The two greatest achievements of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 BC - 210 BC) – the Great Wall（长城） and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses（兵马俑） – fascinate people to this day. As the first emperor of China, he indeed has a profound influence on Chinese history and culture.

Ascent to the Throne
Emperor Qin Shi Huang, born as Ying Zheng（嬴正） in 259 BC, was the son of the king of the Qin State. At the age of thirteen, he succeeded his father's regality. Ying Zheng was very aggressive and ambitious at an early age. He assumed full power at 22 by ridding himself of his premier, Lu Buwei（吕不韦）, who acted as regent while he was a minor. He wanted to unify and subjugate all the states like Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan and Qi through the powerful political, economic and military strength of the Qin State. Ying Zheng realized his ambition and built the first feudal and centralized empire in Chinese history in 221 BC. This is what is called the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC). Ying Zheng was the first emperor of a united China, so he proclaimed himself Qin Shi Huang（秦始皇）.

Qin Shi Huang
When Ying Zheng unified China, he believed his achievement had surpassed those of the legendary "San Huang (three emperors)"（三皇） and "Wu Di (five sovereigns)"（五帝）. He therefore created a new title for himself: "Huangdi"（皇帝） together with "Shi (meaning the first)"（始）. Hence the name, "Qin Shi Huang（秦始皇）" or "Qin Shi Huangdi（秦始皇帝）", which means the first emperor of China. He hoped his descendants would follow in his steps and rule China for eternity.

Achievements and Defects
In order to consolidate the nascent empire, Qin Shi Huang reformed politics, economy and culture. In politics, he abolished the hereditary vassal fiefdom system and established prefectures and counties, ruled directly by the emperor. Based on the original rules of the Qin State, the emperor adopted some regulations of other rival states to form a workable law of the Qin Dynasty. In economy, he claimed that both agriculture and commerce were very important and that people should develop them together. The tax system also became functional and coinage and metrology were all standardized. In culture, the emperor unified the Chinese characters in writing, which promoted the development of the Chinese culture. However, he also suppressed scholars who were not to his liking. Consequently, many scholars involved were killed in Xian Yang.

The symbol of the Chinese ancient civilization, the Great Wall bears witness to Qin Shihuang's centralism. He ordered conscript laborers to link together the defensive works against marauding nomads already built by the former states. That was the forerunner of the modern Great Wall. Another world-famous achievement is the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xian, which was discovered near the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Both are wonders of China. But during their construction, countless conscripts lost their lives – a terrible waste of manpower and resources.

Decline of the First Emperor
Qin Shi Huang’s thirst for longevity saw his ministers seeking far and wide for the elixir of immortality. However, death claimed him before he could find success in that matter. The emperor departed from the world of the living in 210 BC while traveling. The Peasant Uprising (农民起义) led by Chen Sheng（陈胜） and Wu Guang（吴广） broke out soon after Hu Hai (胡亥) ascended the throne. Accordingly, the Qin Dynasty came to an abrupt end in 206 BC. Whatever the criticisms, Qin Shi Huang remains an epoch-making emperor in China's long history.