In this blog post, I’d like to explore the historical background of the movie ‘Hero’, the stories of its main characters, the significance of its vivid colors and swords, the conflicting assessments of Qin Shi Huang, and my reflections on the meaning of heroism as portrayed in the film.

The Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods and the Setting of the Film “Hero”

The film “Hero” is set during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods in Chinese history. Starring outstanding actors such as Jet Li, Tony Leung, and Maggie Cheung, the film generated significant buzz at the time of its release simply because of its star-studded cast. Furthermore, the film boasted an immense scale, which was more than sufficient to represent China’s vast territory and long history. For this reason, there was no doubt that the film was bound to attract attention, no matter what anyone said.
We feel and learn a great deal while watching movies. That is why, although movies—like novels—are works of fiction, they can move us more deeply. Furthermore, movies vividly portray historical events we may not be familiar with, helping us feel a closer connection to history.
The film ‘Hero’ is also an adaptation of a historical event in China. More specifically, as mentioned earlier, it brings to the screen the events from China’s Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods up to the time when Qin Shi Huang first unified China.
Qin Shi Huang is a figure so widely known that there is hardly anyone who does not recognize his name. Although he was the first to unify China, he is also regarded as a powerful autocrat who ascended to the throne by killing many people through his rule of law. In other words, the prevailing view was that he was not a benevolent king but a ruler who enforced brutal policies through strict laws. However, as Qin Shi Huang is being reevaluated today, new interpretations of his character—different from what was previously known—are emerging.
This is why we are paying close attention to the film ‘Hero’, and it is likely the reason the film itself is garnering so much attention. So, let’s now explore the film’s background and plot, the hidden meanings within it, and the various assessments of Qin Shi Huang.
As mentioned earlier, this film is set against the backdrop of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. In Chinese history, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods span from 475 BC to 221 BC. During this time, the Chinese mainland was divided into seven states known as the “Seven Warring States”: Qin, Chu, Yan, Qi, Han, Wei, and Zhao. Due to the fierce power struggles among these kingdoms, this period—known as the Warring States Period—was a harrowing era marked by endless wars of slaughter and suffering.
Toward the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Xiang compiled historical records of the feudal states from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to write the ‘Records of the Warring States’; the term “Warring States Period” is derived from this very book. Characterized by ceaseless warfare, the Warring States Period was an era where war dominated daily life, and society—with the common people now beyond control—descended into lawlessness. People were permitted to carry any weapon they wished, and murder ran rampant. People began to hone their martial arts skills to survive or to gain wealth and honor, and those who excelled in martial arts came to live as warriors.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the feudal system took root, and most kings, engaged in endless wars, were inevitably authoritarian and tyrannical. Among them was a king renowned throughout history as the most ruthless and vicious of all—Qin Shi Huang. The king of Qin, who possessed the most powerful army among the Seven Warring States, eventually conquered the other states one by one, achieved the great feat of unifying the empire, ascended the throne as the first emperor, and came to be known as Qin Shi Huang. In the process, Qin Shi Huang incurred the resentment of countless people and became the figure who faced the most assassination attempts in human history.
The film ‘Hero’ tells the story of Qin Shi Huang, who was on the verge of unifying the empire; the legendary assassins seeking to kill him; and the nameless general tasked with confronting them. In that era, where neither absolute evil nor absolute good existed, it is impossible to say who was a hero and who was a villain. Only future generations can pass judgment.
This film was produced to answer these very questions. It can be seen as an attempt to answer questions such as what thoughts our ancestors held as they waged war during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods—the era in which the film is set—and what motivated Qin Shi Huang to unify the empire.

The Assassins’ Choices and the Story Surrounding Qin Shi Huang

The film “Hero” features Qin Shi Huang and the assassins seeking to kill him: Wuming, Pajian, Bixue, and Zhang Tian. Only Ying Zheng, who plays Qin Shi Huang, is from the State of Qin; the rest are from the State of Zhao. The State of Zhao had a long tradition of revering writing and possessed various styles of calligraphy. It was also a nation with a remarkably advanced culture. Pa Geom mastered swordsmanship through various calligraphic styles and reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship through calligraphy.
Pa-geom and Bi-seol train in martial arts together and devise a plan to kill Youngjeong. The two enter the royal palace to kill Youngjeong, but Pa-geom is unable to do so. At that moment, although Pa-geom could have killed Youngjeong, he decides to spare him for a certain reason: while fighting Youngjeong, he realized that Youngjeong was the very person capable of ending the wars of the past and unifying the Chinese mainland.
However, Pa-geom did not share these inner thoughts with Bi-seol, ultimately causing her to turn away from him. Later, Pa-geom expressed his regret to Bi-seol, who no longer trusted him, but she refused to listen and closed her heart to him.
At that moment, another assassin named Mu-myeong appeared and revealed a plot to kill Emperor Qin Shi Huang to Bi-seol and Pa-geom. Pa-geom continues to try to thwart Wu-myeong’s plan, but Bi-seol aids Wu-myeong, allowing the plot to succeed and bringing him within ten paces—the distance required to unleash his fatal strike.
Ultimately, however, Wu-myeong also abandons his attempt to kill Emperor Qin Shi Huang for the same reason as Pa-geom and turns away. Emperor Qin Shi Huang then uses his formidable power to kill Wu-myeong and sheds tears. Thus, Ying Zheng was able to unify all of China and become Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

Vibrant Colors and the Symbolism of the Sword

This film features scenes and costumes in a variety of colors. The black that appears in the very first scene—when Wumeng arrives by carriage to pay his respects to Ying Zheng—represents the Qin Dynasty. Consequently, both the officials’ robes and the Qin imperial palace are rendered in black. This symbolizes the Qin state’s formidable military might; when Qin soldiers march, they resemble surging black waves, creating an overwhelming sense of intimidation for the viewer. Even the arrows fired by the Qin soldiers are black, further enhancing the impression of their strength and mass.
The next color is red. Red represents jealousy and intense emotions. The conflict between Pa Geom and Bi Seol reflects arrogance, while their inability to be honest about their feelings toward each other—and the hurt they inflict—reveals jealousy and a fierce mix of love and hate. The scene where Yeo Wol (Zhang Ziyi) brandishes her sword at Bi Seol shows that her jealousy and sorrow have reached their peak.
Next is blue. Blue represents sacrifice. For Wuming’s attempt to assassinate Emperor Qin Shi Huang, one of Pa-geom and Bi-seol had to sacrifice themselves. To achieve this, Pa-geom and Bi-seol had to endure the pain of wounding one another. Here, Bi-seol makes the sacrifice, allowing Wuming to reach Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
Green represents reminiscence. It shows scenes from the past when Pa-geom and Bi-seol first met and fell in love, as well as when they defeated the Qin army and infiltrated the royal palace. Unlike the imposing palace depicted earlier, this scene portrays a vibrant palace with billowing green curtains, and Emperor Qin Shi Huang appears as a powerful ruler unafraid of assassination attempts.
Finally, white appears, representing desperate love. Pa-geom, trying to stop Bi-seol from killing Youngjeong (Qin Shi Huang), throws himself onto Bi-seol’s sword to express his desperate love. Ultimately, through this act, Bi-seol comes to understand Pa-geom’s feelings, and realizing she loves him too, she chooses to die alongside him.
In this way, ‘Hero’ presents intense colors with great clarity. Scenes such as fighting as if dancing in red robes amidst falling yellow leaves, or fighting in blue robes by a crystal-clear stream, provide the audience with striking visual effects. Furthermore, by depicting the unadorned colors of nature, the film embodies Eastern philosophy that seeks harmony between nature and humanity.
Another significant aspect of this film is the symbolism of the sword. Wuming asks Pajian to write the character for “sword,” and Pajian complies. Wuming made this request because calligraphy is akin to martial arts; by observing a person’s handwriting, one can discern the secrets of their swordsmanship.
It was Qin Shi Huang who ultimately deciphered the meaning of the character for “sword.” In the end, Emperor Qin Shi Huang uncovers the meaning of the sword and enlightens Wuming. The meaning of the sword that Emperor Qin Shi Huang realized consists of three aspects. The first is that the human and the sword become one. Since the sword is the person and the person is the sword, once one realizes this, even a blade of grass in one’s hand can become a weapon.
The second meaning is to grip the sword with the mind rather than the hand. When this is achieved, one can subdue an enemy a hundred paces away with bare hands.
Finally, the third meaning is a magnanimous heart that embraces all things without grasping the sword. This final meaning represents the highest realm—a heart that achieves peace without swords or killing.
That is why Pa-geom chose to forgo killing Qin Shi Huang for the sake of peace. Pa Geom judged that, for the current era of chaos to subside and an era of peace to dawn, someone must sacrifice themselves for peace—and that someone was none other than Emperor Qin Shi Huang. That is why, at the very last moment, he laid down his sword for the sake of all of China.
To these men, the sword is as precious as their own lives. This is also why Wuming offers his sword—rather than the assassins’ heads—to Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Consequently, the sword is a treasure so precious that it can be exchanged for a swordsman’s life, and it also serves as a representation of the swordsman himself. Furthermore, if a swordsman is stripped of his sword, it is tantamount to death.
Unlike other warriors, Pa-geom’s sword is not pointed but has a blunt tip, as if it had been cut off. Pa-geom knew that subduing an opponent depends not on the sharpness of the blade’s tip, but on the sharpness of one’s perspective on the world. In contrast, Bi-seol’s sword is long and slender, with a sharp tip that seems to harbor a deep grudge. The Emperor’s sword is heavy and exudes majesty, as if boasting the resolve that has protected the Emperor on countless battlefields. In this way, each sword represents its wielder and holds a significance as vital as their very lives.

The Meaning of Love and Life Captured in Beautiful Scenes

The film ‘Hero’ features many beautiful scenes that capture China’s natural landscapes as if they were paintings. To highlight a few of these scenes, the first is the duel with Zhang Chen. This duel presents a new kind of action—not the conventional sort—as it is not a physical clash of sword and spear but a battle waged within the mind. Of course, it is just as fierce and intense as a physical clash. Although it takes place only in the mind, losing this duel could easily disrupt one’s breathing and lead to a dangerous state. Director Zhang Yimou, seeking to express the beauty of Eastern aesthetics, brought the “mental martial arts”—previously known only through stories—to the screen, showcasing the Eastern concept of inner strength and the exceptional martial arts skills of Wuming and Zhang Chuan.
At this moment, Wumeng requests music from the musicians, and the two engage in combat as if dancing to the rhythm. Wumeng remarked, “Music and martial arts may seem different, but they are one and the same; I strive to reach the highest realm in both.” This is truly the pinnacle of Eastern beauty—something unimaginable in the West.
The second scene worth highlighting is the climactic display of divine martial arts—walking on water—as Wumeng and Pajian face off in a duel for the sake of the deceased Biseol. This scene perfectly embodies the essence of “stillness within movement.” It is a scene of unparalleled peace and beauty, as if one were admiring a landscape painting. Knowing full well the strength of each other’s martial arts, they do not engage in a fight meant to inflict injury; instead, they wage a duel where the one who allows water to touch their skin loses. The two test their strength by deflecting water droplets with their swords, but the outcome remains undecided. Suddenly, a single droplet lands on Biseol’s face, and Pa-geom abandons the fight to wipe the water from the face of his beloved, Biseol. Leaving Pa-geom behind, Mu-myeong then sets off on a mission to kill Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
The combination of the crystal-clear water, the blue robes worn by the protagonists, and the breathtaking scenery is what makes this scene so beautiful. Furthermore, as a scene that clearly demonstrates Pa-geom’s love, it is so poignantly moving that it can be considered the pinnacle of such moments.
In the final scene, when Bi-seol refuses to trust him, Pa-geom takes a blow from her sword to express his true feelings. Leaving behind the words that he hoped they could leave together and live happily, he died by Biseol’s sword. Only then does Biseol realize Pa-geom’s true feelings and also come to understand her own love for him. She then commits suicide by taking a blow from the same sword as Pa-geom.
Such a poignant love story prompts the audience to reflect on the meaning of life beyond the historical context. Happiness is not about seeking revenge or earning a lot of money; rather, it is about being with the people you cherish. Yet people often go through life forgetting this simple truth. Amid our busy daily lives, we have long neglected the things that truly matter. Through this film, we come to realize the true meaning of life.

Tyrant or Great Statesman? An Assessment of Qin Shi Huang

As has been repeatedly emphasized, Qin Shi Huang unified China in 221 BCE, marking the beginning of China’s history as a unified nation. Opinions on Qin Shi Huang, who achieved this unification, are divided between those who view him as a tyrannical ruler and those who see him as a great statesman.
Qin Shi Huang appointed officials such as Li Si, Zheng Guo, and Wei Liao to govern the country with a strong hand through Legalist policies and to build up military strength. Beginning with the conquest of the Han state in 230 BCE, he successively conquered the Zhao state in 228 BCE, the Wei and Yan states in 225 BCE, the Chu state in 224 BCE, and the Qi state in 221 BCE, thereby unifying the entire country. Qin Shi Huang, who established the first unified state in Chinese history, was the first to adopt the title “Emperor,” signifying that he was superior to the “Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.” The remaining challenge was how to govern this vast, unified state. While some of Qin Shi Huang’s advisors advocated for the feudal enfeoffment system, others—including Li Si, Zheng Guo, and Wei Liao—opposed it, citing the precedent of the Warring States period, and argued that the Emperor should rule all territories directly.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang accepted Li Si’s proposal and implemented the commandery-county system, dividing the country into 36 commanderies and establishing counties under them to govern the entire nation directly. Furthermore, to ensure smooth governance across the country, he established the Nine Ministers as a central administrative body and placed the Three High Officials—the Chancellor, the Grand Commander, and the Grand Censor—above them, thereby dividing state power among the three. It goes without saying that this was a measure intended to concentrate state power in the hands of the Emperor alone. Having established the political system, Emperor Qin Shi Huang set about reforming various institutions. First, to facilitate transportation, he constructed a radial network of major roads centered on the capital, Xianyang; this allowed the emperor’s commands to be swiftly transmitted to all regions of the country and enabled the rapid suppression of any rebellions. Furthermore, he exercised strong leadership befitting a unified state by confiscating weapons from the common people and standardizing writing, currency, weights and measures, as well as institutions and laws.
However, forces opposed to the centralized political system implemented by Qin Shi Huang continued to advocate for the feudal system, and a significant number of Confucian scholars also criticized the new system based on the classical texts. Recognizing the urgent need to unify ideology following the unification of institutions and laws, Emperor Qin Shi Huang accepted Li Si’s proposal and issued the Book Burning Edict in 213 BCE, ordering that all books be burned except those on medicine, divination, and agriculture. Furthermore, he sentenced to death anyone who secretly discussed the contents of ancient texts or criticized the current government, and officials who knew of such activities but failed to report them were punished with the same penalty. He also decreed that anyone caught failing to burn books within 30 days would be subjected to corporal punishment. Qin Shi Huang’s book burning provoked resentment among many intellectuals and members of the old establishment, sparking widespread opposition. In 212 BCE, when the imperial envoys Hou Sheng and Luo Sheng—who had been ordered to find the elixir of immortality—fled after taking only their personal wealth, Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the Grand Censor to identify those who had secretly instigated their escape. Consequently, 460 imperial envoys and Confucian scholars were arrested, most of whom had been framed. The First Emperor had a massive pit dug outside Hanyang City and ordered them to be buried alive—this is the full story behind the “Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars.”
Furthermore, immediately upon ascending the throne, Qin Shi Huang began construction of his mausoleum at the foot of Mount Lu, built the Afang Palace, and constructed the Great Wall. These massive projects required an enormous amount of labor and forced labor. Seven hundred thousand people were mobilized for the construction of the Afang Palace, and three hundred thousand for the Great Wall; when combined with road construction and other manual labor projects across the country, a total of three million people were conscripted into forced labor. Considering that the total population at the time was estimated to be around 20 million, this meant that one person from every household was conscripted.
Qin Shi Huang’s purpose in carrying out the Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars was to suppress ideologies and speech that opposed the centralized system. However, the fact that ancient texts written on bamboo slips and wooden tablets were burned during the book burning, causing a vast legacy of Chinese culture to vanish in smoke; the fact that the suppression of intellectuals who opposed him was excessively brutal; and the fact that he imposed excessive forced labor on a populace exhausted by prolonged wars—all of these were sufficient to brand Qin Shi Huang as a tyrant in the annals of history.
Nevertheless, the standardization of writing, weights and measures, and the improvement of roads are certainly worthy of being recognized as Qin Shi Huang’s achievements. Above all, his unification of China has made it impossible to discuss Chinese history without mentioning him. Indeed, it can be argued that the reason modern China has been able to remain unified is precisely because Qin Shi Huang achieved this feat of unification in ancient times. For this reason, it can be said that Qin Shi Huang is constantly being reevaluated.

Reflections on the Meaning of a “Hero” and Thoughts After Watching the Movie

“Hero” is a film depicting Qin Shi Huang’s journey to unify China. Until now, Qin Shi Huang has been known as a brutal ruler and a cruel figure, as exemplified by the Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars and his reign at the Palace of Afang. In reality, the Qin Dynasty did not last long and was inevitably short-lived. This can be inferred from the fact that Qin Shi Huang’s policies drew widespread resentment and that popular uprisings broke out in various places immediately after his death.
However, Qin Shi Huang’s achievements are far too great and magnificent to simply regard him as a tyrant. Qin Shi Huang established the basic territorial boundaries of modern-day China, standardized weights and measures, and unified the written language. Above all, he unified a nation that had been divided into many separate states. It is perhaps only natural that a perspective is emerging which views Qin Shi Huang not merely through the lens of the Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars or his authoritarian rule, but as a figure who contributed to China’s development.
Just as the question posed in the film’s title suggests, we cannot help but reflect on who we should consider a hero. Should we view Qin Shi Huang, who unified China, as a hero, or should we regard the countless assassins—such as the nameless one who failed to kill him—as heroes? Perhaps the answer to this question lies within the heart of each viewer who has seen the film.
When the movie ‘Hero’ first opened in theaters, I watched it knowing absolutely nothing about it. While gathering material to write a report, I watched it again on video and realized how little I had understood the first time around. Even though I had clearly seen it before, it felt completely fresh, and I realized the film was imbued with deep meaning from beginning to end.
While it could easily be misinterpreted as promoting Sinocentrism, on the other hand, seeing how the Chinese people take pride in their history and how beautifully their history was portrayed made me feel a bit envious.
We, too, can be considered a great nation with a long history, just like China. We possess a scientific and unique language rarely found anywhere else in the world, as well as our own distinct culture and customs. South Korea must now make our heritage known and strive to spread it far and wide. To that end, various cultural initiatives are essential for us. The “Hallyu” wave sweeping across many countries demonstrates the potential for our culture to be shared with people around the globe.
Going forward, we must further refine and develop our culture to introduce and share it with people around the world. We must abandon our old habit of blindly favoring foreign things and instead take pride and confidence in our own heritage; furthermore, rather than rejecting other cultures, we must strive to coexist peacefully with them.