Top 10 greatest emperors in China
- By Elaine Duan
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China.org.cn, December 1, 2010
Qin Shihuang
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Qin Shihuang, first emperor of ancient China. |
Qin Shihuang (259BC-210BC), born in Ying Zheng, was the first Emperor of a united China and the founder of Qin Dynasty.
During the preceding Zhou Dynasty, Ying Zheng was the king of the Qin State. Following his defeat of the other six Warring States in 221 BC, he became the ruler of all China and founded a unified empire of Qin. For the first time, all of China was unified under one powerful ruler. In that same year, he proclaimed himself as the "First Emperor", far surpassing the achievements of the old Zhou Dynasty rulers.
After the unification, the Emperor began to unify Chinese characters, measuring standards and coinage over the whole Empire, which facilitates exchanges between different peoples living in there.
He also undertook gigantic projects, among which the most famous were the Great Wall of China to strengthen the northern border, and the Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses Figurines, a city-sized mausoleum guarded by a life-sized Terracotta Army.
