At best they have been taken for granted and sometimes they have endured far worse at the hands of China's governments and invaders alike. What voice for the Chinese public now?

Hong Xiuquan - The Rebel

Oct 18th, 2012 14m 8s

Chinese history can be read as a series of peasant rebellions. One in the 19th Century, led by a man who thought he was Christ's brother, lasted 15 years and caused at least 10 million deaths. Originally, all Hong Xiuquan wanted was to be part

Wang Anshi - The Mandarin

Oct 17th, 2012 13m 53s

The behaviour and competence of China's bureaucrats have defined the state for 2,000 years. But in the 11th Century came a visionary who did something almost unheard of - he tried to change the system. For the first 50 years of his life, everyt

Liu Bei - The Warlord

Oct 16th, 2012 14m 9s

Early in the 3rd Century, China's mighty Han empire collapsed. From the wreckage emerged three kingdoms and competing warlords with an eye on the throne. Centuries later their struggle was turned into China's favourite warfare epic - a story th

Qin Shi Huangdi: The Emperor

Oct 15th, 2012 13m 48s

There are two Chinese leaders whose final resting place is thronged by tourists - Mao Zedong and Qin Shi Huang, the emperor of terracotta soldier fame. But they also have another thing in common - Qin taught Mao a lesson in how to persecute int

The Soong Sisters - The Consorts

Oct 12th, 2012 14m 8s

On one bank of the Huangpu river in Shanghai stands a forest of steel and glass skyscrapers, but on the other - colonial splendour. A century ago, foreigners unpacked a whole new fascinating way of life on the docks here.From Western ships came

Du Fu and Li Bai - The Poets

Oct 11th, 2012 14m 10s

China's two favourite poets were born 1,300 years ago, at the beginning of the 8th Century. The language has changed so little that they remain easy for modern Chinese people to read, and their themes are still relevant today - from friendship,

The Duke of Zhou: The Ancestor

Oct 10th, 2012 14m 7s

Many Chinese look to Confucius for guidance. But Confucius looked to the Duke of Zhou. He handed power to his nephew 3,000 years ago, but his ideas still motivate leaders today.

Kublai Khan: The Barbarian

1 Oct 9th, 2012 14m 3s

China has a love-hate relationship with what is foreign. Traditionally all people beyond the Great Wall were barbarians - only part human. But invaders have sometimes been welcomed, in time, into the Chinese family. One was Kublai Khan.In the 1

Sima Qian: China's Great Historian

Oct 9th, 2012 14m 12s

Free speech has long had a high price in China. Here Sima Qian ponders his privates - and posterity - in a tale that still resonates after more than 2,000 years.

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