Qin Shi Huang's face is rarely seen in history, what did AI do with the skull?

With the development of modern technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), reimagining historical figures has become more realistic than ever. We can not only read about the past but also "see" it.

Among the great figures of China, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify the world, has always been a mystery in terms of appearance. Did this "Son of Heaven" really possess the extraordinary appearance as rumored?

Ancient historical records have provided descriptions of Qin Shi Huang. Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian recorded: "The King of Qin had a high nose, long eyes, a high chest like a bird, a fierce and cruel voice, cruel behavior, and a wolf's heart." Another description in the Taiping Imperial Examination added that he had "a fierce mouth like a tiger, a high forehead on both sides, big eyes, a high nose, and a height of 8.6 inches (more than 1.98 meters according to Qin Dynasty units)." Clearly, Qin Shi Huang was a tall and muscular man compared to the average height of ancient and modern people.

However, these descriptions sometimes have a "defamatory" element due to the mixed reviews of later generations about Qin Shi Huang. So how can we have a more realistic view? Modern AI technology can reconstruct the appearance of ancient people based on skulls. However, excavating and studying Qin Shi Huang's skull in the mausoleum is unlikely due to concerns about destroying valuable historical relics.

To solve this problem, experts sought out people who were related to Qin Shi Huang. In 1976, in the area surrounding Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, 17 tombs were discovered. When excavating 8 tombs, experts found that the death conditions of the deceased were very tragic, suspecting that they were dismembered and buried here.

Combined with historical data, experts speculate that these are the princes and princesses of Qin, children of Ying Zheng. With this blood relationship, their appearance will certainly have similarities with Qin Shi Huang.

Based on the skull of a prince, believed to be the son of Qin Shi Huang, experts used AI technology to reconstruct his appearance. The results showed that the prince was quite handsome. This suggests that Qin Shi Huang's appearance was not as "ugly" as some historical records exaggerate. The reason also lies in genetic factors: Qin Shi Huang's mother, Zhao Ji, was chosen by King Zhuang of Qin because she was both beautiful and good at singing. With good genes from his mother, Ying Zheng's appearance certainly has many advantages.

In addition, experts also restored the appearance of a concubine of Qin Shi Huang. She was described with a high nose and big eyes, looking very dignified.

This once again shows that the aesthetic of beauty is different in each dynasty, and what we see through AI technology can provide a fresh and more objective look at the appearance of people who lived in the distant past.

Qin Shi Huang was born in 259 BC, his real name was Ying Zheng - the 36th king of the Qin state. According to Sima Qian's "Historical Records", Qin Shi Huang ascended the throne as King of Qin at the age of 13, with his father Lu Buwei as regent.

Unlike other emperors of the Qin Dynasty, after ruling the country, Qin Shi Huang ambitiously annexed 6 vassal states and proclaimed himself Emperor. At the age of 38, Qin Shi Huang actually achieved that. After unifying the country and establishing China, Qin Shi Huang became the first Emperor in history. He reigned for 12 years, then passed away in 210 BC (at the age of 49) due to a serious illness.

From birth, Qin Shi Huang had a turbulent fate when his mother was Zhao Ji, a concubine given by Lu Buwei to a young master of the Qin Dynasty, Doanh Yi Ren. Not long after, Zhao Ji became pregnant and gave birth to Doanh Chinh.

As a child, Ying Zheng and his mother had to wander in Zhao, suffering all kinds of bitterness and humiliation. Later, when he returned to Qin, he accepted Yi Ren as his father - now King Zhuangxiang of Qin - and returned to take revenge on all those who had bullied him. Three years after ascending the throne, King Zhuangxiang of Qin passed away, passing the throne to Crown Prince Ying Zheng. Despite the rumors about his origin, he proved himself to be a great king with his own strength.

The story of Qin Shi Huang's childhood and his journey to conquer six vassal states quickly became a legend in history. From then on, people also woven many rumors and folk legends about the process of his reign, which have been passed down to later generations.

Later generations were both curious, terrified, and couldn't help but admire the great achievements of the first Emperor in China. Qin Shi Huang marked the beginning of the centralized feudal state in China, which lasted until 1912 (when the Qing Dynasty collapsed).

After unifying China, he and his prime minister Li Si enacted a series of major economic and political reforms, including establishing a system of local mandarins appointed by the imperial court, allowing peasants to own land, unifying the system of weights, currencies, and transportation, and establishing a strict legal system.

At the same time, Qin Shi Huang carried out many major projects, including the construction of the Great Wall in the north, laying the foundations for the Great Wall, the Lingqu Canal, the Afang Palace, the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum with an army of thousands of terracotta warriors protecting it...

The works that Qin Shi Huang did not hesitate to use the blood and treasure of the people and the country to build have timeless value, becoming a great mark of Chinese history. Even though he was a cruel emperor, posterity still cannot deny the role of those achievements in the development of the once powerful Qin empire.

The tomb of Qin Shi Huang was discovered by farmers in Xi'an (Shaanxi, China) in 1974. After more than 2,000 years of slumber, the tomb was excavated, once again reviving the historical context and unknown mysteries of the Qin Shi Huang era.

From Sima Qian's "Records of the Grand Historian" to what was found in the tomb, archaeologists and historians of the Qin Dynasty were able to determine real stories and milestones about the context of the construction of Qin Shi Huang's tomb, what happened before and after the Emperor's death.

Thousands of terracotta warriors, hundreds of tombs and countless skeletons, gold, silver and jewels... were found in the mausoleum. However, it seems that is not all. After several decades of excavation and comparison with historical records, archaeologists are still searching for answers to many mysteries about this largest mausoleum in human history.

Who are the identities of the skeletons in the tomb? How was Qin Shi Huang's body buried? What is the meaning of each item, object, person... buried with the Emperor?... All of these are still attracting the curiosity and desire to explore of future generations.

The pomegranate tree grows on Qin Shi Huang's tomb and the terrible mystery behind! Hoàng Phúc20:35:39 06/04/2025Although the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang has been discovered for decades, archaeologists insist that it is impossible to enter inside. One of the most well-known is that there is still a large amount of mercury inside.