The Rise and Fall of Chu: Pioneering and Assimilating Chinese Civilization

The people of Chu cleared paths through wilderness and opened up the mountains. They worked tirelessly to restore and unify Huaxia. Open-minded, inclusive, and romantic, they pursued beauty to the utmost and created the dazzling culture of Chu. Here you will find the world-famous Marquis Yi of Zeng's chime bells, exquisite lacquerware, brilliantly creative silk embroidery, elegant and refined Chu poetry, and such figures as King Zhuang of Chu, the great hegemon; Sun Shuao, the water-management expert; Qu Yuan, the great poet; and Shen Baoxu, a model of loyalty and virtue... During the Spring and Autumn period, Chu defeated Jin and became a hegemon. At its height, it was a mighty state stretching 5,000 li in every direction, its territory said to span the world. Yet in the brutal Warring States period, when treachery and ruthless ambition reigned, Chu's ruling class still retained the simplicity, refinement, and unhurried pace instilled by the ritual and musical culture of the Spring and Autumn era. When laid-back Chu encountered the ruthless Warring States age, its downfall was inevitable. This book examines the impact of assimilation into the Central Plains on Chu's rise and fall, as well as the expansion and integration of Huaxia civilization. Drawing on archaeological discoveries and historical texts, it uses Chu's wondrous artifacts to explore the splendor of its civilization, and its rise and decline to reveal the patterns behind history's fortunes and downfalls. It tells the complete, systematic story of Chu's 800-year history.