Chinese History for Kids

Previously published as Chinese History for Kids: Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties by BrightStart PrintShop. How did Sui reunification help open the way for one of the medieval world's most connected empires? Chinese History for Kids: Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties takes readers ages 9-12 through a pivotal era of medieval China, from Sui reunification in 589 CE through the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, ending with Song consolidation in 979. Readers explore the Grand Canal, government and examinations, Chang'an and Luoyang, Silk Roads trade, diplomacy with Korea and Tibet, Buddhism and religious diversity, everyday work, poetry and calligraphy, woodblock printing, and the An Lushan Rebellion. They meet figures such as Emperor Wen, Emperor Taizong, Wu Zetian, and Xuanzang, while learning how rulers, merchants, soldiers, farmers, monks, artisans, and travelers shaped the age. The final section follows the political fragmentation after 907, including the Five Dynasties, regional kingdoms, Kaifeng, Liao and the Sixteen Prefectures, Wuyue, and the gradual rise of Song power. Rather than treating Tang China as one uninterrupted "golden age," this illustrated history shows expansion, cultural exchange, labor, war, rebellion, recovery, and regional change together. Includes maps, black-and-white historical illustrations, timelines, a glossary, review and discussion questions, and sources for further reading-useful for independent reading, homeschool history, and classroom enrichment.