The centuries-old Chinese state is one of the greatest empires that ever existed on Earth, which conquered vast territories, reached amazing heights in scientific and cultural development, and gave rise to immortal treasures of philosophical thought and subject arts. This book contains a complete and detailed description of the history of the Middle Kingdom - from the early Paleolithic to the communist period of the 20th century. This ancient and fanatically traditional civilization, which has developed for thousands of years in isolation from the West, shows us examples of unsurpassed grace and fantastic cruelty, sophisticated poetry and savage torture, exquisite cuisine and ferocious mass executions, famous martial arts and merciless wars to the total destruction of the enemy. Fascinating popular exposition makes this book interesting for the widest range of readers.