A Century in a Zoetrope

In the final years of the Tang Dynasty, imperial authority weakened and regional warlords rose to power. The great clans continued to scheme against one another; the Northern and Southern Offices were also locked in bitter conflict; and, amid natural disasters and human suffering, Huang Chao raised an uprising and led the peasant rebels in a sweeping campaign across the Central Plains. Zhu Wen and Li Keyong seized the opportunity to grow in power. After that, powerful warlords rose one after another, taking turns on the stage like figures in a revolving lantern and shaping the fate of the late Tang and Five Dynasties.