Lily Dragon - Tapa dura

A quest, set in contemporary China ,as two children race to find Imperial Chinese treasure to save their own farm in England.

Lily was born in the Year of the Dragon. She’s an impulsive child who jumps at the chance to visit her maternal grandparents in China for New Year. Mum and Dad can’t be with her because their farm in England is in financial trouble. Lily and her brother Tom travel to China and both are fascinated by the different way of life. They hear about their ancestor – Grandfather Tsui, who was a Court Artist in Imperial China, over 300 years before – and who helped to hide Court treasures from being plundered. He left behind replicas, in a beautiful wooden box – Lily’s heirloom. When Lily finds a scrap of paper covered in Chinese characters in the box, she senses it is a clue to where the real treasure is hidden and she determines to seek this out. Together with her brother and her aunt, Lily travels to a country village between mountains and paddy fields... to search for her heirloom... her destiny.

'Never look back at the setting sun, only forward to the rising moon.'

Lily was born in the Year of the Dragon – she has an impulsive nature. When Mum tells her the story of Grandpa Zhang and his treasure box, Lily is determined to discover its secret. With their farm in England about to be sold, Lily and her brother Tom travel to China to stay with their grandmother and aunt for the New Year celebrations. For Tom it is adventure of a lifetime. For Lily, it is her destiny – she must find the treasure to save the farm.

Everything about China fascinates the children – from the hustle and bustle of the cities to the beauty of the countryside; from the noise and colour of the fireworks display to the quiet of the buffalo trail and the cormorant fishermen. As they unravel Grandpa Zhang's riddle, they journey across China by train and bicycle to the land of the Green Gauze Belt and the Blue Jade Hairpins. Then on by boat to beyond where the sleeping tigers lie . . .

An exciting adventure story, set against the background of China, both ancient and modern, by a talented new author of children's fiction.