The Rise of the Great Powers is a 12-part Chinese documentary television series produced by CCTV. It was first broadcast on CCTV-2 from 13 to 24 November 2006. It discusses the rise of nine great powers: Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, and the United States.

The documentary "endorses the idea that China should study the experiences of nations and empires it once condemned as aggressors bent on exploitation" and analyses the reasons why the nine nations rose to become great powers, from the Portuguese Empire to American hegemony. The series was produced by an "elite team of Chinese historians" who also briefed the Politburo on the subject." In the West the airing of Rise of the Great Powers has been seen as a sign that China is becoming increasingly open to discussing its growing international power and influence—referred to by the Chinese government as "China's peaceful rise."

15世纪以来，人类社会的发展进入了一个新的阶段，原先割裂的世界开始真正意义上地连成了一个整体，彼此隔膜的世界各国开始相互认识和了解，也展开了相互的竞争。在近现代以来的世界舞台上，有九个国家在不同的历史时期先后登场，对人类社会发展产生了重大影响。它们是：葡萄牙、西班牙、荷兰、英国、法国、德国、日本、俄罗斯、美国 。该片解读了15世纪以来9个世界性大国崛起的历史，探究其兴盛背后的原因，分别诠释了各大国500年的兴起史，为中国的现代化发展进一步寻找镜鉴，意在“让历史照亮行程”