The man who became First Emperor, Qin Shi-huang (秦 始 皇qín shǐ huáng ), was just 13 years old 十 三 岁shí sān suì )( when he became ruler (国 王guó wáng )of the Kingdom of Qin (秦 国qín guó) in central-west China. Although (虽 然 suī rán) only a boy (男 童nán tong), he was determined (决 定jué ding) to succeed (成 功chéng gōng )and to make his mark in history …Keep Reading

China’s written history 历 史(lì shǐ )goes back thousands of years (几 千 年jǐ qiān nián ) but 但 是(dàn shì) weʼll (我们wǒ men ) begin just 2200 years ago with the man who first united (统 一tǒng yī) China. He began the Great Wall (长城cháng chéng ) and built the biggest tomb (坟墓fén mù ) in history for himself, complete with an army of 7000 clay(泥ní )soldiers (土兵tǔ bīng)…Keep Reading

Around 550AD (公 元 550 年gōng yuán 550 nián ) , two 两 位 visiting (访 问 fǎng wèn )中 国 的 外国 monks (僧人sēng rén) took the risk (冒险mào xiǎn). They returned from China to the Byzantine 拜 占 庭 Emperor 皇帝 Justin’s court (宫庭gōng ting) with silkworm (蚕cán) eggs (卵luǎn ) hidden (藏 cáng) in their hollow (空kōng) bamboo (竹zhú) walking sticks (棍 gùn)…Keep Reading

Because the silk 丝(sī ) trade (贸易 mào yì ) was so valuable ( 价值jià zhí), Chinese (中国zhōng guó) methods (方法fāng fǎ) of silk 丝 production (生产shēng chǎn ) were a closely guarded (不准bù zhǔn泄露的xiè lòu de ) trade 贸易secret (秘密mì mì). Anyone smuggling (私运sī yùn) silkworm (蚕cán) eggs (卵luǎn) out of China 中国 was punished (处罚chǔ fá ) by death (为 死wéi sǐ)…Keep Reading

Silk (丝sī )was greatly valued (价值 jià zhí) and often (常常cháng cháng) used as currency or money ( 钱qián) . A man’s 一 个 人 的 salary (薪水 xīng shuǐ) would be a certain length of silk 丝 per year 年. Silk 丝 garments 衣 were worn 穿 by Roman emperors 皇帝, who called the Chinese 中国人 Seres (Silk people 丝人sī rén)。The clothes 衣 are beautiful (美丽měi lì) , light 轻 and comfortable (舒服shū fú ) , being cool (凉快liáng kuài) in summer 夏天 and warm (暖 和nuǎn hè) in winter 冬天`)…Keep Reading

The cocoons (茧jiǎn) are steamed (蒸 气zhēng qì) to kill (杀shā) the worms (虫chóng ) inside, then they (它们tā men ) are dipped in hot (热rè) water (水shuǐ) to loosen the silk ( 丝sī) filaments. These filaments (条tiáo) are unwound and six (六liù) to eight (八bā) filaments 条 are twisted together to make a silk 丝 thread (线xiàn). The threads 线 are woven (织zhī) into cloth (布bù).…Keep Reading

Over the years 年, the Chinese 中国人 were able to breed(饲 养sì yǎng) a species of silk moth 蚕 that is blind (瞎眼xiā yǎn) and unable to fly (飞fēi)
. Each lays 500 or more eggs 蛋 in a few days 天 and then dies 死. After hatching (孵出fū chū), the baby worms (小蚕虫xiǎo cán chóng ) are fed on freshly chopped mulberry leaves(桑叶sāng shù) day (日日rì rì) and night (夜夜yè yè) for about a month 一个月 until they 它们 become fat (胖pàng)…Keep Reading

Legend (传说chuáng shuō ) says that silk 丝 was first made by the wife (妻子qī zi) of the Yellow Emperor (黄帝huáng dì) 5000 years 年 ago. She 她 kept silkworms( 蚕cán) and invented (发明fā míng) the loom (织布机zhī bù jī). Silk fragments(丝块sī kuài), ribbons (丝带sī dài) and threads(丝线sī xiàn)
dating from the 3000 BC have been found in eastern (东部dōng bù) China (中国zhong guó )…Keep Reading

Blue (蓝lán) is not 不是one of the five 五种 primary (基本jī běn) colors 颜色 in China 中国。It 它is the color of the ocean (海洋hǎi yáng), the sky(天空tiān kōng) and immortality(永远不朽的yǒng yuǎn bū xiǔ de)
(宇宙yǔ zhòu)。According (按照àn zhào) to legend (传说chuán shuō)，the universe (宇宙yǔ zhòu) began as an egg (蛋dàn) 。Out of the egg hatched (孵出fū chū) a man (男人nán rén) named Pan Gu (盘古pán gǔ)。…Keep Reading

Green (绿lù) is the color (颜色yán sè) of plants (植物
zhí wù)，trees (树shù)，and woods (树林shù lín)。It corresponds (象征xiàng zhēng) to spring (春天cūn
tiān)and the East (东方dōng fāng) and has a strange (奇怪qí guài) meaning (意思yì si) in China 中国。A man (男人nán rén) who wears (戴dài) …Keep Reading