History Channel Presents: China's First Emperor (2008)

Synopsis: Lauded for unifying China and infamous for oppressing its people, Chin Shi Huang Di, the nation's first emperor, still inspires a mixture of reverence and revulsion even centuries after his reign.... Lauded for unifying China and infamous for oppressing its people, Chin Shi Huang Di, the nation's first emperor, still inspires a mixture of reverence and revulsion even centuries after his reign. The controversial leader made undeniable advances, including the mass production of weapons (through an early version of the assembly line), the standardization of currency, and inimitable military strategies that enabled him to expand the empire many times over. But does his re-shaping of the country's culture outweigh his systematic torture of the citizenry? This History Channel investigation explores the powerful tangles of light and darkness in Chin Shi Huang Di's lasting legacy. [More]

Producer: The History Channel