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8000BC |
Neolithic period first settlements, mainly primitive agricultural settlements
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| 5000 - 3000BC |
Yangshao civilisation, noted for their earthenware, based along the Wei River.
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3000 - 1700BC
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Longshen civilisation, noted for their black ceramics.
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| 1600- 1050BC |
First dynasty in China, the Shang Dynasty, with evidence of writing dating from 1300BC (inscriptions on oracle bones).
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| 1066 - 771BC |
Western Zhou were in power, responsible for introducing writing on bronze and eventually onto silk and bamboo.
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| 771 - 221BC |
Eastern Zhou period, which was a time of unrest, politically and socially and led to the emergence of Daoism and Confucianism.
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| 551 - 479BC |
Life of Confucius
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| 221 - 206BC |
Qin Dynasty, with the burning of the books in the unification process in 213BC.
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| 206BC - 9AD |
Western Han Dynasty
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| 25 - 220AD |
Eastern Han Dynasty
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| 220 - 589 |
Period of Disunity, with warring kingdoms and a succession of ruling houses, known as the 16 Kingdoms.
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| 581 - 618 |
Sui Dynasty which proved to be a short rule.
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| 618 - 907 |
Tang Dynasty, a golden age of China with expansion, political stability and prosperity. Art and literature from this period is considered to be amongst China’s best.
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| 907 - 960 |
Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms - no dynasty lasted for more than three successive reigns in the north and in the south, the situation was just as unstable.
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| 960 - 1126 |
Northern Song
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| 1127 - 1279 |
Southern Song
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| 1279 - 1368 |
Yuan Dynasty - Kublai Khan finally defeated the Southern Song in 1279, after his father (Genghis Khan) captured Beijing in 1215, leading to a period of Mongol rule
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| 1368 - 1644 |
Ming Dynasty - the longest and most stable period. The Great Wall of China is built, Beijing becomes the capital, the Forbidden City is built. Emperor Taichang’s poisoning by eunuchs marks the end of the dynasty.
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| 1644 - 1911 |
Qing Dynasty - period of military expansion, White Lotus Rebellion occurs and Empress Dowager Cixi rules from behind the scenes.
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| 1912 |
Abdication of Pu Yi - signalling the end of Imperial China.
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| 1921 |
Founding of the Chinese Communist Party
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| 1935 |
Mao becomes leader of the Chinese Communist Party, after leading the Red Army on the Long March, which was a psychological victory.
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| 1937 |
Japan invades and takes much of Northern China
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| 1945 |
End of World War II and Japan defeated
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| 1947 |
Civil war breaks out in China
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| 1949 |
Mao announces the Peoples Republic of China, with much of the agricultural productivity and industry being built up, land being redistibuted and arranged marriages being outlawed.
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| 1958 |
Great Leap Forward - large communes formed to produce food and provide childcare, resulting in greater productivity. Unrealistic targets hid the failure of Mao’s experiment, but evenutally the agricultural failure was widespread.
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| 1965 |
Mao launches the Cultural Revolution, intellectual works destroyed and the Gang of Four organised attacks on writers and high officials. Children were encouraged to destroy family photograhs and even to denounce their own parents.
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| 1976 |
Mao dies and the Cultural Revolution ends
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| 1978 |
Deng Xiaoping becomes leader, implementing economic reforms which gave the economy a much needed boost. Political freedom was however stifled.
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| 1989 |
Tiananmen Square demonstration
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| 1993 |
Jiang Zemin becomes president and the Three Gorges Dam construction begins
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| 1997 |
Hong Kong is handed back to China by the British.
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| 1999 |
Macau is handed back to China
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| 2001 |
China becomes a member of the World Trade Organisation
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| 2003 |
China launches the first manned spacecraft
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| 2003 |
Hu Jintao becomes president and has attempted to move China towards a balanced growth to include the redress of social inequality and environmental issues associated with economic growth. |
