General History of China

2013•45m•9.8/10

Documentary

Ratings

🎬TMDb

9.8/10(5)

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.

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Production

CCTV-6 China Movie Channel 电影频道节目中心 (CMC)

Language

Status

Ended

First Aired

January 21, 2013

Last Aired

January 21, 2013

Networks

CCTV-6

Where to Watch

Region US · Lang EN

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Seasons & Episodes

Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.

Season

China Road

Air date: 2013-01-21

An introduction to the long development of Chinese civilization, tracing the ideas, institutions, cultural traditions and historical forces that shaped China’s distinctive path from antiquity to the end of imperial rule.

The Earliest Chinese

Air date: 2013-01-21

Archaeological discoveries reveal the prehistoric peoples who lived across ancient China and the gradual formation of communities, cultures and shared traditions that would contribute to later Chinese civilization.

The Rise of Agriculture

Air date: 2013-01-21

The episode explores the origins of farming in ancient China, including the domestication of millet and rice, the growth of settled communities and the social changes produced by agricultural life.

The Origins of Civilization

Air date: 2013-01-21

Early cities, ritual centers, crafts and systems of social organization illuminate the transition from Neolithic cultures to complex civilization in the lands that became China.

The Age of Early States

Air date: 2013-01-21

Competing regional societies developed fortified settlements, political hierarchies and ritual authority, laying the foundations for the earliest states recorded in Chinese history.

The Xia Dynasty

Air date: 2013-01-21

Archaeology and ancient texts are examined in the search for the Xia, traditionally regarded as China’s first dynasty, with particular attention to the Erlitou culture and debates over its identity.

The Rise and Fall of the Shang Dynasty

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Shang dynasty emerges as a powerful Bronze Age kingdom before internal weakness and military defeat bring its rule to an end at the hands of the Zhou.

Shang Civilization

Air date: 2013-01-21

Oracle bones, bronze vessels, royal tombs and sacrificial practices reveal the political order, religious beliefs, warfare and artistic achievements of Shang civilization.

King Wu's Conquest of Shang

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Zhou campaign against the last Shang king culminates in the Battle of Muye, establishing a new dynasty and introducing the enduring political idea of the Mandate of Heaven.

E10

The Regency of the Duke of Zhou

Air date: 2013-01-21

Serving as regent for the young King Cheng, the Duke of Zhou suppresses rebellion, consolidates Zhou rule and helps shape political and ritual institutions revered by later generations.

E11

The Decline of the Zhou Royal House

Air date: 2013-01-21

The authority of the Zhou kings weakens as regional lords grow more powerful, leading to the fall of the Western Zhou and the fragmented political order of the Eastern Zhou.

E12

The Struggle for Supremacy in the Spring and Autumn Period

Air date: 2013-01-21

Powerful states and ambitious rulers compete for leadership while alliances, reforms and warfare transform the political landscape of the Spring and Autumn period.

E13

Confucius

Air date: 2013-01-21

The life and teachings of Confucius are explored, from his search for ethical government to the development of ideas about ritual, virtue, education and social responsibility.

E14

Reforms Among the Warring States

Air date: 2013-01-21

Rival states adopt sweeping military, administrative and economic reforms as rulers seek stronger governments and armies during an age of intensifying competition.

E15

The Seven Warring States

Air date: 2013-01-21

The seven major powers struggle for survival and supremacy through diplomacy, strategy and mass warfare, setting the stage for Qin’s eventual conquest of its rivals.

E16

The Hundred Schools of Thought

Air date: 2013-01-21

Philosophers including Confucians, Daoists, Mohists and Legalists offer competing answers to the disorder of their age, creating a rich intellectual legacy for Chinese civilization.

E17

The Rise of the State of Qin

Air date: 2013-01-21

Philosophers including Confucians, Daoists, Mohists and Legalists offer competing answers to the disorder of their age, creating a rich intellectual legacy for Chinese civilization.

E18

Qin Shi Huang Unifies China

Air date: 2013-01-21

The king of Qin conquers the rival states, becomes China’s First Emperor and imposes far-reaching systems of administration, law, measurement, writing and imperial control.

E19

The Chu-Han Contention

Air date: 2013-01-21

After the fall of Qin, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang battle for control of China in a dramatic civil war that ends with the founding of the Han dynasty.

E20

The Parallel System of Commanderies and Kingdoms

Air date: 2013-01-21

The early Han balances centrally administered commanderies with semi-autonomous kingdoms, creating tensions that test the new dynasty’s ability to maintain unity.

E21

The Rule of Wen and Jing

Air date: 2013-01-21

Emperors Wen and Jing reduce taxes and state burdens, encourage recovery and strengthen the Han through cautious government, producing an era remembered for stability and prosperity.

E22

Emperor Wu of Han

Air date: 2013-01-21

Emperor Wu expands Han power, confronts the Xiongnu, centralizes authority and promotes Confucian state ideology, while the costs of warfare place heavy demands on the empire.

E23

Confucian Learning During the Two Han Dynasties

Air date: 2013-01-21

Confucian classics become central to education, scholarship and government as Han thinkers interpret ancient texts and establish traditions that influence imperial China for centuries.

E24

The Reign of Emperors Zhao and Xuan

Air date: 2013-01-21

Following Emperor Wu’s expensive campaigns, the Han court pursues recovery, administrative reform and more restrained government under Emperors Zhao and Xuan.

E25

Wang Mang's Reforms

Air date: 2013-01-21

Wang Mang seizes the throne and launches ambitious reforms intended to restore ancient institutions, but resistance, economic disruption and rebellion bring his Xin dynasty to collapse.

E26

The Restoration of Emperor Guangwu

Air date: 2013-01-21

Liu Xiu reunifies the realm after years of rebellion, restores the Han dynasty as Emperor Guangwu and rebuilds imperial government from a new capital at Luoyang.

E27

The Silk Road

Air date: 2013-01-21

Diplomacy, conquest and long-distance trade connect Han China with Central Asia and lands farther west, carrying goods, technologies, religions and cultures across Eurasia.

E28

The Pure Critiques and the Partisan Prohibitions

Air date: 2013-01-21

Scholar-officials criticize corruption and eunuch power at the Eastern Han court, provoking political purges that deepen factional conflict and weaken the dynasty.

E29

The Yellow Turban Rebellion

Air date: 2013-01-21

Religious movements, social distress and resentment of the Han government erupt into the Yellow Turban uprising, accelerating the breakdown of imperial authority.

E30

The Three Kingdoms

Air date: 2013-01-21

The collapse of the Han gives rise to the rival states of Wei, Shu and Wu, whose rulers and generals compete through warfare, diplomacy and shifting alliances.

E31

Zhuge Liang Governs Shu

Air date: 2013-01-21

As chief minister of Shu Han, Zhuge Liang seeks to stabilize the state, improve administration, develop the southwest and pursue campaigns against the stronger kingdom of Wei.

E32

The Unification Under Western Jin

Air date: 2013-01-21

he Sima family replaces Wei, conquers Shu and Wu and briefly reunites China under the Western Jin before court conflict and rebellion undermine the dynasty.

E33

The Spirit of the Wei and Jin Periods

Air date: 2013-01-21

Amid political turmoil, scholars and artists cultivate personal expression, philosophical debate and unconventional lifestyles that define the celebrated cultural spirit of the Wei and Jin.

E34

Rule by the Great Aristocratic Clans

Air date: 2013-01-21

Powerful hereditary families dominate politics and society during the era of division, shaping court government, official appointments and relations between northern émigrés and southern elites.

E35

Emperor Wu of Liang's Government

Air date: 2013-01-21

Emperor Wu presides over a long reign marked by cultural patronage, Buddhist devotion and administrative ambition, but court weakness and rebellion ultimately devastate the Liang dynasty.

E36

Emperor Xiaowen's Reforms

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Northern Wei emperor moves the capital to Luoyang and promotes sweeping cultural and political reforms intended to integrate his dynasty with the traditions of the Central Plains.

E37

Emporer Wu of Northern Zhou

Air date: 2013-01-21

Emperor Wu strengthens the Northern Zhou, curbs rival institutions and conquers Northern Qi, bringing northern China closer to reunification before his sudden death.

E38

The Rise and Fall of the Chen Dynasty

Air date: 2013-01-21

The final southern dynasty struggles to preserve stability and independence until internal weakness and the military power of Sui bring the Chen dynasty to an end.

E39

Buddhism in the Wei and Jin Periods

Air date: 2013-01-21

Buddhism spreads and adapts across a divided China, influencing philosophy, art, ritual and monastic life while becoming deeply rooted in Chinese society.

E40

The Restoration of Unity

Air date: 2013-01-21

After centuries of division, Yang Jian founds the Sui dynasty, defeats rival regimes and reunifies China through centralized institutions and large-scale reconstruction.

E41

Emperor Yang of Sui: Achievements and Failures

Air date: 2013-01-21

Emperor Yang expands canals, capitals and imperial projects, but costly wars, forced labor and rebellion turn spectacular ambition into the rapid collapse of the Sui.

E42

The Reign of Zhenguan

Air date: 2013-01-21

Emperor Taizong and his ministers establish a respected model of Tang government based on political consultation, military success, legal order and restrained rule.

E43

Empress Wu Zetian

Air date: 2013-01-21

Wu Zetian rises from imperial consort to become China’s only female emperor, using political skill, administrative reform and patronage to secure her extraordinary rule.

E44

The Prosperous Kaiyuan Era

Air date: 2013-01-21

Under Emperor Xuanzong, the Tang reaches a height of wealth, cultural achievement and international influence before complacency and court tensions threaten the flourishing empire.

E45

The An Lushan Rebellion

Air date: 2013-01-21

A frontier commander’s revolt plunges the Tang into years of war, causing immense destruction and permanently weakening central authority.

E46

The Predicament of the Middle and Late Tang

Air date: 2013-01-21

Regional military governors, eunuch influence, fiscal strain and court factionalism erode Tang power as the dynasty struggles to govern an increasingly divided empire.

E47

Chang'an: Metropolis of the World

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Tang capital is presented as a vast, cosmopolitan city where officials, merchants, diplomats, monks and travelers from across Asia meet.

E48

The Rise and Fall of the Tibetan Empire

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Tibetan Empire expands across the plateau and Central Asia, alternately fighting and negotiating with Tang China before internal conflict brings its imperial power to an end.

E49

Dunhuang

Air date: 2013-01-21

The oasis city of Dunhuang preserves the artistic and religious legacy of the Silk Road through its caves, manuscripts, murals and centuries of cultural exchange.

E50

The Tang Dynasty's Foreign Relations

Air date: 2013-01-21

Envoys, merchants, monks and armies connect the Tang with neighboring states and distant regions, making the dynasty a central power in a broad Asian world.

E51

Religion During the Tang Dynasty

Air date: 2013-01-21

Buddhism, Daoism and foreign faiths flourish in Tang China, shaping art and society while also becoming entangled in debates over wealth, authority and state control.

E52

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Air date: 2013-01-21

Following the Tang collapse, short-lived northern dynasties and competing southern kingdoms divide China until new political and military forces prepare the way for reunification.

E53

Emperor Taizu of Song

Air date: 2013-01-21

Zhao Kuangyin founds the Song dynasty, reunifies much of China and limits military power through institutions designed to place civil government above the generals.

E54

The Chanyuan Treaty

Air date: 2013-01-21

After years of conflict, Song and Liao negotiate a landmark peace that stabilizes their frontier and creates a lasting diplomatic relationship between rival empires.

E55

Governing the Realm with the Scholar-Officials

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Song expands examinations, schools and civil administration, creating a government in which educated scholar-officials exercise unprecedented influence.

E56

Wang Anshi's Reforms

Air date: 2013-01-21

Wang Anshi introduces controversial policies to strengthen state finances, defense and rural society, dividing the Song court between reformers and their opponents.

E57

The Jingkang Catastrophe

Air date: 2013-01-21

Jurchen armies capture the Northern Song capital and its emperors, ending the dynasty’s rule in the north and forcing the court to rebuild in the south.

E58

War and Peace Between Song and Jin

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Southern Song and Jin alternate between fierce warfare and negotiated peace as each seeks security, legitimacy and control of the contested frontier.

E59

The Southern Song's Refuge in the Southeast

Air date: 2013-01-21

Driven from northern China, the Song establishes a new center in the prosperous southeast, where commerce, maritime activity and urban culture support a resilient dynasty.

E60

The Dreamlike Splendor of the Eastern Capital

Air date: 2013-01-21

The bustling life of Northern Song Kaifeng is reconstructed through markets, festivals, entertainment and urban scenes immortalized in art and literature.

E61

Neo-Confucianism During the Song Dynasty

Air date: 2013-01-21

Song thinkers reinterpret Confucian tradition through new discussions of morality, human nature and the cosmos, culminating in a philosophy that reshapes education and government.

E62

Song Dynasty Culture

Air date: 2013-01-21

Printing, scholarship, painting, literature, science and urban life illustrate the extraordinary cultural creativity of the Song era.

E63

The Rise of Khitan

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Khitan peoples unite under Abaoji, found the Liao dynasty and build an empire that combines steppe traditions with institutions suited to ruling agricultural lands.

E64

The Founding of Western Liao

Air date: 2013-01-21

After the fall of the Liao in the east, Yelü Dashi leads Khitan followers westward and establishes a powerful new state in Central Asia.

E65

Wanyan Aguda

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Jurchen leader Wanyan Aguda unites his people, rebels against Liao domination and founds the Jin dynasty, transforming the balance of power in northern China.

E66

The Rise and Fall of the Jin Dynasty

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Jin conquers the Liao and Northern Song, rules a vast multiethnic realm and then faces internal strain and the devastating advance of the Mongols.

E67

Liao and Jin Culture

Air date: 2013-01-21

The cultural achievements of the Khitan Liao and Jurchen Jin reveal societies that blended their own traditions with the institutions, religions and arts of neighboring peoples.

E68

The Rise and Fall of Western Xia

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Tangut state builds a distinctive empire along the northwestern frontier, develops its own script and culture, and survives between powerful neighbors until the Mongol conquest.

E69

The Rise of the Mongols

Air date: 2013-01-21

Temüjin unites the Mongol tribes as Genghis Khan and creates a military empire whose campaigns transform Eurasia and threaten every state in northern China.

E70

Kublai Khan

Air date: 2013-01-21

Kublai Khan completes the conquest of the Southern Song, establishes the Yuan dynasty and governs China as ruler of a vast, multiethnic Mongol empire.

E71

Imperial Progresses Between the Two Capitals

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Yuan court moves seasonally between Dadu and Shangdu, reflecting the dynasty’s effort to balance steppe traditions with the administration of China.

E72

Phagpa, Imperial Preceptor of the Great Yuan

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Tibetan lama Phagpa becomes an influential adviser to Kublai Khan, shaping Yuan religious policy and creating a new script intended for the empire.

E73

The Maritime Silk Road

Air date: 2013-01-21

Ports, ships and merchant communities link Yuan China to Southeast Asia, India and the wider Indian Ocean through a flourishing network of maritime trade.

E74

Marco Polo and China

Air date: 2013-01-21

The celebrated traveler’s account provides a window into Yuan China while raising enduring questions about observation, memory and the transmission of knowledge between East and West.

E75

Emperor Shun of Yuan

Air date: 2013-01-21

The last Yuan emperor confronts factional conflict, natural disasters, fiscal crisis and widespread rebellion as Mongol rule in China collapses.

E76

Zhu Yuanzhang, Founder of the Ming Dynasty

Air date: 2013-01-21

From impoverished beginnings and rebellion against the Yuan, Zhu Yuanzhang rises to found the Ming dynasty and creates an intensely centralized imperial state.

E77

The Yongle Emperor Moves the Capital

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Yongle Emperor transfers the Ming capital to Beijing, constructs the Forbidden City and reshapes the political and strategic center of the empire.

E78

Zheng He’s Voyages to the Western Oceans

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Ming court dispatches Zheng He’s enormous fleets across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, projecting imperial prestige through diplomacy, trade and maritime power.

E79

The Grand Secretariat System

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Ming grand secretariat evolves into a powerful coordinating institution, helping emperors manage the bureaucracy despite the dynasty’s formal rejection of the chancellorship.

E80

The Tumu Crisis

Air date: 2013-01-21

A disastrous campaign against the Oirats ends with the capture of the Ming emperor, creating a succession crisis and exposing serious weaknesses in court and military leadership.

E81

Wang Yangming's Philosophy of Mind

Air date: 2013-01-21

The philosopher Wang Yangming teaches that moral knowledge is rooted within the mind and must be united with action, challenging established interpretations of Neo-Confucian learning.

E82

Maritime Frontiers and Foreign Trade

Air date: 2013-01-21

E83

Zhang Juzheng's Reforms

Air date: 2013-01-21

The grand secretary Zhang Juzheng strengthens finances, administration and imperial authority through ambitious reforms, but his program faces reversal after his death.

E84

The Jesuits Come to China

Air date: 2013-01-21

Jesuit missionaries enter late Ming China and build relationships through astronomy, mathematics, cartography and scholarship, opening a complex new era of cultural exchange.

E85

The Market Towns of Jiangnan

Air date: 2013-01-21

Commercial towns, specialized crafts and regional markets transform the prosperous Jiangnan region into one of the most dynamic centers of the late imperial economy.

E86

Silver Capital

Air date: 2013-01-21

The influx and circulation of silver reshape taxation, trade and everyday life in Ming China, tying the empire more closely to emerging global economic networks.

E87

The Chongzhen Emperor

Air date: 2013-01-21

The final Ming emperor struggles against rebellion, fiscal collapse, factional conflict and external threats as the dynasty moves toward catastrophe.

E88

Entering and Ruling the Central Plains

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Manchus cross the Great Wall, seize Beijing and begin the difficult process of conquering and governing China under the new Qing dynasty.

E89

The Consolidation of the Qing Dynasty

Air date: 2013-01-21

Early Qing rulers suppress resistance, rebuild administration and adapt imperial institutions in order to secure their authority over a vast and diverse realm.

E90

The Recovery of Taiwan

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Qing defeats the Zheng regime in Taiwan and incorporates the island into the empire, reshaping maritime defense and cross-strait administration.

E91

The Great Enterprise of Unification

Air date: 2013-01-21

Through warfare, diplomacy and frontier administration, the Qing expands and consolidates a multiethnic empire across Inner Asia and the Chinese heartland.

E92

The Grand Council

Air date: 2013-01-21

Created to handle urgent military affairs, the Grand Council develops into the Qing emperor’s most efficient instrument for confidential decision-making and centralized rule.

E93

Incorporating the Poll Tax into the Land Tax

Air date: 2013-01-21

A major Qing fiscal reform merges head taxes with land taxes, simplifying collection and altering the relationship between population, property and state revenue.

E94

Civil Government and the Literary Inquisitions

Air date: 2013-01-21

The Qing sponsors scholarship and cultural projects while also prosecuting writings considered politically dangerous, revealing the close connection between learning and imperial control.

E95

Reluctant Self-Strengthening

Air date: 2013-01-21

After military defeats, Qing officials adopt Western weapons, industry and technical knowledge while attempting to preserve the dynasty’s traditional political and cultural foundations.

E96

The Opium War

Air date: 2013-01-21

Commercial conflict, opium smuggling and diplomatic confrontation lead to war with Britain, exposing Qing military weakness and beginning a new era of unequal foreign pressure.

E97

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

Air date: 2013-01-21

A vast religious rebellion establishes the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and wages a devastating civil war that transforms Qing politics, society and regional military power.

E98

The First Sino-Japanse War

Air date: 2013-01-21

Conflict over Korea ends in a decisive Japanese victory, revealing the limits of Qing reform and triggering a profound crisis over China’s future.

E99

Reform and Revolution

Air date: 2013-01-21

Intellectuals, officials and activists pursue constitutional reform, modernization and revolution as the Qing struggles to respond to domestic crisis and foreign pressure.

E100

The End of Imperial Rule

Air date: 2013-01-21

Revolution spreads across China, forcing the abdication of the last Qing emperor in 1912 and bringing more than two thousand years of imperial government to an end.