A Guest from Ancient China

What should an art historian do if he finds himself at a dead end and cannot find answers to his questions of interest? Of course, call upon an expert from antiquity! In the museum where associate professor Begemotov works, a stranger brought figurines that closely resemble those made by masters of the ancient Han era in China. And while Begemotov is deep in thought—whether these figures are genuine or not—the Great Historian Sima Qian dropped by for a cup of green tea. An amazing meeting, isn't it? Together with the scholars, readers will visit the tomb of the formidable Emperor Qin Shi Huang, stroll through the streets of an ancient Chinese city, peek into a feast with a nobleman, and participate in a battle with the warlike Xiongnu.

This book, filled with logical puzzles, riddles, mazes, and master classes, is created especially for those who do not want to read thick historical novels or detailed encyclopedias, but still wish to learn the most interesting things about how people lived in the distant past. And also for those who love to do things with their hands in order to literally learn by playing. Want to make a kite yourself and learn about its invention at the same time? Easy! Want to collect figurines from different times and cultures and understand how they differ? Yes, please! Want to help the great poets of antiquity write poems? Why not! History has never been this fun and exciting!

The book is part of the new historical series "Ancient China," which is published under the general editorship of sinologist Sergey Viktorovich Dmitriev. Illustrations for the tasks were created by artist Tatyana Ukleyko.