How the pursuit of eternal life shaped politics, culture, and fate in ancient China
Walk through the center of Beijing today, and the words gracing the gate walls at Tiananmen Square can’t be missed, “Long Live the People’s Republic of China, Long Live the Great Unity of the World’s People.” But far from just a political slogan, “long live,” or “wansui (万岁),” is a greeting that in Chinese history was used by courtiers to greet the emperor. Literally meaning 10,000 years, its use dates back to the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), when “long live” became one of the manifestations of the emperors’ supremacy, the exclusive right to a long life, and, in some of their dreams, an immortal one.
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