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Reader comments on Hero
Subject: Truth and fiction of Chinese history.
Date: Sep 8, 2004
This movie is a pure fiction. It is rather a metaphoric depiction of Chinese history.
There was a famous assassination attempt on the First Emperor in 227 BC by Jin Ke, who was from the kingdom of Yan (Its capital is nowadays Beijing.)
Jin Ke came up with a plan to assassin the King of Qin. He requested the map of Yan and the head of General Fan who was hated by the King Qin after he defected to Yan from Qin. Prince of Yan agreed to offer the map but not general's head. The general, upon learning the plan, volunteered to offered his own head to avenge the slaughter of his entire family by King Qin after his defection.
In 227 BC, Jin Ke was formally received in a solemn ceremony by King Qin as the representative of Yan court to offered the concession of the Yan kingdom to Qin. Jin Ke's assistant, who was carrying the head and following behind Jin Ke, was so frightened by the imposing atmosphere of Qin palace and the serious guards, trebled severely and could barely walk.
An officer at King Qin's side shouted: "What is going on with the ambassador?!" The shouts echoed down the grand palace hallway and the assistant was completely paralyzed on the floor. Jin Ke, realizing the dangerous situation, answered: "He is from a small town, has never been to such a magnificent palace, has never met such a majestic grand king. He is naturally very nervous. Please forgive him, your Highness."
King Qin was alarmed by the situation and ordered the assistant not to come forward. Jin Ke continued walking down the grand hallway toward the King Qin. He kneeled in front of the king and held up the map in his arms. The king took the map and rolled it open slowly. At the last roll over, a knife was revealed. Jin Ke immediately grabbed the knife and grabbed the King's arm to stab him. King Qin jumped up in a hurry and was able to escape when his sleeve broke away.
No officials standing in the main palace hall was armed except the king himself who was carrying a sword. And no one was able to move without the king's order. The king was running around the palace, hiding from pillar to pillar, with Jin Ke chasing after him with the knife. Only after someone shouted "Your Highness, use your sword!" the king then pulled out the sword and cut off Jin Ke's left leg and three fingers. The palace guards were then able to cut Jin Ke in pieces.
Immediately the king Qin ordered to takeover Yan. The king of Yan killed the Prince of Yan to appease Qin but to no avail. Yan fell to Qin in 222 BC. In Chinese history, Jin Ke and General Fan were viewed as heroes. The First Emperor Qin was never regarded as a hero but a tyrant. But the Chinese history also recognizes that the prosperity and successful rule of the Han dynasty (206 BC ö AD 220) probably could not exist if it was without the excessive rules of the Qin empire to build the foundation for centralized control.
Qin was not the first dynasty of China, but the first one whose king called himself the First Emperor. Before Qin, it was Zhou Dynasty (1027 - 221 BC), Shang Dynasty (1700 - 1027 BC) and Xia Dynasty. Qin was among many principalities that were awarded the title and territories by the Zhou rulers and pledged allegiance to the king of Zhou, "The Son of Heaven".
Zhou's power deteriorated after a detrimental succession fight in 770 BC and moved its capital east, hence the Eastern Zhou (770 - 221 BC). During this period, states fought with each other constantly to "punish" the unruly states, all in the name of unifying for Zhou. By 475 BC only 7 states remained. For 254 years during the Warring States period, 7 states fought with each other mercilessly, until Qin conquered them all.
Qin was not the only state that had the ambition to conquer all. For hundreds of years and generations after generations, all states tried to unify in the name of "Zhou - the Son of Heaven". Qin was able to succeed, at the end, in 221 BC.
Qin was not the only dynasty that brought totalitarianism with peace and unity. China's government, after long periods of war and chaos, tends to be brutal. This was the case with Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC) after 254 years of Warring States period; Sui Dynasty (AD 581-617) after 60 years of Three Kingdoms and over 200 years of Southern and Northern Dynasties, and you could say, with Mao's China after the civil war. But the totalitarian dynasties were always short-lived.
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Comment index:
Hero from Emily, Aug 25, 2004
truth from What's American, Sep 7, 2004
thanks from barb, Aug 28, 2004
» Truth and fiction of Chinese history. « from Noname, Sep 8, 2004
Awesome from Dan Omlor, Sep 13, 2004
Re: But from skeptikos, Dec 26, 2004
hero from tso t'an, Feb 21, 2005
ask from mujahid, Mar 31, 2006
Re: ask from Bubba Hotep, Apr 11, 2006
??? from Kessel, Nov 4, 2007
Bravo from tsering, May 29, 2010
Hero from Emily, Aug 25, 2004
truth from What's American, Sep 7, 2004
thanks from barb, Aug 28, 2004
» Truth and fiction of Chinese history. « from Noname, Sep 8, 2004
Awesome from Dan Omlor, Sep 13, 2004
Re: But from skeptikos, Dec 26, 2004
hero from tso t'an, Feb 21, 2005
ask from mujahid, Mar 31, 2006
Re: ask from Bubba Hotep, Apr 11, 2006
??? from Kessel, Nov 4, 2007
Bravo from tsering, May 29, 2010
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