The ancient Chinese invented paper, gunpowder, matches, the compass, a seismograph to measure earthquakes, the umbrella, and more! They created incredible philosophies, gorgeous art, and great legends. Even their money was neat. Coins had a hole in their center. There were not any banks, so people stored and kept their coins by running a string through the center. A thousand coins strung together was called a string of money. Ancient China is a fascinating mix of extreme extravagance and extreme poverty. Explore daily life in 4 different Chinese dynasties, meet weird emperors like Hu the Tiger, read things written in BCE times, and learn about Taoism with Winnie-the-Pooh!  For those in a hurry, just click on the Cheat Sheet, for a very quick look at 11,000 years of ancient Chinese history! Welcome to ancient China! People/Places/ Festivals Daily Life/Culture Philosophies/ Religion Cheat Sheet Geography Huang He & Yangtze Rivers   Himalayan Mountains Gobi/Taklamakan Deserts  Great Wall of China Terra Cotta Army Silk Road Han Tombs  Pagodas Forbidden City Chinese New Year Lantern Festival Chinese Festivals     Early China (Xia Dynasty) Shang & Chou Dynasties Qin Dynasty Han Dynasty Tang Dynasty Song Dynasty Ming Dynasty Chinese Food Chopsticks Calligraphy Shadow Puppets Paper Fans The Giant Panda The Warrior Well Mandate of Heaven Ancestor Worship & Oracle Bones Confucius Taoism Buddhism Gods & Goddesses Dragons Animals of the Zodiac Chinese Fables/Stories The True Story of Mulan Chinese Proverbs Chinese Opera Achievements/Inventions    Free Interactive Games for Kids for Ancient China Free Presentations in PowerPoint format for Ancient China  Free Clip Art for Ancient China  Free Lesson Plans for Ancient China   Our thanks to Dr. Jerry Adams for sharing with us some of his extensive knowledge of ancient China and of eastern religions. This site could not have been written without his help and guidance. ANCIENT CHINA   We're published!  Please take a look at the Mr Donn and Maxie Series of Educational Materials for Social Studies Teachers! Each unit includes complete lesson plans and creative activities to keep your students busy and productive for weeks.     All Rights Reserved Counter start date January 2006     Clip Art Credit: Phillip Martin Have a great year!