Let’s Play and Learn

Chasing the Dragon Over the Wall

Follow Sam, the Dragon,
and Ninja LigerX
over China’s Great Wall
finding treasure at its best!

Chasing the Dragon Over the Wall collage of imagery from the book
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Storytime!

You can listen to the reading of this book.

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Let’s Play!

Learn about the Chinese Zodiac signs.
Create our Magical Creatures as Origami.
Download the treasure map for your own Scavenger Hunt!

Pages of Fun:
1 | 2 | 3

Let’s start with a jigsaw puzzle of the book’s cover.

The grid icon in the center of the puzzle lets you change how many pieces there are. Hit the OK to start the play.

Line up the Chinese Zodiac Signs in their proper order.

Here are more complete Chinese Zodiac explanations.

The images of these twelve animals are complete only when we combine their natural characters and symbolic meanings.

From The Cultural Connotation of Chinese Zodiac

Rat

Rats are fertile, and they are a sign of the production worship. They also enjoy a keen sense to danger, so the mining workers respect them, and pass their worship and awe to them from generation to generation. The rat is considered to be smart and quick in mind, and in some places, a sign of wealth to worship.

Ox

People attach merits suck as honesty, diligence, and selflessness to the Ox. The Chinese year of 2021 is the Year of the Ox, starting February 12, 2021 and lasting until January 31, 2022. The next Chinese year is the Year of the Tiger, starting February 1, 2022 until January 31, 2023.

Tiger

Tiger is thought to be the king of all the beast and a symbol of fierceness and masculinity. The Yin character, from the Twelve Earthly Branches representing the tiger, has the shape of an arrow. It incited a sense of both awe and worship for its power and ferocity. Tiger is one of the four guardian gods of the Taoism.

Rabbit

The rabbit is a tame creature representing loads of good wishes as one of Chinese zodiac. In the traditional sense, the idioms of rabbits are mostly negative, while new meanings are also given to the animal: vigorous like a rabbit; advance like a rabbit.

Dragon

The picture of “prosperity brought by a dragon and phoenix” was symbolic of Chinese culture after Tang Dynasty, meaning the power of the emperor and empress, the perfect combination of a couple, and the harmony between matters and spirits. Dragon is the totem of China as well as its symbol. Chinese deem that dragon is the god-like beast standing for luck, which can also control rain and wind.

Snake

The snake is one of the most ancient and vital animals in nature. People worship the snake and think they could bring people fortune.

From The Cultural Connotation of Chinese Zodiac

Horse

The horse is the earliest animal bred by human. They are considered to have the merits of diligence, bravery, and loyalty. They are people’s close companions, no matter in agriculture, hunting, warfare or transportation.

Goat

There is a Chinese saying, “goats know filial piety by kneeling down for nursing”, which means lambs would kneel down on their front legs to suck ewe’s milk. The story tells us to pay tribute to our parents and respect the elderly. The goat is considered a mascot representing mercy and goodness.

Monkey

They loved to go out together, the old [monkey] walking in front and young behind. They shared their own food with others. They loved each other, lived together and died together. The ancients said they were “beasts with mercy.”

Rooster

The “five merits” of the rooster: the comb as education; the claws as martial arts; the fighting spirit as bravery; calling each other when finding food as loyalty; punctuality in the morning crow as integrity. Rooster were regarded as role-models of bravery and boldness in the fight, despite their bloodshed. In the early Qin Dynasty, rooster and its blood were believed to drive away the evil spirits.

Dog

People praise the loyalty of dogs very often. Dogs were considered loyal since ancient time. Nowadays people love dogs even more, and think they come from “the plant of woof.”

Pig

In folk culture, people think that that the pig is a sign of fortune. It digs the earth with the snout for food with honesty and veracity, never expecting a handout, The pig head is referred to as “godly house”, the pig tongue “bringing fortune”, the pig ear “smooth going”. Other saying are :”profits” for the pig head, “gaining” for the pig tongue.

Play and Learn with all of our resources.
Download the treasure map for your own Scavenger Hunt!

Pages of Fun:
1 | 2 | 3