 | |
| Author | Ying Chang Compestine |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Action, historical fiction, adventure |
| Publisher | Abrams Books |
Publication date | January 7, 2014 |
| ISBN | 1419705407 |
Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier is a 2014 children's historical novel with fantasy elements written by Ying Chang Compestine and her son, Vinson Compestine. It is set in 1970s China.
The story follows thirteen-year-old Ming, who lives in Communist China during the 1970s. Ming's father believes the lost tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang lies beneath the village and is forced to prove so before the village Political Officer sends him to a labor camp. While Ming's father is away on business, Ming befriends a Terra-Cotta soldier who has come to life. Together they embark on an adventure to uncover the mysteries of Emperor Qin's Mausoleum and save Ming's father's life. [1] [2] [3]
Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier has received praise from readers and other literary organizations such as Publishers Weekly , [2] Kirkus Reviews , [3] Common Sense Media, [4] and The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books . [5]
Qin Shi Huang was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor (始皇帝) of the Qin dynasty from 221 to 210 BC. His self-invented title "emperor" would continue to be borne by Chinese rulers for the next two millennia. Historically, he was often portrayed as a tyrannical ruler and strict Legalist, in part from the Han dynasty's scathing assessments of him. Since the mid 20th-century, scholars have begun to question this evaluation, inciting considerable discussion on the actual nature of his policies and reforms. Regardless, according to sinologist Michael Loewe "few would contest the view that the achievements of his reign have exercised a paramount influence on the whole of China's subsequent history, marking the start of an epoch that closed in 1911".
Qin Er Shi (Chinese: 秦二世; lit. 'Second Generation of the Qin or Qin the second'; was the second emperor of the Qin dynasty from 210 to 207 BCE. The son of Qin Shi Huang, he was born as Ying Huhai. He was put on the throne by Li Si and Zhao Gao, circumventing Fusu, Ying's brother and the designated heir. Upon Ying's ascension, both Fusu and the popular general Meng Tian were killed on the orders of Li and Zhao, with Qin Er Shi's role in the assassinations remaining uncertain and controversial. A weak ruler, Qin Er Shi's reign was completely dominated by Zhao Gao, who eventually forced him to commit suicide. By the time of his death, the Qin Empire's power had lessened so much that his successor Ziying ruled as a king, not emperor.
The War of the Eight Princes, Rebellion of the Eight Kings, or Rebellion of the Eight Princes was a series of civil wars among kings/princes of the Chinese Jin dynasty from 291 to 306 AD. The key point of contention in these conflicts was the regency over the developmentally disabled Emperor Hui of Jin. The name of the conflict is derived from the biographies of the eight princes collected in Chapter 59 of the Book of Jin (Jinshu).
Li Si was a Chinese philosopher, politician, and calligrapher of the Qin dynasty. He served as Chancellor from 246 to 208 BC under two rulers: Qin Shi Huang, the king of the Qin state and later the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty; and Qin Er Shi, Qin Shi Huang's eighteenth son and the Second Emperor. Concerning administrative methods, Li Si "indicated that he admired and utilized the ideas of Shen Buhai", repeatedly referring to the technique of Shen Buhai and Han Fei, but regarding law followed Shang Yang.
Lü Buwei was a Chinese merchant and politician of the Qin state during the Warring States period. Originally an influential merchant from the Wei (衛) state, Lü Buwei met and befriended King Zhuangxiang of Qin, who was then a minor prince serving as a hostage in the Zhao state. Through bribes and machinations, Lü Buwei succeeded in helping King Zhuangxiang become the heir apparent to the Qin throne. In 249 BCE, after King Zhuangxiang ascended the throne following the death of his father, King Xiaowen, he appointed Lü Buwei as his chancellor (相國) and ennobled him as "Marquis Wenxin" (文信侯). After King Zhuangxiang's death in 247 BCE, Lü Buwei became the chancellor and regent to King Zhuangxiang's young son, Ying Zheng, who later became Qin Shi Huang.
Shek Wing-cheung, better known by his stage name Shih Kien, Sek Kin, or Sek Gin or Shek Kin(Chinese: 石堅; pinyin: Shí Jiān; Jyutping: Sek6 Gin1), was a Hong Kong–based Chinese actor. Shih is best known for playing antagonists and villains in several early Hong Kong wuxia and martial arts films that dated back to the black-and-white period, and is most familiar to Western audiences for his portrayal of the primary villain, Han, in the 1973 martial arts film Enter the Dragon, which starred Bruce Lee.
The Emperor in Han Dynasty, also released under the title The Emperor Han Wu in some countries, is a 2005 Chinese historical drama television series based on the life of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty. It uses the historical texts Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Han as its source material.
Walter Tso Tat-Wah was a film actor of Hong Kong, most famous for the roles he played in a number of Wuxia films in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Rebellion of Cao Qin was a day-long uprising in the Ming dynasty capital of Beijing on August 7, 1461, staged by Chinese general Cao Qin and his Ming troops of Mongol and Han descent against the Tianshun Emperor Zhu Qizhen (1457–1464). Cao and his officers launched the insurrection out of fear of being persecuted by Tianshun. Tianshun had just gained back the throne from his half-brother the Jingtai Emperor, who rose to power during the 1449 Tumu Crisis.
Shi Pu (時溥), formally the Prince of Julu (鉅鹿王), was a warlord of the late Tang dynasty, who controlled Ganhua Circuit as its military governor (Jiedushi). He was eventually defeated by Zhu Quanzhong's general Pang Shigu (龐師古), and committed suicide with his family.
The Sichuanese, Sze Chuan or Ssu Ch'uan people (Chinese: 四川人; Sichuanese Pinyin: Si4cuan1ren2; Hanyu pinyin: Sìchuānrén; Wade–Giles: Szŭ4-ch'uan1-jen2, 川人 or 川渝人) are a Han Chinese subgroup comprising most of the population of China's Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality.
Ying Chang Compestine is a Chinese American author, speaker, television host and chef. She has written over twenty books including Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party (novel), based on her life growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution., and a middle grade novel, Morning Sun in Wuhan, set in Wuhan, China.
A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: A collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales is a young adult fiction book written by Ying Chang Compestine. Set in China, the book blends Chinese culture, cuisine, and modern customs into eight horror stories.[1][2]
The Runaway Wok is a children's picture book written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Sebastia Serra. Published in 2011 by Dutton Children's Books, the story follows a boy named Ming and his adventures with a magical talking wok who grants wishes.The story portrays the rich family as evil and the poor family as heroic.
The Real Story of Stone Soup is a picture book written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. The stone soup folk story is often associated with European folklore, but Compestine retells it set in China.
Crouching Tiger is a children's picture book written by award-winning author, Ying Chang Compestine, and illustrated by Yan Nascimbene. Published in 2011 by Candlewick Press, the book tells the story of a young, Chinese-American boy who comes to appreciate his Chinese heritage thanks to his grandfather's tai chi lessons.
D Is For Dragon Dance is a 2007 children's picture book written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Yongsheng Xuan. The book explores the Chinese New Years traditions through a rhyming acrostic format using the English alphabet. The book concludes with an author's note, an artist's note, and a recipe for "New Year's Dumpling Delight".
The military history of the Jin dynasty and the Sixteen Kingdoms encompasses the period of Chinese military activities from 266 AD to 420 AD. The Jin dynasty is usually divided into the Western Jin and Eastern Jin in Chinese historiography. Western Jin lasted from its usurpation of Cao Wei in 266 to 316 when the Uprising of the Five Barbarians split the empire and created a number of barbarian states in the north. The Jin court relocated to Jiankang, starting the era of Eastern Jin, which ended in 420 when it was usurped by Liu Yu, who founded the Liu Song dynasty.
Zhao Kangmin was a Chinese archaeologist best known for discovering and naming the Terracotta Warriors of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, one of the most famous archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Fragments of the warriors were initially found in 1974 by farmers digging a well, but Zhao was officially credited as the discoverer as he was the first to recognize the significance of the fragments and reconstruct them into life-size statues. He also led or participated in many other excavations and served as a longtime curator of the Lintong Museum.
Duan Qingbo was a Chinese archaeologist. He served as the chief archaeologist of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and Dean of the School of Cultural Heritage of Northwest University in Xi'an. He discovered the large-scale drainage system of Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum and a high-ranking noble tomb in the mausoleum precinct. He also spent over two years surveying more than 1,900 kilometres (1,200 mi) of the Great Wall on foot.
