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220
Fall of the Han Dynasty
This took place in Chang'an, China, which is known as Xi'an, China today. The fall of the Han Dynasty was due to corrupt leaders and officials. Emperor Xian tried to unify China but failed. This led to the fall of the empire. -
581
The Sui Dynasty
The Sui dynasty was located in Western China. The Sui restarted and rebuilt the Grand Canal. This improved trade and connected north and south China, leading to a more unified northern and southern China. -
617
The Fall of the Sui Dynasty
The Sui dynasty fell because they lost the Mandate of Heaven. They also had several military losses. This caused the economy to face many problems due to unnecessary spending. -
618
The Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was considered the ‘Golden Age’ for Chinese culture and art. They grew the Silk Road through military conquests and trade. This caused stronger trade routes between East and West China. -
619
Woodblock Printing
Xylographie is also known as woodblock printing. People carved wooden blocks, painted ink on them, and then pressed blocks onto paper. If they wanted to use a different color, a new block needed to be made and used. In the Tang Dynasty this was mainly used for mass-producing poetry. -
620
Civil Service Exams
The Tang Dynasty put in place the use of Civil Service Exams. These were to ensure people had common knowledge of writing and literacy. This helped unify the empire because decisions were made based on knowledge rather than personal connections. -
906
The Fall of the Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty fell for a couple of reasons. The main reason it fell was that the taxes on the population were really high. This was because the central government had lost its control over the different regions of the empire. -
960
The Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was located all over north and south China, but the largest cities were Kaifeng and Hangzhou. The Song Dynasty introduced paper money, known as Jiaozi. This had a positive impact on their economy because it increased trade and commerce. -
963
Foot Binding
Foot binding was common during the Song Dynasty and symbolized wealth. Women with bound feet had pain and difficulty walking. In wealthy families, this was less of an issue because they had servants to help with chores. -
974
Champa Rice
Champa rice came into China from Champa, which was a kingdom in Vietnam. Champa rice was the first food item that could be harvested twice a year, as opposed to one. Since there were two harvests per year, this led to healthier and larger communities. -
1001
Compass
This compass had a unique design. It had with magnet in a shape that looked like a spoon. The design led to more accurate navigation because it had less friction between the magnet and its other parts. -
1279
The Fall of the Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty fell because they couldn’t defend themselves against enemies like the Mongols. This caused heavy military costs with inflation which weakened its economy. Government corruption also made it hard to solve these issues. -
1281
The Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty was located in Zhongdu, China. The Mongols ruled it, this was the first foreign-ruled dynasty China had ever had. The Mongols slowly adopted Chinese cultural and government ways. -
1368
The Fall of the Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty fell because of government corruption. High taxes and extreme power caused a lot of people to rebel. There was also poor treatment of Chinese people and this caused widespread anger. -
1369
The Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty was located in Bejing. It was known as the ‘New Era’. This was a period of stability and prosperity because they prioritized Chinese culture restoration. -
1405
Junk Ships
During the Ming Dynasty chinese junk ships were in their peak. They held up to 28,000 sailors. These ships were used for very long distance trips to places like the Middle East or South Asia. These ships also helped China’s knowledge of the rest of the world. -
1420
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was a political and ritual center for China. This lasted for over 500 years. It was home to 24 emperors and their families. It also homed their servants -
1512
Clay Printing
The Ming Dynasty had advancements in printing technology, clay printing. This included plates that were engraved with words or pictures, painted with ink, then pressed onto the paper. This made printing cheaper and quicker, allowing more books to be produced. -
1521
Blue + White Porcelain
Blue and white porcelain became popular in the Ming Dynasty. It was made by painting blue designs on white porcelain. These pieces were highly valued and traded worldwide. -
The Fall of the Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty fell due to internal corruption. This weakened government control. Repeated natural disasters, like floods, created even more concern. Eventually, the weak Ming Dynasty was defeated.