Since Qin Zhiyuan, the overall characteristics of China's historical development are: 1. Centralization: Since the Qin Shihuang period, China has formed a strong centralization, and this system continued until the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This political system has strengthened the unity and stability of China and ensured long-term political and social stability. 2. Cultural heritage: Today, China's cultural heritage, such as Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, has been developing and enduring. China's traditional culture is one of the important reasons for its influence on the world. 3. Economic development: China's economy has different development speeds and levels in different historical periods, but it has always been the most striking part of the world economy. The main driving forces of China's economic development are its natural resources, population and geographical location. 4. War and aggression: China has experienced many wars and aggression in its history, including foreign aggression and internal political division. However, in most historical periods after the Tang Dynasty, China maintained the stability and security of its borders. 5. Institutional changes: There have been many large-scale political, economic and social institutional changes in the history of China. These changes are usually caused by the struggle of political forces, such as the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, the Jingnan Rebellion in the Ming Dynasty, the Anbaili Rebellion in the Qing Dynasty and the Revolution of 1911. In a word, since Qin Zhiyuan, the historical development of China has been a complicated process, but China's unification, culture, economy and war history are important components of China's historical characteristics.