For centuries China has intrigued and entranced Westerners. From Marco Polo's travels onwards, China's heritage of thousands of years of continuous civilization has long inspired awestruck respect in visitors, while its wide-ranging achievements, both artistic and intellectual, have retained the power to amaze and enthral. Treasures of China presents, in stunning colour photographs, a vivid portrait of this distinguished civilization and its great treasures - tracing the imperial kingdom's history through its dynasties of rulers, from the Shang and Zhou at the dawn of antiquity through to the Qing at the onset of the modern age.The book looks at each dynasty in turn, traces its developments in religion, art and culture, and examines its legacy of artefacts and monuments. An authoritative commentary sets the breathtaking creations of Chinese artists and craftsmen in their historical and artistic contexts. Treasures of China illustrates beautiful examples of metalwork, silk weaving, painting, jade carving, manuscript illumination, calligraphy, ceramics and much more - wonderful highlights of arguably the most exciting culture in the world.