Ancient China

The Song dynasty (960–1279) began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu and ended the chaotic Five Dynasties and … Read more

In ancient China, the Imperial Examination System was highly compatible with the feudal ideology; the disciplinary inspection system and the impeachment system aimed to keep … Read more

In a nation with a long history and ready to draw lessons from the past, Chinese governments of all generations have paid close attention to … Read more

In ancient China, the local political system mainly included the System of Prefectures and Counties and the Local Gentry System (xiang shen zhi), aiming to … Read more

The governance of a country must rely on competent officials. During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods of ancient China, the practice of blood-related aristocracy … Read more

In ancient China, a strict Household Registration System was implemented to manage the population and serve as a fundamental basis for taxation and corvée, thus … Read more

Virtue instruction as the mainstay with a supplement of legal punishment was the philosophy of governance traditionally advocated by ancient Chinese rulers, where much attention … Read more

As the renowned philosopher Lao Tzu once said, “The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long”. And never was this statement truer … Read more

In ancient China, apart from the small peasant economy, the state had a strict monopoly on the production and operation of vital industries such as … Read more

Finance is the key to good governance and a harmonious society. The ancient Chinese prescribed a sound economic system, which was first manifested in the … Read more

The ancient Chinese originally believed that the world was divided into Chinese (hua xia) and barbarians (man yi). In the Zhou Dynasty, the royal family … Read more