This illustrated introduction to the history of China offers a fresh understanding of China's progress from the Neolithic era to today. Narrated in six chronologically organized chapters through art, objects, people, and places, and richly illustrated with selected works and artifacts, it closely connects today's China with its internationally engaged past.

From the earliest archaeological discoveries and rituals, through the development of writing and statehood, to the advent of the empire, the author captures China's transformation from an ancient civilized society to one of the most densely populated countries and influential economies in the world, providing the reader with a wealth of historical perspectives and cultural treasures throughout the reading.

This accessible book presents an eclectic mix of materials, including Chinese theatre, decorative arts, clothing, jewelry, and furniture making, extending to the modern dissemination of Chinese culture. Published to coincide with the reopening of the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia at the British Museum, this book will invigorate, fascinate, and inform anyone interested in one of the largest and most influential nations of the modern world.