General History of China

2013 · Documentary

Tracing Chinese civilization from its prehistoric origins to the fall of the Qing dynasty, this sweeping 100-part documentary explores the rulers, wars, philosophies, religions, cultural achievements and social transformations that shaped one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations. Through archaeological evidence, historical records and expert commentary, the series presents a chronological account of China’s dynasties, peoples and institutions across thousands of years of history.

1.China Road 2.The Earliest Chinese 3.The Rise of Agriculture 4.The Origins of Civilization 5.The Age of Early States 6.The Xia Dynasty 7.The Rise and Fall of the Shang Dynasty 8.Shang Civilization 9.King Wu's Conquest of Shang 10.The Regency of the Duke of Zhou 11.The Decline of the Zhou Royal House 12.The Struggle for Supremacy in the Spring and Autumn Period 13.Confucius 14.Reforms Among the Warring States 15.The Seven Warring States 16.The Hundred Schools of Thought 17.The Rise of the State of Qin 18.Qin Shi Huang Unifies China 19.The Chu-Han Contention 20.The Parallel System of Commanderies and Kingdoms 21.The Rule of Wen and Jing 22.Emperor Wu of Han 23.Confucian Learning During the Two Han Dynasties 24.The Reign of Emperors Zhao and Xuan 25.Wang Mang's Reforms 26.The Restoration of Emperor Guangwu 27.The Silk Road 28.The Pure Critiques and the Partisan Prohibitions 29.The Yellow Turban Rebellion 30.The Three Kingdoms 31.Zhuge Liang Governs Shu 32.The Unification Under Western Jin 33.The Spirit of the Wei and Jin Periods 34.Rule by the Great Aristocratic Clans 35.Emperor Wu of Liang's Government 36.Emperor Xiaowen's Reforms 37.Emporer Wu of Northern Zhou 38.The Rise and Fall of the Chen Dynasty 39.Buddhism in the Wei and Jin Periods 40.The Restoration of Unity 41.Emperor Yang of Sui: Achievements and Failures 42.The Reign of Zhenguan 43.Empress Wu Zetian 44.The Prosperous Kaiyuan Era 45.The An Lushan Rebellion 46.The Predicament of the Middle and Late Tang 47.Chang'an: Metropolis of the World 48.The Rise and Fall of the Tibetan Empire 49.Dunhuang 50.The Tang Dynasty's Foreign Relations 51.Religion During the Tang Dynasty 52.The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 53.Emperor Taizu of Song 54.The Chanyuan Treaty 55.Governing the Realm with the Scholar-Officials 56.Wang Anshi's Reforms 57.The Jingkang Catastrophe 58.War and Peace Between Song and Jin 59.The Southern Song's Refuge in the Southeast 60.The Dreamlike Splendor of the Eastern Capital 61.Neo-Confucianism During the Song Dynasty 62.Song Dynasty Culture 63.The Rise of Khitan 64.The Founding of Western Liao 65.Wanyan Aguda 66.The Rise and Fall of the Jin Dynasty 67.Liao and Jin Culture 68.The Rise and Fall of Western Xia 69.The Rise of the Mongols 70.Kublai Khan 71.Imperial Progresses Between the Two Capitals 72.Phagpa, Imperial Preceptor of the Great Yuan 73.The Maritime Silk Road 74.Marco Polo and China 75.Emperor Shun of Yuan 76.Zhu Yuanzhang, Founder of the Ming Dynasty 77.The Yongle Emperor Moves the Capital 78.Zheng He’s Voyages to the Western Oceans 79.The Grand Secretariat System 80.The Tumu Crisis 81.Wang Yangming's Philosophy of Mind 82.Maritime Frontiers and Foreign Trade 83.Zhang Juzheng's Reforms 84.The Jesuits Come to China 85.The Market Towns of Jiangnan 86.Silver Capital 87.The Chongzhen Emperor 88.Entering and Ruling the Central Plains 89.The Consolidation of the Qing Dynasty 90.The Recovery of Taiwan 91.The Great Enterprise of Unification 92.The Grand Council 93.Incorporating the Poll Tax into the Land Tax 94.Civil Government and the Literary Inquisitions 95.Reluctant Self-Strengthening 96.The Opium War 97.The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom 98.The First Sino-Japanse War 99.Reform and Revolution 100.The End of Imperial Rule