Use this activity to introduce your students to Ancient China and get them thinking about the Silk Road. The focus of this activity is of an artifact currently on view in the Penn Museum’s China gallery.
Color in this fu lion and her cub. Fu lions such as this have been placed in front of important buildings in China for centuries. This tradition continues today.
Crystal spheres distort light so much that they actually turn images upside down! Ask a friend or family member to stand behind the crystal and try to draw their picture.
The Chinese dragon is a legendary mythological creature, made from parts of animals we know from the real world. Identify what animals make up the dragon and then create your own legendary creature using parts of animals you choose.
Observe your house and the homes in your neighborhood to understand their unique features. Then, build your own house using cardboard and paper, using the Han house in the Museum's collection as inspiration.
Learn more about how statuettes are created. Follow along as we model our own statuettes out of clay, inspired by South Asian artifacts in our collection.
Explore the Zodiac animals using artifacts from the Penn Museum's collection. Then, tap into your creative side to draw the animal from your birth year.
Learn about Chinese artifacts called Buzi and use them to inspire your own legendary dragon.
Learn about performance masks from South Asia and create your own.
We're whipping up a delicious Chinese dish created by a Penn Museum International Classroom educator. Learn to cook traditional stir-fried eggs.
Mehendi is a popular form of body art from the South Asian region. Learn about Mehendi and create your own wearable art.
Mughal miniature painting was developed in India and often. found in book illustrations. Combine writing and art to create your own Mughal-inspired painting.
Each animal and symbol on the Buzi, also known as a Mandarin Square, can tell us a little about person who wore it. Be inspired by the embroidered designs to create your own Buzi!
Yifan Gao, Penn Museum Educator, shares one of her favorite childhood memories from growing up in China: making these delicious steamed buns in the shape of adorable animals!
In India, tea plants (called “chai” in Hindi) were traditionally used for herbal medicine. Learn more about how the drink we know today as chai tea was created, and follow this recipe to make your own Chai at home!