Who is This Man?

He is standing in the Badaling Hills, contemplating his next move. He succeeded his father, the Emperor of the Qin state at the age of 13. He lived in an age when warfare flourished, as did books like Sun Tzu's The Art of War.  By the age of 20, he has already achieved one of his main goals—conquering the kingdom of Chou and ending the period of the Warring States. His cavalry has proved victorious. But still there are marauders, nomadic raiders (including the ancestors of Atilla the Hun), who threaten his northern holdings. How will he defend the Northern borders? To keep these hordes at bay, he pulls together the existing patchwork of defenses, uniting the ramparts in a single, huge defense system, built largely using slaves and criminals. This "great wall" will stretch some 1,400 miles along his northern and northwestern frontier. Thus, his empire will be well defended. Will his life's work survive? As is customary, he starts his funeral preparations in good time—in fact, he allows some 40 years for the work, assigning over 700,000 slaves and artisans to the task. Such an important ruler must be protected for the afterlife. Tradition has it many of his servants will be buried with him. But ever the maverick, he instead creats a massive army of terra cotta soldiers. Armed with chariots and cavalry, molded in exquisite detail, accurate down to rank, insignia and individual facial features, they are ready to defend him when the time comes... Who is he? Photo Courtesy of Viking River Cruises He is Emperor Qin Shi Huang, known as the "First Autocratic Emperor" of China. His army still stands, long buried near China's city of Xian. Yes, the Terra Cotta Warriors are some 8,000 strong. And indeed, even his ramparts remain—one of the most famous landmarks of all time, the Great Wall of China.   What else did he old Qin Shi do (like the above wasn't enough)? The emperor simplified the written Chinese script, standardized weights and measures, and minted new copper coins.  Qin Shi Huang longed for longevity, so he sent his ministers to go on quests seeking for an elixir of immortality. However, death claimed him before he could find success on that matter. Seems like everyone's been looking for that elixir for quite awhile. If you'd like to get to know more about Qin Shi Huang, and much more of the fascinating history and traditions of China check out some of the wonderful river cruises offered in 2013.  Book early to get 2-for-1 cruise fares and up to 2-for-1 airfares too!