Did China really peak when it was united? The evidence says no. China’s true golden age was over 2,000 years ago—when it was divided into rival states. That messy competition sparked new ideas, new philosophies, and the Hundred Schools of Thought. But once Qin unified China, one emperor’s veto could shut down entire eras of progress.This video explores why unity became China’s weakness, not its strength—through geography, politics, and a head-to-head between Zheng He’s canceled treasure fleets and Columbus’s scrappy voyage that changed the world. Europe thrived on fragmentation. China stagnated on centralization. And the same Qin template still shapes China today.If you want to understand why Europe surged ahead while China fell behind, this is the story.
