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Letter Home

October 12, 210 B.C.E

     Dear Family, 

          As you know I have gone back in time to the Qin dynasty. I am living a very different life than I am used to at home. It is very strict here, considering Legalism is the government system I am forced to live under. I should not be talking badly of this though, because I may be sentenced to death if discovered. This weekend i saw the almost complete Great Wall. It is so big! It extends for miles and miles. I do not doubt that it will keep the enemies out. When I witnessed some of the laborers working on it they seemed to be in very difficult condition. I know that they are criminals, war captives, and army members but I still believe that they deserve a break!
          One of the biggest highlights of my trip was interviewing Emperor Qin Shihuang. I enjoyed his insight on why he chose to have such a strict government. He also informed me on being a young king and gave me interesting facts about why he united China during the warring states period. He is well respected by his people, but I believe it is only because they will be punished if they do not respect him. Overall he is a very important person to the dynasty itself, making important decisions and giving cruel punishments.
          The food here is not very interesting. Mostly I have had meat, fish, and grains. I also drink tea often, it is very common here. None of the foods have excited me the way I expected them to. It is actually kind of different from the modern day Chinese. There are not many social gatherings, like cookouts, where food is eaten together because of strict laws that are placed through Legalism. I will write you again and hope to be back soon.
                                                                   

Sincerely,

Colleen

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http://answers.travelchinaguide.com/question/370398.htm

BREAKING NEWS! EMPEROR QIN IS DEAD!

Written by Colleen-Staff Writer

     Emperor Qin has just recently died on September 10, 210 B.C.E, at the age of 49. The cause of his death is still unknown. Many theories have been presented, one being illness the other being murder. He passed away in the Shaqiu Palace. The illness may have come upon him through overwork. Working hard Emperor Qin may have fell ill, but this theory has not yet been confirmed. There are three suspects in questioning for his possible murder, Hu Hai, Zhao Gao, and Li Si. Hu Hai, the son of the emperor, may have been angry with his father and killed him. This is not very likely but he is still being questioned. The other suspects have worked very closely with the emperor. More updates will be given after more information is presented. 

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/qin-shihuang-death.htm

 

The Great Wall of China is Good!

Written by Colleen- Staff Writer

     

     After the long building of the Great Wall one can draw the conclusion that it is good. Providing protection and work for criminals it brings less violence to the Qin dynasty. The Mongols sent a feeling of fear through the dynasty and the wall now gives the people a sense of safety. In order to stop the invasions the wall was built. At 6 meters high and about 5,000 miles long the wall is very difficult to for enemies to penetrate. The Great Wall is therefore considered to be good for the safety it brings the people. Emperor Qin Shihuang's idea to create the Great Wall was a brilliant one that brought safety to the entire dynasty. 

     Criminals now participated in vigorous labor as their punishment, thanks to the Great Wall. The tedious work required to build the great was was perfect for criminals, therefore making the Great Wall good. With approximately 2 million people working on the Great wall many were war captives and people who disobeyed the law. With criminals being put to work and being punished the people feel safe. The Great Wall provides the dynasty with protection and work therefore it is considered good.

www.greatwall-of-china.com/45-17/the-great-wall-of-the-qin-dynasty.html

Interview with Emperor Qin Shihuang

Question: Emperor Qin, what is it like to be the first emperor of China?

Answer: It is a great honor to be the first emperor of China but it comes with great responsibility. After the warring states period China was not unified and I took it upon myself to fix that. I introduced Legalism to the people and it seems to be working and unifying us as an empire. 

Question: You mentioned previously that your new government system, Legalism, is unifying your empire. How is it doing so?

Answer: I agree with the teachings of Legalism and think that people are selfish at heart. My laws being  enforced causes the selfishness to be less apparent and makes people work harder. With police roaming the areas I believe the laws of Legalism are bringing my people together and making us more unified.

Question: With all these laws you speak of comes punishment, do you believe your punishments are too harsh?

Answer: I strongly believe that my punishment are not too harsh! If a law breaker is scared of the punishment then it helps reduce crime in my empire. Discussing my way of running China in a bad manner deserves severe punishment. If my laws are to harsh for some I do not care, it helps the people in my empire obey me. 

Question: What was it like to become emperor at such a young age?
Answer: Well, I in fact became emperor at 22 but I surpassed my father in power at the young age of 13. After growing up as a prince during such a chaotic time I had ideas as to what I wanted to do with China. I wanted to unify it so, when I became more powerful I had thoughts as to what I would do. So being such a young person did not affect my choices much as emperor.

Question: What are some of your greatest achievements as emperor?
Answer: As mentioned previously the unification of China after the warring states period was by far my greatest achievement. Following this was the building of the Great Wall of China. I believe that the wall will provide my people with protection from invasions. Also the building of it poses new punishments for criminals. Finally, another achievement of mine is the standardization of my dynasty. I standardized measurement, currency, and weight throughout China. So these, as you can tell, are my greatest achievements.

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http://www.chinatravel.com/china-map/ancient-china-maps/map-124.htm

     There were many geographic figures in the time of the Qin dynasty. Two of the rivers running through the dynasty are still considered to be the most crucial rivers in China today. These rivers are the Yangtze and the Yellow river. Other rivers running through this territory are the Fen, Xiang, Li, and the Huai rivers. The lands of the Qin dynasty also contained Mount Lishan, a large mountain in Asia (Qin Dynasty Map). The dynasty was divided into many states and bordered the South Sea, the East Sea and the Bohai Sea.