Standardized Writing and Coins

One most important change made by the First Emperor was the standardization of the written language. At the time of the First Emperor’s conquest, written Chinese consisted of many different languages and

Dialects. The dialects were so different from each other that people in one region often could not understand the writings of people from another region. By developing a standard form of writing, the ruler of the Qin dynasty ensured that the written word would have the same meaning throughout the vast reaches of his empire, although the spoken dialects of China have remained varied throughout its history. Weights and measurements as well as coins were also standardized in this period.

The government also melted down all weapons not used for warfare, and the metal was used to make statues and memorials to the First Emperor. The ancient walls around selected cities and towns that had separated them were torn down. Roads and canals were built, further unifying the empire. Even the width of the axles of the carts that traveled these new roads was fixed by the government.

Discover Ancient China

According to Chinese legend, the Great Wall is really a huge dragon turned to stone. It was built to protect China's northern border from invading tribes.