Buddhism A religion that became increasingly important under the Tang dynasty. Buddhists do not worship a god, but follow the teachings of the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama (563–483 BC), known as the Buddha.

Chang’an Capital of China for hundreds of years, Chang’an stood at the beginning of the Silk Road. It had many great palaces and gardens. During the Tang dynasty, Chang’an attracted scholars, artists and poets from all parts of Asia.

Characters Pictures or symbols used in Chinese writing. Each character represents a word or part of a word. Characters often have more than one meaning.

China, Ancient People started to settle on the banks of the Huang He (Yellow) River in northern China more than 7000 years ago. As the Chinese civilization developed, ruling families, or dynasties, began to take power. China became prosperous but was remote from the rest of the world for hundreds of years. The ancient Chinese were skilled craftworkers and artists, and made great achievements in technology. Chinese inventors developed paper, gunpowder and rockets.

Confucius (551–479 BC) An important Chinese philosopher, who lived during the Zhou dynasty. He taught that it was better to govern people wisely than to rule them by force. His teachings became very popular during the time of the Han dynasty.

Forbidden City A huge palace in Beijing where the Chinese emperors lived. It was known as the Forbidden City because ordinary people were not permitted to enter its walls. Building work started in 1406, under the order of Ming Yongle Emperor. The highest building in the palace was the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the emperor sat on a golden throne.

Genghis Khan (c.1162–1227) A Mongol leader who rose to power around 1200. He was the first leader to bring the Mongols together as one nation. Under his rule the Mongols attacked and conquered northern China as well as the lands that lay to the west.

Grand Canal A series of waterways built to help the movement of troops and food supplies across China. The construction of the Grand Canal was completed during the 13th century, by which time the canal was 1747 kilometres (1085 miles) long, stretching from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south.

Great Wall of China A huge wall built to protect northern China from attack. The Great Wall was commanded to be built by Qin emperor Shi Huangdi and added to by later emperors. Most of the wall we see today was built during the Ming dynasty. The wall is 6000 kilometres (3725 miles) long and 10 metres (33 feet) high.

Han Chinese A people native to China. The Han trace their ancestry to tribes that lived along the Yellow River in the north central plains of China. During the Qin and Han dynasties, these people later spread southwards across the Chinese mainland, becoming the main inhabitants of the fertile lowland areas of southern China by the time of the Tang and Song dynasties.

Han dynasty The dynasty that ruled China from 202 BC to AD 220. During this period, the Chinese army added extensive new lands to the Chinese Empire. China made great progress in science and many new things were invented, including paper and gunpowder. The Han dynasty ended when nomads attacked from the north and the country was split into three kingdoms.

Han tombs The stone tombs where the Han emperors were buried. The most famous is the tomb of Prince Liu Cheng, who was buried in a suit made from over 2000 pieces of jade, sewn together with gold thread.

Junk A type of Chinese boat with sails supported by bamboo masts. The largest junks were ships that could carry 600 people. For centuries, junks were the world’s biggest and most advanced boats.

Kublai Khan (1215–1294) A Mongol emperor of China. Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, came to power in 1260 and conquered all of China by 1279. The Mongol dynasty he established became known as the Yuan dynasty in 1270.

Mandarin An important government official from the time of the Han dynasty. Mandarins ensured that people followed the laws and paid their taxes.

Mandate of Heaven A traditional Chinese belief that the emperor had the blessing of heaven, so long as he was just and fair.

Ming dynasty A ruling family that governed China from 1368 to 1644. They strove to keep foreign influences out of China. The Ming rulers were overpowered by forces from Manchuria in 1644.

Mongols A nomadic (wandering) people from northeast Asia. They were expert riders and archers. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Mongols conquered much of Asia and eastern Europe, forming an impressive empire.

Oracle bones Ox bones (or tortoise shells)  used by fortune-tellers in Shang times. The bones or shells were inscribed with questions, in the form of picture symbols. They were heated over a fire until cracks appeared. The places where cracks crossed the pictures were supposed to give answers from the gods. The symbols are the first known example of writing in China.

Qin dynasty The dynasty that ruled China from 221 to 206 BC. The Qin dynasty reunited China after years of division and war.

Qin Shi Huangdi The first emperor of China. He ruled from 221 to 210 BC. He forced everyone to pay taxes and use the same money, weights and writing. Despite his ferocity, Shi Huangdi had a great fear of death. Soon after he became emperor, he began to plan his tomb, which was guarded by his Terracotta Army. He also ordered the construction of the Great Wall.

Qing dynasty The family that ruled China from 1644 to 1912. The dynasty was founded by the Manchu, a people from Manchuria to the northeast. Under Qing rule, the Chinese Empire expanded enormously, taking over Manchuria, Mongolia, Taiwan, the eastern regions of Turkestan and Xinjiang, and Tibet.

Shang dynasty The first true Chinese dynasty. It ruled from 1600 to 1046 BC. The Shang people discovered how to make strong tools and weapons from the metal bronze.

Silk A material made from the threads produced by silkworms. Wealthy Chinese people wore clothes made from silk, which kept them cool in the hot weather.

Silk Road A group of roads that linked cities in China to various areas in the Middle East. Few merchants travelled the whole Silk Road. Most would travel a certain distance and then pass their goods on to another merchant. Merchants travelled in groups called “caravans” for protection.

Song dynasty The family that ruled China from 960 to 1279. This was a time of peace and prosperity in China. Food production increased, and the population topped 100 million. Song dynasty China produced many great inventions, such as gunpowder and movable type, used for printing.

Sui dynasty The family that ruled China from 581 to 618. The Sui reunited north and south China after years of division, but their rule was harsh. They made people pay heavy taxes and forced them to work in hard conditions. Hatred of the Sui family led to the collapse of the dynasty.

Tang dynasty The family that ruled China from 618 until 901. During Tang rule, sea trade flourished and China's ports became bustling centres of commerce.

Taoism (Daoism) The teachings of the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. He taught that people should live simple lives in harmony with nature.

Terracotta Army An army of 600,000 life-size soldiers made of clay. They were buried alongside Qin Shi Huangdi to protect his spirit after death. Some soldiers were on horseback or carrying weapons. Each brightly-painted soldier had a different face. It is thought that they may have been portraits of men in the emperor’s real army.

Yuan dynasty The family that ruled China and Mongolia from 1271 to 1368. Established by Kublai Khan, the Yuan dynasty made many improvements. They established a new capital at Beijing and improved the Chinese roads to make overland trade easier.

Yurt A Mongol tent made from felt. Yurts provided good protection and were easy to take down and put up again.

Zhou dynasty The dynasty that ruled China from 1046 to 256 BC. During the period of Zhou rule, iron replaced bronze as the main material for making tools and weapons.

Consultant: Philip Parker