The true story of China’s last Empress
Dragons, Devils and Rebels
An unknown teenage girl marries the Emperor of China. How does she take control of the country? Can she stay in power?
Enter the dragon empire. Explore the epic story of Empress Cixi. Illustrated by the wonderful Terry Denton.
For readers aged 8 and up.
ISBN: 9780143786887
Life in Ancient China
China’s history stretches back 5,000 years. During the Qin and Han dynasties of Ancient China, when some of my books take place, China was a big country of 50-60 million people. That’s a lot less than now. But it’s still more than twice the population of Australia.
How do we know what life was like in Ancient China? A small number of books have survived the centuries. Everyday things and pictures of daily life have also been found in Chinese tombs.
Ancient China was a different world to ours. You can read about it in Wicked Warriors and Evil Emperors. And you can look inside it here…
Weapons
A strong army kept the Emperors of Ancient China safe, from foreign attackers and inside threats. But only if they had the right gear. What weapons were in a Han soldier’s kit?
Walls
You’ve heard of the Great Wall of China, right? But did you know that every city in Ancient China was protected with a wall? Even people’s homes had walls and towers.
The Dance of Death
Wicked Warriors and Evil Emperors tells how rebels Liu Bang and Xiang Yu destroyed the Qin Dynasty. What happened next?
The moment the last Qin ruler was dead, the rebels faced a new enemy – each other.
Tigers
Ancient China had large stretches of wild forest. The land was rich in wild animals – monkeys, pandas, bears, deer, wolves, and the world’s biggest tigers…
Ancient China History Resources for Teachers
Here is a free resource for teachers, based on Wicked Warriors and Evil Emperors by Alison Lloyd and Terry Denton, to engage students with Ancient China’s history.
15 pages of Teachers Notes include activities to develop skills such as:
- map reading
- creative writing
- formulating an argument
- analysing perspectives
- and researching