Prehistory

Paleolithic (1.7 Ma – 12 ka)

Neolithic

Bronze Age

Ancient China

Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC)

Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC)

Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC)

  • Spring and Autumn period (722–476 BC)
  • Warring States period (476–221 BC)

Imperial China

Early imperial China

  • Qin dynasty (221–206 BC)
  • Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 220)
    • Western Han
    • Xin dynasty
    • Eastern Han

Six Dynasties

  • Three Kingdoms (AD 220–280)
  • Jin dynasty (AD 266–420)
  • Sixteen Kingdoms (304–439)
  • Northern and Southern dynasties (AD 420–589)

Mid-imperial China

  • Sui dynasty (581–618)
  • Tang dynasty (618–907)
  • Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907–960)

Late imperial China

  • Song, Liao, Jin, and Western Xia dynasties (960–1279)
  • Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)
  • Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
  • Qing dynasty (1636–1912)

Modern China

Republic of China (since 1912)

People’s Republic of China (since 1949)