CHINA T H R O U G H TIME

a 2 , 5 0 0 - y e a r j o u r n e y a l o n g t h e w o r l d ’ s g r e at e s t c a n a l

Illustrated by Du Fei
 Contents
Editors Edward Aves, Abigail Mitchell
US Editor Jennette ElNaggar
Project Art Editor Renata Latipova
3 24–25
Managing Editor Christine Stroyan The Story of the Grand Canal A Landmark Tower, Tongzhou, 1450 ce
Managing Art Editor Anna Hall Map of the Grand Canal
Producer, Pre-Production Robert Dunn
Producer Jude Crozier 26–27
Jacket Design Development Manager Sophia MTT 4–5 The Busy Dock, Tongzhou, 1550 ce
Jacket Designer Surabhi Wadhwa-Gandhi
Publisher Andrew Macintyre
Construction Begins,Yangzhou, 486 bce
Art Director Karen Self 28–29
Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf
6–7 A Vital Communications Link,
Consultant Thomas H. Hahn A Palace on Water, Luoyang, 605 ce Tongzhou, 1600 ce
First American Edition, 2020
Published in the United States by DK Publishing 8–9 30–31
1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018
Granary Attack! Liyang, 618 ce The End of the Canal, Beijing, 1910 ce
Based on an original manuscript by
Encyclopedia of China Publishing House:
Yang Zhen, Wang Jiangshan, Bao Yao, and Tian Yi 10–11 32
Retold by Edward Aves
A Military Coup, Kaifeng, 960 ce Time-traveling Quiz
Copyright © 2020 Dorling Kindersley Limited
Glossary
Illustrations copyright © 2020 Du Fei 12–13
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC A Paradise on Earth, Hangzhou, 1185 ce
20 21 22 23 24 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001–311449–Jan/2020

All rights reserved.

14–15
Night Fair, Maple Bridge, Suzhou, 760 ce
Lihua the cat
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written
permission of the copyright owner.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited
16–17 Meet Lihua, the naughty cat. Lihua likes sleeping,
Stopping the Floods, Huaiyin, 1699 ce catching mice, and getting into scrapes. But she also
A CIP catalog record for this book
is available from the Library of Congress. has a superpower: she can travel through time!
ISBN: 978-1-4654-8174-0
18–19 Lihua is hidden in every picture of the book. Look
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales
promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK
A Ridge of Water, Nanwang, 1420 ce out for her as you travel along the canal, and turn to
Publishing Special Markets, 1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018 page 32 for a quiz about her adventures.
SpecialSales@dk.com
20–21
Printed and bound in China A Customs Pass, Linqing, 1600 ce
A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW 22–23
www.dk.com A Modern Metropolis, Tianjin, 2020 ce
The Story of the Map of the Grand Canal
Grand Canal Beijing, 1910 ce Tongzhou, 1450 ce, 1550 ce, 1600 ce
Some 2,500 years ago, in ancient China, Page 30 Pages 24, 26 & 28
an emperor had a bright idea. If he joined china
together two rivers, the Huai and the Yangtze, N
he could transport his troops quickly through Tianjin, 2020 ce
his lands to conquer an enemy kingdom. W Page 22
E
AREA OF MAIN MAP
So was built the first stage of a canal that would become S
JINAN
one of the greatest human-made wonders of the world.
A thousand years later, various rivers and canal sections Linqing, 1600 ce
were combined into one great waterway, shipping grain Page 20
and other goods from Hangzhou in the fertile south to
Beijing in the dry north. Liyang, 618 ce QINGDAO
Trade flourished and thriving cities grew up along Page 8
er
the canal's banks, as China entered a golden age. Life was Riv
Nanwang, 1420 ce

r
Luo

ve
Ri
not always easy, however. Floods and wars brought disaster Page 18

ow
ll

Hu
Ye
and hardship, and eventually the canal fell into decline and

ito
Luoyang, 605 ce

ng
neglect. But modern times have breathed new life into the

Ri
ve
Page 6

r
canal. Sections have been repaired, and many of its Bia
nR
beautiful landmarks restored. You’ll see some of them ive
r
on the pages of this book. Today the waterway stretches
1,115 miles (1,794 km)—the longest, as well as the oldest, Kaifeng, 960 ce Huaiyin, 1699 ce
canal in the world. Page 10 Page 16
Huai River
So come with us and explore this ancient wonder. Our
story follows the fortunes of the canal and the people that
lived along it, through good times and bad. You’ll meet
N
emperors and soldiers, merchants and mysterious travelers, Yangzhou, 486 bce
and children just like you. You’ll find out what people Page 4
W E
wore, and what they ate, and how they spent their time, NANJING
S
Suzhou, 760 ce
from antiquity to the present.
v er Page 14
Ri
e SHANGHAI
g tz
SCALE Ya
n
0 km 50 100

0 miles 50 100 Hangzhou, 1185 ce

Page 12

3
 With sword in hand, Fuchai is dreaming of conquering new lands. The king’s advisors are deep in discussion about military tactics.

King’s
flag
Fuchai’s companion, Xi Shi, eats fruit laid out by the maids. She is a spy, sent by an enemy state to distract the king.

Lookout
tower
Military
camp

Fuchai
Xi Shi

Maids

Advisors

Soldiers

Maids use fans to keep the king cool and swat away mosquitoes. The workers tasked with carrying the soil away have the most tiring job.
 Find the wild-haired shaman performing a ceremony to bless the canal’s construction. Some workers have been captured trying to escape.

By swinging a heavy stone in the air, then dropping it quickly, the men make the bed of the canal more solid.
Yangzhou
Construction Begins
Yangzhou, 486 bce
During the Spring and Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou
Dynasty, wars are common between the many small states
of ancient China. King Fuchai of Wu orders the construction
of a canal, the Han Gou, to transport soldiers and equipment
quickly to the north, where he wishes to expand his kingdom.
It is backbreaking work for the thousands of peasants ordered
to dig the barren earth in the baking sun, using only basic tools.

Lookout
tower

Canal diggers

Made with iron instead of the traditional bronze, the diggers’ tools are strong. Losing their tempers in the heat, some workers have started to fight.
 A mounted guard of honor parades along the shore in full battle regalia. All along the route, local people make offerings of food to please the emperor.

Viewing
ship

Battleship
It is exhausting work for the teams of boat trackers on the shore, who have to pull the vessels by rope.

Local
dignitaries’
tent

Guard of honor

s
Boat tracker

Guard boat

Pride of the fleet, the battleship’s catapults can launch rocks at enemy ships. Guard boats powered by oarsmen escort the emperor’s barge.
 The emperor is flanked by his army officers. Fearful of his short temper, they flatter him. The dragon is a symbol of the emperor’s strength and power.

A Palace on Water
Luoyang, 605 ce

A merchant has come from afar to trade with the emperor. Unfortunately, he’s feeling a little seasick.
The construction of the section of the Grand Canal between
Yangzhou and Luoyang is finally complete. A fanfare heralds the
arrival of an imperial flotilla, which has come to inspect the new
Viewing ship waterway. Emperor Yang of Sui commands the procession from the
top deck of the lavish, dragon-shaped barge, which glides through
the water like a floating palace. For the people of Luoyang, it is a
grand spectacle beyond their wildest imaginations.

Emperor
Yang of Sui
Empress
Xiao

Cooks
Nobles
dies
rt la
Cou

Crew

Princess
Nanyang

Phoenix boat

Dragon b
oat

Empress Xiao sails in a smaller, phoenix-shaped barge, with her maids and court ladies. The phoenix symbolizes the empress and brings good luck.
 The lookout in the mobile watchtower is hauled up by pulley. The roofs of the assault wagons are covered with cow hide to withstand fire.

Grand Canal

Sui rebel army camp

Weapons are transported in connected wooden wagons, which also provide cover for tunnel diggers.

Lookout
Sui rebel
soldiers
Wagon
carryin
g weap
ons

Chariot
carrying
soldiers

dd ng
la ali
er
Sc
Mobile
watchtower

Moat

The heavy armor of the rebel army shines a brilliant blue-black when polished. With its long spikes, the “Wolf’s-Teeth Crusher” is a lethal weapon.
 Wagang soldiers defending the beacon tower have lit a fire to alert friendly forces that help is needed.

The Liyang granary is one of the biggest along the Grand Canal, with grain stores to feed 80,000 people a year.
Wagang Army camp

Wagang guards

Beaco
n
tower

Grain storage

Granary Attack!
Liyang, 618 ce
Emperor Yang of Sui is dead, killed by his
once-loyal troops, and China is in chaos, at the
mercy of powerful warlords. The rebel soldiers
march east to take control of the capital but soon
rt run out of rations. Desperate, the hungry troops
pa
am lay siege to the huge granary store at Liyang on
R
the Grand Canal, which is occupied by another
rebel force, the Wagang Army. The attack
succeeds, but both armies pay a heavy price.
After this, the Tang Army will conquer China.
Tunnel
diggers

Outnumbered, the soldiers throw rocks at any invaders their swords cannot reach. The Wagang defenders have begun digging an escape tunnel.
 Can you spot the guard whose shield is painted with the face of a tiger? The Yellow River connects the growing city of Kaifeng to the Grand Canal.

The moon Venus

Only the strongest guards carry the modao, a long, heavy sword with a wide steel blade used to fight the enemy cavalry.

A Military Coup
Kaifeng, 960 ce Yellow River

China is without a strong leader and has descended into civil war. Military flags
Zhao Kuangyin, chief commander of the imperial guard, is a
powerful and popular figure. On a winter’s night, his loyal guards
surround his quarters near Kaifeng, cheering their support. Over
dinner, his officers drop to their knees and declare him emperor.
Now Emperor Taizu, he founds the Song Dynasty, which unites
China, and brings peace and a golden age of culture and science.

Army tent

Infantry

Heavily armed
bodyguard

Soldiers of the
imperial guard

Charcoal
brazier

10

Red tassels on a soldier’s helmet indicate that he holds a superior rank. The men huddle around the fire to keep warm, singing songs and toasting bread.
 Zhao Kuangyin’s secretary dresses him in the imperial robe, a symbol of power. The officers toast the new emperor with wine served in jade cups.

The soldiers will tuck into a hearty meal of hotpot, dipping meat and vegetables into a simmering broth.
Landscape painting from the
Five Dynasties period

Weapon Oil lamp

frame
Imperial
bodyguard
Zhao Kuangyi Zhao Zhao Pu
(Zhao Kuangyin’s Kuangyin (Zhao Kuangyin’s
brother) secretary)

Imperial
robe

Astrologer
Military
commander

Military
governor

11

The astrologer excitedly points to the night sky. He is persuading the men that the position of the planets indicates that Zhao Kuangyin is the rightful emperor.
The restaurant diners pay with a new invention: paper money. At the spice shop, Arabian merchants gather to discuss business. A young woman is applying her makeup, using powders made from crushed flowers.

A Paradise on Earth Bath house

Hangzhou, 1185 ce
At the southern end of the Grand Canal, and surrounded by lush
countryside, Hangzhou has long been famous for its beautiful
gardens, bridges, and temples. Since the arrival of the canal, the
city has grown prosperous, too. Along the busy quayside between
the steep Zhong’an and E’ya bridges, shopkeepers beckon well-to-
do passersby to browse their tempting displays, while sharp-witted
merchants from foreign shores strike deals with local traders.

Spice shop Silk shop

Wine shop
Fur shop
Lantern Restau
rant
shop

Soldier
The street cleaner carries away trash in a raft.

Porters

Cargo boat carrying silk

Salted duck
egg seller

E’ya
Fireboat Bridge

12

Local silk is famous across China for its soft texture and beautiful sheen. The market is always full of gossip about the royal household.
 Many travelers and pilgrims come to admire the pleasure gardens and visit the temples of the West Lake.

West Lake

The poet Lin Sheng writes verses on a shop wall.

Prince Wu’s
palace

Pleasure
gardens

Resta
uran
t
Washerwoman

Royal
carriage
Pharmacy

p
Tea sho

t
n boa
ago
Beggar Dr

A dragon boat crew is practicing for the races on West Lake.

Zhong’an
Bridge

pe
O orm
pe e
rf

ra rs
Pleasure
boat

at
ger bo
Passen
Street Dumpling
entertainers stall

Hawker stalls

13

Pleasure boats cruise the canal, packed with tourists eager to explore the city. Find the boy trying to light the cauldron fire at the dumpling stall.
Zhang Ji, a famous poet, is inspired by the moonlit scene and composes the lines to a beautiful poem in his head. Tears flow as a husband prepares to set sail for the capital, leaving his wife at home. These women are wearing the latest fashions from India and Persia.

Tiger Hill

Night Fair, Maple Bridge

Pagoda

Suzhou, 760 ce
It is almost midnight, but the busy port of Suzhou is still teeming
with life. In the moonlight, merchants and travelers disembark
from passenger boats under the old stone Fengqiao (Maple Bridge).
Business is booming these days, and some bring goods from distant
lands such as Persia and Arabia to trade. Others are more interested
in the taverns and teahouses of the bustling night market.

Inn

)
dge
Bri
aple
Passenger

o (M
boat

gqia
Fen
14

A Japanese diplomat has arrived, on a mission to learn about Chinese culture. Can you find a haughty official, being helped along by his loyal servants?
 Twice a day, monks strike the bell at this famous temple 108 times. Suzhou is a flourishing weaving center. Weavers work together on beautiful embroidery.

A sick passenger is carrried off the boat into the medical ward.
Hanshan
Temple

Cargo
vessel

Jiangcun
Bridge

Cargo
Teahouse vessel
Silk weaving workshop

These wrestlers are practicing for a competition.

Ferry

Passenger
boat

15

An Arabian merchant and a local trader discuss a business deal. A Buddhist monk disembarks, with all his worldly possessions in a bamboo carrier.
At the simple temple by the weir, villagers pray to the deities. The Kangxi Emperor has studied the canal for a long time. This is his third tour. The Gaojia Weir was the first dam constructed to control the floods.

Temple

Gaojia W
eir

Grand Canal

Huai River
Canopy

Embankment

Kangxi Emperor

Chief advisor
Wooden
map
The emperor is sheltered beneath a silk canopy.

Imperial bodyguards

16

Branches, reeds, and wheat stalks are tied into bundles to make flood defenses. By carving the shape of the landscape on a wooden plank, planners make a 3-D map.
Can you spot this worker, throwing his hands up in the air in prayer for the rain to stop? Grain can no longer reach the capital because the canal water is too high.

Workers haul the flood defenses into position to prevent the Yellow River from overflowing.
Stopping the Floods
Huaiyin, 1699 ce
The workers need to move fast. The rains have begun, and if the
flood defenses aren’t in place soon, the Yellow River will burst its
banks again. Over the years, the canal system has been neglected,
and silting upriver has made the river change course. Now it flows
dangerously close to Huaiyin, where the Grand Canal and the Huai
River meet, and causes floods that destroy homes and livelihoods.
Embankment
The river must be tamed, and the Kangxi Emperor has taken
command. He orders his workers to build a vast series of defenses
to change its direction. It will be an engineering masterpiece.

Yellow River

Floo
d def
ense

Flo
od
def
ens
e
Canal
Carpenter workers

17

Canal diggers hammer wooden posts into the ground to compact the earth. The workers throw straw capes over their shoulders to keep dry in the rain.
Can you spot a baby, glimpsing the outside world for the first time? A sailor winches down the mast of his cargo boat as it prepares to dock. When it is finished, all travelers will burn incense at the new temple for good luck.

Sto
Canal linking to ne e
Sluice gate mba
the Wenhe River nkm
ent

Merchant boats
A grandmother who is lost asks for directions.

Stone
beast Official

Guard

Lotus
seed pod Song Li
seller

Street Stonemason
Grocery
Porters vendor seller
18

A street vendor sells seed pods of the lotus flower, a tasty snack. A scholar buys the “four jewels”: a brush, ink, ink stone, and paper.
Water from the river is stored in a reservoir. The flow is controlled by a sluice gate. Balancing on an unsteady plank, a builder hauls tiles up to the roof by pulley.

Reservoir

This builder doesn’t like heights, so he is having a rest.

A Ridge of Water
Nanwang, 1420 ce
Nanwang marks the canal’s highest point. Until recently, the
canal often ran dry and boats ran aground here. Not any more.
Clever engineers have figured out a way to keep water levels
Grand Canal steady by digging a canal to the Wenhe River, and now cargo
boats can navigate this tricky ridge all year round. Builders are
Dragon King
Temple
constructing a beautiful temple in celebration, dedicated to the
Dragon King, a god of water and weather.

tiles
Glass

Memorial
archway

Main ha
ll

Workers are building a statue of the water god.

Builders

Bamboo
scaffolding

Side
hall

19

An official shows the new temple to Song Li, the minister in charge of construction. A worker mixes up glue made from animal bones to bind together the bricks..
 The customs office is the richest in China, collecting a quarter of all taxes. In the Ming era, opera is very popular and always gathers a crowd.

Brick kilns
Find a traveler finishing his breakfast.

Inn

Opera
theater

Customs
office

Boats carrying
wood

Temple
A mother and daughter are discussing which color cattail leaf fan to buy.

Restaurant

Rice porridge Neck pillow

Egg
stall seller
seller

Fisherman
Cattail leaf
fan seller
Butcher

20

The children are dueling with leaf stalks. The loser is left with a broken stalk. Can you spot these old friends sharing a picnic by the canal?
 Matteo Ricci, a Catholic priest, has come from Rome to convert locals to Christianity. He has been invited to a banquet and to watch an acrobat show.

Fishermen use cormorants to help them catch fish.

Mosque

Acrobat show
A Customs Pass
Linqing, 1600 ce
Linqing is one of the liveliest hubs along the canal. All boats have
to stop to pay taxes at the customs office. Passage can take days, or
even weeks, because of the many locks that need to be navigated.
But there’s little chance for travelers to get bored. Inns and
restaurants have sprung up along the canal banks, while opera
Military performances and acrobat shows keep everyone entertained.
patrol

Tea stall
Pipe
seller Beggar

Street
vendors

Lockkeepers wind the capstan to raise and lower the lock.

Cormorant
fisherman

Wood for
building

Capstan
Canal lock
Game of chess
Pawnshop

Boat carrying
apricots

Linqing
brick

Boat crew Wheelbarrow 21

The tea stall by the lock is always a popular meeting point. Linqing is famous for producing bricks, which were used to build the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Where along the river can you buy a balloon? Drivers on the Yongle Bridge can wave to the people riding on the Tianjin Eye above. Locals practice Tai Chi by the river to relax and keep fit.

Apartment buildings
Tianjin Eye

Hotel

Yongle Bridge

Museum Ziya River

Boat
Worshippers have prayed at the Tianhou Temple for more than 600 years.

dock

Jinzhong Bridge

North Canal

Patrol
A Modern Metropolis boat

Tianjin, 2020 ce
Its skyline bristling with skyscrapers and giant apartment
buildings, modern Tianjin is booming. Cars and bikes
stream along the busy roads, and pedestrians crowd the
riverside promenade. At the meeting point of two
branches of the Grand Canal with the Hai River, Tianjin Bicycle
has been an important port for centuries and was the first dock
city in China to open up to Western traders. Now visitors
come from across the world to enjoy the good life in this
ever-growing city.
Tianho
u
Temple

22

A shoeshiner plies his trade along the riverside. Electric vehicles are used to transport packages, which also helps reduce pollution.
Luxury apartments built by Europeans over 100 years ago can be seen along the river. Traffic runs smoothly across the colorful Jingang Bridge, built on two levels.

Sightseeing boats cruise the river, full of camera-carrying tourists.

Financial
District

Wang Hai
Lou Church

University

Jing
a
Sightseeing boat Brid ng
ge
Hai River

This couple are celebrating their engagement.

Ba
r

Tourists

Gym

Café

Musician
23

Find a mother taking a selfie with her toddler on a smartphone. Tianjin’s office workers spend long days at their desks, so they work out at the gym.
Loaders rush to carry sacks of rice off a ship and into the warehouse. Can you spot a noble lady in a sedan chair, who has come to inquire about her husband? Grain unloaded from the ships is transported directly to warehouses.

A Landmark Tower
Tongzhou, 1450 ce
With the construction of the Grand Canal, the city of
Tongzhou is up and coming. The pagoda at the north
end of the Grand Canal is Tongzhou’s main landmark.
The tower is 157 ft (48 m) high and overlooks the
bustling port, where all sorts of goods, from grain to
wood, are loaded onto and unloaded from the many
boats that are arriving from the south. These goods
will be distributed to the imperial households and
the troops stationed along the Great Wall. Barge with
sail unfurled

Grain storage
Bamboo rods strengthen barges’ sails.

Ox cart
Wheelbarrow transporting sacks

Jars
of wine

24

A line of barrows loaded with tea is pushed by porters through the bustling dock. A wine seller is heading for the river, carrying his wares.
This batch of wood will be used to construct the Forbidden City in Beijing. Closing the sail is not easy and requires agility and teamwork from the crew.

Pagoda

When they see the tower, boatmen from distant Jiangnan know that their long hard journey is ending.
Rice from
the south

Jars
of wine

Temple

Warehouses

25

Officials keep tax records of imports and sales. At the temple, followers of three different religious traditions can worship together in harmony.
 Hungry after their long journey, travelers pile into the busy restaurant. The memorial arch is very grand with its three doorways.

The Busy Dock

Tongzhou, 1550 ce
During the Ming Dynasty, the busiest dock on the Grand Canal is
at Tongzhou. Hundreds of vessels gather here daily, bringing grain
This traveler has come a long way. His sedan chair is so heavy that two mules are needed to carry it.

for distribution to other places. Porters and loaders rush to and

fro, supervised by officials and soldiers in charge of grain storage
and inspection. Also hard at work here are fishermen, sailors,
shopkeepers, businessmen, traveling merchants, and beggars.

Memorial
arch

Ceramics
store
Restaurant

26 Soldier

Porcelain making is at its peak in the Ming Dynasty, and the blue-and-white porcelain is the best quality.
 Hai Rui, a scholar from the south, has arrived to take his exams. Can you find him? Boats are tied together to make a floating bridge.

The tax official is making an inspection tour.

Barns

A grain manager inspects the grain as it is unloaded from a barge.

Tax official’s boat

Floating
bridge
Workers

Boatmen

Grain
manager

Guards 27

Hot lunches are sometimes delivered in tiffin carriers, which keep the food warm. The boatmen are singing a work song to help them work faster.
A caravan of camels is being led across the bridge. A screen wall prevents evil spirits from entering the merchant’s house. A woman is grinding grain, with a donkey turning the millstone.

Rice paddies

Wealthy merchant’s Screen wall

courtyard house

Millstone

Tea stall
Matteo Ricci
Can you spot a goat herder, snoozing beneath the trees?

Messenger from
Mongolia

Cargo junk

Yongtong
Bridge

Boat from Porter

Siam Soldier

Cart driver
28 Tea
stall

There are 66 finely carved stone lions on the railings of the bridge, 33 on each side. A couple traveling to Beijing picnic beside the bridge.
Matteo Ricci, a Catholic priest, is traveling to Beijing to meet the Wanli Emperor. Four rivers flow into the Grand Canal, making this a major transportation hub.

At the grain inspection building, officials check the quality of the grain being shipped to Beijing.
A Vital Communications Link
Tongzhou, 1600 ce
The clatter of hooves and the rumble of wheels create a constant hum on
Tongzhou’s broad Yongtong Bridge, as an endless stream of people, animals,
and vehicles pass across en route to and from Beijing. Paved with granite,
the sturdy bridge is one of four that surround and defend the capital and
is also an important waymarker for the countless cargo boats that squeeze
through its high middle arch, bringing grain to the imperial city.

Grain inspection building

Local
restaurant
29

A soldier still in uniform is just home from the war in Korea. A Japanese spy is collecting information from local people to send back to the Emperor of Japan.
 The well-drilled soldiers of the imperial army are equipped with modern German rifles. The striking of the tower bell at 7pm marks the end of the working day.

Deshengmen
In the cramped courtyard houses and alleys (hutongs) of old Beijing, everyone knows everyone else’s business.

city gate Guanyue

Prince regent’s mansion Temple

Guan
h
Temp ua
le

Houhai Lake

Book
shop

Wo
rksho
p

The End of the Canal Tea

house

Beijing, 1910 ce
The Grand Canal ends its long journey at the beautiful
Shicha Lakes, close to the Forbidden City. The waterway
is quieter these days, as the barges of old have been
replaced by steamships and trains, but the restaurants and
stores around the old Yingding Bridge are as busy as ever.
Change is in the air, however. With poverty on the streets
and soldiers on patrol, an uprising will soon overthrow the
Qing Dynasty, bringing imperial rule to an end forever.
Courtyard Sedan
houses carrying a
junior official
Steamed
bun stall
30

Local people greet each other with a bow, instead of shaking hands. Like many people, this woman is illiterate. She hires a professional letter writer to help her.
 Rickshaw pullers navigate the narrow streets with ease. A well-dressed European couple head to a teahouse for a business meeting.

Peking duck has long been a favorite local dish.

Bell
Tower
Drum Tower

Teahouse
Produce store

e
stor
es
oth
Cl

Pharm

Can you find a man in glasses eating lunch by the bridge?

acy Barbec
ue rest
aurant

Roast
d
restau uck
rant Restau
rant

Wealthy
merchant

Game of Street
Yingding chess
Bridge brawl Rick
shaw
s
Waiter

Fortune
teller

Street food stall

31

Only the very richest families can afford to buy a bicycle. A man and his daughter are street performing, and attract an audience.
 Time-traveling Quiz
Search through the pages of
the book to see what Lihua,
our street-smart, time-traveling
cat, is getting into.
Construction Begins
The king’s children are very
excited—they have a cute
kitten to play with!
A Palace on Water
One of the boats has an extra
crew member. Can you spot her?
Granary Attack!
Lihua’s looking for a place to
hide. Can she squeeze under
the door into the grain store?
A Military Coup
Somebody has helped herself
from the table. What has our
sneaky cat found?
A Paradise on Earth
Lihua is sick, so the butler of a
wealthy businessman is taking
her to the vet. Where is she?
Night Fair, Maple Bridge
Lihua is having a nap in a quiet
corner. What do you think she
is dreaming about?
Stopping the Floods
Where’s our cat hiding to stay
dry from the rain?
A Ridge of Water
Lihua and some of her friends
have been caught by a man to
be sold! Will she escape?
The Customs Pass
As a boat comes into dock,
Lihua has jumped on board.
Can you see her?
A Modern Metropolis
What is Lihua pouncing
on in the bushes?
A Landmark Tower
What has our naughty cat
caught on top of the grain store?
The Busy Dock
Lihua is scampering onto the
dock. Can you see what she
has caught in her mouth?
A Vital Communications Link
Our favorite cat has a friend
to play with. Can you find her?
The End of the Canal
As always, Lihua is hungry.
Where is she waiting for scraps?
Glossary
BCE (page 2*): Before Common
Era. The years before 1 ce (start of
the Common Era).
Brazier (page 10): A metal
container holding hot coals,
designed to heat a room.
CE (page 2): Common Era. The
years from 1 ce to the present.
Coup (page 10): An attempt by
a group of people to seize power
in a country.
Dragon boat (page 13): A long
boat, decorated with dragon heads
and tails, used for racing.
Eastern Zhou Dynasty (page 5): A
period of ancient Chinese history
lasting from 770 to 256 bce.
Embankment (page 16). A thick
wall of earth built to prevent a
river from flooding.
Five Dynasties period (page 11):
An era of unsettled rule in China
during the 10th century ce.
Flotilla (page 7): A procession
of ships.
Hawker (page 13): Street vendor.
Lock (page 21): A device to raise or
lower boats between parts of the
canal that are on different levels.
Ming Dynasty (page 26):
The ruling dynasty of China
from 1368 to 1644 ce.
Qing Dynasty (page 30): The last
imperial dynasty of China, which
ruled from 1644 until 1912 ce.
The Illustrator
Sedan chair (page 26): An enclosed Du Fei was born in Beijing, and
chair mounted on two poles, carried has 25 years of experience as a
by two people. professor of mural painting and
artistic creation. He specializes in
Shaman (page 5): A priest or healer painting realistic works portraying
believed to have special powers. Chinese history and traditional
culture. His work encompasses
Sluice gate (page 20): A barrier a variety of art forms, from murals
across a current of water that and oil painting to sculpture and
controls its flow. ceramics, and has been displayed
in public spaces including museums,
Song Dynasty (page 10): A concert halls, stadiums, parks, and
Chinese imperial dynasty lasting subways. His best-known works
from 960 to 1279 ce. include The Development of Textile
and Clothing in Ancient China and
Spring and Autumn Period
The Great Cathay.
(page 5): The first half of the Eastern
Zhou Dynasty, lasting until 476 bce.
Sui Dynasty (page 6): A short-lived
imperial dynasty of China, lasting
from 580 to 618 ce.
Tai chi (page 22): A slow, controlled
form of physical exercise developed
in China.
Tang Dynasty (page 9): The ruling
dynasty of China from 618 to 690,
and 705 to 907 ce.
Tiffin carrier (page 26): A type
of lunch box used across Asia to
carry hot meals.
Warlord (page 9): A powerful leader
who rules part of a country using
military force.
Weir (page 16): A dam built across
a body of water to control the flow.
The Consultant
Wu Kingdom (page 5): One of the
states of the Zhou Dynasty. Thomas H. Hahn is an academic
and expert in the historical
geography of China, and the author
of a book on the development of
Note: Page numbers refer to the first the Grand Canal. He currently
page on which the word or abbreviation teaches at the University of
appears. California, Berkeley.