PERIOD CLASSIFICATIONS OF CHINESE HISTORY
China is one of the world's most ancient civilizations with over 4500 years of recorded history. With a rich history spanning 36 dynasties, nearly 400 emperors from the Qin dynasty (the first dynasty to unify China) to the Qing dynasty (the last dynasty of China) had ruled China.
The history of China can be classified into 5 periods:
- Ancient China (12000 - 221BC)
- Early Imperial China (221BC - AD588)
- Classical Imperial China (588 - 1234)
- Later Imperial China (1279 - 1911)
- Modern China (1912 - Present)
Click on the timeline on your right to learn which dynasties belong to each period.