The Liao Dynasty: A History of China, Part One takes you across the northern grasslands where the Khitan rose from scattered clans to forge an empire rivaling the Song. From the windswept steppe emerged Yelü Abaoji, the unifier whose vision transformed nomads into rulers, aided by Han Yanhui’s brilliance in melding Khitan vigor with Chinese statecraft. Empress Shulü Ping’s iron will and her son, Emperor Taizong’s conquests, carried Liao power deep into the Central Plains, reshaping East Asia’s balance. Amid turmoil and intrigue, Emperor Jingzong and the formidable Empress Xiao Yanyan ushered in renewal and strength. This book revives their world — a realm where steppe and empire met, where warriors and thinkers built a hybrid civilization whose echoes still shape China’s story.
I'm Hui Wang, an author exploring history, warfare, business, and tech. With degrees in Software Engineering and Business, plus certifications from Apple, Google, and psychology studies at Yale, I combine research, logic, and storytelling to make complex ideas clear and compelling. My writing helps readers make sense of how the world really works—and why it matters.View all by Hui Wang
