text: Mao Zedong's persecution of intellectuals was compared to that of the First Emperor. On his being made aware of having been compared as such, Mao reportedly boasted:
  Depictions in popular media
  "The Wall and the Books" (""), an acclaimed essay on Qin Shi Huang published by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986) in the 1952 collection Other Inquisitions ().
  The Emperor's Shadow (1996) – The film focuses on Qin Shi Huang's relationship with the musician Gao Jianli, a friend of the assassin Jing Ke.
  The Emperor and the Assassin (1999) – The film covers much of Ying Zheng's career, recalling his early experiences as a hostage and foreshadowing his dominance over China.
  Hero (2002) – The film stars Jet Li, a nameless assassin who plans an assassination attempt on the King of Qin (Chen Daoming). The film is a fictional re-imagining of the assassination attempt by Jing Ke on Qin Shi Huang.
  Rise of the Great Wall (1986) – a 63-episode Hong Kong TV series chronicling the events from the emperor's birth until his death. Tony Liu played Qin Shi Huang.
  A Step into the Past (2001) – a Hong Kong TVB production based on a science fiction novel by Huang Yi.
  Qin Shi Huang (2002) – a mainland Chinese TV semi-fictionalized series with Zhang Fengyi.