Records of the Quenching of the Northern Dynasties

The Northern Dynasties, a period of iron-blooded times amid turbulent times and wars, stood tall in the midst of the chaos of the Central Plains. It inherited the aftermath of the Five Husties and laid the foundation for the unification of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Although it was often labeled as "barbarian" and "war-torn", it was deeply marked by the collision of grasslands and farming, and the blending of Hu Feng and Han customs. Its 190-year history is an epic of nirvana written by the iron cavalry and the plow, and the nirvana of division and integration. "Fusion" is its main theme. Tuoba Gui established the Wei Dynasty and started the northern separatist regime. Emperor Xiaowen implemented Han-style reforms, wearing Han clothes, speaking Chinese, and changing Chinese surnames. The rebellion of the Six Towns broke the old order, and Yuwentai and Gaohuan divided the Eastern and Western Wei. During the change of political power, the civilizations of Hu and Han collided and reshaped. Those who could master the integration gained a foothold, while those who were stubbornly entrenched were eliminated. This period of history is not only marked by battlefield fighting, but also by the reconstruction of order and the explosion of national resilience and creativity through the blending of civilizations. We should not just copy history books to judge success or failure, but should shed the "barbarian" label and look at it from today's perspective, watching the heroes of troubled times perform passionate and emotional songs of the times at the crossroads of history, feel this grand practice of civilization, resilience and unity, and understand the profound truth of civilization and unity that history has conveyed in a hard-core way.