China's Dragon Emperor - Season 1

He unified China from seven warring states and gave us the Great Wall, but was Qin Shi Huang a great leader? An in-depth look at the life of China's first emperor reveals new truths about his controversial rule. Was he an incompetent ruler, a brutal tyrant, or a great leader? 2,000 years after his death, the legacy of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, remains a point of debate. His role in ending centuries of conflict between warring factions and creating China's first imperial dynasty is indisputable, yet he has questionably been portrayed as a violent oppressor. Through ancient texts, artifacts, and expert insights, revisit the life of this complicated and influential figure.

See how Qin Shi Huang created a magnificent version of his Chinese empire and palace in his mausoleum deep underground. In the summer of 1974, archaeologists in Northwest China made a remarkable find: an army of life-sized clay soldiers buried underground. These Terracotta Warriors--over 8,000 of them--were created to guard over the first emperor of China in his massive burial mound. Enter his royal tomb, a structure bigger than the Great Pyramid of Giza, and discover how it was constructed over 38 years through the hard labor of 700,000 workers. Then see the elaborate measures taken to preserve these ancient findings and bring the past to light.