How Do Chinese People View Qin Shi Huang and Mao Zedong Today?
I heard that Qin Shi Huang unified China by creating the imperial system, becoming the first emperor, starting the Great Wall, and building the Terracotta Army tomb. However, he’s also controversial because of stories about book burnings and burying scholars alive.
On the other hand, Mao Zedong established modern China after the Chinese Communist Party won the civil war, but his rule is also controversial because of events like the Great Leap Forward, which caused a massive famine that killed millions of people.
I’m not trying to compare them directly, but I’m curious: how do Chinese people today generally view these two figures? Are they respected more for unifying/building China, or criticized more for the suffering caused under their rule?
Posted May 12, 2026, 6:26 AM UTC