In 221 BCE, the King of Qin concluded the invasion of the Warring States and established the Qin Empire, declaring himself the "First August Emperor of Qin." Having conquered Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao and Wei, the Qin Emperor envisioned a dynasty that would last for ten thousand generations. Conversely, the traits of the First Emperor have endured for more than two thousand years through written records, art, and material remains. Perceptions of the First Emperor have also varied according to the narrator, form of media and target audience. Although the recent movie "Hero" portrayed the Emperor as a person of dignity, it is interesting to see, in contrast, that many historians have rendered the Emperor as a cruel tyrant, one that was greedy and nearsighted. His burial chamber, located approximately 30 km outside of the present-day capital of the Shensi province, remains a symbol of the immeasurable power and...