Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 16.1. Map of China
China's first emperors are shadowy figures, beginning their reigns as early as 1900
BCE. The historical record begins with the Ch'in Dynasty. Its first emperor, Shih Huang Ti,
took the throne in 221 BCE. Remembered for his ruthless rule, he supposedly conscripted
300,000 laborers to extend the Great Wall. His tomb in Xian is now a celebrated tourist site,
with its silent army of 7,500 life-sized soldiers (terracotta warriors, a must-see site for wise
travelers). And it is from Ch'in Shi Huang Ti that China takes its name. More important
(with due allowance for revolutions and rebellions), from the Ch'in dynasty onward, China
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