The Qin Empire is a 2009 Chinese television series based on Sun Haohui's novel of the same title which aired on China Central Television. It romanticises the rise of the Qin state in the Warring States period under the leadership of Duke Xiao of Qin. It was produced in 2006 and first aired on television channels in China in December 2009. It was followed by three sequels: ' (2012), The Qin Empire III (2017) and The Qin Empire IV (2019), which were also based on Sun Haohui's novels.
The series is set in the mid fourth century BC during the Warring States period of China. The Qin state in western China has been weakened by years of poverty and internal conflict. It is now in peril of being conquered by the other six major states in the east. Duke Xiao, the new ruler of Qin, seeks to restore his state to its former glory (during Duke Mu's time) and retake the Qin territories lost to the Wei state in earlier battles.
In his quest to recruit talents to assist him, Duke Xiao promises to share Qin with anyone â including foreigners â who could help him realise his grand ambitions. He attracts the attention of Wei Yang, a Legalist searching for opportunities to test his ideas. After discussing for three days and three nights on end, the two men develop a close relationship and work together over the next two decades to push forth a series of groundbreaking sociopolitical reforms in Qin. The reforms transform Qin into a powerful state and helped to lay the foundation for Qin's eventual unification of China under the Qin dynasty nearly 200 years later.
The series won the Flying Goddess Award and the Golden Eagle Prize for the Best TV Drama.