Ever since I watched The Rise of Great Powers in history class, I have been deeply attracted by this documentary.

Based on historical facts, this paper describes the course of nine countries, such as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands and Britain, dominating the world and becoming superpowers in 500 years from the15th century.

After watching this documentary, I can't help thinking of China's pathetic closed-door policy in modern times.

It was China's traditional autism that caused China to lag behind the great powers.

In the past 500 years, China's so-called prosperous period lasted until the Kangxi and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty, including the voyage of Zheng He's huge fleet in the early Ming Dynasty.

But this is just a flash in the pan of the ancient loong.

In the 300 years from14th century, the Renaissance of European literature broke the theological shackles of medieval religions, liberated people from obscurantism, asceticism and mysticism, and laid a spiritual foundation for the establishment and development of modern capitalist system.

Starting from 1500, European powers "you sing and I come on stage", leading a new era of Europe as a global leader.

500 years ago, the progress of navigation technology made people living on the earth finally have a real world view. There are colonial powers Portugal and Spain, both of which have the same characteristics as the early powers. They plundered the resources of colonial countries and enriched their national strength. However, resources are limited, and the consumption of the country and people is infinite, so we can't develop our own economic characteristics, and ultimately we can't maintain our status as a big country in the infinite consumption. This makes us understand that plunder can only be temporary and powerful.

In this documentary, whether Portugal and Spain on the Iberian Peninsula achieved maritime hegemony through maritime adventures, or the commercial empire founded by the Netherlands with a series of modern financial and commercial systems, or Great Britain, which was the first to launch the industrial revolution and promote free trade.

These European powers regard commerce and free trade as the basic elements of the rise of great powers through institutional and institutional innovation, scientific and cultural development.

The Netherlands, whose area is only twice that of Beijing, is the first country in the world to establish a stock exchange and a bank credit system. It is the innovation of this economic system that profoundly influenced the modern economy and made such a small country stand out at that time and become a world power. Britain's first industrial revolution also made it an "empire that never fell".

This undoubtedly tells us that only by continuous innovation can we walk in the forefront, stand in the forest of powerful countries and be invincible.

However, when countries all over the world rose in succession, the Qing Dynasty was still backward.

During the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He's fleet made seven voyages to the West, not to open up trade, but to publicize the emperor's virtue and prestige.

After Zheng He's death, China people disappeared into the ocean.

This documentary is a mirror for reading history, which awakens people to think deeply about the future of China.

The story of the rise and fall of great powers has left a unique development path and lessons, which enlighten today and influence the future. ...