The Fusion Before Emptiness: The Story of China from 317 AD to 589 AD

Author: Liu Jingcheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: The Eastern Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties lasted for 273 years (317–589). Due to the establishment of regimes by five ethnic minorities in the Central Plains and prolonged division and control, this was the most complex and turbulent era in Chinese history. Han and ethnic minorities successively established about thirty regimes of varying sizes, and over 500 major wars occurred. The turmoil and wars brought profound wounds and disasters to the people of all ethnic groups, but at the same time, society also moved forward toward renewal amidst chaos and suffering. The system of feudal aristocracy in the Eastern Jin reached its peak, with aristocratic landlords controlling the highest administrative power of the state, enjoying privileges such as hereditary officialdom, exemption from taxes and corvée, and monopolization of culture. Over the three dynasties of Southern Dynasties—Liu Song, Qi, and Liang—the aristocratic system gradually declined, while the common people rose to prominence. Especially after the Hou Jing Rebellion at the end of the Liang Dynasty, the aristocracy completely collapsed, and the tribal chiefs and strongmen of southern ethnic groups emerged, eventually establishing the Chen Dynasty. This was a key feature of politics in the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period in the north, numerous regimes existed, wars were frequent, and ethnic integration proceeded slowly. After the unification of the Northern Wei (439), especially under the reforms of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei (reigned 471–499), the process of ethnic integration was advanced. At the end of the Northern Wei, tribal chiefs and strongmen in northern regions rose to power, establishing the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou regimes. After Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou conquered the Northern Qi, ethnic integration was nearing completion. Eventually, Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, a Han Chinese, overthrew the Northern Zhou and conquered the Chen, achieving national unification. This period was one of transformation that bridged the past and the future. By the Tang Dynasty, the medieval period of China had taken, with feudal politics, economy, and culture flourishing. It can be said that this era laid a solid foundation for this prosperity. The Story of China is an encyclopedia of Chinese history that combines narrative reading, exquisite and delicate image appreciation, and convenient and practical search functions. It contains countless captivating scenes from Chinese history, woven together to form the splendid civilization of the Chinese nation over its five thousand years. Just as exploring famous mountains and rivers requires a guide and map, the illustrated introductions below will guide readers to fully enjoy the beauty of China's historical landscape. The overall layout fully reflects the book's emphasis on narrative texts, showcasing its characteristics as an encyclopedia: dense knowledge, integration of text and images, and convenient searching. This allows readers to feel the charm of history and culture and the ingenuity of the editorial design on every page. To better understand the stories and apply them in real-life learning, the book provides three key elements in the narrative texts: story introductions, paragraph titles, and story numbers. The story introductions summarize the essence of each story, while both they and the paragraph titles are designed to help readers grasp the core of the story and quickly access important information in a relaxed and convenient way. The story numbers, on the other hand, are linked to the indexing system. Each story contains essential elements such as the core content (i.e., the essence of the story), characters, and allusions. The book extracts these three elements, labels them at the top of each story (along with the source), and compiles them into an index at the end. The story numbers are then linked to the three indexes at the back of the book: "Characters," "Allusions," and "Keywords." The vast amount of information and practicality of the indexes is a major feature of the book. With dense information, it compensates for the limitations of knowledge points in the narrative, achieving a harmonious balance between the emotional impact of the stories and the rational summary of historical knowledge. It allows readers to see both the trees and the forest, enjoying the aesthetic pleasure brought by stories while also discovering the great wisdom of history. The content in columns such as "Major Events in China," "Major Events in the World," "Cultural and Historical Encyclopedia," "Historical Examination," and picture captions are carefully selected knowledge blocks, both the essence of historical knowledge and a vivid representation of "living history," reflecting the social life and daily routines of ordinary people at the time. Complementing this are the convenient "Chinese Cultural and Historical Encyclopedia" search functions. The images cover a wide range, deeply recreating historical realities with delicate and unique visual effects, vividly highlighting the development and changes in various aspects of social life in each historical period. Through the vivid "stories within the pictures," readers can appreciate the profound content they contain, making them a full holographic image of historical and cultural knowledge.