⬅️ Hub: China · Next: China - History

A chronological reference from ancient dynasties through the Xi Jinping era.

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Timeline

Ancient China (c. 2100 BC – 221 BC)

• c. 2070–1600 BC — Xia Dynasty (semi-legendary)
• c. 1600–1046 BC — Shang Dynasty (early Chinese writing, bronze age culture)
• c. 1046–256 BC — Zhou Dynasty
  • 770–256 BC — Eastern Zhou period
    • Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) — Spring and Autumn period
    • Warring States period (475–221 BC) — Warring States period
      Notable Figures:
• Confucius (551–479 BC) — Philosopher and founder of Confucianism
• Laozi (c. 6th century BC) — Founder of Daoism

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Imperial China (221 BC – 1912 AD)

Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC)

• 221 BC — Qin Shi Huang unifies China; First Emperor.
• Qin Dynasty — Great Wall beginnings, legalist rule.

Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD)

• Han Dynasty
  • Expansion into Central Asia (Silk Road begins)
  • Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141–87 BC) — aggressive expansion
  • Yellow Turban Rebellion (184 AD)

Period of Disunity (220–589)

• Three Kingdoms period (220–280) — Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan
• Jin Dynasty
• Sixteen Kingdoms
• Southern and Northern Dynasties

Sui Dynasty (581–618)

• Sui Dynasty — Grand Canal construction.

Tang Dynasty (618–907)

• Tang Dynasty — Golden Age of culture and economy.
  • Emperor Taizong
  • Empress Wu Zetian — Only female emperor.

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907–960)

• Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Song Dynasty (960–1279)

• Song Dynasty
  • Northern Song
  • Southern Song
  • Technological revolution (gunpowder, compass, printing)

Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368)

• Yuan Dynasty — Mongol rule under Kublai Khan

Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)

• Ming Dynasty
  • Hongwu Emperor — founder
  • Yongle Emperor — Zheng He’s voyages

Qing Dynasty (1644–1912)

• Qing Dynasty — Manchu rule.
  • Kangxi Emperor
  • Qianlong Emperor
  • First Opium War (1839–1842)
  • Second Opium War (1856–1860)
  • Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864)
  • Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901)
  • 1911 Revolution — Collapse of the Qing.

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Republican Era (1912–1949)

• 1912 — Republic of China established.
  • Sun Yat-sen — Founding father.
• Warlord Era (1916–1928)
• Chinese Civil War (1927–1949)
  • Kuomintang (KMT) vs Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
• Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) (part of WWII)
• 1949 — Communist victory, founding of People’s Republic of China

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People’s Republic of China (1949–Present)

Mao Zedong Era (1949–1976)

• Mao Zedong — Chairman of CCP.
• Korean War (1950–1953)
• Great Leap Forward (1958–1962) — disastrous famine.
• Cultural Revolution (1966–1976)

Deng Xiaoping Era (1978–1992)

• Deng Xiaoping — Reforms and Opening Up.
• 1978 Economic Reforms
• Tiananmen Square protests (1989)

Jiang Zemin Era (1993–2003)

• Jiang Zemin — Economic growth, WTO accession.
• Hong Kong Handover (1997)

Hu Jintao Era (2003–2013)

• Hu Jintao — “Harmonious Society” slogan.
• 2008 Beijing Olympics

Xi Jinping Era (2013–Present)

• Xi Jinping — Assertive foreign policy, internal control.
• Belt and Road Initiative
• South China Sea disputes
• Hong Kong protests (2019)
• COVID-19 pandemic in China
• U.S.–China tensions (Trade War)
• Taiwan Strait tensions

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Summary Table of Key Leaders