China is a land like no other, a land of over 1 billion souls and over 3,000 years of history. Ruled for millennia by mighty dynasties, its people are industrious and inventive, hardened by centuries of war, political upheaval and the ambitions of its leaders. From its early days under the First Emperor to the rise of Mao and the surveillance state being built by President Xi Jinping, this is the story of a fascinating nation that looks set to dominate the world of tomorrow.
Enter THE DRAGON
Imperial CHINA • THE CHINESE EMPIRE STOOD FOR MILLENNIA AT THE CENTRE OF THE EAST ASIAN WORLD AND AT THE FOREFRONT OF HUMAN CIVILISATION
KEY EVENTS & RULERS
The Forbidden City • A fortress of palaces and gardens
Leading lights of ancient China • TEN PEOPLE WHO SHAPED THE POLITICAL, CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOM
Secrets FROM ANCIENT CHINA • IN THE 1970s, FIVE MEN DIGGING A WELL MADE A STARTLING DISCOVERY THAT TRANSFORMED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CHINA’S HISTORY AND THE BRUTAL EVENTS OF 2,000 YEARS AGO
The warring states in 250 BCE
THE EMPEROR’S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS
The Painted Warriors
THE ELIXIR OF LIFE
The burial site
THE Great Wall OF CHINA • SPANNING THOUSANDS OF KILOMETRES AND CENTURIES OF CONSTRUCTION, THIS ENDURING FORTIFICATION REMAINS ENVELOPED IN MYTH AND WONDER
Building the Great Wall • Inheriting a tradition of wall building that stretched back almost 2,000 years, the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) committed itself to sealing the northern frontier against the ‘barbarian’ nomads – the Mongols – with a wall of unprecedented strength. To the west of the Yellow River it was mainly made of rammed earth. To the east, its many sections were of stone. It took almost two centuries to build.
SAVED BY A BRICK
HOW TO SEND A SMOKE SIGNAL
GUARDING THE WESTERN DESERTS • In the bone-dry sands of the Western Regions, wooden strips used as stationery have been perfectly preserved. They contain records of life on the Wall at a time when the Han dynasty was imposing tough laws. This is a composite picture of Xu, a young soldier, from around 100 CE.
HOW LONG IS THE WALL?
THE Silk Road • FIND OUT HOW THIS ANCIENT TRADING NETWORK BECAME THE WORLD’S FIRST COMMERCIAL HIGHWAY A N D A CONNECTION BETWEEN CULTURES
MARCO POLO
A DEADLY EXPORT
The route to the East • Traders used several different paths to transport their precious cargo
The Three Kingdoms 220–280 CE • FOLLOWING THE COLLAPSE OF THE RULING HAN DYNASTY, THE STATES OF WEI, SHU AND WU PLUNGED INTO SIX TURBULENT DECADES OF CARNAGE AND CHAOS
Key figures
Major events
The three teachings of China • HOW RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY SHAPED BOTH ANCIENT AND MODERN CHINESE SOCIETY
10 Great Chinese Inventions • ANCIENT CHINA WAS A MELTING POT OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND INGENIOUS INNOVATIONS
CHINA’S Golden Age • WITNESS TO REVOLUTIONARY INVENTIONS, TERRITORIAL EXPANSION AND WIDESPREAD PROSPERITY, THE REIGN OF THE TANG TRANSFORMED CHINESE CULTURE AND ESTABLISHED CRUCIAL LINKS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
Conquering CHINA • THE 70-YEAR CAMPAIGN THAT TOPPLED THE GREATEST DYNASTIES OF THE EASTERN WORLD
THE JOURNEY OF TOLUI • How Genghis Khan’s fourth son earned a crushing victory through luck and ruthless strategy
RED COATS • The militia outlaws who rose from the ashes of northern China’s scorched fields to claim their own territory
ASSIMILATION • Morphing foes into subservient allies was one of the Mongols’ greatest strengths
THE RED TURBAN Rebellion • HOW A BUDDHIST SECT LED TO THE OVERTHROW OF CHINA’S MONGOL OVERLORDS AND THE RISE OF THE MING DYNASTY
THE WHITE LOTUS •...