Mandy October 25, 2024
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A photo of a theme park of Yu the Great, in Wuhan, China, 2023.
China has a history of over 3,000 years, as documented in its earliest written records. The table below provides a timeline of ancient Chinese history.
In order to help Chinese learners find relevant information, the table is presented in both Chinese and English. Since some ancient capital city names have changed, I have provided the modern names of these ancient capital cities.
Dynasty 朝代 | Years 年份 | Founder 开国创始人 | Capital City 都城 | ||
Xia Dynasty 夏朝 | 21st – 17th century BC | Yu the Great 禹 | Yangcheng (in today’s Zhengzhou) 阳城（今郑州） | ||
Shang Dynasty 商朝 | 17th century BC – 1046 BC | Tang 汤 | Bo (in today’s Shangqiu) 亳（今商丘） | ||
Zhou Dynasty 周朝 | 1046 – 256 BC | ||||
Western Zhou 西周 | 1046 BC – 771 BC | Ji Fa 姬发 | Haojing (in today’s Xi’an) 镐京（今西安） | ||
Eastern Zhou 东周 | Spring and Autumn Period 春秋 | 770-476 BC | |||
Warring States Period 战国 | 475-221BC | ||||
Qin Dynasty 秦朝 | 221-207 BC | Ying Zheng (Qin Shihuang ‘First Emperor of Qin’) 嬴政（秦始皇） | Xianyang (in today’s Xi’an) 咸阳（今西安） | ||
Han Dynasty 汉朝 | 202 BC – 220 AD | Liu Bang 刘邦 | Chang’an (in today’s Xi’an) 长安（今西安） | ||
Western Han 西汉 | 202 BC – 8 AD | Liu Bang 刘邦 | Chang’an (in today’s Xi’an) 长安（今西安） | ||
Xin Dynasty 新朝 | 9-23 | Wang Mang 王莽 | Chang’an (in today’s Xi’an) 长安（今西安） | ||
Eastern Han 东汉 | 25-220 | Liu Xiu 刘秀 | Luoyang 洛阳 | ||
Three Kingdoms 三国 | Kingdom of Wei 魏国 | 220-265 | Cao Pi 曹丕 | Luoyang 洛阳 | |
Kingdom of Shu 蜀国 | 221-263 | Liu Bei 刘备 | Chengdu 成都 | ||
Kingdom of Wu 吴国 | 222-280 | Sun Quan 孙权 | Jianye (in today’s Nanjing) 建业（今南京） | ||
Jin Dynasty 晋朝 | Western Jin 西晋 | 265-316 | Sima Yan 司马炎 | Luoyang 洛阳 | |
Eastern Jin 东晋 | 317-420 | Sima Rui 司马睿 | Jiankang (in today’s Nanjing) 建业（今南京） | ||
Five Hus and Sixteen States 十六国 | 304-439 | ||||
Northern and Southern Dynasties 南北朝 | Northern Dynasties 北朝 | Northern Wei 北魏 | 386-534 | Tuoba Gui 拓跋硅 | Pingcheng (in today’s Datong) 平城（今大同） |
Eastern Wei 东魏 | 534-550 | Yuan Shanjian 元善见 (actually controlled by Gao Huan)实为高欢所控 | Yecheng (in today’s Handan) 邺城（今邯郸） | ||
Western Wei 西魏 | 535 – 557 | Yuan Baoju 元宝炬 (actually controlled by Yuwen Tai)实为宇文泰所控 | Chang’an (in today’s Xi’an) 长安（今西安） | ||
Northern Qi 北齐 | 550 – 577 | Gao Yang 高洋 | Yecheng (in today’s Handan) 邺城（今邯郸） | ||
Northern Zhou 北周 | 557 – 581 | Yuwen Jue 宇文觉 | Chang’an (in today’s Xi’an) 长安（今西安） | ||
Southern Dynasties 南朝 | Song 南朝宋 | 420-479 | Liu Yu 刘裕 | Jiankang(in today’s Nanjing) 建康（今南京） | |
Qi 南朝齐 | 479-502 | Xiao Daocheng 萧道成 | Jiankang(in today’s Nanjing) 建康（今南京） | ||
Liang 南朝梁 | 502-557 | Xiao Yan 萧衍 | Jiankang(in today’s Nanjing) 建康（今南京） | ||
Chen 南朝陈 | 557-589 | Chen Baxian 陈霸先 | Jiankang(in today’s Nanjing) 建康（今南京） | ||
Sui Dynasty 隋朝 | 581-618 | Yang Jian 杨坚 | Daxing (in today’s Xi’an) 大兴城（今西安） | ||
Tang Dynasty 唐朝 | 618-907 | Li Yuan 李渊 | Chang’an (in today’s Xi’an) 长安（今西安） | ||
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period 五代十国 | Later Liang 后梁 | 907-923 | Zhu Wen 朱温 | Kaifeng 开封 | |
Later Tang 后唐 | 923-936 | Li Cunxu 李存勖 | Luoyang 洛阳 | ||
Later Jin 后晋 | 936-946 | Shi Jintang 石敬瑭 | Kaifeng 开封 | ||
Later Han 后汉 | 947-950 | Liu zhiyuan 刘知远 | Kaifeng 开封 | ||
Later Zhou 后周 | 951-960 | Guowei 郭威 | Kaifeng 开封 | ||
Song Dynasty 宋朝 | Northern Song 北宋 | 960-1127 | Zhao Kuangyin 赵匡胤 | Bianjing (in today’s Kaifeng) 汴京（今开封） | |
Southern Song 南宋 | 1127-1279 | Zhao Gou 赵构 | Lin’an(in today’s Hangzhou) 临安（今杭州） | ||
Liao Dynasty 辽朝 | 907-1125 | Yelü Abaoji 耶律阿保机 | Shangjing (in today’s Chifeng) 上京 （今赤峰） | ||
Western Xia Dynasty 西夏朝 | 1038-1227 | Li Yuanhao 李元昊 | Xingqing (in today’s Yinchuan) 兴庆（今银川） | ||
Jin Dynasty 金朝 | 1115-1234 | Wanyan Aguda 完颜阿骨打 | Huining(in today’s Harbin) 会宁（今哈尔滨） Zhongdu(in today’s Beijing) 中都（今北京） Bianjing (in today’s Kaifeng) 汴京（今开封） | ||
Yuan Dynasty 元朝 | 1271-1368 | Kublai Khan 忽必烈 | Dadu (in today’s Beijing) 大都 （今北京） | ||
Ming Dynasty 明朝 | 1368-1644 | Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋 | Nanjing, Beijing 南京，北京 | ||
Qing Dynasty 清朝 | 1644-1912 | Aisin Gioro Nurhachi 努尔哈赤 | Beijing 北京 | ||
