Ancient China: The Land of Dragons and Dynasties

Imagine a wall so long it stretches over 21,000 kilometres — that is longer than the distance from London to Sydney, Australia, and back! A wall this enormous took hundreds of years and millions of workers to build. Why would anyone do that? Today you will find out, and discover one of the most fascinating civilisations in history: Ancient China.

Ancient China is one of the world's oldest civilisations. A civilisation is a large, organised society with its own rules, culture, and way of life. Chinese civilisation began along the Yellow River (called the Huang He) around 2000 BCE — that is nearly 4,000 years ago! China was ruled by dynasties for thousands of years. A dynasty is a series of rulers who all come from the same family. When one ruler died, power passed to their child or relative. Some of the most famous dynasties include: • The Shang Dynasty (about 1600–1046 BCE) — one of the earliest. People used oracle bones, which are animal bones or shells carved with written questions for the gods, to help make decisions. • The Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE) — China's first true emperor, Qin Shi Huang, united many separate kingdoms into one country for the first time. He ordered workers to link together older walls to begin what would become the Great Wall. • The Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) — a golden age of trade, learning, and invention that helped China grow powerful. Why Was the Great Wall Built? The Great Wall was built to protect China from invaders — enemy groups who came from the north, such as the Xiongnu (say: shyong-noo) nomads. Nomads are people who move from place to place rather than living in one settlement. The wall was also used to control who could enter or leave China and to protect the Silk Road trade route. Brilliant Inventions from Ancient China Ancient China gave the world some of the most important inventions ever made: • Paper — invented around 105 CE, making it much easier to write and keep records. • Printing — woodblock printing meant books could be copied and shared with more people. • Silk — the Chinese discovered how to spin thread from silkworm cocoons to make the luxurious fabric called silk. They kept the method secret for hundreds of years. • Gunpowder — discovered around the 9th century CE and later used in fireworks and weapons. • The Compass — helped sailors find direction when travelling at sea. These inventions spread along the Silk Road, a network of trade routes connecting China to the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.