How did the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256 BC) prosper for the first time in China's history? Why has the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) been misunderstood for 300 years? Why did dynasties all share the same collapses that resulted from corruption? How did Chang'an, the capital city of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), manage public security? And why, in the 18th century, did China become a hot topic in Europe?

A new book series, titled Talks on Ancient China, answers these questions through covering various topics about historical evolution, country governance and cultural development in ancient China.

Under three different themes, the three-volume series contains essays published on the pages of literature, history and books of Beijing Daily newspaper between 2010 and 2021.

In addition to the essays written by some 200 scholars and experts from Peking and Tsinghua universities and more, the books also include 253 illustrations to accent the reading.