Discover

The following is a timeline of the history of China. Between the changing of the dynasties, most dates overlap as ruling periods do not transfer immediately. Dates prior to 841 BC are provisional and subject to dispute.

Contents

Pre-Ancient China

Ancient China

Imperial China

Modern China

Republic of China

PRC/ROC

See also

By sources

By era

By individual categories

External links

Pre-Ancient China

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
400,000 BC		Peking Man of Zhoukoudian (est.)
7000 BC		Peiligang Culture
5000 BC		Yangshao Culture
3000 BC		Longshan Culture

Ancient China

===Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors===

'Date'	'Ruler'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
2852 BC		This period is part of the Chinese mythology
2650 BC			Legend of Cangjie, inventor of Chinese Character
2205 BC

===Xia Dynasty===

'Date'	'Ruler'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
2070 BC		Erlitou Culture
1600 BC

===Shang Dynasty===

'Date'	'Ruler'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
1523 BC
1400 BC		Erligang Culture
1122 BC

===Western Zhou Dynasty===

'Date'	'Ruler'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
1050 BC	King Wu of Zhou	Oracle Bone Script
1027 BC		Mandate of Heaven
781 BC	You
771 BC

===Eastern Zhou Dynasty===

'Date'	'Ruler'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
770 BC	Ping
722 BC		Spring and Autumn Period
720 BC
619 BC	Xiang
632 BC			Battle of Chengpu
651 BC
551 BC			Lao Zi, Confucius
515 BC			Art of War
486 BC			Grand Canal of China
481 BC
475 BC		Warring States Period
314 BC	Nan
300 BC			Erya first dictionary
260 BC			Battle of Changping
256 BC

Imperial China

===Qin Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
255 BC		Warring States Period
246 BC	Qin Shi Huang (First Emperor)
221 BC		Unification of China	Imperial Seal of China
220 BC		Great Wall construction begins	Li Si standardize on Small Seal Script characters
213 BC		Start of the Book Burning policy
210 BC		Burial of the Terracotta Army
209 BC	Qin Er Shi
207 BC	Ziying

===Western Han Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
206 BC		Chu-Han contention
205 BC		Battle of Jingxing
202 BC	Han Gao Zu
200 BC			The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art
195 BC
190 BC	Hui	Chang'an became eastern end of the silk road connecting to Europe
180 BC	Jing	Rule of Wen and Jing
130 BC	Wu	Sino-Roman relations
6 AD

===Xin Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
9	Wang Mang
23

===Eastern Han Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
25	Gengshi
88	He
105		Cai Lun invents paper
106	Shang
142	Shun	The Kinship of the Three
168	Ling
184		Yellow Turban Rebellion
189	Prince of Hongnong
190	Xian
191		Battle of Jieqiao
200		Battle of Guandu
208		Battle of Changban	Battle of Red Cliffs
220		Woodblock printing (est.)

===Three Kingdoms===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
221	(Cao Pi-Wei) (Liu Bei-Shu) (Sun Quan-Wu)
222		Battle of Yiling
225		Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign
228		Northern Expeditions
234		Battle of Wuzhang Plain
250		Introduction of Buddhism in China
252
265		Nine-rank system

===Western Jin Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
265	Wu
271		First record of Compass
274
290	Hui
291		War of the Eight Princes
304		Sixteen Kingdoms (Han Zhao, Later Zhao, Cheng Han, Former Liang, Later Liang, Northern Liang, Western Liáng, Southern Liang, Former Yan, Later Yan, Northern Yan, Southern Yan, Former Qin, Later Qin, Western Qin, Xia)
306
307
316

===Eastern Jin Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
317		Sixteen Kingdoms (cont.)
372	Xiaowu
383			Battle of Fei River
396
419	Gong
420

===Southern and Northern Dynasties===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
386		Sixteen Kingdoms (cont.)
439
475		Bodhidharma arrives in China
589

===Sui Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
581	Wendi	Goguryeo-Sui Wars
605		Imperial examination
619

===Tang Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
618
627	Li Shi Min
635		First Christian missionaries arrive in China: Nestorian monks from Asia Minor and Persia, building Daqin Pagoda
649		Four Arts of the Chinese Scholar (est.)
650		The Records of the Tang Dynasty describes a landmark visit to China by Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, one of the sahaba, in 650 C.E. This event is considered to be the birth of Islam in China.
684	Wu Ze Tian
705
712	Xuanzong
751		Battle of Talas
756		An Lushan Rebellion
763
781		Nestorian Stone
845
868			Printing of Diamond Sutra
907		Ten thousand years (est.)

===Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms===

'Date'	'5 Dynasties'	'10 Kingdoms'	'Events'
907	Later Liang Dynasty	Wu Wuyue Min Chu Southern Han Former Shu Later Shu Jingnan Southern Tang Northern Han
923	Later Tang Dynasty
936	Later Jin Dynasty
947	Later Han Dynasty
951	Later Zhou Dynasty
960
979

===Liao Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
907
1127

===Northern Song Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
960		Neo-Confucianism (est.)
1044		Wujing Zongyao, first book with written formula to gunpowder
1127		Jingkang Incident

===Southern Song Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
1128
1214		Battle of Beijing
1271		Voyage of Marco Polo begins
1279	Kublai Khan	Battle of Yamen

===Yuan Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
1271	Kublai Khan
1273		Battle of Xiangyang
1279		Battle of Yamen
1289		Franciscan friars begin mission work in China
1294	Chengzong
1295
1308	Wuzong
1333	Huizong
1363		Battle of Lake Poyang
1368

===Ming Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
1368	Hongwu
1371		Hai Jin maritime ban
1398
1399	Jianwen
1402
1403	Yongle
1405		Voyages of Zheng He
1406		Construction of the Forbidden City begins
1426	Xuande
1449		Battle of Tumu Fortress
1506	Zhengde
1516		First Portuguese settlement with Jorge Álvares in Macau
1521
1522	Jiajing
1556		Shaanxi Earthquake. 850,000 casualties
1573	Wanli
1582		Jesuits begin mission work in China
1590			Journey to the West
1616		Nurhaci found the Qing Dynasty in Manchuria
1619		Battle of Sarhu
1627		First Manchu invasion of Korea
1637		Second Manchu invasion of Korea
1644

===Shun Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
1644	Li Zicheng

===Qing Dynasty===

'Date'	'Emperor'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
1644	Shunzhi
1661
1662	Kangxi
1674		Revolt of the Three Feudatories
1680
1683
1689		Treaty of Nerchinsk
1700		Thirteen Factories
1711		British East India Company establishes a trading post in Guangzhou
1716			Publication of the Kangxi dictionary
1722
1723	Yongzheng
1735	Qianlong
1755		Ten Great Campaigns
1790
1793		Anglo-Chinese relations, Lord Macartney, first British envoy to Beijing
1796	Jiaqing
1807		Robert Morrison, first Protestant missionary arrives
1814
1820
1821	Daoguang
1823			Publication of the Bible in Chinese
1839		First Opium War
1842		First of the Unequal Treaties, Treaty of Nanjing
1851	Xianfeng	Taiping Rebellion
1855		Third Pandemic of Bubonic plague
1856		Second Opium War
1858		Treaty of Aigun, Treaties of Tianjin
1860		Beijing Convention
1862	Tongzhi	Dungan revolt
1868		Yangzhou riot
1870		Tianjin Massacre
1875	Guangxu
1876		Chefoo Convention
1884		Sino-French War
1885		Battle of Foochow
1891		Founding of Shanghai Sharebrokers Association
1894		First Sino-Japanese War (Battle of Pungdo, Battle of Seonghwan, Battle of Pyongyang, Battle of Yalu River, Battle of Jiuliangcheng, Battle of Lushunkou, Battle of Weihaiwei, Battle of Yingkou)
1895			Treaty of Shimonoseki
1898		Hundred Days' Reform	''Coup'' by Empress Dowager Cixi
1900		Boxer Rebellion
1901		Boxer Protocol
1908	Puyi
1911		Xinhai Revolution	Wuchang Uprising

Modern China

Republic of China

'Date'	'Head of State'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
1912	Sun Yat Sen	Xinhai Revolution	Foundation of Kuomintang
1913
1915	Yuan Shikai	Empire of China New Culture Movement	National Protection War Japan's Twenty-One Demands Chen Duxiu starts New Youth
1916	Li Yuanhong	Warlord era begins
1919		May Fourth Movement	Treaty of Versailles
1920		Push for Vernacular Chinese
1921		Foundation of Communist Party of China	The True Story of Ah Q
1923			Radio Corporation of China
1926		Northern Expedition
1927		Nanchang Uprising Chinese Civil War	Kuomintang-Communist split
1928	Zhang Zuolin	Jinan Incident
1931		Chinese Soviet Republic	Invasion of Manchuria Mukden Incident
1932	Lin Sen	Imperial Japanese colonialism in Manchukuo Pacification of Manchukuo	January 28 Incident Defense of Harbin
1933
1934		Long March	New Life Movement
1935
1936		Xian incident	Japan establishes the Mengjiang
1937		Second Sino-Japanese War (Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Battle of Shanghai, Battle of Pingxingguan, Battle of Nanjing, Battle of Tai'erzhuang, Battle of Changsha 1939, Hundred Regiments Offensive, Battle of Changsha 1941, Battle of Changsha 1942, Battle of Changsha 1944)	Nanking Massacre
1938
1939
1940
1941			Yan'an Rectification Movement
1942
1943
1944
1945			US drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, World War II ends The Nationalist government become one of the founding members of the United Nations
1947		228 Incident
1948	Chiang Kai-shek

PRC/ROC

'Date'	'People's Republic of China'				'Republic of China(Taiwan)'
	'Paramount Leader'	'Events'	'Other people/events'		'President'	'Events'	'Other people/events'
1949	Mao Zedong	Founding of the People's Republic of China			Li Tsung-jen	Kuomintang retreats to Taiwan, becomes government of the Republic of China	White Terror
1950		Battle of Chosin Reservoir	Korean War Canidrome massacre		Chiang Kai-shek
1951		People's Liberation Army invades Tibet
1952		Three-anti/five-anti campaigns
1953
1956		Hundred Flowers campaign
1957		Anti-Rightist Movement	Asian Flu
1958		Great Leap Forward
1959		Great sparrow campaign causes famine	Three Years of Natural Disasters begins
1960		Sino-Soviet split
1961
1962		Sino-Indian War
1964		Destruction of Four Olds State Council pushed for Simplified Chinese character in the mainland	The PRC detonates its first atomic bomb			Taiwan continued the use of Traditional Chinese characters
1966	Mao Zedong	Cultural Revolution Christian churches closed, house churches form	The Little Red Book
1967
1968			Down to the Countryside Movement
1969			Beijing Subway
1970		Long March rocket, first satellite launch
1971			Henry Kissinger visits Beijing			UN resolution 2758, PRC replace ROC as UN representative
1972		Shanghai Communiqué Richard Nixon visits China
1974
1975		Four Modernizations			Yen Chia-kan
1976	Hua Guofeng	Tiananmen incident following the death of Zhou Enlai
1977		Beijing Spring
1978	Deng Xiaoping	Chinese economic reforms	Democracy Wall Movement		Chiang Ching-kuo
1979		One-child policy Four cardinal principles Sino-American relations	Border-war with Vietnam			Taiwan Relations Act passed by United States Congress
1980		Special Economic Zones	Trial of Gang of Four
1984		Margaret Thatcher in China, signs Sino-British Joint Declaration
1987						Lifting of Taiwanese aborigines Martial Law
1988					Lee Teng-hui
1989		Tiananmen Square Massacre	PRC declares Martial law on Lhasa, Tibet
1991		First McDonald's restaurant in Beijing				Democratic Progressive Party represents Taiwanese Independence
1992	Jiang Zemin	Falon Gong introduction
1996						Third Taiwan Strait Crisis
1997		Hong Kong handover, becomes a Special Administrative Region	Death of Deng Xiaoping
1998		Great Firewall of China	Banning of China Democracy Party
1999		Macau handover	Persecution of Falun Gong begins			Resolution on Taiwan's Future
2000		Three Represents	The PRC passes Japan as the country with which the USA has the largest trade deficit		Chen Shui-bian	DDP ended Kuomintang rule in the 2000 ROC election	Four Noes and One Without
2001		Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident Accession to World Trade Organization	Hainan Island incident
2002						Accession to World Trade Organization
2003		SARS outbreak	Shenzhou 5, PRC's first manned space mission			SARS outbreak
2004	Hu Jintao	Nine Commentaries on the CCP	Jiang Zemin retires from his post as Chairman of the Central Military Commission
2005						Pan-Blue visit
2006		Structural work finished in the Three Gorges Dam	Nangpa La shootings
2007		Head of SFDA Zheng Xiaoyu executed	Chinese slave scandal

See also

By sources

★ Twenty-Four Histories

★ Xia Shang Zhou Chronology Project

By era

★ List of Palaeolithic sites in China

★ List of Neolithic cultures of China

★ List of Chalcolithic cultures in China

★ History of China
::History of the Republic of China
:::History of Taiwan (timeline)
::History of the People's Republic of China
:::History of Hong Kong (timeline)
:::History of Macau

By individual categories

★ Chinese sovereign

★ Dynasties in Chinese history

★ Historical capitals of China

★ History of the political divisions of China

★ Table of Chinese monarchs (very long)

★ List of recipients of tribute from China

★ List of tributaries of Imperial China

★ Unequal Treaties

External links

★ Comparative timeline of Chinese, Japanese and Korean historical events (in Japanese)

★ Chinese History and Dynasties