Imperial Examination is a talent selection examination for ancient literati in China. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, officials have been selected from the children of powerful people in various places. Children of powerful people, regardless of merits and demerits, can be officials. Many people with humble origins but real talent and learning cannot hold senior positions in the central and local governments. In order to change this kind of malpractice, Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty began to select talents by subject examination. During the reign of Yang Di, Jinshi was formally established to evaluate candidates' views on current affairs and select talents according to the examination results. China's imperial examination system was formally born.

Imperial examination is a system of selecting officials through examinations in feudal dynasties. It is called imperial examination because it adopts the method of selecting scholars by subjects. The imperial examination system was implemented in the first year of Daye in Sui Dynasty (605), and the last Jinshi examination was held in the 31st year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1905), which lasted more than 1300 years.

The adverse effects of the imperial examination mainly lie in the content and form of the examination. Since the Ming Dynasty, the content of imperial examinations has become rigid, requiring only candidates to create articles that conform to the form, without paying attention to the actual knowledge of candidates. In order to take the exam for science, most scholars' thoughts are gradually lost in the narrow four books and five classics and pedantic eight-part essay. 2? 8; Both vision, creativity and independent thinking are greatly limited. The only purpose of most people studying is to pass the scientific examination, while studying is only to be an official and to worship their ancestors. In addition, the imperial examination also limited the way out for talents. By the Qing Dynasty, most famous artists who had made outstanding achievements in literary creation or various technologies were frustrated in the examination hall. It can be inferred that the imperial examination system not only excavated talents for the government, but also buried outstanding talents in other fields; For a century, all kinds of elites have been trapped in the examination room and wasted their time. In order to enslave the Han people, the Qing government imposed strict restrictions on the contents of the imperial examinations. The imperial examination system in Qing dynasty declined gradually, with more and more disadvantages. Although the Qing rulers severely punished cheating in the imperial examination, cheating became more and more serious due to the shortcomings of the imperial examination system itself, and the imperial examination system eventually died out.

Even after the imperial examination was abolished, it still left many traces in China society. For example, the Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China, which was founded by Sun Yat-sen, stipulated the separation of five powers, and the "examination institute" among them originated from the imperial examination tradition in China. In addition, some habits of imperial examinations can still be seen in the college entrance examination in Chinese mainland. For example, admission by province, binding the examination paper to the candidate's identity information, preventing the examiner from colluding with the candidates, and calling the highest score in the college entrance examination the champion. , are the remnants of the imperial examination.