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Period: 4000 BCE to 2000 BCE
Beginning of Chinese civilization
Settlements along the banks of the Yellow River -
3000 BCE
Yellow river
Location of early Chinese settlements -
Period: 2000 BCE to 1046 BCE
Shang Dynasty
Used bronze weapons to establish supremacy over Stone Age civilization -
1500 BCE
Bronze axe
Bronze and Jade axe used during Shang Dynasty -
Period: 1046 BCE to 256 BCE
Zhou Dynasty
Feudal aristocracy
Confucius was born -
551 BCE
Confucius
Confucius was born during the Zhou Dynasty -
Period: 221 BCE to 206 BCE
Qin Dynasty
Shi Huangdi conquered entire region and established a strong central government.
Dynasty was eventually overthrown by a peasant rebellion. -
215 BCE
Qin Shi Huangdi
Some say Shi Huangdi was a ruthless leader while others claim he did what needed to be done to create a government structure that would last for thousands of years. -
Period: 206 BCE to 220
Han Dynasty
Made Confucian philosophy the basis of education and government and training
Invention of paper occurred. -
7 BCE
Paper invented
Paper was invented during the Han dynasty -
Period: 581 to 618
Sui Dynasty
Brutal and short-lived -
600
Great Wall
Under the Sui Dynasty, the Great Wall was improved. -
Period: 618 to 906
Tang Dynasty
Brought territorial expansion and economic vigor to China.
Trade and culture contacts with Western peoples brought renewed vitality and variety to Chinese political and social life.
The arts demonstrated great progress and porcelain manufacture developed into a high craft and art form. -
800
Porcelain Horse
This porcelain horse is an example of the plethora of fine art, especially porcelain, that was created during the Tang Dynasty. -
Period: 960 to 1279
Song Dynasty
Leaders ushered in a period of renewed emphasis on Confucian philosophy and great advancements in the arts of painting and porcelain work. -
1100
Song Painting
This piece of art was created during the Song Dynasty in the early 12th century by Emperor Huizong. -
Period: 1279 to 1368
Yuan Dynasty
MONGOLS! First time in the country's history that it was ruled by a foreign power.
Leader was Kublai Khan.
Toppled by a peasant rebellion. -
1300
Yuan Mongols
A depicition of the Mongols invading China, beginning the Yuan Dynasty. -
Period: 1368 to
Ming Dynasty
Mongols were driven back to their homeland under the leadership of Zhu Yuanchang.
Great naval expeditions sailed far west to the coasts of Arabia and Africa.
Became famous for blue and white porcelain. -
1420
Ming Naval Comparison
This model shows how Chinese naval technology of the 1400's dwarfed that of Europe. -
Period: to
Qing Dynasty
Reign of the Manchus-- another foreign power.
China's last imperial power. -
Manchu Men
Men dressed in tradition Qing era costumes, complete with the queue ponytail. -
Period: to
People's Republic of China
In the nineteenth century, a combination of political weakness and incompetence at the top, and popular dissatisfaction and commerical pressure from foreign nations caused the Qing dynasty to loose its grip on power. By 1911, their hold on the country was so weak that they were overthrown by a revolution. -
Xi Jinping
The current President of China.
