China’s ancient history is rich and complex, filled with remarkable achievements, dark truths, and historical mysteries. Beyond the grandeur of the Forbidden City and the existence of the Xia Dynasty lie harsh realities that have shaped China’s civilization today. Below are some of the most harsh facts about ancient Chinese history that you won’t find in textbooks, from interesting, fun facts to unique laws and Emperors.
The Qianlong Emperor Was the ‘Worst Poet’
Chinese emperors often excelled in poetry and calligraphy, earning acclaim for their literary talents. However, the Qianlong Emperor is notorious for his poor poetry. Despite allegedly composing 43,000 poems, he is criticized for subpar writing, plagiarism, and using ghostwriters.
One of his poems about snow reads: “One piece, another piece, and another piece; Two pieces, three pieces, four, five pieces; Six pieces, seven pieces, eight, nine pieces; All fly into the flowering reeds and disappear.”
