Brief Outline of Chinese History

Early China: 5000-221 BC

5000 - 2700 BC: Yangshao culture

3500-2000 BC: Longsham culture

2205-1818 BC: Xia dynasty

1523-1027 BC: Shang dynasty

1027-771 BC: Zhou dynasty

770-256 BC: Later Zhou

403-221BC: Warring States Period

Early Imperial China: 221 BC-AD 316

221-207 BC: Qin dynasty

206 BC- AD 9: Former Han Dynasty

AD 25--220: Later Han dynasty

220-265: Three Kingdoms Period

265-316: Western Qin dynasty

Classical Imperial China

581-618: Sui dynasty

618-907: T'ang dynasty

907-960: Collapse of Central Government

960-1126: Northern Song dynasty

1127-1279: Southern Song dynasty

Later Imperial China

1280-1367: Yuan dynasty

1368-1644: Ming dynasty

1644-1911: Qing (Manchu) dynasty

Post-Imperial China: 1911 - present

1911-1949: The Republic of China

1949- The People's Republic of China