Emperor · 259 BC – 210 BC
Qin Shi Huang
Little-Known Facts
- Obsessed with immortality, he is said to have died after consuming mercury pills believed to extend life.
- His tomb complex, with its thousands of life-sized terracotta soldiers, was rediscovered only in 1974.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Qin Shi Huang build the entire Great Wall?
No. He connected and extended existing northern walls; most of the Great Wall visible today was built much later, during the Ming dynasty.