Ancient China: An Illustrated Introduction to the History, People, Culture and Beyond

Richly illustrated with photographs of historical heritage, this book chronicles “ major” events which led to the rise and fall of dynasties. The focus is also on historical figures such as a petty bureaucrat in the Qin dynasty, a writer who loved travelling, or a scholar-official who devoted himself to calligraphy and painting. In this way, the authors, all young historians, narrate stories about the history of ancient China: from the era of the Warring States (475– 221 BC) when seven kingdoms wrestled with each other for supremacy to the unification of the country in the Qin dynasty (221– 207 BC), from the period of Three Kingdoms (220– 280) when it was divided again after the collapse of the Han dynasty (206 BC– AD 220) to the massive Rebellion of An Lushan (755– 763), which shook the Tang dynasty (618– 907), and from the everyday life in the Song dynasty (960– 1279) to the increased integration of ethnic groups to the transformation of the country in the Ming (1368– 1644) and Qing (1636– 1911) dynasties. Who were Chinese? How did they become what they are today? What does it mean to be Chinese in a long run? The book attempts to address such issues that have been widely discussed.