Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom brings city builders inside the Great Wall of China. Leaving the Mediterranean behind, the city-building series makes its first foray into Asia and immerses you in brand new surroundings. China has existed for over 4,000 years, but its 4,000 year history has been marked with new technologies and ideas replacing - or enhancing - the old. This is the world in which you will take the reigns of leadership and take your cities through the twists and turns of Chinese history.

New exotic setting:

• Build imperial Chinese cities through three thousand years of Chinese history. Start with the Xia dynasty in 2100 B.C. and progress through the Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui/Tang, and Song dynasties.
  
• Produce exotic new commodities never seen in earlier city building games: rice, bean curd, millet, lacquer, bronzeware, tea, silk, hemp, paper and jade.
  
• Learn the ways of four different Oriental philosophies (ancestor worship, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism) to induce heroes to visit and bless your city.
  
• Construct majestic monuments including temple complexes, pagodas, palaces, tumuli, the Great Wall and the tomb with the terra-cotta army.
  
• Pick a zodiac animal at the start of each game session, and hold New Year's Festivals during its years to receive special city benefits.
  
  Multiplayer play:
  
• Send emissaries to other players to conduct diplomacy and establish trade.
  
• Hire spies to infiltrate other cities to gather information or conduct sabotage.
  
• Team with other players to complete great works of engineering such as China's Great Wall, and the 1,200-mile Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou.
  
• Raise troops to travel to other cities on raids or full-scale assaults.
  
  Enhanced game engine:
  
• Combat enemies with the enhanced combat engine that includes siege weapons, collateral damage, and torching of buildings.
  
• Enjoy the new graphics engine that adds 25% more detail to all graphics within the game.
  
• Manipulate export prices to compete in trade wars with the improved trading system.
  
• Feed your people well using the customizable farming and food system, which includes "Today's Special" at the Food Shops.