To understand Chinese culture, it is necessary to go back to the very beginning of its civilisation. In this series, we look at the most influential dynasties in Chinese history and how each, with its technological inventions and cultural advancements, helped propel the nation forward.
The year was 1279. On the waters off Yashan, in a final cataclysmic naval battle, the fleets of Kublai Khan – grandson of the Mongol general Genghis Khan – overwhelmed the last remnants of the Song dynasty.
For Kublai, the victory was more than just a military conquest, as he did not see himself as merely a barbarian conqueror looting an ancient civilisation. He envisioned himself as the legitimate heir to the Dragon Throne, the one who would unite the fractured “Middle Kingdom” under a new order.
