text which taught the importance
of living in harmony with the
Dao.
Ding – ancient tripod vessel used in
burials to contain wine for the
deceased.
Divination – the art of predicting
future events using supernatural
powers.
Dynasty – a succession of rulers who
belong to the same family and
rule over generations.
Earthenware – a low firing clay (up
to 1,000°C) resulting in porous,
less durable ceramics such as
roof tiles, flower pots, etc. Usually
unglazed.
Glaze – a glassy coating added
to ceramics for protection and
decoration.
Han Chinese – an ethnic
group originating in China
and constituting 92% of the
population of China, a total of
about 1.3 billion people.
Huaniao – literally, “bird and
flower,” traditional Chinese
paintings of birds, flowers, insects
and other details of nature.
Jingdezhen – a city in Jiangxi
province in southern China that
has produced the bulk of China’s
porcelain since the 11th century
AD.
Lacquer – a coating made from the
sap of the lacquer tree (Rhus
verniciflua), which is applied
to objects to make them resistant
to water, heat, acid and insects.
It is often colored – for example,
black, red and green – and
decorated with painted, carved or
inlaid designs.
Manchus – a northern nomadic
people from Manchuria, who
conquered the Han Chinese and
established the Qing dynasty in
1644. They considered themselves
descendants of the Mongols.
Mongols – a nomadic people who
originated in the Central Asian
plateau, north of the Gobi desert
and south of Siberia, in what is
now Mongolia, China and Russia.
Under the leadership of Genghis
Khan (c.1160–1227), the Mongols
created the second largest empire
in world history, extending from
Manchuria in the east to Hundary
in the west. They ruled China
under the Yuan dynasty (12791368).
Nomadic – a lifestyle that involves
moving from place to place,
usually according to the seasons,
in search of food and water
for oneself and one’s herds of
animals.
Neolithic Period – literally,
“New Stone Age,” the period
of transition from a nomadic,
hunting existence to a more
settled, agricultural lifestyle.
Oracle Bones – Animal bones
and shells used in divination.
Questions were written on them
in China’s earliest form of writing
and heat was applied to create
cracks which were believed to
provide answers to the questions.
Pictograph – literally “writing with
pictures,” ancient script made
up of pictures that evolved into a
written language.
Porcelain – a high-firing clay
(c.1300°C) resulting in a pure
white, translucent, ringing, nonporous, highly durable ceramic,
usually glazed and decorated with
31
under- and over-glaze designs.
Sancai – literally, “three-color,” – a
type of decoration seen first on
Tang dynasty burial ceramics,
usually made up of green glaze
(from copper), a yellowish glaze
(from iron) and the white of the
clay beneath a transparent glaze.
Silk Road – a network of trade
routes that extended from China
through Central Asia and the
Near East all the way to Rome
from the 1st to 12th century AD.
Shansui – literally, “mountain and
water,” traditional landscape
paintings.
Stoneware – a medium-firing clay
(1,000-1250°c), resulting in nonporous, fairly durable ceramics
which are usually glazed.
Taotie Mask – a monster face found
on early bronzes, jades and other
burial objects, probably with a
protective function.
Wenren – literally, “person of
literature,” a scholarly gentleman
who has mastered the arts of
poetry, painting, calligraphy and
music.
Zhong – an ancient bronze bell with
flat sides that are struck with a
hammer, usually played in sets.
Books for
Teachers
and
Books and
Magazines for
Children
Teachers
Chase, W. Thomas, Ancient
Chinese Bronze Art: Casting
the Precious Sacral Vessel,
New York: China Institute of America,
1991.
Clunas, Art in China (Oxford
History of Art Series), Oxford/New
York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
This is a good paperback introduction
to Chinese art and culture.
Hutt, Julia, Understanding
Far Eastern Art, Oxford:
Phaidon, 1987. Though out of print,
this can still be found at used book
stores and websites. It gives good,
clear explanations of the arts of silk,
porcelain, jade, lacquer and painting
in East Asia.
Los Angeles County Museum of
Art, The Quest for Eternity:
Chinese Ceramic Sculptures
from the People’s Republic
of China, Los Angeles/San
Francisco: Los Angeles County
Museum/Chronicle Books, 1987. A
good introduction to ancient Chinese
burials and burial ceramics.
Children
McArthur, Meher, Asian Art:
Materials, Techniques,
Styles, London: Thames & Hudson,
2005. This book is divided into ten
chapters introducing ten different
Asian art materials – jade, silk,
porcelain, lacquer, ivory, bamboo,
paper, gold, wood and stone.
Rawson, Jessica (ed.), The
British Museum Book of
Chinese Art, London: The Trustees
of the British Museum, 1992. This
volume is particularly helpful on
jades, bronzes and ceramics, with very
useful chronologies, glossaries and
other appendices.
So, Jenny F., ed., Music in the
Age of Confucius, Washington
D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 2000.
Waley, Arthur, trans., The
Analects of Confucius, New
York: Vintage Books, 1989.
Bramwell, Neil D., Ancient
China, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey:
MyRoprtLinks.com Books, 2004.
A Coloring Book of
Ancient China, Santa Barbara,
CA: Bellerophon Books, 1985. This
coloring book includes line drawings
of emperors, empresses, bronze
animals and handscrolls.
“China’s First Emperor: ShiHuangdi.” Calliope, A Cobblestone
Publication (October 1997). This issue
focuses on the first Chinese emperor,
from his birth to his rise to power.
Fang, Marisa Lin, and Jung, Helen
Ma, Far East Chinese Culture
for Children, Far East Children’s
Books, 2004.
“The Han Dynasty.” Calliope,
A Cobblestone Publication (October
1998). This issue explores the
Han dynasty, including the arts,
technology and creative minds of the
period.
Shuter, Jane, Ancient China,
Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2006.
Tracy, Kathleen, The Life and
Times of Confucius, Mitchell
Lane Publishers. 2005.
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Films, Videos,
DVDs and CDs
Feature Films
Educational Videos/DVDs
Musical CDs
The Emperor and the Assassin
by Chen Kaige (1998)
This film is about the attempted
assassination of the First Emperor
of China, Qin Shi Huang. This film
is not only worth seeing for the
story but also the sets and costumes
which recreate China during the
late Warring States period and Qin
dynasty.
Ancient China (1985, video, 50
minutes)
This video traces Chinese history and
explores the roots of Chinese culture,
including topics such as ancestor
worship, Buddhism, Daoism and
the Great Wall. (Available to rent or
purchase through UCLA Center for
East Asian Studies 310.825.0007 or
www.international.ucla.edu/asia).
Ancient Civilizations
for Children
China (video, 23 minutes)
Designed for children 3rd-7th grade
level, this video examines the Shang
and Zhou dynasties and the reign of
the First Emperor. It looks at Chinese
innovations such as silk, calligraphy
and the yo-yo, and the history of
the Silk Road. It comes with a
teacher’s guide pamphlet. (Available
for purchase from Crizmac Art and
Cultural Educational Materials,
Tuscon, AZ, 800.913.8555, www.
crizmac.com.
The Imperial Bells of China
(Fortuna Records, 1990)
This CD features music by nine
contemporary Chinese composers
based on ancient Chinese bell music,
played on replicas of fifth-century
BC bronze bells and recorded by the
Hubei Song and Dance Ensemble at
the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in
New York.
Symphony 1997: Heaven Earth
Mankind
(Sony Classics).
This CD features music composed
by Chinese Academy-Award winning
composer Tan Dun and recorded
using replicas of ancient Chinese
bronze bells to commemorate the reunification of Hong Kong with China.
Hero by Zhang Yimou (2002)
Also about assassination attempts
on the First Emperor, this visually
stunning and thought-provoking
film asks questions about the price
of peace and national unification.
Throughout Chinese history, much
blood is shed as states battle for
supremacy – then one state is
victorious and declares a new dynasty.
The Last Emperor by Bernardo
Bertolucci (1987) This rich film
depicts the life of Pu Yi, the last
emperor of the Qing Dynasty.
Declaration issued by emperor’s successor announcing he
will continue the policies established by Qin Shi Huang
Mulan by Tony Bancroft and Barry
Cook (1998) To save her father from
death in the army, a Chinese maiden
secretly goes in his place and becomes
one of China’s greatest heroes in the
process. This animated film set in
ancient China contains important
Chinese Confucian themes such as
filial duty and honoring the ancestors.
33
Museums and
Educational
Resources
National Museums,
Educational Resources and
Useful Websites
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel. 415.581.3500
www.asianart.org
Pacific Asia Museum
46 North Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
Tel. 626.449.2742
www.pacificasiamuseum.org
Asia for Educators
East Asian Curriculum Project/
Project on Asia in the Core
Curriculum
afe.easia.columbia.edu
Asia Society
Education Department
725 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Tel: 212.327.9227
www.asiasociety.org/education/
China Institute
125 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10021
Tel: 212.744.8181
www.chinainstitute.org
China Historical Geographic
Information System (CHGIS)
Harvard Yenching Institute
www.fas.harvard.edu/~chgis
Metropolitan Museum of Art
China: Dawn of a Golden
Age educational website
www.metmuseum.org/special/China/
index.asp
The Freer-Sackler Galleries
of Asian Art, Smithsonian
Institution
http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/
chineseHome.htm
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