China's culture is one of the oldest of the world. Legend has it that the three nobles and five emperors were the first rulers of China. They're also considered as the ancestors of the Chinese people. Of these legendary figures, some taught the Chinese to build houses, others how to grow grain. All of them were idealized figures during a time when mankind was first learning how to survive in the world. The most famous two of these eight semi-deities were the emperors Yan and Huang. Today the Chinese often refer to themselves as Yan Huang Zisun - descendants of the Yan and Huang emperors.

XIA ( 22nd - 17th Century BC )

The Xia is the first dynasty recorded in China 's history. The dynasty was established by Qi, son of Yu the Great, the legendary hero tamed the Yellow River and  controlled its perennial floods. The Erlituo ruins, discovered in Henan Province, illustrate the advanced technology of Xia culture, particularly the relics of an ancient palace and point to the rule of one strong figure.

SHANG ( 17th - 11th Century BC)

According to historical records, the Xia reigned for 471 years and was superseded by the Shang dynasty. The Shang powerbase was in what are now Henan, Hebei and Shandong provinces. Relics of the Shang dynasty, the Yin ruins, were discovered by archaeologists at Xiaotun Village in Henan province. At the site they unearned numerous tortoise shells and animals bones inscribed with Jiaguwen , the precursor to modern Chinese characters. These bones, also called oracle bones, were used in divination ceremonies. Basic questions such as choosing auspicious days for important events, what course of action to take and when to begin harvesting have been found. These bones have given much information about the daily of the Shang people.

ZHOU ( 11th Century - 256 BC)

King Zhou, the last King of Shang dynasty was a despotic tyrant and was overthrown by the Zhou ( no relation), a tribe from the west. The Zhou dynasty would become longest ruling dynasty in Chinese history, lasting over 770 years. Initially the Zhou dynasty made its capital in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, but the capital was later moved east to Luoyang in Henan province. Historians divided the Zhou dynasty into Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou because of this shift.  

QIN ( 221 - 206 BC )

In 221 BC, King Ying Zheng established the first unified empire in Chinese history, and named himself Shi Huangdi which means, the first emperor. He unified the Chinese script, currency and measurement system. His policies were focused on the exploration and stabilization of the Chinese frontier. One of his projects to protect his domains included the renowned Great Wall, which was built on the foundations of older walls. History remembers Qin Shihuang as a tyrant. Severe laws and penalties were enacted as a social control while supreme power lay with the emperor.

HAN ( 206 BC - AD 220 )

Like the Zhou dynasty, the Han dynasty is divided into two phases. the Western Han and Eastern Han. The Western Han settled its capital at Xi'an, while the Eastern Han returned it to Luoyang in AD 25. The emperor and his chancellors, having witnessd the sudden collapse of the Qin dynasty, realized that it was not feasible to rule a vast kingdom solely on a strict legal system.The monarch related the" legalist system" and allowed the ecomony, destroyed by war, to recover. Emperor Wudi, one of the early Han Emperors. was both ambitious and talented - his reign saw many achievements. By his reign, the Han dynasty was a thriving and powerful empire. One of his most enduring legacies was promoting Confucianism as the official ideology and applying it to the bureaucracy. Ministers were selected based on their knowledge of the Confucian classics, a system that was continued by succeeding dynasties up until the end of the Qing dynasty. He was also able to centralize power, thus removing the threat of powerful nobles rising in rebellion. On the economic side, new trade routes were established between China and Central Asia. Chinese silk was exported along these routes, which would become known as the Silk Road.

DISUNION ( 200 - 589 )

From the 2nd to the 6th century, China went through a period of disunity. The disintegration began with the displacement of the Eastern Han by three regimes, the Wei, Shu and Wu. One of the China's most famous literary epics, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms which was written by Luo Guanzhong during the Ming dynasty, is a fictionalized account of this period. Numerous petty kingdoms rose and fell during this time. Groups of northern " barbarians " made inroads into China during this time, establishing a series of kingdoms in the vulnerable north. Eventually the Turgut tribe of the Xianbei unified northern China and established the Norther Wei dynasty. 

SUI ( 581 - 618 )

 The Sui dynasty unified China in AD 581 after more than 400 years of disunity, yet it only lasted 38 years. Much was accomplished during this dynasty's short reign - a population census, reformation of the bloated regional administration system and consolidation the southern regions. One of the Sui's most important legacies was building the Grand Canal which linked Hangzhou in the south to Beijing in the north. The networks of canals aided and enhanced economic and cultural exchange between the south and north and would greatly influence China's development. The downfall of the Sui dynasty came with several military excursions into Korea. These disastrous wars were prohibitively expensive and brought the dynasty to bankruptcy. Peasant rebellions erupted throughout the countryside and Li Yuan, a Sui government minister ended the Sui dynasty when he found the Tang dynasty.

TANG ( 618 - 907 )

The Tang dynasty was one of the China's most prosperous and culturally rich periods. Under the rule of the second Tang emperor, Taizong, the economy flourished and empire experienced an era of stability, Moreover, he was considered an enlightened rulers for his open style of governing. Not long after Emperor Taizong, Wu Zetian became the only female empress in China's history. She's remembered as a harsh but capable ruler who attracted people of talent to her court. The Tang dynasty was the largest power in Asia, extending towards Central Asia with its cultural reach playing a key role in the development of Korea and Japan. Numerous envoys and students from foreign countries frequently visited Tang dynasty China. Different ethnic groups that inhabited the periphery of the dynasty allowed for frequent cultural exchanges, making the Tang dynasty the most cosmopolitan and open of all China's dynasties.

SONG ( 960 - 1279 )

In 960, Zhao Kuangyin, a former military official, donned the" Dragon Robe," the symbol of imperial power and established the Northern Song dynasty. The second Northern Song emperor completed the reunification of the country when he destroyed the remaining opposition. The Song emperors, fully aware that the concentration of power among regional governors led to the downfall of the Tang dynasty, deliberately curbed the powers of the local officials. Throughout the 300-year reign of the Song northern minorities had been a constant threat to its borders. The court was continuously at war or negotiating treaties with these northern groups to secure the Song frontier.

YUAN ( 1206 - 1368 )

At the beginning of 13th century, Genghis Khan, Tie muzhen in Chinese, united the feuding Mongolian tribes and created the world's most formidable war machine. Sweeping across Eastern Europe and Asia, he created the largest empire the world has ever seen. Kubilai Khan, Genghis' grandson, established the Yuan dynasty after sweeping away the Jin dynasty in the China's north and the remnants of the Song to the south . Adopting the Chinese bureaucracy, Kublai Khan officially established the Yuan dynasty in 1271. The Mongolians treated the Han Chinese harshly and rebellions broke out when the dynasty saw the first signs of weakening.

MING ( 1368 - 1644 )

Zhu Yuanzhang, originally a poor peasant, founded the Ming dynasty after the fall of the trubulent Yuan dynasty. He established a standardized bureaucracy with a strong central authority. His rule was autocratic, heavily censoring his scholars and limiting cultural freedom. Culture enjoyed a liberal revival when the Yongle emperor ascended the Dragon Throne. The Yongle Canon, a massive encyclopedia, was compiled during his reign. To reinforce the frontier defenses in the north, he moved his capital from Nangjing to Beijing, which was also the his powerbase. His reign saw the Ming's greatest expansion - Zheng He's voyages to Southeast Asia, India and Africa were made during this time.

QING ( 1616 - 1911)

The Qing dynasty saw its height of power under three exceptional emperors: Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. Under their rule, China saw huge advances in literature and military technology. Because the Qing rulers weren't ethnic Han Chinese, they imposed tight controls to maintain their rule. However, the Qing had to work closely with Han Chinese scholars and within the Confucian bureaucratic framework to rule their empire effectively. The Qing emperors expanded the frontiers of their empire and consolidated the borders of what would become modern China. 

Foreign encroachment from Western powers arrived a time when the Qing dynasty was on the downward trend of the dynastic cycle. In the 19th century, Britian began exporting opium to China to reduce a trade imbalance that had arisen with British demand for tea, silk and porcelain. China's wealth was drained as the nation became addicted to opium. The Qing government's restrictions on the opium trade led to the first Opium War in 1840. The Qing was thus Forced to face modernity.

 MODERN CHINA ( 1840 - 1949 )

Chinese modern history begins with the 1840 Opium War, which was fought between China and Britain. Before the war, the Qing government had already fought a series battles with Western nations, but it was the Qing defeat during the Opium War that led to the debilitating " Unequal Treaties ". Under these treaties, Western nations were able to strip China of its resources, take advantage of its people. In the late of 19th century, when capitalism and imperialism fed off each other, Western incursion into China increased. The old Chinese tactic of playing one threat off another was on longer viable, the treaties stipulated a " most favored nation" clause, in effect, whatever concession given to one nation, would be given to all. During this era, China lost control of Macau and Hong Kong, and the Old  Summer Palace was burned by Anglo-French force in 1860. 

Some reformers felt that drastic change was necessary to revitalize China. Mere reform of the imperial dynasty was no longer possible, that China required the overthrow of the Qing if it were to survive. In 1919, led by the tireless revolutionary Sun Yat-sen, the Qing dynasty was overthrown. The next year in 1912, the republic of China was founded with its capital in Nanjing. The government was based on Sun's " Three Principles of the People ".

In 1919, the May Fourth Movement, spawed by university students protesting China's weakness at the hands of exploitative warlords and Western imperialism, became one of the modern China's most pivotal moments. It was one of the earliest manifestations of Chinese nationalism. As people searched for the answers to China's woes, some turned to Marxism and in 1921, the Chinese Communist Party was established in Shanghai. In 1924, the Nationalists and Communists formally established a united front to combat the rule of the warlords.

In the spring of 1927, the Nationlist government led by Chiang Kai - shek, formally returned the seat of national power to Nanjing. This was a time of internal turmoil as the Nationalists and the Communists constantly fought pitched battles. Eventually the Nationalists surrounded the Communist base in the Jiangxi Soviet. In a daring breakout, Communists were forced to embark on a strategic retreat from 1934 to 1936, the epic Long March. The Communists marched 25,000 li through swamps and mountains to Yan'an while all the way being pursued by the nationalists.

In 1931, the Imperial Japanese Army launched a massive invasion of northeast China. In 1937, the Japanese began a general invasion and all-out war broke out. Faced with a Japanese onslaught, the Nationalists  and Communists once again formed a united front against a common enemy. After Japan's defeat in the second World War. civil war broke out between the Nationalists and Communists. In 1949, the Nationalists were defeated and retreated from the mainland to Taiwan.