Five thousand years of China

Author: Wu Zhaoji
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: Mao Zedong was deeply fond of reading history, especially the Twenty-Four Histories. He believed that studying history could reveal the rise and fall of dynasties and understand the principles of governance. However, the Twenty-Four Histories, with its millions of words, is filled with references, vast, and lengthy. The New Illustrated Edition of China's Five Thousand Years, by simplifying and extracting the essence, serves as a concise version of the Twenty-Four Histories. It is accompanied by 264 illustrations meticulously drawn by renowned painters Deng Bangyuan and Fan Zhenya, as well as a visual CD, making it a fresh and engaging read for readers. The book is divided into three parts: the Ancient Period, the Medieval Period, and the Late Medieval Period. The Ancient Period includes: Pan Gu creating the heavens and earth, Nuwa creating humans and mending the sky, Shennong tasting a hundred herbs, the conflict between Huangdi and Chiyou, Gonggong smashing the Mount Wuze, Yao and Shun's abdication, Da Yu controlling the floods, and the tradition of inheriting the throne from father to son. The Medieval Period includes: Emperor Wen of Sui governing the state, Yang Guang killing his father to seize the throne, Emperor Yang of Sui's tour of Jiangdu, the Zhaozhou Bridge, the Wagon Gang uprising, Li Yuan's rebellion in Taiyuan, and more. The Late Medieval Period includes: Emperor Taizu of Ming, the Ming Emperor's severe punishment of corrupt officials, the kind and virtuous Empress with big feet, the Ming Emperor's establishment of literary purges, and the Battle of Jingnan, among others.