Come with bestselling author Adeline Yen Mah on a journey through China, land of dragons and emperors, mystery and history. Discover the secrets of the past and the wonder of the present in this extraordinary land. Did you know that paper was first used in China? - as were gunpowder, iron stirrups for horses, magnetic compasses and many other wonderful things. Language, lucky numbers, festivals, beliefs about colours, the practice of foot-binding, the building of the Great Wall, how silk is made - such topics are woven through the stories of the dynasties across two millennia. This history is also full of larger-than-life people: warlords, emperors, explorers, fierce women, who all contributed to the great story of China.