As one court builds torture devices of copper and pools of wine, another welcomes wisdom from all corners. Witness how architecture becomes metaphor, as parallel tales of governance unfold in Bronze Age China.

The 'Burning Pillar', a heated copper torture device where victims were forced to embrace death

Historical Echo: Enduring symbol of power corrupted by cruelty

Three-story palace of excess with wine pools and meat forests

Historical Echo: Architectural embodiment of moral decay

Strategy of feigning madness to survive political persecution

Historical Echo: Wisdom masquerading as folly to preserve truth

Ji Chang's policy of welcoming talent regardless of origin

Historical Echo: Foundation of Zhou's cultural renaissance

• How do architectural projects—from torture devices to pleasure palaces—symbolize the transformation of political power?

• What does the contrast between the Shang and Zhou courts reveal about different philosophies of governance?

• How do ministers' varied responses to tyranny illuminate the moral choices faced under oppression?

• What role does the transformation of pleasure into torment play in depicting power's corruption?