BBC Documentaries

The Immortal Emperor (1996x6)

: 15, 1996

It’s 221 BC, and the veil of history is lifted to reveal life in the Qin Dynasty, under China’s first emperor, Shihuangdi. Noted historians, archaeologists, and other experts extrapolate from discoveries made in the ruler’s tomb, as they examine the political, intellectual, philosophical, artistic, and religious structure of Chinese society of the first dynasty. Sophisticated computer animation re-creates both the outer and inner structure of Shihuangdi’s tomb, complete with rivers rippling with mercury; decorative period artifacts; food larders; mummified concubines awaiting their master’s pleasure; and the now-famous 8,000-man terra-cotta army of statues standing guard to protect the dead emperor from his enemies in the afterlife.