China Coloring Book - a Surprise Castle exclusive

24 hand-illustrated scenes from the Middle Kingdom, from the Great Wall to a silk gown decorated with peonies and clouds.

Five thousand years. One pencil at a time.

A hand-drawn adult coloring book, 24 scenes that run from terracotta warriors and dragon dances to terraced rice paddies and tea ceremonies. The pace is set by the slow brush of a calligrapher and the rhythm of a dragon-boat oar, not the next notification.

Step up to the Great Wall winding across mountains under watchtowers. Walk into the ranks of the terracotta warriors in their armor and traditional dress. Pull up to a traditional Chinese gate with upturned eaves, lion guardians, and ornate architecture. Then to a four-tiered pagoda beside a curved stone bridge in a landscaped garden.

The pages keep moving. A multi-story pagoda surrounded by mountains and water. The Shanghai skyline with the Oriental Pearl Tower above the river. A giant panda in a bamboo grove. A dragon-dance festival with the dragon carried on poles by costumed dancers.

Wander through the country. A traditional covered street with hanging lanterns and wooden shopfronts. A tea ceremony with teapot and cups by a lattice window. The Temple of Heaven with its tiered roofs and ceremonial platform. A garden pavilion with curved roof and moon-gate entrance.

Keep going. A man on a wooden raft poling between dramatic peaks. A wading bird in marshland reeds. A camel caravan crossing desert toward distant mountains. An arched stone bridge over water connecting two traditional buildings. A spread of calligraphy tools — brushes, ink, and decorated objects. A traditional market stall with vendors and produce baskets. A decorative lion figure with ornate makeup, fan, and robe. A mountain temple with stone staircases climbing among pine trees. A Peking Opera performer in dragon-scaled costume. A dragon boat race on a river with rowers and mythical dragon head. Terraced rice paddies on a mountainside with a farmer and ox. And to close, a silk gown on a dress form decorated with peonies and cloud motifs.

There's a reason coloring sticks around. It gives a busy mind somewhere to land, and in this case that somewhere is the eaves of a pagoda or the curl of a dragon's whisker. Some pages are bold and forgiving. Others will eat a whole afternoon. Works fine with colored pencils, fine-tip markers, or gel pens.

If you know someone planning a long trip to Beijing or Shanghai, a friend studying Mandarin every evening, or anyone with a stack of Yu Hua novels by the bed, this is for them. It's also for the person who'd quietly rather shade a Great Wall watchtower on a Saturday than scroll.

Open the gate.

Inside you'll find 24 scenes: the Great Wall in mountainous terrain, terracotta warriors in formation, a traditional Chinese gate with lion guardians, a four-tiered pagoda by a stone bridge, a multi-story pagoda among mountains, the Shanghai skyline with Oriental Pearl Tower, a giant panda in bamboo grove, a dragon dance festival, a covered lantern street, a tea ceremony at a lattice window, the Temple of Heaven, a moon-gate garden pavilion, a man on a raft between peaks, a wading bird in marshland, a camel caravan to mountains, an arched stone bridge between buildings, a calligraphy still life, a traditional market stall, a decorative lion figure, a mountain temple with pine staircases, a Peking Opera performer, a dragon boat race, terraced rice paddies with farmer and ox, and a silk gown with peonies and clouds.