Zou Yan used the Five Phases to explain the succession of dynasties.
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history
His theory of 五德终始, the cycle of the five virtues, says each dynasty rules by one phase and falls to the one that overcomes it. The First Emperor adopted it and chose water as the phase of Qin.
culture
He taught that China is only one of 81 regions of the world and called it 赤县神州, the source of 神州 as a poetic name for China.
